of their Master, at all the uncertain Hazards of a Dice-Box. Read the Pages which Mr. Neal has employed on this Theme, in the Sermon juft now cited: Read what Mr. Dorrington has written feveral Years ago on this Subject of Gaming: I wifh fuch Difcourfes were fresh in Print, and put into the Hands of every one who lies under this Temptation.

(4.) The Midnight-Affemblies are the last which I fhall mention of thofe modifh and hazardous Diverfions, wherein Youth are drawn away to much Vanity, and plunged into the fenfual Gaieties of Life; and that at thofe Hours, part of which should be devoted to the Religion of the Family or the Clofet, and part to the nightly Repofe of Nature. It is acknowledged to be proper and needful that young People fhould be indulged in fome Recreations, agreeable to their Age, and fuitable to the Condition in which Providence has placed them. But I would ask whether the great and only valuable End of Recreation is to be expected from thefe Midnight-Affemblies, viz. to relieve us from the Fatigues of Life, and to exbilerate the Spirits, fo as thereby to fit us for the Duties of Life and Religion. Now are these the proper Means to fit us for the Duties of either Kind? Perhaps it will be faid that Dancing, which is practifed in those Affemblies, is an Exercife conducive to Health,

Health, and therefore a Means of fitting us for the Duties of Life. But may not the Unfeasonableness of the Midnight-Hour prevent and over-balance the Benefit, that might otherwise be fuppofed to arife from the Exercife? Is it likely that natural Health fhould be promoted, or preferved, by changing the Seafons and Order of Nature, and by allotting thofe Hours to Exercise, which God and Nature have ordained to Reft? Is the returning Home after five or fix Hours Dancing, through the Cold and Damp of the Midnight-Air, a proper Means of preferving Health? or rather is it not more likely to impair and deftroy it? Have not the fatal Effects been too often felt? Have there not been Sacrifices of human Life offered to this Midnight Idol? Have there been no fair young Martyrs to his unfeafonable Folly? Are there not fome of its Slaves who are become feeble, labouring under fore Difeafes, and fome of them fallen afleep in Death? Have not their Mufick and their Dancing, instead of natural Reft in their Beds, brought them down to a long Silence in the Grave, and an untimely Reft in a Bed of Duft? Thofe amiable Pieces of human Nature, who were lately the Joy and Hope of their too indulgent Parents, are now the Bitterness of their Hearts; and thofe very Exercises from whence they hoped the Continuance of their Joy, as the fuppofed Means

of confirming their Children's Health, are become an everlafting Spring of their Mourning.

AND as thofe Midnight-Recreations are badly fuited to fit us for the Duties of the civil Life, fo they are worfe fuited to fit us for, or rather, they are more apparently oppofite to, the Duties of Religion. The Religion of the Clofet is neglected, the beautiful Regularity and Order of the Family is broken; and when the Night has been turned into Day, a good Part of the next Day is turned into Night, while the Duties of the Morning, both to God and Man, are unperformed. Thofe who have frefrequented thefe Affemblies know all this, and are my Witneffes to the Truth of it. Nay the very Practice itself, at thofe unfeafonable Hou, tells all the World how much they prefer these dangerous Amusements to the Worship of God in the Evening and in the Morning, and to all the Conveniences and Decorum of Family-Government. Befides, if I fpeak to Chriftians, have you not found that the Indulgence to this Sort of Diverfions, which are usually practised in those unfeasonable Affemblies, leads the Mind away infenfibly from God and Religion, gives a Vanity to the Spirit, and greatly abates the fpiritual and heavenly Temper which fhould belong to Chriftians? Hath it not taken away the Savour of Godliness and

Tincture

Tincture of Piety from fome younger Minds? And do elder Christians rever suffer by it? Let it be further confidered, what Sort of Company you mingle with in thofe MidnightAffemblies. Are they moft frequented by the wife and pious, or by the more vain and vicious Part of Mankind? Do they tend to fill your Mind with the most improving Notions, and your Ears and your Lips with the most proper Converfation? Do you that frequent them never find your Piety in Danger there? Does ftrict Religion and Prayer relish fo well with you after thofe gawdy Nights of Mirth and Folly? And do you then, when you join in thofe Affemblies, practise the Commands of God, to abftain from all Appearance of Evil, and to fhun the Paths of Temptation? Can you pray for a Bleffing on your Attendance on thefe Midnight-Meetings? Or can you hope to run into the midft of thofe Sparks and living Coals, and yet not be burned, nor fo much as have your Garments finged? Are not Parents very generally fenfible that there are dangerous Snares to Youth in thofe gay Diverfions? And therefore the Mother will herself go along with her young Offspring, to take Care of them, and to watch over them; and perhaps there is fcarcely any Place or Time which more wants the watchful Eye of a Superior. But here let me afk, is this all the Reafon why the Mother attends thofe Scenes

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Scenes of Vanity? Has fhe no Relish for them herself? Has the no gay Humours of her own to be gratified, which the difguifes and covers with the Pretence of a parental Solicitude for the Virtue and Honour of her Offspring? Are there no Mothers who freely lead their Children into thofe perilous Places, where Soul and Body are in Danger, and are, really, their Tempters, under a Colour of being their Guardians?

You will plead, perhaps, that fome of thefe Things are proper for the Improvement of young People in good Breeding and Politeness. They must be brought into Company, to fee the World, and to learn how to behave with becoming Decency. Well, fuppofe thefe Affemblies to be Academies of Politeness, and that young People attend there upon Lectures of Good-Breeding. Is there no other Time fo fit as Midnight, to polish the Youth of both Sexes, and to breed them well? May not an Hour or two be appointed, at more proper Seafons, by felect Companies, for mutual Converfation and innocent Delight? Can there be no genteel Recreations enjoyed, no Leffons of Behaviour taught by Day-light? Can no Method of Improvement in Good-Breeding be contrived and appointed which fhall be more fecure from Temptations and Inconveniencies? Are there none which are more harmlefs, more innocent, of better Reputation a

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