ture below that of the brutal. Serious men not only abhor it, but speak of it with the greatest detestation. "Know ye not," saith the apostle, "that your bodies are the mem-"bers of Christ? Shall I then take the mem"bers of Christ, and make them the members -" of an harlot ? God forbid," 1 Cor. vi. 15. : The apostle taketh particular notice of the Trivial as this sin of uncleanness may appear to be in the eyes of licentious men, it is not trivial in the eyes of God, who hath said, "If any man defile the temple of God, “ him shall God destroy," 1 Cor. iii. 17. and whoremongers and adulterers God will judge," Heb. xiii. 4. 66 H Nor doth the devil count it trivial, otherwise he would not use so many arts and stratagems to ensnare men therewith, nor will' they themselves think it trivial in a future state. Nor do they even count it trivial in this life, however they may speak' thereof,· and often commit it; for, would not almost the most hardened whore-monger be ashamed to commit the sin of uncleanness in the presence of a child, how much more in the presence of an earthly sovereign! Yet, astonishing wickedness! amazing stupidity! such stick not at indulging their lusts, not indeed before a child, who cannot punish their crimes, nor an earthly judge or sovereign, who could only punish them in this life; but in the presence of Almighty God, the sovereign Judge of heaven and earth, who can cast both soul and body into hell-fire for ever, and will by no means clear the guilty, Exod. xxxiv. 7. This brings to my memory a story I have somewhere heard, which runs thus: "A strumpet, wishing to entice a young gen"tleman to the act of uncleanness with her, 'being requested of him first to lead him "into some place that would be secret enough " for indulging this desire: she accordingly "led him into a private room; but upon his "saying that it was not private enough, she "took him into another still more so; but 66 upon his saying it would not do neither, "she led him into another still more dark and << secret, and said, there is not a more secret place in the house; and sure it is impossible "for any to hear or see us in this place. Whereupon the young gentleman replied, O yes, I am still afraid God will see us; and "unless you can take me into some place "where God cannot see, I dare not satisfy “your desires.” O that I and every one else would remember that the all-penetrating eye of God is ever upon us, and that darkness covereth not from him, but to him the night doth shine as day, Ps. cxxxix. 12. This, through grace, would deter us from those paths where such destroyers go, and put us upon saying with Jacob in another case, “O my soul, come not thou in"to their secret: unto their assembly mine "honour be not thou united, Gen. xlix. 6. lest ❝ thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and "thy body are consumed," Prov. v. 11. There is another artifice sometimes used in the taking of fish, which cannot be so well done but in the drought of summer, when there is but little water running either in or out from a pool; and that is, by putting a certain combustible into the water, whereby the tenants of the stream become intoxicated, swim above, and submit to be taken at pleasure. Alas! doth not the adversary of mankind greatly use the artifice of intoxicating men through the immoderate use of spiritous liquors, and leadeth them on by little and little, from drinking at first merely to satisfy nature in quenching their thirst, to a real inclination for the bewitching juice; which desire he augmenteth in every opportunity where it may be indulged; and even to seek opportunities when no opportunities offer themselves, till at length they become habitual drunkards; which pernicious custom is not only a crime itself, but leadeth to the commission of all others. He that seeth a drunkard, seeth every thing that is bad, for what crime is there that a drunkard is not capable of? He will almost undertake every thing, and do any thing to But what was I meditating on at the time of this alarm? It was drunkenness: And what else is a drunk man but a madman ? made so, not by a sinless infirmity, but by his own inclination. Unaccountable depravity this indeed! that man, who was created after the image of God, and endowed with reason in all its purity, should take pleasure in depriving himself of that little remains of it which the fall hath left, and making himself mad with his own hand! Did I pity the poor man that is just now carried back to his cell? this man's case is much more deplorable: A drunkard is not only the grief of his family, the bane of society, the devil's drudge, and a destruction to himself, but the open enemy of God; and one, if grace prevent not, who will be made to drink of the cup of God's indignation at last, Psal. lxxv. 8. Rev. xiv. 10, If the drunkards in Joel's time were called to awake, weep, and howl, because of the new wine's being cut off from their mouths, Joel i. 5., much more reason have they to |