fulfil the lusts of the flesh Some might enquire what course shall we take that we may subdue the lusts of the flesh the Apostle directs to a ready way for getting power over all lusts and it is this that we get and walk in the spirit But some may say How shall we come to be filled with the spirit A. 1. By earnest longings and servent Prayers to God to give us yea to fill us with his Holy Spirit Luk. 11.13 Your Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Psal 81.10 Open thy mouth and I will fill it Psal 107.9 He satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry with goodness 2. By acting Faith on God's Promises where he hath promised to give his spirit in an abundant and plentiful measure to us The more full we are of Faith the greater fulness we shall have of the spirit Act. 6 5. They choose Stephen a man full of Faith and of the Holy Ghost Now we have divers promises wherein the Lord hath promised to pour out his spirit richly and abundantly upon us Isa 44.3 I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground By water and floods we are to understand a plentiful effusion of the spirit as the words following shew us I will pour my spirit on thy seed See also Joh. 7.38 39. 3. Be careful you do not quench nor grieve the Holy Spirit after the Lord hath given any measure of it to you either by the Omission of known duties or the Commission of known sins For thereby you will hinder farther Communications of the spirit But some may say I am afraid God will not fill me with his Holy Spirit because I have been such a vile and sinful creature though I should seek unto him A. God through and for the sake of Jesus Christ will shed abroad his spirit abundantly on those that have been vile and great sinners if they turn to the Lord and make their supplication to him Prov. 1.23 Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my spirit unto you This promise is made to such as have been very great sinners to such as loved simplicity hated knowledge delighted in scorning as we may see in the fore-going verse yet even to these upon their turning God promiseth to pour out his spirit See also Tit. 3.5 6. According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour These persons on whom God through Jesus Christ did shed abroad his spirit abundantly had been great sinners as we may see ver 3. They were sometime foolish disobedient serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another yet on them for Christ's sake the Lord did shed abroad his spirit abundantly § Putting on the Lord Jesus is a special help against drunkenness and all other sins How we are to put on Christ 10. If you would cast off this sin of drunkenness put on the Lord Jesus Christ for the puting on Christ will help you to put off your drunkenness and all your other sins Rom. 13.12 13. Let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envying but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ The Apostle doth not bid us put on temperance that we escape rioting and drunkenness or put on chastity as a remedy against wantonness or put on love and peace as a remedy against strife and envying but as a remedy against drunkenness and all the other sins he bids us put on the Lord Jesus Christ The putting on Christ will help us to put off drunkenness and all other vicious courses But some may say what is it to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and how and when may we be said to put on Christ Ans 1. We put on Christ by faith when we put on a garment we apply it to our bodies So we put on the Lord Jesus Christ when we make application of him and his saving benefits to our souls Christ is to be put on not only for justification from the guilt but also for sanctification from the filth and power of sin For he hath righteousness and holiness merit and spirit for sinners wherein all that believe in him do communicate with him This is absolutely necessary for the mortification of this and all other sins the power of sin can never be subdued but by the power of Christ Our old man must be crucified with him Rom. 6.6 and through the spirit we must mortifie the deeds of the body Rom. 8.13 To him therefore must we look and upon him we must rely by faith for grace and help to enable us to forsake and mortifie our sins It is through faith in Christ that we obtain victory over our corruption 1 Joh. 5.4 This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith By the world which is overcome by faith understand not onely th◠men of the world but the lusts and corruptions which we are liable to whilest we are in the world Now we have good encouragement to look to Christ and rely on him for grace to help us against our lusts For 1. Jesus Christ was sent into the world by the Father on purpose to bless us in turning us from our iniquities Act. 3.26 And we may warrantably rely on Christ for the giving us those blessings which his Father sent him to beslow upon us 2. Our Lord Jesus gave himself to death for us that he might redeem us from the guilt and power of all our sins Tit. 2.14 