attend on my Ministry and I thought it necessary to warn others yea to warn all my hearers to take heed and beware of this sin of drunkenness If any say I have no need to be warned to take heed of the sin of drunkenness I hate and abhor it and look upon it as a most beastly sin what manner of persons do you take us to be that you warn us to take heed of drunkenness A. 1. They do not know the corruption of their own hearts nor what strength and power there is in a temptation that think they have no need to be warned to take heed of drunkenness There is in our corrupt natures an inclination to all sin Rom. 7.8 Sin taking occasion by the Commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence And it is from God's restraining us that those evil inclinations that are in our hearts do not break forth in our lives Gen. 20.6 I with-held thee from sinning against me therefore suffered I thee not to touch her By the power of temptation we may be drawn to those sins which we think our selves most averse unto yea to which we apprehend that we have such an averseness that we will rather suffer death than consent to them Matth. 26.35 Peter said unto him though I should dye with thee yet will I not deny thee Though Peter thought and said this that he would rather dye than deny Christ yet being in a temptation he did three times fall into that sin which he thought he of all men should never have yielded to ver 33. Though all men shall be offended because of thee yet I will never be offended And which he thought he should rather dye than commit he fell thrice into in one night in the same night in which he solemnly professed he would rather dye than deny the Lord Jesus Hazael seemed to scorn the Prophets words when he told him how cruelly he would deal with the people of Israel that he would kill their young men with the sword and dash out their childrens brains and rip up the women with child and replyed 2 King 8.13 But what is thy servant a dog that he should do this great thing Yet he fullfilled what the Prophet had foretold 2. Our Lord Jesus Christ saw it needfull to warn his own Disciples who had left all to follow him to take heed of this sin of drunkenness Luke 21.34 And take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and the cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares That our Lord Jesus Christ speaks here to his own Disciples is evident from Ch. 20.45 and Luk. 21.5 7. Compared with Matth. 24.1 3. Matthew relating much of the same discourse tells that it was a private discourse between Christ and his Disciples And several passages in the Chapter shew plainly that it was spoken to the Disciples As ver 12.15 17 28. They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you and ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake c. Now if our Lord Jesus Christ saw it needfull to warn his own Disciples who were enabled to suffer persecution for Righteousness sake to take heed of drunkenness why should any of us think we have no need to be warned to take heed of this sin 3. Persons of great eminency for the grace of God have been overtaken with this sin of drunkenness and that in a very shamefull manner Noah was a man of great eminency in the grace of God he kept his integrity when all the men on the earth had corrupted their ways Gen. 6.9 11 12. He was a Preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 He was renowned for his faith and fear of God and was an heir of the Righteousness which is by saith Heb. 11.7 He was a man in great favour with God and could do great things with God in Prayer and is ranked with Job and Daniel God's special favourites Ezek. 14.14.16 18 20. Yet this Noah who was so eminent and famous in his Generation was overcome with Wine in a most shamefull manner in so much as he lay uncovered in his Tent and his Son saw his nakedness and this after he had seen Gods judgment in drowning the old World for their sins and his infinite mercy in sparing him and his Family Gen. 9.20 21 22. And Noah planted a Vineyard and he drunk of the Wine and was drunken and he was uncovered within his Tent and Ham saw the nakedness of his Father and told it his two brethren without Lot was a Righteous man so eminent for Holiness that he was vexed in his Soul to see the unrighteousness of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2.7 8. He was in such favour with God that the Lord sent two Angels to his house to give him warning of the destruction of Sodom and to bid him hasten out of that place lest he was consumed Gen. 19.1 12 13 15. He was in such favour with God that though Sodom's sins were exceeding great and Angels were come down from Heaven to destroy that place yet they could do nothing towards destroying that City till Lot was gone out of it and escaped to Zoar ver 22. Hast thee escape thither for I cannot do any thing till thou art come thither He had such power with God that he prevailed for the sparing of a whole City which had deserved destruction as well as Sodom for the Cities about Sodom were given to fornication and going after strange flesh as well as Sodom Jude 7. Yet at Lot's request the City of Zoar was spared Gen. 19.21 See I have accepted thee concerning this thing that I will not overthrow this City for the which thou hast spoken Yet this Righteous Lot was twice overcome with wine and that to such an high degree as that he knew not what he did and in his drunkenness committed the