Background Image
Table of Contents Table of Contents
Previous Page  492 / 514 Next Page
Basic version Information
Show Menu
Previous Page 492 / 514 Next Page
Page Background

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