who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works And we may warrantably rely on Christ for that blessing which he hath purchased for us with his own blood 3. Trusting and hoping in Christ is the way to be redeemed from all our iniquities Psal 130.7 8. Let Israel hope in the Lord And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities 2. We put on Christ by imitation when we make him our pattern and example resolving and endeavouring by the help of his grace to walk as he walked while he was in the world 1 Joh. 2.6 It was one end of God's sending Christ into the world to set us an example even in our own humane nature Rom. 8.29 Whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son And it is our duty to be followers of Christ Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Joh. 13.15 I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ Now Christ did no sin 1 Pet. 2.21 22. Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps who did no sin The wicked Jewes indeed maliciously slandered him and said Math. 11.19 Behold a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber But they laid to his charge things that he knew not And Christ challenged any of them to prove their charge Joh. 8.46 Which of you convinceth me of sin If then we thus put on Jesus Christ by imitation and warrant our practise by his example we shall not make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof which is the last direction Now the Lord in whose hand the hearts of all men are turn the eyes of concerned sinners upon these lines convince the guilty of the evil aggravations and danger of this shameful woful destroying damning yet abounding sin stop the mouth of all pleas in excuse or extenuation thereof and effectually persuade to a serious compliance with the counsel of God by speedy repentance and thorow reformation that they may never-feel the dreadful execution of the wo denounced It appeareth by the Authors manuscript that he designed had not death prevented him to have added hereto a narrative of the remarkable judgments of God upon drunkards with the use that ought to be made thereof FINIS
which spake by Solomon who is the Spirit of truth be worthy to be believed we must assent to it as a certain truth that whosoever is deceived by wine or strong drink is not a wise man They may be wise for managing worldly matters but they have not that wisdom which cometh from above which maketh wise to Salvation for that wisdom teacheth men to be pure and holy Jam. 3.17 The wisdom that is from above is first pure And therefore impure and filthy drunkards have none of this wisdom They are so far from being wise men that in truth and reality they are very fools for they part with the glory and pleasures of Heaven for ever for a pot of drink or a cup of wine and for the enjoyment of the pleasures of sin which are but for a season they plunge themselves into the torments of Hell for ever 4. They are not the best sort of Gentlemen that are given to drinking and other vices Debauched Gentlemen are the reproach of the Gentry The best sort of Gentlemen are pious and virtuous Gentlemen who hate and abhor vicious courses such as walk in the fear of God and themselves and families are patterns of piety and virtue such as love and seek the welfare of their Country and are rich in good works 5. This will not excuse any man at the day of Judgment to say many Gentlemen and men of great parts were addicted to drunkenness For 1. Those Gentlemen will be in as miserable a condition as the poorest beggars at the Judgment seat of Christ Who have been vicious persons their Riches will avail them nothing at all at that day Job 36.19 Will he esteem thy Riches No not gold nor all the forces of strength Those Rich men that fared deliciously every day and drunk their fill of wine and strong drink while on earth shall not get one drop of water to cool their tongues when they are in Hell Luk. 16.19 23. 2. Vicious Gentlemen will be in a worse condition in the other world than the poorest and meanest begger on the face of the earth for they shall be tormented for mispending their Estates with which God intrusted them to do good with all Potentes potenter torquebuntur What is said of Babylon Rev. 18.7 How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her The same measure shall be meeted out to vicious Gentlemen the greater pomp they have lived in on earth and the more deliciously they have fared the more sorrow and torment they shall have hereafter 3. Pious persons that have been so poor that they have begged their bread shall reign with Christ in Heaven while vicious gentlemen shallcry and roar in Hell and beg for a drop of water to cool their tongues and be glad of it though brought by the hand of a beggar that hath begged Alms at their doors Luk. 16.20.21 22 23 24 26. Lazarus was a poor begger full of noysom running sores which the dogs licked when he lay at the rich mans gate he would have been glad of any crumbs that fell from the rich mans Table but when he dyed Angels carryed his Soul into Abraham's Bosom and when the rich man