tude in them, and are fo foul a Difgrace to human Nature, that they can scarce be decently treated of though it be in order to their Confutation and Punishment. For, as the Apostle obferves, Ephef. v. 12. It is a Shame among Chriftians even to Speak of thofe things that are done in fecret, by fuch Dishonourers of their own Bodies. However, for the Sake of the Dignity of our Nature, and the Honour of the Reformed Chriftian Religion, our molt zealous Efforts ought to be exerted againft this abominable Sin, of what Rank foever any Perfons may be that are guilty of it. It is certain, that no Sin can be a greater Contradiction to the declared Intention of the Author of Nature, in continuing the Race of Mankind by the Female Sex created for that End, to the Divine Institution of Marriage in Paradice it felf, and to the Command of God to encreafe and multiply Mankind. But as the Good of Society is the particular Care of the Magiftrate, whatever has a direct Tendency to leffen the Number of Subjects, and to weaken or dishonour the Government, or bring it to Confufion, falls under his immediate Cognizance. And therefore not only in our own Conftitution, but in all Civilized Nations, the Laws have feverely punished this execrable Crime. And accordingly we find it recorded, that Jofiah, when he effectually reformed the Jews, brake down and deftroy'd the Houfes of the Sodomites. And, God be thanked, we need not go abroad to illuftrate this matter; fince for the Honour of our Prefent Government it ought to be here mentioned, that the Profecution of those most impure Wretches, that are guilty of this flagrant Crime, has been order'd to be carried on at the Ex 2 Kings xxiii. 7. pence pence of the Crown. And furely all fubordinate Magiftrates cannot but be induced to imitate with Zeal the glorious Example of Him, by whom they are immediately invefted with Authority to punifh fo odious. and filthy a Crime. But above all, this fcandalous Abuse of human Nature is a Sin that bears fo direct an Oppofition to the Laws of God, and is fo highly Provoking to him, that if it be not foon extinguifhed, but shall gain ground among us, we cannot but be apprehenfive of the Judgments of an angry God coming down upon fo wicked a Nation; and that after all our Profeffions of Reformation and repeated Deliverances, we fhall be at laft abandoned to Ruine. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Cities about them, in like manner giving them- Jude. Ver. 7. felves over to Fornication, and going after ftrange Flef, are fet forth for an Example, fuffering the Vengeance of eternal Fire; that is, of that Fire from Heaven, whofe Effects ftill remain, and will always do so, and which was Emblematical of that Eternal Fire, which waits for all fuch hardened and impenitent Sinners. Laftly, Since it cannot but be expected on this Occafion, and indeed the Exigency of the Cafe requires it, that due Notice fhould be taken of the growing Vice of Drinking fome Cheap forts of Spirituous Liquors to great Excefs, by the generality of the common People, and especially in this City and round about it; I do by no means think it unbecoming the Dignity of the Pulpit, to confider a little the Confequences of this Melancholy matter of Fact, and then to propofe fome proper Remedies for putting a Stop to fo deftructive a Practice as prevails at prefent. The Confequences are as numerous as they are plain and and evident. That Spirituous Liquors, however difguifed, inflame the Blood and Animal Spirits to an high Degree, and afterwards fink them in Proportion to their unnatural Exaltation; that they prey on the whole Nervous System, and gradually extinguish the Vital Flame, appears too clearly from conftant Experience to be contefted. Indeed, the Body of the People will be fo Enfeebled by this Abufe of fpirituous Liquors, without fome fpeedy Reformation, that our National Courage must inevitably be affected by it in no long Period of Time; and our Fleets and Armies, as confifting chiefly of the Populace, however Victorious they have been over our Enemies abroad, will now be previously fubdued at home by the Disorders and Weakness introduced by this fort of Excefs. And I hope fuch a private Vice will not be confidered by any Lover of his Country as a publick Benefit. But even in Times of Peace, how highly does the Publick fuffer