A CAVEAT Against Drunkenness Especially in EVIL TIMES BEING A Consideration of Eph. 5. 18. By C. P. The Crown of Pride the Drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under feet And the glorious beauty which is on the head of the fat valley shall be a fading flower and as the hasty fruit before the Summer which when he that looketh upon it seeth it while it is yet in his hand he eats it up In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of Glory and for a Diadem of beauty unto the residue of his people Isa 28. 3-5 They that be drunken are drunken in the night But let us who are of the day be sober 1 Thes 5. 7 8. LONDON Printed and are to be Sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chappel 1676. To my Brethren and Companions in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory Grace and Peace be multiplied Beloved THe Grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men hath appeared Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ that we may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things Tit. 2 10-13 How this Doctrine according to Godliness is blasphemed and evil-spoken of by many persons we cannot be ignorant As if it were a Doctrine of Loosness and Licentiousness a Doctrine of Libertinism and Profaness as if it opened a Gap to all wickedness and impiety whatsoever And though men herein be-ly it yet certainly we shall give occasion to them that are of no judgment concerning the Faith thus to speak reproachfully of it if while we seek to be justified by Christ we our selves are found sinners and walk not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel Gal. 2. 14-18 And Wo to the world because of offences But wo especially to that man by whom the offence cometh Wherefore saith our Saviour If thy hand or thy foot offend thee or cause thee to offend cut them off and cast them from thee it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire Matth. 18. 7 8. You know in your hearts and in your souls that he that died for all therefore died for them that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves or the luses of men but unto the will of God even to him that died for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. with 1 Pet. 4. 1-3 You know that the good creatures men abuse in their intemperance are the Lord's And that by Grace we are made partakers of them and have a comfortable enjoyment of them through the Sufferings Sacrifice and Mediation of Christ And that these things are not given us to consume upon our Lusts or prepare for Baal Shall ye then continue in sin because grace hath abounded or that it may abound God forbid He that knows his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Luk. 12. 47 48. You know there is an eternal judgment in which we shall all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ That every one of us may receive according to the things done in his body whether good or bad For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Oh therefore knowing the terrour of the Lord abstain and flee from all intemperance whatsoever While Paul in declaring the faith in Christ reasoned of righteousness temperance and judgment to come Foelix trembled perceiving it would go hardly with intemperate and incontinent ones hereafter Act. 24. 24 25. And can we hear and think thereof and not tremble so as to depart from iniquity Surely then Felix hereafter shall rise up in the judgment with us and condemn us when Drunkards shall be excluded and shut out of the Kingdom of Christ and of God Nay by your own personal sinning you not only expose your selves to the Wrath of God both present and eternal But you cause many to stumble at the Law and Doctrine of Christ and teach and strengthen the wicked ones in their evil wayes and are guilty of the Blood of the Souls of others And what will you do in the end thereof How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation If you were entertainers of such ungodly Doctrines as are too generally received amongst zealous ones now in our dayes That the greatest part of men were reprobated before they were born and must necessarily perish for ever hereafter then your evil would not be so great concerning them for you would but help to destroy them that God would not have saved But for you to be instruments of evil and perdition to others who profess to believe that Christ died for all and rose again and that God would have all men to be saved How unsutably and contrary to your principles do you act while you lay stumbling-blocks in their way to cause them to fall and perish for whom you know Christ died Oh! As your hearts are purified in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto the unfeigned love of the Brethren and of all men see to it that ye love them with such a love as you are taught and principled unto of God Object 1. If any one should say we have such a trade employment or way of livelyhood to walk in and follow as that thereby we are necessitated sometimes to keep company and to drink more than otherwise we would do or else we had as good wholly leave off all and then we shall presently fail into poverty To such an one I would say 1. There is nothing said or however intended in any expression made use of to take men off from any lawful or laudable employment or way of living or from having fellowship with the men of the world in and about the affairs of this life in a lawful way For then as the Apostle saith ye must needs go out of the world 1 Cor. 5. 9 10. 2. But though we must have company with evil persons while we are here in this world at some times and may trade with evil workers yet by no means should we have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Eph. 5. 11. And if we cannot trade or converse with them unless we put forth our hand to iniquity it 's better to lose their custom than to grieve the good Spirit of God dishonour the Gospel and get a snare and wound to our Souls And be we confident that in first seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness all other things shall be added to us Oh Were we so filled with the Spirit as to live the life we live in the flesh by the faith of the Son of God who