dyed he went to Hell and there being in great torment he begged that Lazarus might dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue but he could not obtain that favour to have so much as a drop of water to cool his tongue though he was a great man and lived gallantly while he was on earth § The example of such Ministers as are given to this sin No excuse for drunkards The wofull condition of a drunken Minister Plea 2. There are many Ministers will drink as hard as any other men and we hope we may do as our Ministers do we have honourable thoughts of our Ministers and besides our Ministers are learned men and if drunkenness were such an horrible sin as you would make us believe surely they that are such learned men would not be addicted to such a foul sin A. 1. To be a Minister of Christ is an high and honourable employment and it is a good thing that people should have honourable thoughts of the Ministers of Christ and esteem them very highly for their work and office sake 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God 1 Thes 5.12 13. We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you And to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake 2. We must not follow the example of any Minister though he should be the best Minister in the World farther than he followeth Jesus Christ Who was a better Minister than the Apostle Paul yet he desired no man to follow his example farther than he himself followed Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ 3. Did you know what a wofull condition drunken Ministers are in you would not be in their case for the whole World The Prophet Jeremiah trembled Body and Soul and was amazed when he considered the wofull condition of drunken Ministers Jer. 23.9 11. Mine heart within me is broken because of the Prophets all my bones do shake For both Prophet and Priest are prophane Prophane Ministers are in Gods account as bad as Sodomites Jer. 23.14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing they commit adultery and walk in lyes they strengthen also the hands of evil doers that none doth return from his wickedness they are all unto me as Sodom And we know that the men of Sodom were such an abomination to the Lord that he consumed them with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven Prophane Ministers are the worst sort of men and therefore in Scripture they are compared to the tail Isa 9.14 15. The prophet that telleth lyes he is the tail There is a most bitter cup as bitter as wormwood and gall prepared for drunken and prophane Ministers Jer. 23.15 When Ministers are ignorant or negligent in their work or prophane in their lives their flock lyeth open for a prey to all that have a mind to devour them Isa 56 9 10 11. And the blood of all those souls that perish either by their negligence or evil example will be required at their hands 4. It is no marvel to see some Ministers that have great parts and much learning given to drunkenness and other scandalous sins For 1. Knowledge without Grace will not make a man an Holy man The devils have great knowledge yet they are wicked Spirits and do very wicked things 2. It was so under the law there were many wicked Priests that lived in scandalous sins Jer. 10.21 The pastors are become brutish Jer. 23.11 Both prophet and priest are prophane And it is foretold it would be so under the Gospel that there would
A WARNING TO DRUNKARDS Delivered in several SERMONS To a Congregation in COLCHESTER Upon The Occasion of a sad Providence towards a Young Man dying in the Act of Drunkenness By that Reverend Faithful and painful Servant and Minister of Jesus Christ Mr. Owen Stockton lately deceased LONDON Printed by J. R. for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and 3 Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside 1682. To the Worshipful Ralph Crâ—â—eild Esq and Nathaniel Lawrence Esq Aldermen of Colchester and Justices of the Peace for the County of Essex Gentlemen YOV may believe it is no pleasure to me to complain of the Immorality of a degenerate age and the vast conquests which prevailing vice like a potent Tyrant hath of late years made I say not over the Religion but the very reason of Humane Nature and the Dependencies thereof Which as it is not to be mentioned by good men without lamentation so cannot be dissembled or excused without participation Prophane swearing unclean whoredom and beastly Drunkenness with other too manifest are not only abounding but as the Prophet speaketh mighty sins amongst us strengthned as well by the quality as the number of the guilty It is a prodigious mode of estimation for men to value themselves or be valued by others according to the measure of their intemperate excess Etiam viri fortis accipit nomen qui tamen tanto nequior quanto sub poculo invictior They are the mighty who can drink most wine and the men of strength who can mingle strong Drink as if they envyed that Royal Heathen Name and were ambitious of the Honour of his Inscription upon his Tomb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have been