SERMON XXIX. 407 age : And there are some few trades and employments which demand labour at night. But in our general conduct we should endeavour to act more agreeably to the laws of creation andna- ture, and-to reduce families to a little better order, wheresover we have power and influence. Surely it can be no ,great hard- ship for any persons in health to begin their dutywith the rising sun, for almost half the year. We should not think it sufficient to get up a little before noon, nor should we turn the morning of God and nature into midnight, nor make the decline of the sun serve for our morning work. I would not be thought in this page to reflectupon the weak; the si kly, and the aged parts of mankind, whose nature may re- quire longer sleep, and a larger degree of rest to recruit their spirits : Nor do I accuse those unhealthypersons, 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 complain 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 reformation would soon grow easy And perhaps this might advance their health in a sensible manner, beyond all their old indulgences, or their present expec- tations.. An excessive love'ofcompany, an affectation of goingabroad;: a delight in wine and strong drink, are the third sort of enemies to that regularity and order which I am now recommending. Suchpractices 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, ormeaner drinking-houses Wo 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 inflames them : then all the follies of life play their parts ; but they forget religion, and regard not the work, nor the worshipofthe Lord ; Is. v. 11, 12. How oftenhas if 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 intendit at random, without keeping any time for it: And thus some households, that *Mild be called christians, live without God in the world; The' that tarry long at wine, or in any needless company, and lengthen out the hours of thou needless absence fromhome,'may count
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