heinous sin of incest with both his Daughters for his two Daughters were with Child by lying with their Father when they had made him drunk Gen. 19.30 to the 36. And Lot's sin was the greater because it was committed after he had seen God's terrible judgments on Sodom and the adjacent Cities for their sins and after God had shewen a miracle of mercy tovvards him in his deliverance out of Sodom Novv if such eminent Saints as Noah and Lot vvere overtaken vvith the sin of drunkenness and that in a very dreadfull manner vvho can say they have no need of being vvarned to take heed of this sin Let these examples have this effect upon us to make such as think they stand take heed least they fall 1 Cor. 10.12 Sect. 2. The Text opened What 's meant by the Crown of Pride what by the drunkards of Ephraim what by the wo denounced against them The Prophet in this Text denounceth God's judgments against two great sins Pride and Drunkenness for opening whereof let us consider 1. What is meant by the Crown of
hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and the cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares § It will exclude a man out of Heaven VIII Drunkenness is such an odious sin that the Lord hath told us expresly that he will not admit any drunkards into the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Know y not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived Neither Fornicators nor Drunkards shall inherit the Kingdom of God If a man be a drunkard and think to go to Heaven when he dyeth he deceiveth his own Soul Drunkenness is a manifest work of the flesh and the Scripture tells us plainly that they that live in drunkenness and such like sins shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Gal. 5.19 20 21. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness Drunkenness Revellings and such like of which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Drunkards may know their doom before they come to the judgment seat of Christ I tell you before that is before the day of judgment come before the sentence be past upon you that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God The Apostle knew drunkards were dull of hearing and slow of heart to believe and therefore he tells them over and over that they shall not inherit the Kingdom of God and what folly and madness is this to part with a Kingdom an Everlasting Kingdom the Kingdom of Heaven for a pot of drink or a cup of wine It was a foolish act in Esau and argued him to be a prophane man to sell his Birth-right for a morsel of meat Heb. 12.16 Least there be any fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right Drunkards are guilty of worse prophaneness than Esau for they part with a better blessing than a Birth-right namely with the Kingdom of Heaven for a pot of drink or a cup of wine which doth them no good but much hurt It is not drinking wine or strong drink but excess of drinking excludes us from the Kingdom of Heaven and excess of wine doth a man no good but much hurt § It is a damnable sin IX Drunkenness is a damnable sin a sin for which men shall be condemned to the torments of Hell for ever The drunkard shall be cut asunder and have his portion appointed with unbelievers Luk. 12.45 46. If that servant shall begin to eat and drink and be drunken the Lord of that servant will cut him asunder and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers But what is it to have our portion appointed with the unbelievers It is to be damned and to be cast into the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone Mark 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned Rev. 21.8 The unbelieving shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone Hell is full of drunkards Isa 5.11 14. Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink that continue untill night till wine enflame them Therefore Hell hath enlarged her self and opened her mouth without measure and their glory and their multitude and their pomp and he that rejoyceth shall descend into it There is scarce any sin fills Hell like drunkenness following of wine and strong drink sends great multitudes to Hell The glory and pomp and jollity of drunkards shall be no security to drunkards to keep them from the bottomless pit The drunken Gentleman and drunken Prince notwithstanding all his bravery shall descend into Hell as well as the drunken beggar They that enflame themselves with wine and strong drink shall be tormented in flames of fire for ever And then they that drunk wine in bowls and filled themselves with strong drink shall not with all their entreaties get so much as one drop of water to cool their tongues § It is a bewitching sin very hardly left by those that are addicted to it X. Drunkenness is an enticing bewitching sin which is very hardly left by those that are addicted to it Neither the word nor rod of God prevaileth with men to leave this sin but they go on sinning against light sinning against the counsels and reproofs and tears of friends against the checks of their own Consciences though the Lord afflict them in their bodies estates good names yet still they persevere in this sin Though when upon sick beds they are under terrors of Conscience and feel as it were some flashes of Hell Fire and make great vows and solemn protestations that if God will spare their lives and raise them up again they will leave off their drunkenness yet when they are restored