Christian measure, except you arm yourself with great resolution. Never think it a piece of manhood to be drunk yourself, or to make others so; for this is to distinguish yourself by what is the deprivation of manhood, extinguishing at once both your sense and reason; besides, it will make you liable to many unfortunate accidents. A debauch has brought many a fever which has ended in death; has occasioned the breaking of many a limb, which is not recovered without pain and charge; and how many have broke their necks on such occasions, and so gone out of the world without repenting of so great a crime! Sometimes it creates quarrels, which have cost the life of one or both the disputants. But if you escape these dangers, that affect the body, your best part, your soul, must suffer by so plain a breach of your duty, till you reconcile yourself to God by unfeigned repentance. Never reckon an excess in drinking a small fault, a peccadiglio; for this may prevail upon you to comply with the importunity of others it is certainly a breach of God's law; and you must count nothing inconsiderable that offends Him. Be free to own your weakness as to drinking -that it prejudices your health, and that you are not able to bear so much as others; and then, if the company have any good manners, they will not press you. When you entertain friends yourself, introduce coffee and tea after dinner, and propose some diversion, that drinking may be hindered: several little arts a man will call to his assistance, that designs to keep himself and the company sober. But then, if you are at any time surprised, immediately next day testify your repentance, profess your sorrow to God, and resolve on more firmness for the time to come: if your companions should make a jest of it, let them know it is no jesting matter. And I think you would do well, if you punished yourself for so unfortunate

an accident, by imposing upon yourself a day of fasting, or by abstaining from the use of wine for two or three days.

IX. In the ninth place, I must caution you against uncleanness, so frequent a failure in youth, and which, when once indulged, will corrupt the best principles, and has carried many a man to scepticism and infidelity; because, when a man cannot reconcile his constant practice to the law of religion, he casts about how to get rid of the obligation of such laws, which bear so hard upon him, and give him so much uneasiness. Now, the best rule in this case is, never to indulge the least appearance of this vice; to discourage all loose and wanton thoughts which may arise in your mind; to forbear all obscene and filthy discourse; to avoid all familiarity with the fair sex; not to seem pleased when others attempt to divert the company by lewd jests; to be modest towards yourself, and to treat yourself with reverence and respect. For chastity consists in a due government of those appetites which God has placed in us for the propagating of mankind, which are never to be gratified but in a state of matrimony; so that any thing that tends to provoke these appetites out of that state, by our own voluntary consent, has a share of the guilt of the last act, and is what we must be accountable for, and therefore ought carefully to be watched against. If you ever give yourself up to this vice, you will expose your constitution to great shocks, make your body the sink of many noisome diseases, consume your estate, neglect your business, and bring contempt upon you from all sober people; it will harden you against all good advice, provoke the wrath of God, and infallibly draw upon you in the next world the miseries of a sad eternity.

X. In the tenth place, guard yourself from the bane of conversation, which is evil-speaking: this

lessening the reputation of others, by exposing their faults, is grown so common, that, more or less, ever. good people split upon this rock; so that, if you have not a particular watch over yourself, you will be carried down the stream, and become involved in this common calamity. Some people never examine the truth of what they report, provided it was told them— but this is calumny and slander; and if they know what they say to be true, yet if neither justice nor charity require the discovery, it is the vice of evilspeaking, forbid by the Christian religion. For when there is no justifiable reason to the contrary, we ought to throw a veil over the faults of our neighbour; for this is the treatment we desire from him,-we are not willing what is true of ourselves should be exposed to public view. Besides, it is contrary to that love which is due to our neighbour, which, when sincere, will dispose us to cover those defects that may tend to the impairing of his reputation. Now, the more you mortify the evil passions of pride, envy, and revenge, the less you will be subject to distraction, which very often proceeds from them. An over-busy, meddling temper will expose you to the same temptation; but if you would entirely secure yourself, resolve never to speak evil of any one. not suffer yourself to repeat stories to the disadvantage of others, though never so public; for though this on some occasions might be innocently done, yet by degrees it may insensibly betray you to real defamation.

Do

XI. In the eleventh place, I must give you a great charge not to suffer yourself to be infected with the common vice of swearing You will find

yourself, tempted to this unreasonable sin by the practice of all nations, who agree in no evil inore universally than this. But remember, that an honest man's word should be esteemed so sacred, that he

should have no occasion to confirm what he says by an oath; besides, the reverence of a solemn appeal to God being diminished by common swearing, leads a man to perjury, a most confirmed piece of iniquity. It is plainly and directly forbid by the Christian religion; and the corruption of our nature suggests the fewest temptations to it of any vice whatever, which makes the practice of customary swearing more inexcusable. Avoid the company of common swearers; for conversing frequently with them will abate that horror we have at first for the rash and common use of oaths. If I mistake not, you have been preserved hitherto from this corruption; and let not the greatness or genteelness of those that practise it ever betray you to any good opinion of it. You must not imitate the best-bred men by their vices, which are no part of their good breeding.

XII. In the twelfth place, remember to be courteous and affable towards all men. They who exclude civility out of the catalogue of virtues, seem to me not thoroughly to understand the nature of Christianity. By this method you will preserve the good-will of those you converse with, which will make them the readier to serve you upon all occasions, and by degrees give you power to do them good in matters of the greatest importance. In time it will bring you to a habit of self-denial; for this affability will often make you forego what you like best in indifferent things, in order to please and oblige others; and it is no inconsiderable talent to be ready upon all occasions to contradict our own wills. Besides, it is a part of that charity we owe to our neighbours, to whom we are obliged to do good by all the means that lie in our power; and certainly every man is delighted and pleased in being well used.

XIII. In the thirteenth place, I must particu

larly recommend to you the practice of charity; by which I mean doing good to the souls and bodies of men. It is true, God has set apart a particular order of men to be useful and serviceable in the great affair of their salvation; and there are several holy actions which are peculiar to the priests of the Lord, which for a layman to invade would be sacrilege. But there are some others which are common to both: every man may instruct his children and servants in the principles of religion, and reprove others when they transgress, and upon fit occasions insinuate exhortations to piety; nay, I think it their duty so to do. But if my children or servants want baptism, I must call for a minister; if I would have them confirmed, I must carry them to a bishop, to lay his hands on them and bless them; if they would receive the holy sacrament, or absolution for any sin that troubles their conscience, I must apply to the priests that wait at the altar; if I would consecrate a child to the service of the Church, I must desire a bishop to ordain him, because they only are entrusted with that power. But, when you have servants, endeavour to instruct them in necessary Christian knowledge; lead them by your repeated advice, as well as example, in the practice of religion. Comfort your friends that mourn and are afflicted with seasonable discourses of piety; and reprove prudently and gently all your companions, when you find they transgress God's laws. But never unnecessarily vex or grieve any man's mind, for thereby you hurt his soul. As to their bodies, you must, according to your abilities, relieve their wants, and supply their necessities; and, in order to this purpose, I must suggest to you what I take to be a prudent management; which is, to dedicate and lay apart a proportion of your gains or your income, when it is certain, for alms-deeds, which will make the work easy and