And the fewer they are who follow this rule, the greater reason there is that you should add one example more to those few. Though, blessed be God, they are not so few as you suppose. I have met with very

many in London who use less of it than they had done for many years; and above a hundred who have plucked out the right eye, and cast it from them, who wholly abstain from it.

21. You add," But I am equally, yea, abundantly more, concerned to set an example in all Christian behaviour." I grant it: this, therefore,

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ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

22. But "one day," you add, "I saw your brother drink tea, which he said was for fear of giving offence."

I answer, First, Learn from hence to follow neither his nor my practice implicitly; but weigh the reason of each, and then follow reason, wheresoever it stands.

But,

Secondly, Examine your heart, and beware inclination does not put on the shape of reason.

Thirdly. You see with your own eyes, I do not drink it at all, and yet I seldom give offence thereby. It is not then the bare abstaining, but the manner of doing it, which usually gives the offence.

Fourthly. There is therefore a manner wherein you may do it too, and yet give no more offence than I. For instance: If any ask you, simply reply, "I do not drink tea; I never use it." If they say, "Why, you did drink it ;" answer, "I did so; but I have left it off a considerable time." Those who have either good nature or good manners will say no more. But if any should impertinently add, "O, but why did you leave it off?" answer, mildly, " Because I thought water gruel (suppose) was wholesomer, as well as cheaper." If they, with still greater ill manners and impertinence, go on, "What, you do it because Mr. Wesley bids you;" reply, calmly, "True; I do it because Mr. Wesley, on good reasons, advises me so to do." If they add the trite cant phrase, "What, you follow man!" reply, without any emotion, "Yes, I follow any man, you or him, or any other, who gives me good reason for so doing." If they persist in cavilling, close the whole matter with, "I neither drink it, nor dispute about it."

23. If you proceed in this manner, with mildness and love, exceeding few will be offended. "But you ought," say some, "to give up an indifferent thing, rather than give an offence to any. So St. Paul: 'I will eat no flesh whilst the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."" I reply, This is not an indifferent thing, if it affects the health either of myself or my brethren. Therefore that rule relating wholly to things indifferent is not applicable to this case. Would St. Paul have said, "I will drink drams while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend ?" But tea is not so hurtful as drams." I do not believe it is. But it is hurtful; and that is enough. The question does not turn on the degree of hurtfulness. "However, it is but a small thing." Nay, nothing is small if it touches conscience: much less is it a small thing to preserve my own or my brother's health, or to be a faithful steward even of the mammon of unrighteousness. O think it not a small thing, whether only one for whom Christ died be fed or hungry, clothed or naked!

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To conclude the head of offence: You must at least allow that all this is no plea at all for your drinking tea at home. "Yes, it is; for my husband or parents are offended if I do not drink it." I answer, First, Perhaps this, in some rare cases, may be a sufficient reason why a wife or a child should use this food, that is, with them; but no where else. But, Secondly, try, and not once or twice only, if you cannot overcome that offence by reason, softness, love, patience, long-suffering, ioined with constant and fervent prayer.

24. Your next objection is, "I cannot bear to give trouble; therefore I drink whatever others drink where I come, else there is so much hurry about insignificant me." I answer,

First, This is no plea at all for your drinking tea at home. Therefore, touch it not there, whatever you do abroad.

Secondly. Where is the trouble given, even when you are abroad, if they drink tea, and you fill your cup with milk and water?

Thirdly. Whatever trouble is taken, is not for "insignificant me," but for that poor man who is half starved with cold and hunger; for that miserable woman, who, while she is poisoning herself, wipes her mouth, and says she does no evil; who will not believe the poison will hurt her, because it does not (sensibly at least) hurt you. O throw it away! let her have one plea less for destroying her body, if not her soul, before the time!

25. You object, farther, " It is my desire to be unknown for any particularity, unless a peculiar love to the souls of those who are present." And I hope, to the souls of the absent too; yea, and to their bodies also, in a due proportion, that they may be healthy, and fed, and clothed, and warm, and may praise God for the consolation.

26. You subjoin: "When I had left it off for some months, I was continually puzzled with, Why, What, &c; and I have seen no good effects, but impertinent questions and answers, and unedifying conversation about eating and drinking."

I answer, First, Those who were so uneasy about it, plainly showed that you touched the apple of their eye. Consequently, these of all others, ought to leave it off; for they are evidently "brought under the power of it."