awake out of Sleep for now all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light Rom. 13. 11-14 with Eph. 5. 13-18 They that sleep sleep in the night and they that are drunken are drunken in the night But let us who are of the day be sober For God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him 1 Thes 5. 4-8-10 The grace of God which bringeth Salvation to all men hath appeared Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly c. Tit. 2. 10-12 The true light now shineth love not the world neither the things that are in the world not the lust of the flesh c. 1 Joh. 2. 8 15 16. At the times of mens ignorance God winketh at them Act. 17. 30. But now mens sins will be greatly aggravated if they count it a pleasure to riot in the day time 2 Pet. 2. 13. Surely it will be more tolerable in the day of judgment for Sodom and Gomorrha than for such as now walk on in preferring darkness before light 2. In the Gospel of Christ the holy Spirit is discovering to us infinitely better things prepared for us in Christ than any of those things in the abuse whereof we are vainly seeking comfort and contentment to our Souls Therein is discovered to us that by means of the precious blood of Christ all things are now actually prepared and made ready for us The holy Spirit is lifting up Christ as an object in whom there are all spiritual blessings in heavenly things provided for mankind A feast of fat things for all people of Wines on the Lees c. That we might look unto him and be saved from our sins and from the vanity of our conversations Luk. 14. 17. Gen. 22. 18. Eph. 1. 3. Isa 25. 6. and 45. 22. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. And that we might labour for and seek after not that meat which perisheth but this which indureth unto everlasting life which the son of man will give unto us Joh. 6. 27-35 And in hearkening diligently unto and coming to him we may eat that which is good and our souls may delight themselves in fatness Isa 55 1-3 we may rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory in the worst of days and times 1 Pet. 1. 6-8 Alas men do propose a great deal of satisfaction and contentment to themselves in the abuse of God's mercies they think that is the way for them to lead merry and comfortable lives and to spend their days in gladness and jollity that this is the way to be delivered from all melancholly and evil and afflictive sadness And especially in evil times in days of affliction and mourning they suppose the only way then to drive away sorrow from their hearts is to pour in Wine and strong Drink till Wine inflame them when as in such a time the Lord is then calling to weeping and to mourning And therefore sorrow is better then laughter for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth Eccles 7. 1-5-14 And besides men do but deceive themselves in promising to themselves any solid or durable joy and comfort from their excessive partaking of Wine and strong Drink or eating any dainty and delicious food to excess for this is but deceitful meat Prov. 23. 1-3 Many times hereby men make themselves sick and so increase and heap up sadness to themselves and add grief to their former sorrow Hos 7. 5 they distemper and bring diseases upon their bodies waste their substance lose their good names amongst sober people wound their consciences such shall not find quietness in their belly or spirit for there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Job 20. 20. Isa 57. 21. And therefore such persons do but deceive themselves and are deceived by Wine for Wine is a mocker strong Drink is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise Prov. 20. 1. The holy Ghost saith not who hath a merry heart and cheerful spirit who hath solid and substantial joy and gladness But who hath wo who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath wounds without a cause c They that tarry long at the Wine they that go to seek mixt Wine And though while they are drinking and in their Cups they may outwardly laugh and be merry yet such laughter is but the laughter of fools which is like the crackling of thorns under a Pot which though they make a great blaze and noise for the present yet they are out in a moment And the end of such mirth is sorrow yea an heap of grief For at last this Wine wherewith they so abuse and distemper themselves will bite like a Serpent and sting like an Adder this they shall receive from God's hand they shall lye down in sorrow Prov. 23. 29-32 Isa 50. 10 11. For God giveth to the Sinner to him that wanders out of the way of understanding travel and grief Eccles 2. 26. But now in Jesus Christ God hath prepared for us and in the Gospel the holy Spirit is discovering to us that which is proper to comfort and rejoyce the hearts of all that mourn here is a Cup of consolation which being Drunk in by us will comfort us in all our tribulations and sadnesses and make the heart truly and lastingly yea everlastingly merry And though all the days of the afflicted are evil yet he that hath a merry heart hath a continual feast Prov. 15. 14 15 such an one is filled with joy and peace in believing and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy Rom. 15. 13. Prov. 14. 10. And though in evil days outward occasions of sorrow are presented and administred to him and his belly trembles his lips quiver and rottenness enters into his bones And all seen comforts and delight are removed and taken away Although the figtree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the vines and so the Drunkards weep and Drinkers of Wine and strong Drink howl Joel 1. 5. yet they may and shall rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of their salvation Habbak 3. 16-18 Cant. 1. 2-4 When God's judgments are so in the earth as that the new Wine mourneth the vine languisheth all the merry-hearted do sigh the mirth of tabrets ceaseth the noise of them that rejoyce endeth the joy of the harp ceaseth they shall not drink Wine with a song strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people even then the righteous who are seeking the Lord and seeking his face and his strength such as have their dwelling in Heaven they shall lift up their voice they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord c.