to health they return to their old courses again Prov. 23.35 They have stricken me shalt thou say and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not VVhen shall I awake I will seek it yet again Solomon speaks here of drunkards who are not disheartned by all the difficulties and troubles and blows that they meet with in following after strong drink but resolve to seek yet again and to persist in their dissolute courses Drunkards are wont to encourage themselves and one another to persist in their drunken courses under all discouragements Isa 56.12 Come ye say they I will fetch wine and we will fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more aboundant In stead of desisting they grow more resolved in their way And the reason why this sin is hardly left and so few recovered from it may be partly from the strength this sinfull habit gets in the soul by the many repeated acts of this sin and also from the pleasingness of this sin to corrupt nature for the more pleasing any sin is the more hardly it is left and chiefly from the just and righteous judgment of God who giveth up men who go on sinning against light unto their own hearts lusts saying to them he that is filthy let him be filthy still Drunkenness is called by some vitium maximae adhaerentiae a sin that sticks closer and faster to a man than any other sin Sect. 5. Several aggravations of the sin of drunkenness We have seen the greatness of this sin of drunkenness now let us consider the aggravations of this sin It is worse in some men than others and worse at sometimes than others § It is worse in Magistrates than in other persons I. It is a great sin for any man to be overcome with drink but 't is worse for Magistrates than for other persons The greater and more eminent the person is that commits the offence the more heinous is the offence Omne animi vitium tanto conspectius in se Crimen habet quanto major qui peccat habetur The Scripture
thing to tell a lye unto men but it is worse to lye unto God Ananias and Sapphira were both smitten with sudden death for lying unto God about the price of their Land So many vows and promises as we make to God to break off our sins so many lyes we tell him if we do not perform those promises And therefore they that have told God many lyes of this nature may wonder at God's patience that he suffers them to live and hath not long since cast them into hell when as he struck Ananias and Sapphira dead for telling but one lye and he hath said All lyars shall have their part in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 § This sin is aggravated from the times when it is committed as if on Sabbath days before or after the Lords Supper when Gods Judgments are abroad VII Drunkenness is a vile sin at all times yet 't is worse if committed at some times than others As for instance 1. It is worse for a man to be drunk on a Sabbath day than on other days For the Sabbath day is to be employed in Holy and Religious Exercises Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy And 't is a double sin to be drunk on the Sabbath day for such to their drunkenness add prophanation of the Sabbath 2. It is worse to be drunk when a man comes to the Lord's Table to partake of the Lord's Supper or soon after a man hath been at this Holy Ordinance then it is to be overcome with wine at other times In the Church of Corinth there were some that did presume to come to the Lord's Table when they were little better than drunk 1 Cor. 11.21 But such as are drunken a little before or soon after they come to the Lord's Table eat and drink unworthyly of that Holy Ordinance And such as eat and drink unworthyly at the Lord's Table are guilty of a mighty great sin for they are guilty of the body and blood of Christ 1 Cor. 11.27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. That is 1. He shall be deemed guilty of abusing and trampling under foot the body and blood of Christ and God shall deal with him as an abuser of the body and blood of Christ 2. He shall be esteemed as a shedder of Christs Blood and Crucifier of his Body and God shall deal with him as with a Murderer of Christ It is a great Crime to be guilty of the blood of an innocent man but it is more to be guilty of the blood of Christ than to be guilty of the blood of all the men in the World And as drunkards commit a great sin so they bring great judgment on themselves by coming in their sins to the Lords Table for they eat and drink damnation to themselves ver 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself 3. It is worse to be drunk in a day of common calamity when Gods judgments hang over or are come on the places where we live than in a day of prosperity for they that do so despise the judgments of God The Lord expects when he sends his judgments upon us that we should break of our sins and learn Righteousness Isa 26.9 When thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the World will learn Righteousness There is a wo denounced against those that are at ease and are jovial and give themselves to drinking and other pleasures when evil days are coming Amos 6.1 3 5 6. Wo to them that are at ease in Zion ye that put far away the evil day that chaunt to the sound of the Viol that drink wine in bowls Days of common calamity call for fasting and mourning and instead of fasting and mourning at such times for a man to give over himself to riotous courses is a most provoking sin as we