Secondly. Those impertinent questions might have been cut short, by a very little steadiness and common sense. You need only have taken the method mentioned above, and they would have dropped in the midst.

Thirdly. It is not strange you saw no good effects of leaving it off, where it was not left off at all. But you saw very bad effects of not leaving it off, viz. the adding sin to sin; the joining much unedifying conversation to wasteful, unhealthy self-indulgence.

Fourthly. You need not go far to see many good effects of leaving it off: you may see them in me. I have recovered thereby that healthy state of the whole nervous system, which I had in a great degree, and I almost thought irrecoverably, lost for considerably more than twenty years. I have been enabled hereby to assist, in one year, above fifty poor with food or raiment, whom I must otherwise have left (for I had before begged for them all I could) as hungry and naked as I found them. You may see the good effects in above thirty poor people just

now before you, who have been restored to health, through the medicines bought by that money which a single person has saved in this article. And a thousand more good effects you will not fail to see, when her example is more generally followed.

27. Neither is there any need that conversation should be unedifying, even when it turns upon eating and drinking. Nay, from such a conversation, if duly improved, numberless good effects may flow. For how few understand, "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God!" And how glad ought you to be of a fair occasion to observe, that though the kingdom of God does not consist in "meats and drinks," yet, without exact temperance in these, we cannot have either "righteousness, or peace, or joy in the Holy Ghost!" It may therefore have a very happy effect, if, whenever people introduce the subject, you directly close in, and push it home, that they may understand a little more of this important truth.

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28. But "I find at present very little desire to change either my thoughts or practice." Shall I speak plain? I fear, by not standing your ground, by easiness, cowardice, and false shame, you have grieved the Spirit of God, and thereby lost your conviction and desire at once. Yet you add: " : "I advise every one to leave off tea, if it hurts their health, or is inconsistent with frugality; as I advise every one to avoid dainties in meat, and vanity in dress, from the same principle." Enough, enough! Let this only be well pursued, and it will secure all that I contend for. I advise no persons living to leave it off, if it does not hurt the health either of them or their brethren; and if it is not inconsistent with the Christian frugality of cutting off every needless expense.

29. But "to be subject to the consequences of leaving it off again! this I cannot bear."

I answer, First, It may be so. You cannot easily bear it. For, by your giving up the point once, you have made it much harder to stand your ground now than it was at first. Yet still it is worth all your courage and labour; since the reasons for it are as strong as at the beginning.

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Secondly. As to the consequences you fear, they are shadowy all; they are a mere lion in the streets. "Much trouble to others." Absolutely none at all, if you take the tea kettle, and fill your cup with water. "Much foolish discourse." Take the preceding advice, and it will be just the reverse. Nothing helpful toward the renewal of my soul in the image of Jesus Christ." What a deep mistake is this! Is it not helpful to speak closely of the nature of his inward kingdom? to encourage one another in casting off every weight, in removing every hinderance of it? to inure ourselves to the bearing his cross? to bring Christianity into common life, and accustom ourselves to conduct even our minutest actions by the great rules of reason and religion?

30. Is it "not of any importance" to do this? I think it is of vast importance. However, "it is a very small circumstance in self-denial." It is well if you find it so. I am sure I did not. And I believe the case is the same with many others at this day. But you say, "I have so many other assaults of self-indulgence, that this is nothing." "It is nothing," said one to a young woman, "to fast once or twice a week; to deny yourself a little food. Why do not you deny yourself as to anger

and fretfulness, as to peevishness and discontent?" She replied, "That I want; so I deny myself in little things first, till I am able to do it in greater." Neither you nor I can mend her reply. Go thou and do likewise.

31. I have done what I proposed; and indeed in many more words than I at first intended. I have told you the occasions of every step I have taken, and the motives inducing me thereto; and have considered what either you or others have urged on the contrary side of the question

And now, the advice I would give upon the whole is this: First, Pray earnestly to God for clear light; for a full, piercing, and steady conviction, that this is the more excellent way. Pray for a spirit of universal self-denial, of cheerful temperance, of wise frugality; for bowels of mercies; for a kind, compassionate spirit, tenderly sensible of the various wants of your brethren; and for firmness of mind; for a mild, even courage, without fear, anger, or shame. Then you will once more, with all readiness of heart, make this little (or great) sacrifice to God; and withal present your soul and body a living sacrifice, acceptable unto God through Jesus Christ.