able to drink abundantly and to bear it strongly In the pride of which strength some will have the confidence to glory even while a paralytick trembling no weak evidence of their great atchievements in their Bacchanalia hath disabled their hands to serve their mouth and monstrous swellings have mishaped their Bodies into such unweldie burdens that some are tempted to ask Homines hi an utres verius aestimandi Whither they be not rather Barrels than Bodies of men Fallen Nature even in Heathens have retained some principles of restraint from impudence and excess of vice The Spartanes thought it an effectual preservative of their Children from intemperate drinking to present to their view their drunken Vassals for as drunk as a Beggar hath been the Proverb that beholding their loathsome vomit and ridiculous behaviour they might the more abhorr such gratifying of inordinate appetite which debaseth the honour of a man into the shame of a beast And the very Turks after a fit of Drunkenness will lie day and night crying and praying to Mahomet for intercession But the very Remnants of Conscience and shame seem utterly extinct among some Christians of this generation Surely the days of the Apostles were modest when they that were drunk were drunk in the night but now St. Peter's argument is too weak to refel the accusation for these men may be drunk at the third hour of the day And some do so declare their sin as Sodom and hide it not Drinking and Singing Roaring and Revelling Reeling and Staggering in the open Sun as if they would confute St. Paul and demonstrate Rioting and Drunkenness to be no works of Darkness Yea such credit and power hath Debauchery obtained that it lifts up it self above controul and is impatient to be touched and ready to turn again and rent the wisest reprover And who so is resolved to possess his Vessel in sobriety and Honour doth tantum non forfit his reputation and is in danger to be written among the suspected by those whose God is Bacchus whose Temple the Tavern whose Altar the Table whose Priest the Vintner whose Offering Wine and strong Drink and whose Heaven is sensual Who have arrived to that degree of Atheism as to fortifie their Lusts against their Conscience with the vainest flattery and self deluding conceit that their great pretences of loyalty and zeal for King and Church shall sanctifie the grossest violations of the Laws of Morality both sacred and civil Nay vice will scarce acknowledge it self to violate but even claims a right and calls it self by the name of Vertue According to the Moralist's Character of the worst times Habebitur ebrietati honor et plurimum meri cepisse victus erit saith Seneca Offering excess of Wine is become an Instance of Noble and Generous Entertainment and a part of answerable civility to accept it Guests are scarce made welcome if not made Drunk Such an obliging bond is courting courtesie and complement such force in great examples such arguments applyed of Honour and Loyalty Such colour motion and sparkling in the glass to provoke that he must be a Nazarite or a Rechabite that hath the courage to withstand the power of so great temptation He that will be sober is uncivil and it is an high affront deserving no less than a stab to boggle at life and Soul-destroying Healths or to refuse to be drowned for Company Thus doth the pride of debauchery magnifie it self Hectoring virtue out of its due honour and arrogating an unjust Glory to its own shame What the issue of this great evil will be is the fear of the Good viz. least for the Vomit and filth whereof all Tables are full the Land also in just retribution spue out her Inhabitants That so many Judgments by which Heaven hath contended with a sinful Nation should not only prove it incorrigible but leave it declining into worse is no weak indication of a desperate disease He that hath denovnced Wo to the Drunkards is faithful to keep and Almighty to execute his word Whereof he hath in his righteous providence made many sad and woful Instances As in too many other places so particularly in your Colchester He hath not left himself without witness by a very quick and remarkable judgment upon a young Drunkard twice dead dying dead drunk The Report whereof at least came not short of your special notice May I have leave to speak it God sometimes blest your Town with the happy Ministry of his laborious and faithful Servant Mr. Owen Stockton whose due Character is elsewhere read whose Head Heart Tongue and Pen constantly travelled for the Salvation of precious yet perishing Souls At this warning and amazing stroke as formerly at the destroying Pestilence among you which exercised the labour of his Pen to a considerable Vo ume which yet never saw the light His Spirit like St. Paul's was stirred in him to improve the advantage of so severe a Providence by joyning to it the Word of God committed to his trust hoping that the Sword of the Spirit being therewith sharpned might be the more effectual and mighty through God against this fleshly Lust which warreth against the Soul and hath made more havock of the Sons of men than ever Saul did of the Saints of God In which honourable and
