their wits their spirits and perchance their noses afire together But this continues not this heate of mirth either is soone over-whelmed and drowned in their excesse and then they become sickish adle-pated quarrelsome wild or sullen or else is soone cooled and refrigerated in their braine and then they become very sad and melancholy But see a further mischiefe men being thus ingulpht in melancholy and discontent will yet againe seeke to remedy themselves by these drinking courses which are indeede occasions thereof and so hinder themselves from seeking or finding the true meanes to be eased of this their discontent and melancholy It is reported of the Danes Dutch-men Polanders and Boheminans that they will goe and drink downe their melancholy and griefe so with us many men will to the Taverne and seeke out their joviall companions as they call them to passe away the time in merriment as they say and to drinke away their melancholy and discontent It is true indeede that moderate drinking mirth and good company is a very good remedy against discontent But here 's the mischiefe excessive drinking and abuses in this kinde are occasions to many men as hath beene shewed of their greater griefe and melancholy and the remedies which they seeke herein to cure their disease by this meanes doth encrease the same so as they doe but claw a scab that itches and might otherwise be healed After all these frivolous deferrings their melancholy and griefe will returne and be worse then before which appeares in many men who by long custome in such abuses grow to such an habit of melancholy and discontent as they become sad sorrowfull angry froward and quarrelsome sometimes even among their cuppes and merriest companions and as King Solomon saith even in laughter their hearts are sorrowfull So that it is onely excessive and abusive drinking which is the cause of all this griefe misery melancholy and discontent and so hindereth happinesse therein And if we could refraine only the excesses and abuses thereof it were a good remedy against discontent and melancholy and as hath been shewed many good benefits and felicities would spring from the good and moderate use of drinking and so wee might enjoy the same freely and bee as good fellowes as merry and as happy as may be Of which more hereafter So it appeares by what hath beene said that to some men cold and moist to others hot distempers both of body and minde and to many men melancholy and sadnesse are caused by excessive and abusive drinking Now I might adde that to some a strange mixture of diseases and distempers are hereby caused proceeding of cold moist hot inflamed corupted and divers mixt causes in one body in so much as some men therby become rheumaticke grosse fat lazie dull heavie sullen melancholy and full of cold distempers and yet inflamed with heate and choler and so also very wilde testy braine-sicke cholericke and froward as appeares in many of our tun-bellied Hosts Hostesses some Dutch swill-bowles others In so much as many of them become evē replete with ill humours in the body and maligne dispositions in the mind Therefore let us by all meanes eschew these abusive drinking courses Here let mee write of a common error in the world by which multitudes are deceived and led away to these drinking abuses The error is this many men doe thinke the worst drunkards to be the bravest men that is men who can drinke abundance and make a common custome of it and yet beare it well and come off finely as they say and not reele staggar vomit sleepe or the like why such a man they commonly esteeme no drunkard or at least not so bad as weake-brain'd soone distempered drinkers though these notable common strong-brain'd drinkers have such gorges as to devoure as much as would suffice two or three families who will glory to drinke it off if it were a mile to the bottome as they say who will sit from morning till night or from thence till morning drinke with all companies and yet scarce faile or blunke at it And yet such men forsooth are accounted no drunkards but rather brave fellowes the onely gallants and sparkes boone companions Low-Counrey Souldiers stiffe blades steele to the backe and the like yea they are applauded and reputed by some the bravest men in the Kingdome Now the truth is that such stout able impudent roaring fine plausible methodicall common strong-brain'd drinkers are commonly the worst most dangerous most exemplary drunkards and most threatned in the sacred Scriptures To make this appeare more plainely First as maybe noted they are commonly as bad or rather of worse conditions then others of weaker braines It is true indeed they all are bad and that the weaker braind are more fraile and open and so discover their faults and imperfections more apparently and are then most fraile and faulty when their braines are distempered But these strong brain'd fine plausible common