WOE TO DRVNKARDS A Sermon by SAMVEL WARD Preacher of Ipswich LONDON Printed by A. Math for Iohn Marriott and Iohn Grismand and are to be sold at their Shops in St. Dunstons Church-yard and in Pauls Alley at the Signe of the Gunne 1622. PROV 23. vers 29.32 To whom is Woe to whom is Sorrow to whom is Strife c. In the end it will bite like a Serpent and sting like a Cockatrice SEer art thou also blind Watch-man art thou also drunk or asleep Or hath a Spirit of slumber put out thine eyes Vp to thy Watch-Tower what descriest thou Ah Lord what end or number is there of the vanities which mine eyes are weary of beholding But what feest thou I see men walking like the topps of trees shaken with the Winde like Masts of Ships reeling on the tempestuous Seas Drunkennesse I meane that hatefull Night-bird which was wont to waite for the twilight to seeke nookes and corners to auoide the houting and wonderment of Boyes and Girles Now as if it were some Eglet to dare the Sun-light to flie abroad at high noone in euery streete in open Markets and Faires without feare or shame without controule or punishment to the disgrace of the Nation the outfacing of Magistracy and Ministry the vtter vndoing without timely preuention of health and wealth Piety and Vertue Towne and Country Church and Commonwealth And doest thou like a dumbe dogge hold thy peace at these things doest thou with Salomons sluggard fould thine hands in thy bosome and giue thy selfe to ease and drousinesse while the enuious man causeth the noysomest and basest of weeds to ouer-runne the choysest Eden of God Vp and Arise lift vp thy voyce spare not and cry aloud What shall I crie Crie woe and woe againe vnto the Crowne of pride the Drunkards of Ephraim Take vp a parable and tell them how it stingeth like the Cockatrice declare vnto them the deadly poyson of this odious sinne Shew them also the soueraigne Antidote and Cure of it in the cup that was drunke off by him that was able to ouercome it Cause them to behold the brasen Serpent and bee healed And what though some of these deafe Adders will not bee charmed not cured yea though few or none of this swinish heard of habituall drunkards accustomed to wallow in their mire yea deepely and irrecouerably plunged by legions of Diuels into the dead sea of their filthinesse what if not one of them will be washed and made cleane but turne againe to their vomit and trample the pearles of all admonition vnder feete yea turne againe and rend their reprouers with scoffes and scornes making iests and songs on their Alebench Yet may some young ones bee deterred and some nouices reclaimed some parents and Magistrates awakened to preuent and suppresse the spreading of this gangrene and God haue his worke in such as belong to his grace And what is impossible to the worke of his grace Goe to them now ye Drunkards listen not what I or any ordinary hedge-priest as you stile vs but that most Wise and experienced royall Preacher hath to say vnto you And because you are a dull and thick-eared generation hee first deales with you by way of question a figure of force and impression To whom is woe c. You vse to say Woe be to hypocrites It 's true woe be to such and all other witting willing sinners but there are no kind of offenders on whom woe doth so palpably ineuitably attend as to you drunkards You promise your selues mirth pleasure and iollity in your Cups but for one drop of your mad mirth bee sure of gallons and tunnes of woe gall wormewood and bitternesse here and hereafter Other sinners shall tast of the Cup but you shall drinke of the dregs of Gods wrath and displeasure To whom is strife You talke of good fellowship friendship but wine is a rager and tumultuous make-bate and serts you a quarrelling medling When wit 's out of the head and strength out of the body it thrustes euen Cowards and dastards vnfenced and vnarmed into needles frayes and combats And then to whom are wounds broken heads blue eyes maymed limmes You haue a drunken by-word Drunkards take no harme but how many are the mishaps and vntimely misfortunes that betyde such which though they feele not in drinke they carrie as markes and brands to their graue You pretend you drinke healthes and for health but to whom are all kind of diseases infirmities deformities pearled faces palsies dropsies headaches If not to drunkards Vpon these premises he forcibly inferrs his sober serious aduice Looke vpon these woefull effects and euils of drunkennes and looke not vpon the Wine looke vpon the blew wounds vpon the red eyes it causeth and looke not on the red colour when it sparkleth in the cup. If there were no worse then these yet would no wise man be ouertaken with Wine as if he should say What see you in the Cup or drink that counteruaileth these dregges that lie in the bottome Behold this is the Sugar you are to looke for and the tang it leaues behind Woe and alas sorrow and strife shame pouertie and diseases these are enough to make it odious but that which followeth withall will make it hideous and fearefull For Salomon duely considering that he speakes to men past shame and grace senselesse of blowes and therefore much more of reasons and words insisteth not vpon these petty woes which they bewitched and besotted with the loue of Wine will easily ouer-see and