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Show ( 22 ) been ~uilty of; to hope, that he {hall fuffer tell thoufa';,d Times more Pain from Shame and Remorfe, than ever he enjoyed Pleafure in the Purfuit of criminal Delights; to hope, that he !hall have the Satisfaction of knowing himfdf to have been a Fool and a Mad·man; to ;wpe, that he !hall have the Happinefs of knowing, that he has done what may ju!lly cxpofe him to the divine Vengeance; to hope, that he !hall be ob]iaed to undert•ke the difagreeab!e and almo£ 1: infupcrable Talk of rooting out confirmed Habits, and planting oppofite ones in their Place, of parting with Vices as dear to him as a right Hand or a right Eye, and of wholly new modelling his Mind; in lhort, it is to hope, that he !hall have the Happinefs of feeing himfelf in great Danger of final Deftruction. Bleffed Hopes! Glorious Profpects I Worthy for which to give up one's Innocence and Peace of Mind in the prefent Life, and the Profpect of Happinefs in that which is to come. There is nothing in the World, of which you will be in fo much Danger as Company ; I mean that which is commonly found at Taverns. If you imagine that you avoid all Danger of this kind by keeping only what is called f ober Company, you will fadly deceive yourfelf. I forewarn you therefore of what you will find by Experience, viz. That Men, who are fober at Home, are not fuber at the Tavern. Strong Liquors have that curfed Effect upon the bell: and wife£1: of Men, that they mo£1: certainly become foolilh and wicked in fome Degree, lefs or more, by ufing them. You will find there are few, or rather no Tavern Converfations, but what are either too loofe and licentious, or 4 u at ka£1: too tri~ing and ludicrous, for a judicious and VIrtuous Ear. Dnnhmg is indeed Jettina a Thief in at the Mouth to fteal away or~e's Brams. It takes off that Dei.cacy of Sentiment, an,d that Modefty and Fear of ollonding, which ~re the firongefi: Guards to Virtue, and gives, mfte~d of them, a Boldncfs and Ralhnefs, which make People forget all Rellraint and pafs over all Bounds of Duty and Law; 'I have known the drinking of two or three Glalles of Wine more than enough, prove the Ruin of a mod eli: and virtuous Youth, by emboldening him to do what he never would have d•rcJ had he been fobcr1 viz. To go to one of th~fe Haunts of Wickednefs called Bawdy-houfcs, after the Sc~ aration of the Company, where he loll all !:ienfe of Shame, and got a Liking to licentious a~1d forbrdde1.1 Plea;ures, which he purfued, to hrs utter Rurn. rims frat! and unllcddy is human V rrtue, and thus dangerous the Ellccts of !l:rong Lrquors. There is not indeed a Virtue which this. fwinilh Practice will not deftroy. How long ts a Perfon ltkcly to prefcrve his Modefty, his Fidelity to his Friends, his Conduct in Bufincf~, and even Secrecy in his own Concerns, who gives himfelf to the Ufc of llrona Liquors! But it is pretended, that a Jobtr Glar,O as it called, can hurt no Man. Do not you-: my Friend, let yourfelf be deceived by fmoorh Names, th.at often cover very dangerous and hurtful Thmgs. There is no Hazard of your being ?ebauched to a great Degree at once: But there IS ~reat Danger of your going on from final/ Begrnnrr.gs to dreadful Er.ding1. f therefore once more warn you to !hun the !call Appearance of Evil. D Swearing |