drinkers are usually which is worse more slily cunningly closely and pernitiously vitious Many of them can strangely countenance and colour vice and lewdnes with brave shewes with Art and faire termes insomuch as they can maintaine dissolute courses with a pernitious shew of a good face and good words and seeme to bragge of and glory in wickednesse Yea many of them can impudently as well as slily maintaine vice and wickednesse and can outbeard goodnesse and seeme to dash it out of countenance and so openly and audaciously oppose vertue piety and the professors thereof And although they are politick enough to carry themselves fairely in some companies and seeme then to be of good conditions yet take them among their fellowes and familiars such as are of the same garb such as will seeme to approve of their courses and you may observe how dissolute and impious they are even by their courses as among divers other their idle obscene baudy talke their swearing cursing ill wishes ill counsell maintaining of vice gybing scoffing at and abusing of piety and goodnesse railing at and reproaching of Ministers Magistrates and all good vertuous pious men all that live above their swinish idle dissolute courses Secondly they are more dangerous and exemplary for weake brain'd drinkers almost every one sees their faults and imperfections they are examples wherby men use to take heed yea even themselves often are asham'd of and dislike themselves and often perchance repent after they are sober and if they be not extreamely besotted there is hope of amendment but the stiffe able drinkers such as call themselves boone companions being more cunning more plausible more liked of accompanied followed applauded and sooth'd up in their ill courses and so become conceited therein seldome repent or leave the same but rather will boast bragge of and glory in these their idle lewd vitious courses I wish there were not many Gentlemen of these ill conditions but such are indeed the shame of Gentlemen And these notable stiffe able strong-brain'd
fit and convenient sympathy in all things between them Hee who hath made such a good and convenient choise in Love may even justly hope to have almost gained his love already One word one smile between such will cause more love then many words and gifts betweene others Diversities breed nothing but disunion and sweet congruity is the cause of Love Hence growes the height of love and friendship when two simillary soules shall joyne in all their commixions and this assimulation pure and good in all things Those are observed to agree and love best who are both alike of good conditions both wise and religious And it is the crown of blessings to live in such happinesse Prov. 12.4 Let therefore piety and vertue be the first mover of our affections and the rather to chuse well let us take that Divines counsell who wisheth us to invite Christ to our wedding and to pray to him for a good wife or else none at all which he thinks best for us for an evill woman as the wise man saith makes a sorry countenance and an heavy heart and a man had rather dwell with a Lyon then keep house with such a wife Eccl. 29.27 and he that hath her is as if he held a Scorpion ver 7. What is to be seene among such husbands and wives as are of vitious and impious conditions but strife tumults disorder suspition confusion and misery in the end wheras none live more lovingly pleasantly and happily together then such as are of gracious vertuous conditions A vertuous well given lover is much better to be esteemed then a fine face with ill conditions Let us not then be so sensuall as to love onely the face and corps but looke higher and see something in our lovers of an Angelicall nature that is a free vertuous and gracious mind which to an understanding man appeares to be a divine Essence and to which he mingles his soule in Love which if truly thought on will appeare to be a farre more excellent and permanent Love then that of the body and consequently more pleasant A vertuous pious wife is far more pretious then rubies Prov. 31.10 She is as the Kings daughter all-glorious within Psal 45. So then let us spheare our Loves and seeke beauty rather in a minde then in a countenance In the next place after piety vertue and good conditions it is requisite to looke after corporall and externall respects and as neere as we may to chuse such as are of equall yeares birth fortunes and degree of good parentage and kindred of such a countenance complexion and constitution as best agrees to our love and disposition for inconsiderate and unequall marriages are commonly very pernitious and a multitude of mischievous and miserable effects spring from such marriages As if a sound and healthy person marries one that is diseased and impotent if an honest man marries a whore or an honest woman a knave if one that is well tempered in minde marry a phantastick