may see Isa 22.5 12 13 14. It is a day of trouble and of treading down and of perplexity by the Lord of Hosts in the valley of vision And in that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning And behold joy and gladness Eating flesh and drinking wine let us eat and drink for to morrow we dye And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye dye saith the Lord God of Hosts It is a very dreadfull threatning which is here denounced against those that in a day of common calamity give up themselves to a voluptuous course of life and will not leave off their riotous and drunken courses Surely this iniquity shall not be purged till ye dye saith the Lord God of Hosts Here is God's word and his oath for that word surely is used to express God's Oath Heb. 6.13 14. to assure such contemners of God's word and his judgments that this iniquity shall not be purged till they dye That is 1. God will plague men all the days of their lives for this sin And 2. Without Repentance will punish them to Eternity for what sins are not pardoned before we dye shall never be forgiven § It aggravates this sin to be eager and greedy of it VIII The more eager and greedy men are of this sin of drunkenness or of any other sin the more heinous it is for it shews a man to be come to a great degree of sin when he commits it with greediness Eph. 4.19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to commit all uncleanness with greediness And they commit this sin with greediness 1. Who rise early to follow after strong drink and continue at it all day such are wofull drunkards that will set from Morning to Night drinking and tipling at Taverns and Ale-houses Isa 5.11 Wo to them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink and continue till night till wine inflame them 2. They are greedy drunkards that use incentives to provoke their thirst that when they have a design to meet their Companions at a Tavern will eat salt meats in the Morning that they may drink the more freely and largely contrary to that command of the Apostle Rom. 13.14 Make not provision for the flesh to fullfill the lusts thereof 3. They are greedy drunkards whose minds hanker after Taverns and Ale-houses when they are at their Callings and do frequently leave their Callings to go to the Ale-house without being called out by their idle Companions only as they are enticed by their own hearts lusts And such also as can 't walk the Streets or travel on the Road but they must call in and have a pot or two almost at every Ale-house especially if it have a name for vending good drink As they were notorious Idolaters who could not pass by a mountain or a grove where there was
we would escape Eternal Death we must cast them all away and not allow our selves in any known sin Ezek. 18.31 Cast away from you all your Transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new Spirit for why will ye dye O house of Israel § The lingring sinner's plea answered I am convinced I must leave off my drunken courses or else there is no Salvation for me and I am purposed to do so but I am desirous to have a few merry bouts more at drinking and then I will become a new man A. 1. Sinful lusts are insatiable it is not once or twice gratifying our sinful lusts that will give satisfaction to our corrupt natures but the oftner we fulfil the lusts and desires of the flesh the more strongly our hearts will be carried out after sin It is here as it is with the fire the laying on new fewel makes the fire rage and burn more furiously the adding of new acts of sin makes our lusts to rage and crave the more furiously for farther opportunities of sin Ezek. 16.28 29. As Idolaters and Adulterers are insatiable in their lusts so are drunkards and other sinners also The sluggard the longer he lyeth in his bed the lother he is to rise Prov. 6.9 10. So it is with the drunkard the longer he lyeth in his drunkenness the more unwilling he will be to leave it 2. The time past is sufficient and too much which you have already spent in sin 2 Pet. 4.3 and therefore you should not wast any more precious time in such sottish courses 3. Thy own heart and the Devil deceive thee in suggesting such thoughts as these I will have but a merry bout or two more in drinking and then I will leave this course For it is likely thou hast thought and resolved so many times heretofore and yet nothing is done When a Sermon hath come home to thy Conscience or when thou hast been near unto death or hast met with some startling providence hast thou not thought with thy self I will leave of my drunkenness and what set a time for thy Repentance and yet thou art fallen to it a fresh again Sin is of a deceitful hardning nature if it can but prevail with us to defer our Repentance it will harden our hearts Heb. 3.13 4. VVho can tell but the next merry bout which thou hast with thy companions thou may'st be taken out of the VVorld VVhile Job's children were eating and drinking wine in their Eldest Brother's house they were all slain by a great wind that blew down the house Job 1.18 19. VVhy may not sudden death come upon thee when thou art drinking wine and making merry as well as on Job's children They were the children of a Godly man their mirth was innocent mirth yet were they cut off while they were drinking wine And why may it not be so with thee also The Rich man that said to his Soul eat drink be merry had his soul taken from him that very night Luk. 