by this fingle Irregularity? When the Paffions are fired by fuch fpirituous Liquors, the natural Product, in the furious Way, is profane Curfing and Swearing, Fighting, Robbery, and Murder; and in the lewd Way, not merely common Luft is gratified, but Adulterous Intrigues are carried on, and even Rapes and Sodomy are perpetrated. And that thefe grofs Immoralities are very much owing to the immoderate Ufe of fuch hot intoxicating Liquors, as are now more generally drunk by thofe of the lower Rank among us than formerly, is highly probable, when we confider that fome of those Vices have prevail'd more of late Years in this Nation, than they were formerly obferved to do. But tho' it be more eafy to reflect warmly on the fatal Confequences of this Sort of Excefs, than to give an effectual Check to fo great an Evil; yet fome Remedies Remedies may with Decency be fuggefted on this folemn Occafion, which may not be thought unfeasonable at this Juncture, nor unworthy of the Confideration and farther Improvement both of the Magiftracy and the Legislature. The good Magiftrate, infpired with a true Publick Spirit, may in fome measure contribute to the Reformation of this kind of Excefs, by a strict Execution of the Laws now in being against Drunkennefs, and more particularly by a legal Suppreffion of fome of the more fcandalous Shops, faid to be Magazines of all forts of Wickednefs, where thofe fpirituous Liquors are retailed and abused. And perhaps it may deferve the Thoughts of the Legislature, whether the vaft Number of mifchievous Shops of that kind in and about this City, ought not to be reduced and reftrained as likewife, fince thofe Liquors are fo much abused by the lower Rank of People, chiefly on account of their Cheapnefs, whether for the Good of the Community, (which is the great End of the Legiflature in all things) a feverer Tax laid on thofe ftrong fpirituous Liquors, and efpecially on that particular palatable Sort which is moft generally abufed, as being procurable every where, and upon very eafy Terms, may not contribute very much to the Reformation of this pernicious Vice among the Vulgar; upon whom the very Expence of Drinking to Excefs will be more apt to have fome Influence, than better Arguments of a Moral Nature. Having thus fpecified fome of the moft confiderable Vices that abound among us, and have a direct Tendency to pull down the Judgments of Heaven upon us, agreeably to the feveral Menaces recorded in Scripture for our Admonition, as well as to the Reafon of the thing it felf; the Neceffity of contributing to a Na D tional tional Reformation by all proper Methods, and particularly by a zealous Execution of the Laws against Profaneness and Immorality; as likewife the Power and Efficacy of fuch Punishment of Vice, and Encouragement of Virtue, to avert the impending Judgments of God, are very natural Inferences from what has been faid on this Head of Difcourfe. And as we are affured of the former by our own Moral Circumftances, when compared with the State of thofe Churches that have had their Candleftick removed, and with thofe Nations that have loft their Civil Liberties, by the like enormous Immoralities; fo the latter is very evident from the History of the Text of this Difcourfe. It is fufficient then to observe, that as the Plague, that cut off fo great a Number of Ifraelites, was ftay'd from making a further Progress towards their Ruine, by the zealous Execution of Judgment on the greateft Delinquents; fo the like Execution of legal Justice for the Punishment of Vice, and promoting a Reformation of Manners among us, is the moft likely Method to disarm the Vengeance of God, and arreft thofe Judgments that our crying Sins moft highly deferve. Such an effectual Reformation of the Lives of thofe that have hitherto been reformed in nothing but their Do&rine, would even yet revoke the Order that feems to be given to the deftroying Angel, alter the conditional Decree of Heaven, and fheath both the Sword of the Lord and that of Man. If a Zeal for God and Religion, like that of Phinehas, were exerted in a Publick manner, we need not doubt but the Plague, or any other Judgment of God, would be stayed, or rather prevented. When God (in the Prophetick Style) feems to have a Controverfy with the Inbabitants of this Land, because there is Hofea iv. 1, 2, &c. |