adle-pated brain-sicke scolding piece or if one that 's young marry with an old doting companion or in any othar respects very unfitly what better successe can they look for then Minos had with Pasiphaë Vulcan with Venus Menelaus with Hellen Ptolomny with the whorish Thais Claudius with the lustfull Messalina or Hierome King of Sicily with Pytho What is like to ensue but suspition jealousie strife shame sorrow discontent and misery Therefore it is very requisite that men should love and marry such as are equall fit and convenient for them It is a good time as some say for a man to marry between five and twenty yeare old and thirty and for a woman between her age of eighteen and two and twenty And it seemes better saith one to love below then above ones selfe in estate and degree for saith he this will the more oblige a lover to be the more loving diligent and pleasing ever after But notwithstanding we may truly say that although light-headed phantasticke proud malapert women as many of them are will be the worse for a good estate and parentage yet a good woman though there be not many such will be rather the better then worse for the same But however it is thought best as neere as men may with conveniency to chuse such as are of fit and convenient yeres birth fortunes degree parentage constitution and especially of like vertuous and gratious conditions for when two meet of the same good condition what is it but the same soule in two bodies or rather in one body since marriage so unites as they are no more two but one flesh Mat. 19.5.6 as it were two persons intermutually transported into one another So that even with the same reason that we love our selves we love those that are so like and united to us But yet it seemes best to chuse if we may such as are more vertuous and gracious then our selves for to live with such 't is good hope and like will in time make us the more like them and consequently the better and more happy The choise hereof being esteemed the chiefest action of our life most neerely concerning us and from whence springs our future good and happinesse ought to be very diligently thought on and considered and especially that we chuse such a one as from our hearts we can truly and for good causes love dearely From such a loving fit equall and good choyce is like to spring abundance of most sweet delights and felicities Having made a good choyse wee may and should use all good meanes to gaine Love to please our Lovers and encrease Love which in such a good convenient choyce is very necessary and very like to be happily effected even by such ordinary and usuall meanes as are commonly used by lovers and prescribed in divers Authours for the same purpose but as for those common allurements and occasions of love which some Authors write of largely as pleasant comely and well composed gestures pace carriage behaviour also of glances smiles salutations complements conference familiarity gifts tokens favours letters meetings feasts wine musicke amorous tales singing dancing and the like I list not to treat of and the rather because if all these things were well used onely to good purposes as some of them are often too much abused yet they are so usually practised by and even naturall to lovers as they need but little disquisition Time place and opportunity often occasioneth love Also importunity to some kinde of women and sometimes also I know that neglect and scorne doth in some of these female kinds much increase love for some of them are of such proud imperious conditions as they will insult over and even scorne such puny lovers as will be pinned upon their sleeves Hence it is women are compared to shadowes if we follow them they will goe from us if we goe away they will follow us againe wherefore sometimes to neglect seemeth better then importunity and
the temperature of our bodies required the same Yet this good use wee may make thereof to which intent I write the same that seeing learned and wise men have prescribed such strict and rigid courses of diet and many men have lived long and in good health by using such courses and being accustomed thereunto thought the same sufficient and pleasant how much more should wee thinke a farre better more reasonable large and dainty diet such as our later and more experienced Physitians approve of for our climate namely two or three reasonable meales in a day of such good and wholesome foode as our Country usually affords in a due and orderly manner to bee most sufficient easie to be observed pleasant and delightfull The stomacke being used to such a temperate diet and being thereby well prepared it maketh ordinary diet equall yea more pleasant to the temperate man then rare dainties to the idle gluttonous man whose body is usually unhealthie and stomack out of temper by disorder and excesse And as such a temperate orderly and convenient diet is sufficient in all