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Show lietter Confutation of the Falfhood of their Reafoning;, than what they themfetlves furnifh: For, though moll: People in the gay Time of Life are continually crying out, that they have not had half their Share of the Fleafures of the World; in their old Age, and on their Deathbed3, they are generally found to lament that they have enjoyed and indulged them a great deal too much. That there is a great deal of Danger, when you come to die, of your having many Neglects and Orniffions to repent of; but that there is no fear of your repenting on your Death-bed, that you had omitted to fee a particular new Play on the firft Night, or llipt an Opportunity of getting drunk, or of debauching a Virgin; fo that at !call:,- a Life of Sobriety and Abftinence is on the fafe Side. It is alfo proper that you be prepared for oppofing and confuting the frivolous and fallacious Arguments commonly advanced by your thoughtlefs Companions in· defence of a Life of Pleafure; of which the moll: formidable one I can at prcfent remember, is the following, viz. Since God has given us Defires and Appetites, why ihould we not gratify them at all :!:.vents? Which thundering Piece of Artillery may at once be ftlenced, by only retorting the following Queflion. Since God has fo formed me, that v~l u.:.n I am extremely heated with Exercife, I have a great Defirc to covl myfelf "s q tHckly as poffible, why !houiJ I not throw off my Cloaths and expofe myfelf to the Air, though it ihould occa!ion my Death ; and Iince I have then a great Thirf!, why ihould I not drink a plentiful Draught of cold Water, though it fhould give me a Surfeit; and, in iliort, fmce God has given me a Variety of ( Z I ) •Of Appetites and Incliuotions, why ihould l · ncrt . fattsfy them all at random, without the leaft Th'.'ught of the Confequences? There is no · Denre or Appetite. natural to the human Species, but what may be mnocently gratified, and may alfo be a~ufcd; and the Rule to be obferved wnh ~egard to all the natural Inclinations and Appetttes, is, To gratify them only in fuch a manner, and within fuch Buunds of Moderation as will bell: ferve to gain the Ends for whicl~ they were implanted in the human Conflitution. and that whoever breaks through this Rule i~ g~ilty of a Crime. I tell you beforehand, that ta<tng a full Swmg of lawlefs Pleafure in Youth you will find l1y fatal E,perience, is only trea~ funng up to yourfclf, fur all the Remainder of your Life, an inexhauflible Fund of Pain and Torment, upon the moll: favourable Suppofition, VIZ. That you afterwards rerent of the Follies o[ Youth, which, if it !hould not happen, the Confcquences are fldl infinitely worfe. One would hardly believe it poffible for rational Creatures fo efle.:lually to diveft themfelves of common .Senfe, as fome, with regard to this Matter, do; if Experience and Obfervation did not fhe':" it to be a melancholy Truth. Could one beltevc a reafonable Creature capable of refolving (as is too commonly done) to induhe himfeli in all the various Madnefs of Youth a11:d to go on in a Courfe of guilty PJeafure: Wtth Hopes of repenting of it afterwards? Since, for a Perfon to do fo, is to hope, that he fhal! be heartily aihamed and confounded at what he has done; to hope that he ihall a thoufand and a thoufJnd Times wiih it undone; to hope that he ihall hate and loath himfelf for what he has been |