12.19 20. § The presumptuous sinner's Plea answered who goes on in his sin presuming that at what time soever he repents God will be merciful to him and presuming that he may live long If any say God is a merciful and gracious God and at what time soever a sinner repents of his sins God will pardon him and therefore I will repent of my evil wayes but not yet I will enjoy my sinful delights a while longer and then I will repent and I doubt not but God will be merciful to me and that I shall go to Heaven as well as other men A. 1. It is an horrible abuse of God's mercy to take occasion from God's mercy to continue in sin Gods goodness should lead us to Repentance and therefore they that presume upon God's mercy to continue and go on in their sins are guilty of despising the riches of God's grace Rom. 2.4 2. It is true that God hath promised to forgive penitent sinners at what time soever they repent truly of their sins but he hath not promised to give Repentance to such as refuse to turn at his call and go on in their sins presuming that God will be gracious to them True Repentance is never too late but late Repentance is seldom true 3. Though you be young and strong and like to live many years yet it is dangerous to defer your Repentance on many accounts as 1. Life is uncertain some die in their full strength and the height of their prosperity when they are at greatest ease they go down in a moment into the grave Job 21.13 23. Such as promise themselves many years in this VVorld may not have one days continuance Luk. 12.19 20. And if sudden Death take you away before you have repented of your sin you are lost for ever 2. If your life should be continued God may take away the use of your understanding and give you up to distraction and persons under distraction are not apprehensive what need they have of Repentance 3. If you should enjoy Life and have the use of your understanding yet who can tell whither God will give you repentance for your sin it may be he will give you up to your hearts lusts instead of giving you repentance and because you refused to repent in the day that he offer'd you mercy possibly he may swear in his VVrath that you shall never enter into his rest as he did to the Jews Heb. 3.7 8 11. 4. If you should repent it may be it will be as Judas did repent he grew desperate and hanged himself he was so burdned and troubled in his Conscience for his sin that he could not bear his burden but went away and hung himself Matth. 27.3 5. Judas repented himself saying I have sinned and went and hanged himself 4. Let such as put off their repentance because they are young and strong and like to live many years or on any other account consider this that if they do not repent now it is most likely they will not repent nor leave off their sins as long as they live For 1. The longer you live in sin the less able you will be to repent for continuance in sin strengthens sin and weakens the Soul Jer. 13.23 Custom in sin doth give sin such rooting in the heart that it will be as hard a matter for such as have got a custom of sinning to leave their sins as it will be for a Blackamore to change his skin or the Leopard his Spots 2. The longer any man lives in his sins the less willing he will be to repent for his inclinations to sin will be strong and his aversness to holiness greater and his heart will be more hardned in sin Heb. 3.12 3. The longer a man continueth to provoke God the less hope there is of his assistance and giving us his grace and the more ground for fear that he should say his Spirit shall no more strive with
the Lord of Glory Drunkards sin against light both against the light of nature For nature teacheth us that it is a shamefull thing for a man to be drunk and against the light of Gods word and that is a great aggravation of sin to sin against the light of Gods word Sins of ignorance are as it were no sins compared with sins against knowledge Joh. 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin Drunkards cast Gods word behind their backs and trample his Commandments under their feet God faith be not drunk with wine Take heed least your hearts be overcharged with drunkenness But they say in affect though not in words we will not regard these commands of God let God say and do what he will we will take our fill of wine and strong drink Drunkards and other sinners that know God's will and will not do it contemn and despise God Psal 10.13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God Drunkards are guilty of rebellion against God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords for sinning against the light of Gods word is accounted rebellion Job 24.13 They are of those that rebell against the light And that is an heinous sin to be stubborn and rebellious against the God of Heaven 1 Sam. 15.23 Rebellion is as the sin of witch-craft and stubborness is as iniquity and idolatry § It is a beastly sin II. Drunkenness is a beastly sin it deprives a man of his reason and makes him carry himself like a beast It is a vile thing for a man to degrade and make himself like a beast Job 18.3 Wherefore are we counted as beasts and reputed as vile in your sight Bildad thought himself and his friends wonderfully disparaged when he thought they were counted as beasts But how do they vilifie and disparage themselves who do in reality make themselves no better than brute beasts by their drunkenness yea this sin makes a man worse