respects for nature health and delight so also is it most excellent and beneficiall Though sometimes variety of meate and a free diet be not amisse especially for such as are cholericke leane and such as use much exercise and labour yet let men especially phlegmaticke grosse men also Citizens and such as live sedentary lives without exercises and stirring and most especially such of them as are studious and religious seriously consider what excellent benefits many learned Physitians do tell us proceed from a good temperate spare and meane diet and as they see occasion let them observe the same These ensuing considerations thereof require the soule to bee at leisure for them I shall endeavour to collect briefely some of the principall benefits thereof They tell us that a temperate good diet is an occasion of good concoction which maketh good bloud and ingendreth good spirits That the same prevents crudities rheumes obstructions and such diseases as are bred thereby which are indeed almost all usuall maladies yea that a tempe ate spare diet cureth or at least mitigateth all those diseases that have beene so bred in us by intemperance disorder and fulnesse though already seized upon us by making an easie and generall evacuation in the body consuming the crudities rheumes and superfluous humours therein extenuating that which is over-thickned opening obstructions and so unlocking all the passages of the humours and spirits That hereby also head-ach and dizzinesse is cured fluxes stayed loathsome Itches taken away In summe all the superfluous corrupted and ill humours in the body whatsoever are hereby drained and cleered All which is done easily without disturbance without paine without cost and losse of time without stirring and distempering the humours so as this most excellent medicine of a temperate and spare diet seemes to bee the best physicke that can be How many men doe we reade and often heare of who have beene subject to Gouts and other diseases by physicke incurable have yet quite recovered their health or at least their diseases have beene much mitigated and eased by such a good temperate and sparing diet By such a good temperate diet the body is kept cleane from all noysomnesse and filthinesse and made healthie agill lightsome and expedite to performe the motions appertaining thereunto Sound and quiet sleepe is also hereby caused the temperate man gets up at peepe of day saith one fresh as the morning it selfe full of vigor and activity both of body and minde well prepared and apt for all manner of affaires The sonne of Syrach affirmes this Sound sleepe commeth of moderate eating saith he and a temperate man riseth early and his wits are with him Ecclus. 31. Such a diet is also an occasion of long life It is most certaine and cannot be denied but a good temperate convenient diet doth prolong the life of man in so much as by vertue thereof a mans life may bee happily lengthned to well-nigh a hundred yeeres or more as hath beene plainely shewed by the former examples And experience as well as millions of examples in former ages teacheth that by reason of such a diet many men attaine to a good and happie old age The same also is an occasion of a calme quiet death for such men as have beene accustomed to such a good temperate diet having thereby prevented evill humours there is but little inward cause to molest them so as their soules part from their bodies easily and quietly with little disturbance of nature and passions A temperate and spare diet also taketh away the occasions of sloth and dulnesse which are abundance of unnecessary humours stopping the passages of the spirits cloying the joynts and filling them too full of moysture these being taken away the spirits are cleered and purified so as the minde also is lesse clogged with the grosse vapours of fulnesse and repletion whereby the senses are kept sound the passions mollified the affections well tempered evill concupiscence abated and the whole soule freed from abundance of incumbrances Hereby also the reason is cleered the wit sharpned the understanding soliditated and the whole soule made more cheerefull quick sprightly piercing and free to apprehend receive and retaine all good all divine and excellent matters If we peruse all histories we shall finde that such as are registred for excellent in the list of Princes Philosophers and Souldiers and as men of excellent spirits and of most heroicall performances for the benefit of mankinde are commonly also registred for the friends and followers of temperance as was Cyrus Augustus Alexander Severus Socrates Marcus Cato Epimnondas The Roman Curii and Fabritii with many others The Lacedemonians as valiant as they were made expresse profession of vertue and temperance And we may alwayes observe that temperate men are commonly vertuous and pious men The wise man saith Blessed art thou O Land when thy Princes eate