The Whole Duty of Man Epitomized, Part 8 – Part 9
PARTITION VIII.
Of Temperance in Drinking; falſe ends of Drinking, viz. Good Fellowſhip, putting away Cares,
THE next thing Drinking directed to falſe Ends.is Temperance in Drinking; the right Ends whereof are the very ſame with Eating, viz. the preſerving our Lives and ſupporting our Healths, but this like the former has been ſadly ſubverted and directed to Purpoſes ſtrangely diſtant from the Original intent of it.
Men now drink themſelves into Beaſt Falſe end of Drinking, Good-Fellowſhip.under the common but falſe Notion of Good-Fellowſhip; others drink to exceſ… under the pretence that 'tis a gre… means to maintain a mutual Friendſhip Preſerving Kindneſs. Chearing the Spirits, and putting away Cares.and Correſponden… amongſt Men; ſome will have it, that 'tis highly uſeful to che… the Spirits, and … correct and diſp… Melancholy; that … drives away the Cares and Perplexities of Humane Life; that 'tis very fit for the paſſing away time and filling up empty Intervals, na… ſome will tell us 'tis Reproach not to d… Preventing Reproach.it, and argues a great deal of ſowreneſs and diſingenuity, man there are that drink Pleaſure of Drinking.for drinking ſake that love the Liquor and ſo are Sots without any of the former Pretences; but theſe are all great miſtakes, and truly upon a fair State of the Matter, 'tis a ſubject fit both for our Wonder and Sorrow, how this unaccountable Practice of exceſſive Drinking ſhould have ſo unluckily encroach'd upon all Societies; that no Bargain can be made Bargaining.(which is another pretence for it) nor nothing of any Moment tranſacted, but the Tavern, or the Ale-houſe muſt be the Place fixt upon for the doing of it.
The unreaſonableneſs Degrees of this Sin.of theſe Motives is too plain to admit of a Diſpute, they are all ſo ridiculous, abſurd and inconſiſtent, that upon a ſhort Appeai to common Experience we find 'em exploded and condemn'd; every Degree of this Sin is a high breach of Temperance; every drop we drink beyond what is convenient for moderate Refreſhment, is an Offence both againſt God and Man, and the ſtrong Drinke… The great Guilt of ſtrong drinkers:above all the reſt both from the evi… of his Example, and Practice the moſt unaccountable.
A Man would think that the many Miſchiefs The great Miſchiefs of the Sin, an Exhortation to forſake it.that attend this Sin ſhould be a warning to us to avoid it when we conſider 'tis a diſhonour to God a reproach to Chriſtianity, and a Deſtruction both to our Souls and Bodies; ſure a few Exhortations may ſerve to prevail with us to forſake it.
And why ſhould any ſeeming difficulties Difficulties of forſaking it conſider'd, viz. Neceſſity of drink, want of employ and Reproaches and Perſuaſions of Men.diſſuade us againſt parting with ſo dangerous a Vice; why ſhould we plead Cuſtom… or the Neceſſity of Drink, or why ſhould we betray ſo much Folly, nay ſo much Wickedneſs to make drinking the buſineſs of our Lives. Alas! 'tis a miſtake, and let the vain deluded Drunkard ſay what he will, it can be no Reproach to us to reject all Intemperances of this kind, and all the Perſuaſions of Men upon that Account.
The Means to reſiſt theſe, and all other Means to reſiſt this Sin, by weighing the advantage with the hurt, and rejecting the Temptations.Temptations for intemperate Drinking, are to weigh the Good with the Ill, and the pretended Advantages with the real Loſſes and Dangers, and to reject them at their very Security to do ſo. Love of the Sin hinders the means, makes Men loath to believe the danger.beginnings, and to avoid all manner of Occaſions and Opportunities, this we may do, if it be not our own fault, and theſe and ſuch like means will effectually do the Buſineſs, if our miſtaken Love t… Vice does not hinder it, and make us unwilling to believe it, either dangerous or deſtructive.
PARTITION IX:
Temperance in Sleep; the Rule of i… Miſchiefs of Sloth, of Recreations Cautions to be obſerv'd in them … Apparel.
SLeep is a Thin Sleep.part of Temperance, which is likewiſe, The Rule of Temperance therein; many Sins follow the Tranſgreſſion of it, with other inconveniencies.if meaſur'd b… the end for which God ordain'd it, only for … Refreſhment; and … ſupport for our frai… Bodies; and in this we are likewiſe to take Care not to indulge our ſelves to far leaſt at length it encline us to Sloth which is ordinarily attended with a whole train of dangerous Sins, and with abundance of other great Inconveniencies.
We ſhould likewiſe Temperance in Recreations.have a very high regard to Temperance in our Recreations, and be perpetually Cautions to be obſerv'd.Cautious, that they are lawful in their kind, and no ways diſhonourable to God, or Injurious to our Neighbour; we ſhould be very careful too, that they never …end to undue Ends, Ʋndue Ends of Sports.but are all exactly Innocent, harmleſs and inoffenſive.
The laſt part of Temperance in Apparel.Temperance is that of Apparel, and this as well as the reſt is to be meaſured according to the Ends for which Cloathing was ordain'd; which were firſt to provide a modeſt and decent covering to hide our Nakedneſs, this was the firſt and great End of it; the ſecond was to fence our Bodies from the Severities of the Cold, and ſecure to us ſuch a convenient Apparel deſign'd for a covering of ſhame.Warmth that is neceſſary for the Preſervation of our Health; and the third for the diſtinguiſhing Fencing from Cold.Perſons both with reſpect to their Sex, and Qualities. Now theſe are the three grand Ends of our Apparel, which we ſhould always be careful to preſerve i… Diſtinction of Perſons.the middle, between the extreams of gaudineſs and contempt.
And thus I have paſs'd through the ſeveral Branches of Temperance and herein I would in no reſpect ſeem to advance a contrary extream; i. e. too much ſparingneſs, which is Too much ſparing, a fault as well as Exceſs.indeed a fault as well as Exceſs. A Covetous griping Temper is no more to be accounted for, then any of the former; and is in many Particulars a high breach of our Duty both to God, our Selves, and our Neighbours.