than a beast The Ass is a silly beast yet the Asses will not drink to excess they drink no more than will quench their thirst Psal 104.11 The wild Asses quench their thirst And therefore as Solomon sends the sluggard to the Ant Prov. 6.6 Go to the Ant thou sluggard consider her ways and be wise So may I send the drunkard to the wild Asses go to the wild Asses thou drunkard and consider their ways and be wise who having no guide over-seer or ruler never drink any more than will quench their thirst though they meet with the best and pleasantest Springs and purest Fountains under Heaven And wilt thou who hast had many instructors that have taught thee the odiousness of this sin of drunkenness be enticed by the pureness of the wine or the pleasantness of thy drink to drink to excess Toads and Serpents which are hatefull creatures will not drink more than is suitable and convenient to their natures And shall man who was made after the Image of God make himself worse than a Toad or a Serpent by drinking to excess § It is a mischievous sin both to body soul and estate III. Drunkenness is a most mischievous sin and brings a world of mischief along with it both to soul and body and estate and good name 1. It doth great mischief to the Soul For 1. It besots and stupifies the Soul and estrangeth a mans heart from God who is his chiefest good Hos 4.11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart We may take heart here for the understanding As Rom. 2.21 Their foolish heart was darkned And so it is true that wine takes away the heart that is it stupifieth the mind it blinds and darkens the understanding and maketh men sottish as Jeremiah complains of the Jews who were much addicted to drunkenness Jer. 4.22 My people is foolish they have not known me they are sottish children and have none understanding they are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge Or we may take heart for the affections and so it is true that wine taketh away the heart for drunkenness taketh of the heart from God and all that is good Drunkards have no love to God no delight in God no desire of enjoying God no fear of God no heart to that which is good Drunkenness is a fleshly lust and fleshly lusts war against and tend to the ruine of our precious Souls 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the Soul 2. It brings great mischief to the body by the painfull diseases that it breeds in the body and by the wounds and bruises men get by falls when they have drunk so much they are not able to go or to guide the Horses they ride on and also by the wounds they get in quarrels and contentions with their Companions when they are in their cups Prov. 23.29 30. VVho hath wo who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath wounds without cause who hath redness of eyes They that tarry long at the wine Not only the eyes are made red but the whole body is enflamed and greatly distempered by excessive drinking Isa 5.11 VVo to them that follow strong drink that continue till night till wine enflame them Our bodies should be the Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 VVhat know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you And it is dangerous defiling the Temple of God with excess of wine or strong drink 1 Cor. 3.17 If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy 3. It brings ruine upon a mans estate Prov. 23.21 The drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty Many persons by their drunken and sottish courses wast fair estates that were left them by their Parents others that have been brought up to callings spend all they gain by their callings in excessive drinking whereby it comes to pass that they make no provision for their Families but their Wives and Children are brought into great want and straits such as these are as bad yea worse than Infidels 1 Tim. 5.8 But if any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own house he hath denyed the faith and is worse than an Infidel 4. It blasts a mans reputation It is a shame for a man to have the brand of a drunkard set upon him even children will hour and deride a drunken man when they see him reel and stagger as he goeth in the streets § Drunkenness is the cause of many other sins IV. The greatness of the sin of drunkenness will appear from hence that it disposeth a man to many other great and crying sins as for instance 1. Drunkenness disposeth men to commit uncleanness Prov. 23.31 33. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red Thine eyes shall behold strange women When men are overcome with wine they
there is little need of any definition to be given of it yet for a fuller opening of the nature of this sin I shall give this description of it Drunkenness is a sin whereby a man is inclined to excess in drinking to the depriving of himself of the use of his reason For the explaining of this description of drunkenness there are three things to be considered in the sin of drunkenness 1. The inordinate love and desire of wine or other strong drink This is sinfull when the heart is inordinately enclined to the love and desire of wine or strong drink It is noted as a vice in the children of Israel that they loved flagons of wine Hos 3.1 The children of Israel who look to other Gods and love flagons of wine It is mentioned as a requisite in the Minister of the Gospel that he must be one not given to wines 1 Tim. 3.3 His heart his affections must not run after wine As the going out of the heart after Idols is sinfull as well as the bowing the body to Idols Ezek. 20.16 Their heart goeth after their Idols So the going out of the heart to wine or strong drink in an inordinate manner is sinfull as well as excessive drinking For inordinate affections to things in themselves lawfull become sinfull A man may be guilty of drunkenness by his inordinate desire as well as the immoderate use of wine Ebrietas est inordinata vini concupiscentia vel usus Tho. Aquinas 22 ae q. 150. 