Isa 24. 7-16 Oh blessed are the poople that know the joyful sound come what times will come they shall walk O Lord in the light of thy countenance In thy name shall they rejoyce all the day and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted to honour and safety For thou art the glory of their strength Psal 89. 15-17 In Christ to whom the holy Spirit is directing us we may rejoyce always even in the time of greatest affliction and sadness also Phil. 3. 1. and 4. 4. His blood is drink indeed this will cheer revive and refresh the very heart and spirit of the drinker And his love therein commended is better infinitely better than Wine and more to be desired and rather to be chosen than strong Drink And who so eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood hath everlasting life and he will raise him up at the last day Joh. 6. 54-57 Cant. 1. 2-4 and 2. 3-5 Oh therefore in evil dayes and times when sorrow and sadness is administred to you and how many Temptations and Provocations from others soever you meet withal yet be not drunk with Wine But be ye filled with the spirit c. Eph. 5. 16-18 19 Forsake not the Lord the fountain of living waters to hew to your selves cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water But if any man thirst let him come unto Christ and drink And whosoever drinketh of this water of life that he will give him that cometh unto him shall never thirst but the water that he will give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life Jer. 2. 13. Joh. 7. 37 38. and 4. 10-14 And when shame shall be the promotion of fools when the crown of pride the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory and for a Diadem of beauty to the residue of his people who in the light and strength of his grace denying ungodliness and worldly lusts have lived soberly c. And come unto Christ as the rest for their weary Spirits and unto him as the refreshing Isa 28. 1-3-5-12 Oh then that we may not spend our money and time for that which is not bread nor labour for that which satisfieth not let us hearken diligently unto Christ in his Gospel and eat that which is good and let our Souls delight themselves in fatness Let us go into the house of the Lord and eat of Wisdom's bread and drink of the Wine which she hath mingled let us forsake the foolish the drunken Drunkards and live and go in the way of understanding Instead of lavishing our money out of the bag for strong Drink let us buy the truth and not sell it Isa 55. 1-3 Prov. 9. 1-6 and 23. 20-23 Is it because there is no comfort peace satsfaction joy and contentment in Christ that we walk in rioting and drunkenness What iniquity is there or have we found in him that we should turn our backs upon and forsake him and make our bellies our God Hath he been or is he a barren Wilderness or a dry Tree that we scatter our ways unto strangers and prefer the Service of our vile and brutish affections before him in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily and in whom is all compleatness prepared for us surely no Oh then Return from all your wandrings unto him who is the rest in whom God hath dealt bountifully and plentifully prepared for us And from the admirable excellency of his loving-kindness to the children of men Let us put our trust under the shadow of his wings that we may be abundantly satisfied with the fatnefs of his house and drink and drink abundantly of the river of his pleasures Psal 36. 7 8 9. 3. In the Gospel is shewed unto us the great meanness of our Lord Jesus in the dayes of his personal Ministration and how contented he was with and how he condescended to mean things such was the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who being rich for our sakes became poor He did not fare deliciously every day he sought not after the best and costliest meat and drink But when he was thirsty he desired a little cold Water to quench his thirst Joh. 4. 6 7. And had for himself and his disciples and the multitude barly-loaves and fishes Joh. 6. 9-13 His knees were weak through fasting and his flesh failed of fatness Psal 109. 24. And though the men of that generation did falsely accuse him and laid to his charge that he was a gluttonous person and a Wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and Sinners yet Wisdom this heavenly wisdom was justified of all her children they knew that the Scribes and Pharisees laid to his charge things which he knew not nor was guilty of Luk. 7. 30-35 But on the contrary he wept and afflicted his Soul with fasting and that was to his reproach He made sack-cloath also his garment and he became a Proverb unto them And he was the song of the drinkers of strong drink Psal 69. 10-12 much hardness he indured and did not please himself but was content in every condition and with all Provision And therefore did the World hate him because he testifieth of them both in word and works that their deeds were evil Joh. 7. 7. And he instructed his Disciples to eat and drink such things as they gave them into whose houses they came and admonishing them of intemperance and insobriety at all times Luk. 10. 7. and 21. 34-36 surely then it also behoves his followers to indure hardness as good Soldiers of Jesus Christ and to flee from all intemperance whatsoever And not to delight in and be Companions of them who made Songs of the Captain of our Salvation Psal 69. 12. 2 Tim. 2. 3. Oh! shall we who profess our selves to be his Disciples and Servants seek after and surfeit in the abuse of the best and most excellent meat and drink that we can come by will this be by him accounted an imitating him and following his steps and that example which he hath left us or shall we not rather provoke him if we walk on in surfeiting and drunkenness severely to testifie displeasure against us even to cut Us in sunder and appoint us our portion with the unbelievers even with such as never professed themselves to be his Disciples Luk. 21. 34 36. Oh then set the Lord before you and be imitaters of him as dear children for he that saith He knoweth and abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked 1 Joh. 2. 4-6 If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness in rioting and drunkenness we lye and do not the truth 1 Joh. 1. 6. with Rom. 13. 11-13 Do ye then especially who profess your selves to be Christ's disciples Abstain from these fleshly lusts that war against the soul that ye may not make others believe or give them occasion to think