440 CHRISTIAN MORALITY, VIZ. [$ERM, XXvt, mean an indulgence either for a man or a Christian. It does not become human nature to endanger the welfare of all its powers, and enslave them all to the single sense of tasting. " I am greater, says Seneca, and born to greater things, than to be a slave to this body, or to live merely to become a strainer of meats and drinks." The wisest of men, and the best writers of all ages, even in the heathen nations, have passed their heavycensures on these impure and brutal follies, wherebywe are reduced to the rank of beasts that perish, or perhaps sunk below them by the practices of intemperance ; for there are but few of that lower rank of creatures, who swell themselves beyond the demands of nature; or, at least, beyond what nature is able to bear. Let us argue a little upon this head from the princi< 'pies of reason, and consider that the chief designs of food are these two, the support of our nature, and the refreshment of our spirits. Therefore give food to him that is hungry, that life may be maintained : Give drink to him that is thirsty, to assist the supports of life, and to refresh it. Give strong drink to him that is ready to faint, that his spirits may be recruited; and wine to him that is heavy of heart, that he may forget his sorrows, Prove. xxxi. 6, 7. It is evident that every thing, which goes beyond the mere necessity of nature for its support, does not presentlybecome sinful ; because the refresh, ment of nature is also one end and design of our food. Remember that the supports of nature are designed by the God of nature to make us fit for all the services and duties of life, and the refreshments of it are ordained by the same Author of nature, to render us chearful in the discharge of those duties. The one is necessary to give us a capacity to perform, and the other proper to render the performance chearful and delightful to us, and to in terrningle our labour with such innocent delights as may awaken our thankfulness to the bounty of our Creator. Thence it will follow, that the richare allowed to fur- nish their tables with a variety of pleasing and grateful food ; and that feasts designed for a chearful enjoyment of our friends, are by no means forbidden by the light of reason, or of scripture: For we gain vigour for action, by having the spirits raised and exhilarated. But it will follow also, that when we have our choice of what wo
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