ouerleape but sets before their eies the direfull end and fruite the blacke and poysonfull taile of this sin In the end it stingeth like the Serpent it biteth like the Cockatrice or Adder saith our new Translation All Interpretors agree that hee meanes some most virulent Serpent whose poyson is present and deadly All the Woes hee hath mentioned before were but as the sting of some Emmet Waspe or Nettle in comparison of this Cockatrice which is euen vnto death death speedy death painefull and wofull death and that as naturally and ineuitably as Opium procureth sleepe as Ellebore purgeth or any Poyson killeth Three forked is this sting and threefold is the death it procureth to all that are stung therewith The first is the death of grace the second is of the body the third is of soule and body eternall All sin is the poyson wherewithall the old Serpent and Red Dragon enuenoms the soule of man but no sin except it bee that which is vnto death so mortall as this which though not euer vnpardonably yet for the most part is also irrecouerably and ineuitably vnto death Seest thou one bittē with any other Snake there is hope help As the Father said of his son when he had information of his gaming of his prodigalitie yea of his whoring but when hee heard that hee was poysoned with drunkennesse hee gaue him for dead his case
for desperate and forlorne Age and experience often cures the other but this encrcaseth with yeares and parteth not till death Whoring is a deepe Ditch yet some few shall a man see returne lay hold on the wayes of life one of a thousād but scarse one Drunkard of ten thousand One Ambrose mentions and one haue I knowne and but one of all that euer I knew or heard of Often haue I been asked and often haue I enquired but neuer could meete with an instance saue one or two at the most I speake of Drunkards not of one drunken of such who rarely casually haue Noah-like been surprised ouer-taken at vnawares But if once a Custome euer necessity Wine takes away the heart and spoyles the braine ouerthrowes the faculties and Organes of repentance and resolution And is it not iust with God that hee who will put out his naturall light should haue his spirituall extinguished He that will depriue himselfe of reason should loose also the Guide and Pilot of reason Gods Spirit and Grace hee that will wittingly and willingly make himselfe an habitation of vncleane spirits should not dispossesse them at his owne pleasure Most aptly therefore is it translated by Tremelius Haemorrhois which Gesner confounds with the Dipsas or thirstie Serpent whose poyson breedeth such thirst drought and inflamation like that of Rats-bane that they neuer leaue drinking till they burst and die withall Would it not grieue and pitie any Christian soule to see a towardly hopefull young man well natured well nurtured stung with this Cockatrice bewailing his owne case crying out against the basenesse of the sinne inueighing against company melting vnder the perswasions of friends yea protesting against all entisements vow couenant and seriously indent with himselfe and his friends for the relinquishing of it and yet if he meete with a companion that holds but vp his finger he followes him as a foole to the stocks and as an Oxe to the slaughter-house hauing no power to withstand the temptation but in hee goes with him to the tipling house not considering that the Chambers are the Chambers of death and the guesse the guests of death and there hee continues as one bewitched or coniured in a spell out of which hee returnes not til he hath emptied his purse of money his head of reason his heart of all his former seeming grace There his eyes behold the strange woman his heart speaketh peruerse things becomming heartles as one saith Salomon in the heart of the sea resoluing to continue and returne to his vomit what euer it cost him to make it his daily worke I was sicke and knewe it not I was strucke and felt it not when I awake I will seeke it yet still And why indeed without a miracle should any expect that one stung with this viper should shake it off and euer recouer of it againe Yea so farre are they from recouering themselues that they infect and become contagious and pestilent to all they come neare The Dragon infusing his venom assimulating his elses to himselfe in no sin so much as in this that it becomes as good as meate and drinke to them to spend their wit mony to compasse alehouse after alehouse yea towne after towne to transforme others with their Circean Cups till they haue made them bruits and swine worse then themselues The Adulterer and Vsurer desire to enjoy their sinne alone but the chiefest pastime of a drunkard is to heat and ouercome others with wine that hee may discouer their nakednesse and glory in their foyle and folly In a word excesse of wine and the spirit of Grace are opposites the former expelles the latter out of the heart as smoke doth Bees out the Hiue and makes the man a mere slaue and prey to Satan and his snares when by this poyson he hath put out his eyes and spoyled him of his strength he vseth him as the Philistims did Sampson leads him on a string whither hee pleaseth like a very drudge scorne and makesport to himselfe and his Impes makes him grinde in the mill of all kind of sinnes and vices And that