table life than thou, as well as an honester and safer life?' If thou do think so, why wilt thou not imitate them? It is as free for thee to choose as them. If thou think they do not, consider, that as they have none of thy forbidden cups, so they have none of thy thirst or desire after them. Abstinence is sweeter much to them. They have none of thy sour belchings, or vomitings, nor shame, nor danger, nor thy reckoning to pay. They have none of thy gripes of conscience, and terrors under the guilt of such a sin. They live in the love of God and the forethoughts of heaven, while thou art in the alehouse. And dost thou not think in thy conscience, that to a heart that is suited and sanctified thereto, it is not a sweeter thing to live in the love of God, than in the love of thy sensuality? Darest thou say (whatever thou thinkest) that God, and heaven, and holiness are not so lovely and fit to be delighted in, as a cup of wine or ale? Sure thou darest not say so! If it were for no more than the different aspects of death and eternity to them and to thee, I account thy life in the midst of thy pleasures incomparably more sad than theirs. They look at death as at the time of hope, and the day of their deliverance, as the assizes are to the innocent or pardoned man: but thou lookest on death with terror, as the end of all thy mirth, as the guilty malefactor thinketh on the assizes: or else with senselessness or presumption, which is worse. They look unto eternity as their endless, unspeakable felicity and thou darest scarce seriously think of it, without the delusory ease of unbelief or of false hopes: thou darest not seriously look beyond death, unless through the devil's cheating spectacles. I tell thee, a sober, godly man would not have thy merry life (as thou accountest it) one day, for all thy wealth, or for any worldly gain: he had rather lie in jail, or sit in the stocks that while, than drink and swagger with thee. Keep thy merriment to thyself, for no wise man or good man will be thy partner. If thou wert their enemy they would not wish thee so much misery as thou choosest. As the story goeth of a confessor, that hearing many confess the sin of drunkenness, would needs try himself what plea

He is happiest that needeth least of any creature, and not he that hath most. Socrates said, It was proper to God only to need nothing; but those that came nearest to God in this were the happiest men.

sure was in it: and having vomited and slept it out, the next drunkard that came to him in confession, he appointed him for penance to be drunk again, and told him, he need no sharper penance.

Quest. XVI. How cometh it to pass that thy very pride doth not cure thy drunkenness "?' Pride is so natural and deep rooted a sin, that I dare say thou hast not overcome it, if thou have not overcome thy sensuality.. And is thy credit no more worth with thee? wilt thou for a cup of drink be made the talk of the country, the scorn of the town, the sport and laughing game of boys, and the pity of sober persons? If thou be a great man among them, and they dare not speak it to thy face, and thou hearest not what they say of thee, yet in private they make bold with thy name, to talk of thee as of a filthy beast. Canst thou think that sober men do honour thee? What honour may accidentally be due to thee from thy place, is another matter; but thou takest a course to keep them from honouring thee for thy worth, and dost thy worst to bring thy rank and place into contempt. It is said that in Spain a drunkard is not allowed for a witness against any man: and sure he is not a credible person. Regard thy reputation if thou carest not for thy

soul.

Quest. XVII. 6 Dost thou not love the flesh itself which thou so much pamperest?' If thou do, why wilt thou drown it, and choak it up with phlegm and filth? Ask physicians whether drunkenness be wholesome. Mark how many drunkards live to be old: Ennius podagricus' is a proverb. The sickness is longer than the sweetness of thy cup. If thou fearest not hell, fear the consumption, gout, or dropsy.

Quest. XVIII. Why shouldst thou not take more pleasure in the company of thy family, and in the company of people fearing God; that worship him in truth of heart, and will do their best to help to save thee?' Canst thou give any reason for it, why such company should not be more pleasant to thee than thy pot companions? and why it should not be more pleasant to talk of the way to heaven, and the pardon of sin, and the love of Christ, and of eternal happiness, than to prate a deal of idle nonsense in an alehouse? There is no reason for it but thy filthy mind, that b 1 Thess. v. 7. They that are drunken, are drunken in the night.

is suitable to vanity and sin, and unsuitable to all that is

wise and holy.

Quest. xIx. What if thou shouldst die in a drunken fit?' Wouldst thou not thyself take thy case to be desperate or dangerous? Why it may be so for ought thou knowest it hath been the case of many an one. But if it be not so, yet to die a drunkard is as certain damnation, as to die in drunkenness. If the guilt of the sin be on thee, it is all one when it was committed, whether lately or long ago for unpardoned sin is most sure damnation: and it is certainly unpardoned, till it be truly repented of: and it is not repented of if it be not forsaken: and then bethink thee how thou wilt review these days, and what thoughts thou wilt have then of thy cups and company!

