is not the effect of their own vices; that it will be but moderate in its degree, and of fhort continuance.

MANY have faid to me, "How can you, when at a table covered with a dozen delicious dishes content yourself with one difh, and that the plainest too at the table? It must furely be a great mortification to you, to fee fo many charming things before you, and yet Scarcely taste them." This queftion has frequently been put to me, and with an air of furprize. I confess it has often made me unhappy; for it proves that such persons are got to fuch a pass, as to look on the gratification of their appetites as the highest happiness, not confidering that the mind is properly the man, and that it is in the affections of a virtuous and pious mind, a man is to look for his trueft and highest happinefs. When I fit down, with my eleven grand-children, to a table covered with various dainties, of which, for the fake

of

of a light eafy ftomach, I may not, at times, chufe to partake, yet this is no mortificaton to me; on the contrary, I often find myself most happy at these times. How can it otherwife than give me great delight when I think of that goodness of GOD, which bleffes the earth with fuch immenfe ftores of good things for the ufe of mankind; and which, over and above all this goodness, has put me into the way of getting fuch an abundance of them for my dear grand-children; and, befides must it not make me very happy to think that I have gotten fuch a mastery over myself as never to abufe any of those good things, but am perfectly contented with fuch a portion of them as keeps me always in good health. O what a triumph of joy is this to my heart! What a fad thing it is that young people will not take inftruction, nor get benefit from those who are older and wifer than themselves!

themselves! I may ufe, in this matter, the words of the wife man, "I have feen all things that are done under the fun." I know the pleasures of eating, and I know the joys of a virtuous mind, and can fay from long experience, that the one excelleth the other as far as light excelleth darkness; the one are the pleasures of a mere animal, the other thofe of an angel.

SOME are fo thoughtlefs as to fay, that they had rather be afflicted twice or thrice a year with the gout, and other diftempers, than deny themselves the pleasure of eating and drinking to the full of fuch things as they like; that for their part they had rather eat and drink as they like, though it should fhorten their lives, that is, "give them a fhort life and a merry one." It is really a furprising and fad thing, to fee reasonable creatures, fo ready to fwallow the most dangerous abfurdities. For

how

how, in the name of common sense, can

the life of a glutton or a fot be a merry one? If men could eat to excefs, drink to fillinefs, and ruft in floth, and after all, fuffer no other harm than the abridgement of ten or a dozen years of life, they might have fome little excufe for calling it a merry life, though furely it could appear fo to none but perfons of a fadly vitiated tafte. But fince an intemperate life will affuredly fow in our bodies the feeds of fuch difeafes as will, after a few fhort years of feverish pleasure, make life a burthen to us, with what face can any reasonable being call this a merry life?

O SACRED and moft bountiful Temperance! how greatly am I indebted to thee for refcuing me from fuch fatal delufions; and for bringing me, through the divine benediction, to the enjoyment of fo many felicities, and which, over and above all these favours confer

red

red on thine old man, haft fo ftrengthened his ftomach, that he has now a better relish for his dry bread than he had formerly for the most exquisite dainties, so that, by eating little, my stomach is often craving after the manna, which I fometimes feaft on with fo much pleasure, that I fhould think I trefpaffed on the duty of temperance, did I not know that one must eat to support life; and that one cannot use a plainer or more natural diet.

My fpirits are not injured by what I eat, they are only revived and fupported by it. I can, immediately on rifing from table, fet myself to write or study, and never find that this application, though fo hurtful to hearty feeders, does me any harm; and, besides, I never find myself drowsey after dinner, as a great many do ;-the reason is, I feed fo temperately, as never to load my stomach nor opprefs my nerves, fo

that