in due season c. Eccles 10.16 To conclude let us then most willingly embrace this divine vertue of temperance And so in a good temperate and convenient manner let us eate and drinke with joy and pleasure Eccles 9.7 the rather since it is as hath beene said so good and so comely a thing so to doe Eccles 2.24 and likewise so sufficient so pleasant and so beneficiall SECTION V. The good and divine use of Eating WHether yee eate or drinke or whatsoever yee do else let all be done to the praise and glory of God saith Saint Paul 1. Cor. 10.31 This is the best use of eating to the praise and glory of God And as was saint Pauls precept so his practise Hee tooke bread and gave thankes to God c. Acts 27.35 For this use saith hee God hath created the same to be received with thanksgiving of them which beleeve and know the truth 1. Tim. 4.3 for every creature of God is good and nothing is to be refused if it
and degree and which is to be sorrowed for such as are of a faire loving kinde free pleasant and sociable carriage and behaviour are often more allured and carried away both by inward and outward provocations to these drinking courses then others sottish punie people and sordid Misers who are commonly in this respect free Also these drinking abuses extend themselves to men of all degrees not onely to Hosts Tapsters Pedlers c. but also to many good Tradesemen of whom many thousand spend on the Sunday and Holidayes in Tap-houses almost as much as they gain in the week before to the great griefe and euen undoing of their families and t is commonly noted the best workmen are the worst husbands Also some Constables Churchwardens Sidemen Alecunners and the rest who by the Statute ought to present such abuses will herein often abuse themselves so as it is need to present them So likewise some of all sorts Merchants Souldiers Lawyers Physitians Gentlemen Gallants and great men will too much and too often goe to and stay at the Tavern and tipple roar c. Seeing these drinking abuses doe thus extend themselves and are so common let us take heede they hurt not us Timothy was so abstinent in this kinde that Saint Paul bids him drink no more water but a little wine for his healths sake But if Saint Paul were to write to a number of men in our dayes who are so busie with healths c. surely he would charge them as they loved the health and welfare both of their bodies and soules not to drinke so much wine c. SECT II. The abuses of Drinking because of the evill and miserable effects thereof are to be avoided LEt us now briefely view the evill and miserable effects of abusive drinking to the intent wee may eschew the same and bee happy therein These evill and miserable effects are many and various both concerning body and minde according to the severall humours and complexions of men and some proceeding from excessive moist and cold causes some from hot some from corrupted and some of mixt causes and distempers To instance briefely and first concerning such as are cold moist and phlegmaticke men Though it be good and comely to eate and drink in a good temperate manner Eccles 5. Yet Physitians say that over-much moysture caused by much and disorderly drinking especially of strong drinkes doth pester and dull the braine by the exhalations of a multitude of unnecessary vapours the superfluity whereof by reason of the weaknesse coldnesse of the braine after the heate of the liquor is past remaines undigested and raw and being there refrigerated is an occasion of much cold phlegme and rhumes which distill into the other parts of the body and in time perchance doe corrupt and putrifie the same and fill it full of ill noysome humours and distempers These distillations are the fountaine and cause of divers infirmities as obstructions an ill stomacke and loathing of meate ill digestion unnaturall thirst apoplexies and paralysies even depriving some men of their senses also a distempered lethargy or sleepy lazinesse yawning dulnesse and heavinesse dropsies also and purfinesse fatnesse grosenesse sweld bellies gouts and hydropticke humours descending into the legges whence it commeth to passe that oftentimes those cold diseases are ingendred in many men who usually drinke strong and hot drinkes especially to such as are of the phlegmaticke complexion and somtimes to the sanguine and melancholly Also the body working upon the soule by the mediation of spirits and humours is a cause that from these cold diseases do proceed many distempers in the minde as dulnesse heavinesse forgetfulnesse drowsinesse lazinesse and a minde unfit for any good worthie excellent actions and contemplations and in some men even a deprivation of reason and senses Hence it is as we may observe that there are many dull sottish sleepie lazie heavie maudlin tiplers Wine takes away the heart Hosea 4.11 And also that excesse of strong and hot drinkes causeth inflammation of heart