2. Excess in drinking wine or strong drink Drunkenness is sometime called by this name excess of wine 1 Pet. 4.3 The time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness lusts excess of wines There is a lawfull use of wine and strong drink especially for such as have weakly stomachs and such as are oppressed with grief but then it must be with moderation 1 Tim. 5.23 Vse a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities Prov. 31.6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine to those that be of heavy hearts But it must be temperately and with moderation All excess in drinking is sinfull and a degree of drunkenness If any say what is excess in drinking when may men be counted excessive in drinking A. 1. When they drink more than conduceth to their health The end of our eating and drinking is the preservation of our health Act. 27.34 Take some meat for this is for your health 2. VVhen a man is so overcharged with drink that he is unfitted either for the service of God or the works of his calling Luk 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness c. The end of eating and drinking is for strength that we may be enabled for the duties of our general and particular callings Eccl. 10.17 Blessed art thou O Land when thy Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenness VVhen we are rendred unfit for our callings by wine or strong drink that is excessive and sinfull drinking Prov. 31.4 5. 3. The deprivation of the use of our reason and understanding It is ordinary for some men to drink so much that they lose the use of their understanding they know not what they say or what they do And when men have drunk so much that they know not what they say or do this is drunkenness in an high degree For the further convincing of men when they are guilty of this sin of drunkenness I shall shew when a man is in the account of the Scripture esteemed and called a drunken man 1. VVhen a man hath drunk so much that he can't go upright but reels and staggers as he goes in the streets not through bodily weakness but through abundance of drink such a man is a drunken man Psal 107.27 They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man Job 12.25 He maketh them to stagger like a drunken man Isa 24.20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard 2. VVhen a man hath drunk so much as that he vomits and spues up what he hath drunk and that not from the weakness of his stomach but from abundance of drink this shews a man to be a drunken man Jer. 25.27 Drink ye and be drunken and spue Isa 28.7 8. They have erred through wine and through strong drink are out of the way For all Tables are full of vomit and filthiness so that there is no place clean He proves them guilty of drunkenness by their filthy vomiting on the Tables and Places where they sat drinking together 3. VVhen a man hath drunk so much that wine hath overcome him and taken from him the use of his understanding that he is like a man at his wits end he knoweth not what he saith or what he doth that man is guilty of drunkenness in an high degree Jer. 23.9 I am like a drunken man and like a man whom wine hath overcome Psal 107.27 They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits end 4. Such as are frequently at Taverns and Ale-houses and set tipling there a long time together though through the strength of their brain they do not come away disguised and staggering as others do yet these are ranked amongst drunkards Joel 1.5 Awake ye drunkards and weep and howl all ye drinkers of wine And have a wo denounced against them as well as those that are common and notorious drunkards Prov. 23.30 31. Who hath wo They that tarry long at the wine they that go to seek mixt wine Isa 5.11 Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink that continue untill night till wine inflame them Such as set bibbing and tipling wine or strong drink are noted as a detestable generation of men whose company is to be shunned avoided by sober men Prov. 23.20 Be not amongst wine bibbers Sect. 4. Drunkenness proved to be a great and wofull sin several ways VVe have seen what the sin of drunkenness is now I shall prove by several arguments that drunkenness is a great a dangerous a wofull sin whereby it will appear that all drunkards are in a wofull condition § Drunkenness is expresly against the command of God I. Drunkenness is plainly and expresly forbidden in Gods word Eph. 5.18 Be not drunk with wine Luk. 21.34 Take heed to your selves least at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness Rom. 13.12 Let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness The drunkard can't plead ignorance that he did not know drunkenness to be a sin He can't plead for himself as Peter did for the Jews that put Christ to death Act. 3.17 I wot that through ignorance ye did it as did also your Rulers 1 Cor. 2.8 For had they known it they would not have Crucified