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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
heavy
censures on
these impure and
brutal
follies,
whereby
we
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 presently
become
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 rich
are
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