liver bloud and of the other humours and the spirits especially to such men as are of a hot cholericke and sanguine complexion from whence proceede divers distempers and diseases as Vertigo or giddinesse in the head and paines therein lightnesse of the braine weakenesse of nerves and sinnewes distemperature of spirits alteration of colour and complexion and causing in some men fiery lookes pimpled faces and red noses also to some Pleurisie burning-Feavers and violent raging sicknesse and death By reason also of these inflammations of humours and spirits and other hot distempers the minde being thereby tickled and distempered becommeth vaine-glorious conceited prone to sensuall desires riot and all manner of prodigality also to anger contentions cursings swearing slandering gybing quarrelling fighting and stabbing Srong drinke is raging Prov. 20.1 And further that excessive drinking causeth melancholy and sadnesse True it is that wine and strong drinkes if moderately used doe heate and quicken that heavie cold dry thicke humour of the spleene called naturall melancholy causing mirth and cheerefulnesse even in the most surly and severest people But in excesse doth coole distemper and surcharge the stomacke and spleene with too great a conflux of ill humours over-whelming wasting dulling and distempering those good and pure spirits which otherwise would cause cheerefulnesse and being thereby mixed with such cold phlegme and distillations as come from the braine after the heate of the liquor is past and the superfluous vapours refrigerated therein occasioneth sadnesse sorrow sullennesse and heavinesse And this may be noted in many men who at first after they have drunke wine a while are exceeding joviall lively and set upon a merry pin but after when they have surcharged their stomacks and when the heate of the wine is out of their braine and the vapours thereof cooled therein and distilled they become exceeding sad heavie dull and discontented As for example a man that is potshot as they say with good Sacke at night look upon him next day in the morning and see him like the picture of ill fortune sad heavie sullen quarrelsome and discontented and looking as if hee came lately out of Purgatory And these be the effects which proceed from the spirits of Sacke and strong liquor if abused so much approved of and practised by our brain-sicke dissolute roaring Gallants Pot-Poets and Bacchanalian Students who use to tipple and talke Philosophy in the Taverne and be addle-pated and ready to sleepe at their bookes and in their study when they come there and where perchance they remaine exceeding sad and melancholy till they returne to the Taverne againe Hence it is that the frothy wits of many of these our Pot-blades their loud cracklings of laughter doe stand at the courtesie of the Barrell Without Sack good liquor their wits and spirits like themselves are even all amort and defunct chilled and frozen up but tother quart or pottle revives them againe and very likely sets
our dayes by reason of abusive and intemperate drinking like Alexander die even in the flower of their age or at least doe much shorten their life I might further discourse concerning the evill and miserable effects of drinking abuses concerning mens credit estates families the Common-wealth and also Piety and Religion but these would then extend this Section too long And also since many Authors have written thereof at large I will now voluntarily omit the same and proceed SECT III. Difficulties of forsaking such drinking abuses and the remedies thereof tending to the encreasing our happinesse therein IF we consider rightly wee cannot but confesse truely that it is a marvellous hard matter in this age to forsake these drinking abusive courses especially to such as have much used they same by reason of many strong provocations both inwardly and outwardly First inwardly by much drinking especially of strong and hot drinkes they cause in their stomacks a strange mixture of cold clammy saltish eagre and tart humors yet with some difference according to mens severall complexions whereby is occasioned strange and unnaturall thirst and desire of such liquors as they are most accustomed too So as they drinke and are not filled with drinke Hag. 1.6 And according to that old Epitaph Bibax the tipler oftentimes would say That still the more I drink the more I may But see how death made his opinion just At last he drank himselfe as dry as dust And secondly they have many outward provocations and allurements to these drinking courses such as are calling themselves and being esteemed the onely gallants blades wits good-fellowes sparkes generous joviall merry companions and the like though many of them are such as before I have shew'd and among themselves they seriously though simply esteeme such the bravest men who can drinke most can play it off finely as they say with many