I take to bee the reason why Drunkennesse is not specially prohibited in any one of the tenne Commandements because it is not the single breach of any one but in effect the violation of all and euery one it is no one sinne but all sinnes because it is the Inlet and sluce to all other sinnes The Diuell hauing moystened and steeped him in his liquor shapes him like soft clay into what mould hee pleaseth hauing shaken off his rudder and Pilot dashes his soule vpon what rocks sands and Syrts he listeth and that with as much ease as a man may push downe his body with the least thrust of his hand or finger Hee that in his right wits and sober moode seemes religious modest chast courteous secret in his drunken fitts sweares blasphemes rages strikes talkes talkes filthily blab s all secrets commits folly knowes no difference of persons or sexes becomes wholly at Satans command as a dead organ to be enacted at his will and pleasure Oh that God would be pleased to open the eyes of some drunkard to see what a dunghill and carrion his soule becoms how loathsom effects follow vpon this spirituall death and sting of this Cockatrise which is the fountaine of the other two following temporal and eternall death And well may it bee that some such as are altogether fearelesse and carelesse of the former death will yet tremble and bee moued with that which I shall in the second place tell them Among all other sinnes that are none brings forth bodily death so frequently as this none so ordinarily slaies in the Act of sinne as this And what can bee more horrible then to dye in the acte of a sinne without the acte of repentance I pronounce no definitiue sentence of damnation vpon any particular so dying but what dore of hope or comfort is left to their friends behind of their saluation The whoremaster hee hopes to haue a space and time to repent in age though sometimes it pleaseth God that death strikes Cosby and Zimry napping as the deuill is sayd to slay one of the Popes in the instant of his adultery and carry him quicke to hell The swearer and blasphemer hath commonly space though seldome grace to repent and amend and some rare examples stories afford of some taken with oathes and blasphemies in their mouthes The theefe and oppressor may liue and repent and make restriction as Zacheus though I haue seene one slayne right out with the timber he stole halfe an houre before and heard of one that hauing stolne a sheepe and laying it downe vpon a stone to rest him was gran'd and hang'd with the strugling of it about his neck But these are extraordinary rare cases God sometimes practising Marshall law and doing present execution lest fooles shall say in
the bottome was not able to rise vp or to speake when hee had done but fell into a deepe snoaring sleepe and being remoued layde aside and couered by one of the seruants of the house attending the time of the drinking was within the space of two howers irrecouerably dead witnessed at the time of the printing hereof by the same seruant that stood by him in the Act and helpt to remoue him In Dengy Hundred neare to Maldon about the beginning of his Maiesties reigne there fell out an extraordinary iudgement vpon fiue or sixe that plotted a solemne drinking at one of their houses laid in Beare for the once drunke healths in a strange manner and died therof within a few weekes some sooner and some later witnessed to mee by one that was with one of them on his death-bed to demaund a debt and often spoken of by Master Heydon late Preacher of Mauldon in the hearing of many the particular circumstances were exceeding remarkeable but hauing not sufficient proofe for the particulars I will not report them One of Aylesham in Norfolke a notorious Drunkard drowned in a shallow Brooke of water with his horse by him Whilest this was at the Presse a man 85 yeares old or thereabout in Suffolke ouertaken with Wine though neuer in all his life before as hee himselfe said a little before his fall seeming to bewaile his present condition and others that knew him so say of him yet going downe a paire of staires against the perswasion of a woman sitting by him in his chamber fell and was so dangerously hurt as hee dyed soone after not being able to speake from the time of his fall to his death The names of the parties thus punished I forbeare for the kinreds sake yet liuing If conscionable Ministers of all places of the land would giue notice of such Iudgements as come within the compasse of their certaine knowledge it might bee a great meane to suppresse this sinne which raignes euery where to the scandall of our Nation and high displeasure of Almightie God These may suffice for a taste of Gods Iudgements Easie were it to abound in sundry particular casualties and fearefull examples of this nature Drunkard that which hath befallen any one of these may befall thee if thou wilt dally with this Cockatrice what euer leagues thou makest with Death and dispensations thou giuest thy selfe from the like Some of these were young some were rich some thought themselues as wife as thou none of them euer looked for such ignominious ends more then thou who euer thou art if thou hatest such ends God giue thee grace to decline such courses If thou beest yet insensate with wine voyde of wit and feare I know not