This vice, however odious in other men, is doubly so in those who minister in holy things. Let such know, their Master, whose ambassadors they profess to be, is a jealous God; and, if grace prevent not, will visit that iniquity upon them, and rank such shepherds at last among the the goats,

What noise is this? I am all in a surprise! a great concourse of people run this

way from yonder village, screaming and making a cla-: morous noise, and one a little before the rest entirely naked.

I am all in a consternation! whether to stand or run, I am equally uncertain.---The crowd approaches rapidly. Ah! now I perceive the meaning of this phenomenon: it is a madman, who has broken from his cell, and is running directly towards the river. The screams which I hear are from the crowd, who are alarmed for his safety.

Now they seize him, and are bearing him back to his gloomy abode. Poor man! his case is very deplorable. How thankful ought all to be for nature's best gift, Reason, and the use thereof!

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

awake, and weep, and howl, when they hear from the word of inspiration, which is irrevocable, and more firm than the basis of heaven and earth, that drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven, 1 Cor. vi. 10.

This angler, who, a little ago, alarmed as well as myself, had left his amusement, is now returned to pursue his sport, but in a different manner; having taken off the bait, he fishes with a light coloured gaudy fly.

With a hook of this kind, even pride, the devil fished in paradise, whereby he caught our first parents, by holding out to our mother Eve the great endowments, all comprehensive knowledge and excellence to which she would attain by eating of the forbidden fruit. She, believing the serpent, ambitious to be thus ennobled, swallowed the hook, by eating the prohibited fruit, and thereby was not only caught herself, but also assisted Satan in catching her husband, by which an estate of sin and misery was entailed upon them and all their posterity.

And with this hook of pride, the old serpent hath been constantly fishing ever since

those whose deeds are made manifest, are ever recovered from this snare of the devil, we have reason to fear, if we consult the wisdom of Solomon, who saith, and not of himself, but by inspiration, when speaking of the strange woman, "none that go unto "her return again; neither take they hold "of the paths of life," Prov. ii. 19.

As the angler often makes use of one kind of fish for baits to deceive and ensnare another; so doth the devil in respect to men and women. Did he not make use of that lewd adultress mentioned in the Proverbs, as a bait to ensnare the young man void of understanding? Hear the passage, and may every young man take warning by the sinful intrigue: "For at the window of my house "I looked through my casement, and be"held, among the simple ones, the simple ones, I discerned 66 among the youths, a young man void of

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understanding, passing through the street "near her corner, and he went the way to "her house in the twilight, in the evening, "in the black and dark night: and behold "there met him a woman with the attire of

an harlot, and subtle of heart. (She is "loud and stubborn, her feet abide not in

**her house: Now is she without, now in "the streets, and lieth in wait at every cor

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'ner.) So she caught him and kissed him, " and with an impudent face said unto him, "I have peace-offerings with me; this day "I have paid my vows. Therefore came "forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. I have deck❝ed my bed with coverings of tapestry, with ❝ carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I "have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, "and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill "of love until the morning, let us solace "ourselves with loves. For the good man “is not at home, he is gone a long journey, " he hath taken a bag of money with him, "and will come home at the day appointed. "With her much fair speech she caused him "to yield, with the flattering of her lips she "forced him. He goeth after her straight

way, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks: "till a dart strike through his liver, as a bird "hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that Fit is for his life, Prov. vii. 6---23.

The sin of uncleanness is the bane of so.~ ciety, and that which degradeth human na

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