Discourses on a Sober and Temperate Life Part 2

Nor does that other thought, inseperable from the former, namely the fear of those torments, to which wicked men are hereafter liable, give me any uneasiness; because I am a good Christian, and bound to believe, that I shall be saved by the virtue of the most sacred blood of Christ, which he has vouchsafed to shed, in order to free us from those torments. How beautiful is the life I lead! how happy my end! To this, the young gentleman, my antagonist, had nothing to reply, but that he was resolved to embrace a sober life, in order to follow my example; and that he had taken another, more important, resolution, which was, that, as he had been always very desirous to live to be old, so he was now equally impatient to reach that period, the sooner to enjoy the felicity of old age.

The great desire I had, my lord, to converse with you at this distance, has forced me to be prolix, and still obliges me to proceed; though not much farther. There are many sensualists, my lord, who say, that I have thrown away my time and trouble in writing a treatise on Temperance, and other discourses on the same subject, to induce men to lead a regular life; alledging, that it is impossible to conform to it, so that my treatise must answer as little purpose as that of Plato on government, who took a great deal of pains to recommend a thing impracticable; whence they inferred, that as his treatise was of no use, mine will share the same fate.

Now this surprises me the more, as they may see by my treatise, that I had led a sober life for many years before I had composed it; and that I should never have composed it, had I not previously been convinced, that it was such a life as a man might lead; and being a virtuous life, would be of great service to him; so that I thought myself under an obligation to represent it in a true light. I have the satisfaction now to hear, that numbers, on seeing my treatise, have embraced such a life; and I have read, that many, in times past, have actually led it; so that the objection, to which Plato's treatise on government is liable, can be of no force against mine.

But such sensualists, enemies to reason, and slaves to their pa.s.sions, ought to think themselves well off, if, whilst they study to indulge their palate and their appet.i.te, they do not contract long and painful diseases, and are not, many of them, overtaken by an untimely death.

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