The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

TO THE PRINTER.

Please to insert the following, and you'll greatly oblige yours

The Drunkard's Looking-Glass.

Or, a short VIEW. of their Present Shame, and Future Misery.

Published in LOVE to those concerned; and recommended to them as a Tender Caution, to avoid the same Excess. -

YOU that are (not professed Atheists) but professed Christians, and yet are guilty of so loathsome a Vice as Excess and Drunkenness ; pray be intreated, and. persuaded, at the most sober Seasons, to consider your present State, and the sad and lamentable Effects-that(are likely to, and) will and do certainly-attend and follow. such Practices; viz.

FIRST, Some General Effects thereof.

Drunkenness : It makes a Man unfit for Good : Drowneth and infatuateth the Senses, depraveth the Reason : Blots the Understanding : Causes Error in Judgment : It is hurtful to the Mind, defiles the Conscience : Hardens and Steals away the Heart, brings a spiritual Lethargy : It's a Work of Darkness : An Annoyance to Modesty : A Gate to Debauchery : A Discloser of Secrets : A Betrayer of Trust : A Depriver of Honesty : A Forerunner of Misery : . It cracks Mens Credits : Empties their Purses : Consumes their Estates : Violates the Rules of Temperance : Perverts the Order of Nature : Causes profane, Scurrilous, and cursed Speeches : Ranting, Swearing and Blasphemy : . Quarrelling, Fighting, and Murder : It's the Mother of Mischief : The Father of Vice and Pride : The Nurse of Riot and Fury : The School of Lying and Slander : A Discoverer of Folly : An Opposer of Nature : An Impairer of Health : It deformeth the Visage : Corrupteth the Breath : Stupifies the Spirits : Intoxicates the Brain : Decayeth the Memory : Begets unnatural Thirst : Inflameth the Blood : Causes Stammering of Speech : Reeling and Staggering to and fro : Filthy and loathsome Vomiting : Dropsies, Surfeits, Fevers, &c. It's a voluntary Madness : A Deceiver of Fools : It decays Moral Vertues : A bewitching Poison : An invited Enemy: A flattering Devil : Causes Forgetfulness of God : A Provoker of his Judgments : Hastens (and oftentimes brings untimely) Death : And, at last, destroys the Soul.

SECONDLY, Some Particular Characters of a DRUNKARD.

A DRUNKARD, in that State, is indisposed to Virtue : Is a Licentious Person : Makes his Belly his God: Is worse than a Brute : A Companion of Riot and Revelling : A Game and Sport to profane People: A ridiculous Object : His own Sorrow, Woe, and Shame: His Wife's Grief: His Children's Disgrace : His Neighbour's Contempt and Derision: His Family's Ruin; A Thief to himself : A Scandal to Christianity : A Reproach to Religion : A Dishonour of God : Unfit for Civil Society: An Abuser of God's Mercies and good Creatures : A Loser of his precious Time : A Destroyer of his Reputation Parts, and Credit : Is Subject to many Dangers/ A Slave to the Devil and his own Lust: A Traveller to Destruction : A Transgressor of the Laws of God and Man : Against whom. Woes are denounced : His own Soul's Enemy : A Human Monster : and at last is excluded God's Kingdom.

And many signal, dreadful, and amazing Examples, that Divine Vengeance hath suffered to overtake some Health Drinkers, and Quaffing Carousing Drunkards ; as History relates.

O let the weighty Consideration of thee (and other) sad, terrible, and dismal Effects, be a Mo- tive to prevail with you, to detest and abhor such a pernicious, horrible, and destructive a MONSTER as Excess and Drunkenness is ; and if there is left in your Consciences any Sense or Feeling of the Checks and Reproofs of God's good Spirit, then, by turning and joining thereto, and believing therein, there is a Possibility by it, to overcome, and in the Name of Christ to be washed therefrom.

But if you bless yourselves in your Hearts, saying you shall have Peace, tho' you walk in the Imagination thereof, [Mark] to Add Drunkenness To THIRST, the Lord will not spare you, but then his Anger and Jealousy shall smoke against you, and his Curses shall lie upon you, and he will blot out your Names from under Heaven.