only morning and evening, but also at certain other
appointed hours; and frequently they watched and prayed entire nights.
Some of them, according to St. Augustine, carried their vigils to such
extent as at times to abstain from food for four days. True, this was
going to somewhat of an extreme, particularly when later the practice
came to be an example and a commandment. Yet their habit of perfect
sobriety morning, evening and at all times is commendable. With the
cessation of this practice in the congregations, there succeeded the
wretched order of monks, who pretend to do the praying for others.
They, it is true, observed the same appointed hours, the same seasons
of prayer, in their matins, vespers, and so on, but they did not
really pray; they merely kept up an incessant sound, muttering and
howling.

We still retain from the ancient custom the observance of morning and
evening prayers in schools for children. But the same practice should
obtain in every Christian family. Every father is under obligation to
train up his children to pray at least at the beginning and the close
of day, commending to God every exigency of this earthly life, that
God's wrath may be averted, and deserved punishment withheld.

21. Under such conditions, we would be properly instructed and not
have to be subjected to intolerable oppression and to prohibitions
relative to eating, drinking and dressing, being guided by nature's
demands and our own honor and pleasure. Yet we would not be inordinate
and brutish in these things nor shamefully dethrone reason.
Drunkenness is a sin and a shame to any man, and would be even were
there neither God nor commandment; much less can it be tolerated among
Christians. There is more virtue in this respect among the very
heathen and Turks. They put us to shame, while it is our place to set
an example shaming them. Our characters ought to be so noble as to
give no chance for offense at our conduct, that the name of God be not
defamed but glorified, as Peter admonishes in the conclusion of this
epistle lesson.

TEMPERANCE IN ALL THINGS.

22. What we have said in regard to sobriety, we must also say relative
to that other virtue--temperance,[2] to which Peter gives first place.
They are mutually related, but temperance respects not only eating and
drinking, but is opposed to all immoderation in outward life--in
clothing, ornament, and so on; to whatever is superfluous, or
excessive; to any extravagant