THOUGHTS ON NERVOUS DISORDERS;

PARTICULARLY THAT WHICH IS USUALLY TERMED LOWNESS OF SPIRITS.

1. WHEN physicians meet with disorders which they do not understand, they commonly term them nervous; a word that conveys to us no determinate idea, but it is a good cover for learned ignorance. But these are often no natural disorder of the body, but the hand of God upon the soul, being a dull consciousness of the want of God, and the unsatisfactoriness of every thing here below. At other times it is conviction of sin, either in a higher or a lower degree. It is no wonder that those who are strangers to religion should not know what to make of this; and that, consequently, all their prescriptions should be useless, seeing they quite mistake the case.

2. But undoubtedly there are nervous disorders which are purely natural. Many of these are connected with other diseases, whether acute or chronical. Many are the forerunners of various distempers, and many the consequences of them. But there are those which are not connected with others, being themselves a distinct, original distemper. And this frequently arises to such a height that it seems to be one species of madness. So, one man imagines himself to be made of glass; another thinks he is too tall to go in at the door. This is often termed the spleen, or vapours; often, lowness of spirits; a phrase that, having scarce any meaning, is so much the fitter to be given to this unintelligible disorder. It seems to have taken its rise from hence: we sometimes say, "A man is in high spirits ;" and the proper opposite to this is, "He is low spirited." Does not this imply, that a kind of faintness, weariness, and listlessness affects the whole body, so that he is disinclined to any motion, and hardly cares to move hand or foot? But the mind seems chiefly to be affected, having lost its relish of every

thing, and being no longer capable of enjoying the things it once delighted in most. Nay, every thing round about is not only flat and insipid, but dreary and uncomfortable. It is not strange if, to one in this state, life itself is become a burden; yea, so insupportable a burden, that many who have all this world can give, desperately rush into an unknown world, rather than bear it any longer.

3. But what are the causes of this strange disorder? One cause is, the use of spirituous liquors. This is one of the horrid effects which naturally follow the swallowing that fashionable poison. That liquid fire lays the foundation of numberless diseases, and of this in particular. It is amazing that the preparing or selling this poison should be permitted (I will not say in any Christian country, but) in any civilized state. "O, it brings in a considerable sum of money to government." Trae; but is it wise to barter men's lives for money? Surely, that gold is bought too dear, if it is the price of blood. Does not the strength of every country consist in the number of its inhabitants? If so, the lessening their number is a loss which no money can compensate. So that it is inexcusable ill husbandry, to give the lives of useful men for any sum of money whatever.

4. But a more extensive cause of this disorder than the use of drams, I apprehend, is the use of tea; particularly where it is taken either in large quantities, or strong, or without cream and sugar. "Nay, weak tea is far more hurtful." This is a senseless, shameless falsehood. I long drank hot sugar and water instead of tea; and it did me no hurt at all. But three cups of strong tea will now make my hand shake, so that I can hardly write. And let any try the experiment: if any tea make his hand shake, it will not be weak tea, but strong. This has exceedingly increased the number of nervous complaints throughout the three kingdoms. And this furnishes us with a satisfactory answer to the common question, "Why are these complaints so general now, which were scarce heard of two or three centuries ago?" For this plain reason: two or three centuries ago, no tea was drank in either Britain or Ireland.

5. But allowing both tea and spirituous liquors to have contributed largely to the increase of nervous disorders, yet it may be doubted, whether one or both of them are the principal causes of them. The principal causes of them (particularly among those who do not work for their living) are, as Dr. Cadogan justly observes, indolence, intemperance, and irregular passions.

First. Indolence, the not using such a degree of exercise as the constitution requires. To illustrate this: Our body is composed of earth, water, air, and fire; and the two latter are as necessary as the two former. To supply these, that curious engine, the lungs, continually takes in the air; to every particle of which a particle of fire is attached, which, being detached from it, is mingled with the blood. Now, exercise quickens the motion of the lungs, and enables them to collect from the air a due quantity of fire. The nerves are the conductors of this etherial fire, vulgarly called the animal spirits. If this is duly diffused through the whole body, we are lively and vigorous; if it is not, (which without exercise it cannot be,) we soon grow faint and languid. And if other disorders do not ensue, those termed nervous surely will, with