what further to minde thee of but of that third worst sting of all the rest which will euer bee gnawing and neuer dying which if thou wilt not feare here sure thou art to feele there when the Red Dragon hath gotten thee into his denne and shall fill thy soule with the gall of Scorpions where thou shalt yell and howle for a drop of water to coole thy tongue withall and shalt be denied so small a refreshing and haue no other liquor to allay thy thirst but that which the lake of Brimstone shall affoord thee And that worthily for that thou wouldest incurre the wrath of the Lambe for so base and sordid a sinne as drunkennesse of which thou mayest thinke as venially and sleightly as thou wilt But Paul that knew the danger of it giues thee faire warning and bids thee not deceiue thy selfe expressely and by name mentioning it among the mortall sinns excluding from the Kingdome of heauen And the Prophet Esay tels thee that for it Hell hath enlarged it selfe opened it mouth wide and without measure and therefore shal the multitude and their pomp and the iollyest among them descend into it Consider this you that are strong to powre in drinke that loue to drinke sorrowe and care away And bee you well assured that there you shall drinke enough for all hauing for euery drop of your former bousings vials yea whole seas of Gods wrath neuer to be exhaust Now then I appeale from your selues in drinke to your selues in your sober fits Reason a little the case and tell mee calmely would you for your owne or any man pleasure to gratifie friend or companion if thou knewe there had beene a Toad in the Wine-pot as twise I haue knowne happened 〈◊〉 the death of drinkers or did you thinke that some Caesar Borgia or Brasutus had tempered the cup 〈◊〉 did you see but a Spider in the glasse would you or durst you carouse it off And are you so simple to feare the poison that can kill the body and not that which killeth the soule and body euer yea for euer and euer and if it were possible for more then for euer for euermore Oh thou vaine fellow what tellest thou mee of friendship or good-fellowship wilt thou account him thy friend or good fellow that drawes thee into his company that hee may poyson thee and neuer thinkes hee hath giuen thee right entertainement or shewed thee kindnesse enough till hee hath killed thy soule with his kindnesse and with Beere made thy body a carkase fit for the Beere a laughing and lothing-stocke not to Boyes and Girles alone but to men and Angels Why rather sayest thou not to such What haue I to doe with you yee sonnes of Beliall yee poysonfull generation of Vipers that hunt for the precious life of a man Oh but there are few good Wits or great Spirits now a dayes but will Pot it a little for company What heare I Oh base and low spirited times if that were true If wee were fallen into such Lees of Time foretold of by Seneca in which all were so drowned in the dregs of vices that it should bee vertue and honour to beare most drinke But thankes bee to God who hath reserued many thousands of men and without all comparison more wittie and valorous then such Pot-wits and Spirits of the Buttery who neuer bared their knees to drinke health nor euen needed to whet their wits with wine or arme their courage with Pot 〈◊〉 And if it were so yet if no such wits or Spirits shall euer enter into heauen without repentance let my Spirit neuer come and enter into their Paradise euer abhorre to partake of their brutish pleasures lest I partake of their endlesse woes If young Cyrus could refuse to drinke wine and tell A stiages he thought it to bee poyson for hee saw it metamorphose men into beastes and carkases what would hee haue said if hee had knowne that which we may know that the wine of Drunkards is the wine of Sodom and Gomorrah their grapes the grapes of gall their clusters the clusters of bitternesse the iuice of Dragons and the venome of Aspes In which wordes Moses is a full Commentary vpon Salomon largely expressing that
hee speakes here more briefly It stings like the Serpent and bites like the Cockatrice To the which I may not vnfitly adde that of Pauls and think I ought to write of such with more passion and compassion then he did of the Christians in his time which sure were not such monsters as ours in the shapes of christians Whose God is their belly whom they serue with drinke offerings whose glory is their shame and whose end is damnation What then take wee pleasure in thundring out Hell against Drunkards is there nothing but death and damnation to Drunkards Nothing else to them so continuing so dying But what is there no helpe nor hope no Amulet Antidote or Triacle are there no presidents found of recouery Ambrose I remember tels of one that hauing been aspectacle of Drunkennesse prooued after his conuersion a patterne of sobriety And I my selfe must confesse that one haue I knowne yet liuing who hauing drunke out his bodily eyes had his spirituall eyes opened prooued diligent in hearing and practising Though the pit bee deepe mierie and narrow like that Dungeon into which Ieremy was put yet if it please God to let down the Cords of his diuine mercy and cause the party to lay hold thereon its possible they may escape the snares of death There is euē for the most debauched Drunkard that euer was a