out Restraint, there would be no living in the World. Indeed there is not any Degree of vicious Practice, but hath its proportionable Degree of Mischief, to fome one or another, following it; especially as one wrong Step leads on imperceptibly, and at laft, (as the Guilty are apt to think) unavoidably, to many others and thus the most harmless and bestnatured Vices in Appearance, produce perhaps the cruelleft Injuries. But the fatal Effects of fenfual Indulgences and diffolute Pleasures on the Healths, the Fortunes, the Usefulness, the Reputations, the Peace, of those who give Way to them, on the Quiet and Profperity of Families, on the good Order and Strength of Civil Society; are so obvious in themselves, fo often infifted on from this Place, and fo univerfally acknowledged, (how little foever the Acknowledgment influences Men) that there can be no Need to inlarge on them at present. And were they much less notorious than they are; yet, fince God hath been pleased to interpofe his peremptory Commands in a Cafe where surely he may ; may; and to deliver by exprefs Revelation fuch Rules for the Government of every Appetite, as his Infinite Wifdom faw to be fit; it behoves the

greatest

greatest of those, who prefume to tranfgrefs the Limits which he hath fet them, to confider well with themselves what Plea they will make to him another Day for fo doing. That Nature prompts them to it, is not always a Truth; for their Exceffes are often a Perverfion, a Force upon Nature and it is never a Juftification, unless it be justifiable for Men to do every Thing to which they are inclined: when yet they fhew perpetually, that they can, if they please, curb their strongest Inclinations of this Sort, on Motives far lefs confiderable than thofe of Religion. And for the remaining Excufe of general Custom, what is wrong for one to do is wrong for more; and God will not dispense with his Laws, merely becaufe a Number of his Creatures join to difobey them: befides that Perfons of Rank are bound, both in Honour and Duty, to fet the Example, not to follow it blindfold. Examples of Vice they have fet, till those about them and beneath them have learned much more of it than their Superiors, I believe, wish they had; but they must wish in vain, till they change their own Conduct. And indeed, the Men of Condition especially, have left no Room for any of themselves to make a dif

tinguished

tinguished Figure in Wickedness, without becoming abandoned to the most shocking and pernicious Degrees of it; nor hardly then. But by a virtuous Example they may be most honourably fingular; for the Efteem of Goodnefs is still general, however rare the Practice be. And not only the fober Part of Mankind, but the Bulk of the immoral, (though doubtless more delighted with such as keep them in Countenance, and often poorly affecting to ridicule others) yet, do, and must, inwardly, both refpect and envy the worthy few, who adorn exalted Rank by an uniform Regularity of Life, in the Midft of every Temptation to the contrary.

Another very bad Use of Wealth, in which too many seem to place (if one may judge from the Vehemence with which they pursue it) no fmall Part of their Happiness, is that of gaming. Whence it arifes, that so strange a Paffion fixes itself so deep in the Hearts of fuch Numbers, is hard to fay; whether it be an abfurd Covetousness, an unmeaning Fondnefs for Victory, a groundless Perfuafion of fuperior Skill, an idle Conceit of being favoured by Fortune, or a wretched Longing to get rid any how of unwelcome Thoughts and tedious

Hours.

Hours. Whatever be its Origin, its Effects are most fatal. That all Play is at all Times, and to all Perfons, either unlawful or inexpedient, I would by no Means affirm. But that very often it is fo, cannot be denied; and every one, who takes a Share in it, should confider feriously the Nature and Tendency of what he doth. If it inclines him to paffionate, and perhaps prophane Expreffions; if it inwardly agitates his Mind, fours his Temper, or waftes his Spirits; if it tempts him to any Sort or Degree of Fraud or Unfairness; if it mixes him with Company dangerous or unfuitable to him; if it devours more Time than is confiftent with a due Attention to the Bufinefs of his Station, public or private, or to the regular Order of his Family; if it takes up any Part of the Time that ought to be spent in religious Recollection of his Ways, or other Improvement of his Soul at Home in Piety and Virtue, if either by its direct and immediate, or any concomitant Expences, it leads him into Difficulties and Diftreffes, that may lead him into Sin; if it confumes a greater Part of his Income than Juftice to his Creditors, the Duty of providing for those who belong to him, or of liberal Charity to every proper good

5

good Purpose allows; or if, without any other Harm, it engages his Heart, and a Fondnefs for it grows upon him; if it lowers his Character, and fo leffens his Ability of doing Good in the World: nay, fuppofing it doth him no Harm at all, yet if it doth Harm by his Means to others; if it brings the Worthless and the Wicked into Credit and Familiarity with their Betters; if it intices the Well-meaning by Example, or forces them by false Shame, into doing any Thing, which either in itself, or in their Circumstances, is unlawful or unwife: in every one of these Cafes it is without Question very blamable. And whoever impartially confiders how he shall preserve himself clear from Guilt, as to all of them, will affuredly find it requifite either to abstain from Play intirely, or to restrain it in every Respect to much narrower Bounds than most Men do. For the Great have, in this Matter, as well as many more, trufted to their Riches fo indifcreetly, and neglected other Confiderations fo intirely; and their Inferiors, down to the lowest of thofe that can call themselves Persons of Fashion (and even beneath that Rank) have followed them fo thoughtlesly and wildly, that Play is become one of the prin