4$4,
CHRISTIAN MORALITY,
VIZ.
[SERM. XXIX.
those unhealtliy'persons,
who
can get
no
slumber
till
the
night
is
half
spent, and
are thereby constrained,
merely
for the
sake
of
health, to
-let
their-
bed
intrench upon
so
many
hours of
day-light
:
Yet
I
persuade
myself,
that
if
these last
would
but bear
the inconveniences
they com-
plain
of
for
a
week
or
two,
if
they would
break
off
their
morning-slumber
early,
and early betake
themselves to
rest,
nature
would
quickly
learn a better habit,
the re-
formation
would soon grow easy
:
And
perhaps
this
might advance their health
in
a
sensible manner,
be-
yond
all
their
old
indulgencies, or their
present/expec-
tations.
An
excessive
love
of
company, an affectation of
going
abroad,
a
delight
in wine
-and
strong drink, are
the
third
sort
of
enemies to
that
regularity and order
which
I
am
now
recommending.
Such
practices are censured
-in
the
word
of
God;
I
have called the
prophet
Isaiah,
in
a
former
discourse,
to witness
against
the
drunkard, but
I
must ask leave to cite the same
text
again,
against the
wasters
of
time
in
taverns,
or meaner drinking-
houses.
Woe
to
them that
go
to
their
cups
in
a
morning: This
throws
all the business
of
the
day
out
of order;
-and
sometimes
they
are tempted
to
continue until
night,
or
at
least
they
return thither
again and stay
till
wine
in-
flame
them;
then
all
the
follies
of
life
play
their
parts;
but
they forget religion, and
regard
not the
work,
nor
the
worship
of
the Lord,
Is.
v. 11, 12.
How often
has
it
been found,
that
the religion
of
the
closet, as
well
as that
of
the
family,
bath
been shortened and omitted,
and
by
degrees
thrust out
-of
doors,
and forgotten, for
want
of
shaking
off every
impediment,
and
confining;
ourselves to
proper
seasons.
We
intend
to
fulfil
our
duties,
but
we
intend it
at
random, without keeping
any
time for
it:
And
thus
some
households,
that
would
be
called
Christians, live
without
God
in
the
world.
They
that
tarry
long
at
wine,
or
in any
needless company,
and lengthen
out
the hours
of
their
needless absence
from borne, may
count
themselves guilty
of
the several
disorders:
that
are committed
in
the family;
which
would
be rectified,
or entirely prevented,
by
the presence
of
the
master.
I
confess sometimes necessary business
detains
a Per-
-son
beyond
his
usual and appointed
hour:
there
must