soueraigne medicine a rich treacle of force enough to cure and recouer his disease to obtaine his pardon and to furnish him with strength to ouercome this deadly poyson fatall to the most And though wee may well say of it as men out of experience doe of quartane agues that it is the disgrace of all mortall Physick of all reproofes counsels and admonitions Yet is there a salue for this sore there came one from heauen that trode the Winepresse of his Fathers fiercenesse drunke of a cup tempered with all the bitternesse of Gods wrath and the diuels malice that hee might heale euen such as haue drunke deepest of the sweete cup of sinne And let all such know that in all the former discouerie of this poyson I haue onely aimed to cause them feele their sting and that they might with earnest eyes behold the Brasen Serpent and seriously repaire to him for mercie and grace who is perfectly able to eiect euen this kind which so rarely and hardly is thrown out where once he gets possession This seed of the Woman is able to bruise this Serpents head Oh that they would listen to the gratious offers of Christ If once there be wrought in thy soule a spirituall thirst after mercy as the thirstie land hath after raine a longing appetite after the water that comes out of the Rocke after the bloud that was shed for thee then let him that is a thirst come let him drinke of the water of life without any money of which if thou hast tooke but one true and thorow draught thou wilt neuer long after thy old puddle waters of sinne any more Easie will it be for thee after thou hast tasted of the Bread and VVine in thy Fathers house euer to loath the husks and swill thou wert wont to follow after with greedinesse The Lord Christ will bring thee into his mothers house cause thee to drinke of his spiced wine of the new wine of the Pomegramate Yea he will bring thee into his cellar spread his Banner of loue ouer thee stay thee with flagons fill thee with his loue till thou beest ficke and ouercome with the sweetnesse of his consolations In other drink there is excesse but here can be no danger The diuell hath his inuitation Come let vs drinke and Christ hath his inebriamini Be ye filled with the spirit Here is a fountaine set open and proclamation made And if it were possible for the brutishest Drunkard in the world to know who it is that offereth and what kind of water hee offereth hee would aske and God would giue it frankely without money he should drinke liberally be satisfied and out of his belly should sally springs of the water of life quenching and extinguishing all his inordinate longings after stolne waters of sin and death All this while little hope haue I to worke vpon many Drunkards especially by a Sermon read on lesse life and force in Gods ordinance and in it owne nature then preached my first drift is to stirre-vp the spirits of Parents and Masters who in all places complaine of this euill robbing them of good seruants and dutifull children by all care and industrie to preuent it in their domesticall education by carrying a watchfull and restraining hand ouer them Parents if you loue either soule or body thrift or pietie looke to keep them from this infection Lay all the barres of your authoritie cautions threats and charges for the auoyding of this epidemicall pestilence If any of them bee bitten of this Cockatrice sleepe not rest not till you haue cured them of it if you loue their health husbandry grace their present or future liues Dead are they while they liue if they liue in this sinne Mothers lay about you as Bathsheba with all entreaties What my sonne my sonne of my loues and delights Wine is not for you c. My next hope is to arouse and awaken the vigilancy of all faithfull Pastors and Teachers I speake not to such Starres as this Dragon hath swept downe from heauen with it tayle for of such the Prophets the Fathers of the Primitiue yea all ages complaine of I hate and abhorre to mention this abomination to alter the Prouerbe As drunke as a Beggar to a Gentleman is odious but to a Man of God to an Angell how harsh and hellish a sound is it in a Christians eares I speake therefore to sober Watchmen Watch and be sober and labour to keepe your Charges sober and watchful that they may be so found of him that comes like a thiefe in the night Two meanes haue you of great vertue for the quelling of this Serpent zealous preaching and praying against it It s an old receiued Antidote that mans spittle especially fasting spittle is mortall to Serpents Saint Donatus is famous in storie for spitting vpon a Dragon that kept an high way and deuoured many passengers This haue I made good obseruation of that where God hath raised vp zealous Preachers in such townes this Serpent hath no nestling no stabling or denning If this will not doe Augustine enforceth another which I conceiue Gods and Mans lawes allow vs vpon the reason he giues If Paul saith he forbid to eate with such our common bread in our owne priuate houses how much more the Lords body in Church assemblies if in our times this were strictly obserued the Serpent would soone languish and vanish In the time of an Epidemicall disease such as the Sweating or Neezing sicknesse a wise Physitian would leaue the study of all other diseases to find out the cure of the present