other fine termes though the Brewers horses can doe as brave acts as this to drinke much They have also many strange devices and provocations to allure and provoke men to drinke whole cups in abundance They have an Art of drinking with divers methods and mysteries therein and there are Statutes enacted among themselves and Lawes with forfeitures thereupon And under colour of such customes healths pledgings courtesies and the like they doe strangly abuse themselves and seriously jeere laugh at and contemne such as will not be also abused And they have a tricke sir notably to scoffe at such as will noâ— pledge them so much as they drinke and thinke it a very great disgrace iâ— themselves and others to refuse thâ— same insomuch as some of theâ— will swill downe as much drinke at sitting as would suffice a man two 〈◊〉 three weekes perhaps till they aâ— sicke againe rather then endure such a disgrace as they thinke it to refuse to pledge their companions and so very seriously though very sillily they even scoffe one another into abuses folly and misery and in so doing they thinke themselves notable fine blades and very much contemne and reproach such as will not likewise abuse themselves Besides in Taverns and Tap-houses mine Host Hostesse the Vintner Tapster peradventure a Wench and others are at their service and here they may call for what â—hey please either fine neate briske â—parkling Canary double Beere Ale â—or what else you will But all for money sir and 't is like a halfe-penyworth for two pence Here they may â—eare of all the idle newes in the Paâ—ish and Towne especially about Women about Cuckolds and the â—â—ke and also where the best Wine Beere or Ale is who was lately foxt â—aw'd or sent to the dogges as they â—â—y and who did that notable act to make them so and also what fine pranks and reakes he and they play'd how much money they spent when and how bravely c. and this idle discourse doth notably take and please their adle pated phantastick humors Here also they may have free liberty as 't is a common custome not only to laugh and be merry to sing c. but to scoffe jeere raile abuse curse swear talk baudily look big quarrell fight roare gape and keep a mad quarter to smoke spet to drinke notably and to abuse themselves into all evill and misery but all for money sir And here it is that they thinke themselves in their Kingdome However such outward provocations to such men as are not used to them and to such as can see through them will justly seeme very slender idle and ridiculous and some of them irksome vitious impious and hellish yet to many thousand braine-sicke men in this age they appeare so excellent as that they very weakely and swinishly esteeme such courses their choysest recreation and soveraigne felicity wherein peradventure consists their greatest misery as hath beene shewed And to speake more seriously Certainely if there be any Dalilah on earth 't is ill company If we use the same they will so insinuate into our minds as 't is very likely we shall first be drawne to a toleration and allowance afterwards perchance to action custome and delight in their courses if we be not very cautelous and wise enough to see the vanity folly ridiculousnes impiety thereof Insomuch as hath beene observed that very few men who have long and much used such drinking courses have ever forsaken them nor can they bee perswaded thereunto by any meanes And indeed if we more seriously think of it it will appeare a marvellous hard matter for such a man to forsake his chiefe delights his old rooted customes his habit his very nature as I may say Insomuch as there had need to be prescribed supernaturall and divine remedies to convert such a man from himselfe and indeed unlesse a man have supernaturall and divine Grace in him he cannot so much as truely and seriously endeavour to forsake such rooted customary habits and hee that can but onely so endeavour though hee often fall through frailty is to bee well esteemed inasmuch as wee see in him a willing minde to forsake ill and doe well which is the divine Grace of God in man who accepteth the will for the deed whose power saith Saint Paul is made perfect through our weaknesse and infirmities And even in this life there are no actions more worthy of commendations then to endeavour as much as wee may to conquer our irregular affections and so to become Lord of our selves So also for a young man to bee tempted by such and so many devices as are commonly used in this drinking age and that in his chiefe season of temptation if he doe but seriously endeavour to avoid such courses and so to become temperate staid and frugall in these intemperate wild and riotous times he is to be thought a gratious spirit And if he be of such a divine temper that by reason of the heavenly mirth and musicke within his soule he can bee above such low pleasures in comparison and so can contemne the