Quest. xx. Art thou willing to part with thy sin, or art thou not?' Speak man, Art thou willing? If thou be not willing, bear witness against thyself that thou dost not repent of it, and that thou art not forgiven it; and therefore that thou art at present a slave of the devil, and if thou die so, as sure to be damned as thou art alive. Bear witness that thou wast not kept from grace, and consequently from heaven against thy will; but by thy wilful refusal of it: and that it was not because thou couldst not be saved, that thou goest to hell; but because thou wouldst not. Sure even now thou canst not have the face to deny any of this, if thou confess that thou art not willing to amend. Take thy will in sin, if God's will must be violated, which tendered thee mercy, and commanded thee to accept it; but be sure that God will have his will in punishing thee.

But I suppose thou wilt say, that thou art willing to amend and leave thy sin, but thou canst not do it because flesh is frail, and company is tempting, and God giveth thee not grace willing thou art, but yet unable. But stay a little! God will not so let thee carry it, and smooth over thy wickedness with a lie. Thy meaning, if thou speak out, is not that thou art willing, presently and heartily willing to forsake thy sin, but only that thou wouldst be willing, if the drink and the devil did not tempt thee. And so thou wilt be willing to love God and be saved, when nothing shall tempt thee to the contrary! And wouldst thou thank thy wife for such a willingness to forsake adultery, when no

body will tempt her to it? or thy servant to do thy work, when he hath nothing to tempt him to idleness or neglect? Judge by this what thanks thou deservest of God for such a willingness. But dally not with God, and mock not thy conscience, but speak to the question, 'Art thou willing to give over thy company and tippling, from this day forward, or art thou not? Take heed what thou sayest. If thou say,' No,' God may say Nay' to all thy cries for mercy in the day of thy misery and distress; but if still thou say that thou art willing, but not able, I will convince thee of thy falsehood.

Quest. I. Tell me then, what force is used to make thee sin against thy will?' Wast thou carried to the alehouse, or didst thou go thyself? Wast thou gagged and drenched? Was it poured down thy throat by violence; or didst thou take the cup and pour it down thyself? Who was the man that held open thy mouth and poured it in? Nay, if it had been thus, it had not been thy sin; for no will, no sin. Or did they set a sword or pistol to thy breast and so force thee to it? If they had, that had not proved thee unwilling, but only that they forced thee to be willing: and their force is no excuse for God threatened hell, and thou shouldst have feared that most.

Quest. 11. Didst thou love the drink, or loathe it when thou wast drinking it?' Didst thou love it against thy will, when love and willingness are all one?

Quest. III. Wilt thou forbear the next time till thou art carried to it, and till it is forcibly poured down with a horn?' If not, confess it is thy will.

Quest. IV. Couldst thou not forbear, if the judge or the king stood by?' And canst thou not forbear when God stands by? If thou wilt, thou canst.

Quest. v. Couldst thou not forbear, if thou wert sure to be put to death for it?' If the law hanged all drunkards, and the hangman were at thy back? Surely thou couldst. And canst thou not then forbear if thou wilt, when God hath made it worse than hanging, and when death is coming to fetch thee to execution?

Quest VI. Couldst thou not forbear it in sickness, if thy physician required it, and told thee if thou drink, it will be thy death?' I doubt not but thou couldst: if not, thou

art very unworthy to live, that canst not deny thyself a cup of drink for the saving of thy life. And thou art as unworthy to be saved, if thou wilt not do that to save thy soul, which thou wouldst do to save thy present life.

Quest. VII. Yea, couldst thou not forbear if it were to save the life of thy wife, or child, or friend, or neighbour?? If thou knewest that forbearing thy forbidden cup would save the life of any one of them, couldst thou not? Nay, wouldst thou not do it? If not, thou tellest the world what a husband, what a father, what a friend, and what a neighbour thou art, that wouldst not forbear a cup of drink to save a friend or neighbour's life. I should think thee an unworthy friend, if thou wouldst not do that much at thy friend's request, though there were no such necessity lay upon it. If this be so, I will never take a drunkard for my friend: for he would not forbear a cup of drink for my sake, no, not if it were to save my life. If thou say, 'God forbid, I would do more than that,' why then didst thou say, say, 'Thou canst not forbear?' Mark how thy tongue reproves thy falsehood. And canst thou not do that for thy own soul, which thou couldst do for the life, or at the request of a friend or neighbour?

Quest VIII. Couldst thou not forbear if it were to get a lordship or a kingdom? yea, or to save thy own estate, if it were all in danger, and this would save it?' I doubt not but thou couldst. Why then dost thou say thou canst not do it?

Quest. Ix. If thou wert certain that thou wast to die tomorrow, wouldst thou be drunk to-night?" Or if thou wert sure to die within this week or month, wouldst thou be drunk ere then? I do not believe thou wouldst : fear would so long shut thy mouth. Thou seest then that thou canst forbear if thou wert but willing, and wert but awakened out of thy stupidity and folly.

Quest. x. What if thou wert sure that there were an ounce of arsenic or other such poison in the cup? couldst thou not then forbear it?' Yes, no doubt of it: it is plain therefore that thou speakest falsely, when thou sayst that thou canst not. And is not God's wrath and curse in thy cup, much worse than poison?

Quest. XI. What if thou sawest the devil standing by thee and offering thee the cup, and persuading thee to drink