which he fell into through infirmity But this is not the case of drunkards they do not use means to avoid drunkenness they may keep at home and not go to taverns and alehouses and when they are there they may forbear drinking and seeing they do not use means to shun this sin as avoid going to Taverns and avoid such company as draws them to this sin their sin of drunkenness is not an infirmity but a presumptuous sin 2. Then a man sins presumptuously when he knoweth this or the other thing to be a sin and to be expresly against the command of God and yet will go on to commit that sin When God commanded the Israelites that they should not go up against the Amorites and yet they would go contrary to the command of God they are charged with rebellion and presumptuous sinning against God Deut. 1.42 43. And the Lord said unto me say unto them go not up neither fight So I spake unto you and ye would not hear but rebelled against the Commandment of the Lord and went presumptuously up into the Hill The case is the same with drunkards they are rebels against God and presumptuous sinners The Lord saith unto them Be not drunk with wine Eph. 5.18 Take heed unto your selves least at any time your hearts be overcharged with drunkenness Luk. 21.34 But they will not hear but rebell against the command of God and go on presumptuously and will drink wine and strong drink till they are drunk they are so far from taking heed least any time their hearts be overcharged with drunkenness that they are oft times overcharged with this sin When God commanded the Israelites to cast away the Idols of Egypt and they would not hearken to him this is called rebelling against God Ezek 20.7 8. Then said I cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes and defile not your selves with the Idols of Egypt I am the Lord your God But they rebelled against me and would not hearken unto me they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes neither did they forsake the Idols of Egypt The case is the same here God commands every one to leave off the sin of drunkenness but when men will not hearken to the Lord but will be drunk still this is rebellion against God 3. When men plot and contrive how to carry on their sins they do not sin by surprize but with deliberation this is presumptuous sinning against God As it is in killing a man when a man plotteth and designes his death this is a presumptuous sin Exod. 21.14 If a man come presumptuously on his neighbour to slay him with guile So it is with other sins when they are plotted and contrived sins they are presumptuous sins VVhen David plotted and contrived the death of Vriah his killing Vriah was not a sin of infirmity but a presumptuous sin and a despiseing the Commandment of God 2 Sam 11.14 15. David wrote a Letter to Joab saying set ye Vriah in the forefront of the hottest battel and retire ye from him that he may be smitten and dye Compared with 2 Sam. 12.9 Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight thou hast killed Vriah the Hittite with the Sword This is the case of many drunkards they sin with deliberation they have their stated and set bouts for drinking such a day at such a tavern or such a private house and at another time at another place Others forecast their business and the receiving their money that they may be provided to meet their Companions at the Alehouse 4. VVhen a man yields willing obedience to the lusts of his own heart his sins are not sins of infirmity but reigning sins Rom. 6.12 Let not sin therefore Reign in your mortal body that ye should obey it in the lusts of it And he himself is the servant of sin ver 16. Know ye not that to whom ye yeild your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness Now this is the case of many drunkards if a sensual lust arise in their hearts and encline them to go to the Alehouse or if one of their companions call them to go with them they yield present and willing obedience they leave their callings and families and all their business to gratifie their sensual lusts which shews that drunkenness is a reigning sin in them and that they are the servants of sin § The plea of such as say they can't leave their drunken courses because they find much pleasure and delight in them Plea 24. I am convinced that drunkenness is a vile sin but I find so much pleasure and delight in it that I can't leave it the Songs and Musick and merry company that I have at Taverns and the delight I have in drinking wine and strong drink are the chiefest joy I have in this World and therefore I can't be perswaded to leave them A. 1. There is more true and real pleasure in Temperance and Godliness than there is in Gluttony and Drunkenness or Musick or Songs or merry company For 1. Intemperance disorders the body and clouds and disturbs the mind and brings pains and aches and sicknesses Hos 7.5 In the day of our King the Princes have made him sick with bottles of wine Whereas temperance is ordinarily attended with a healthfull constitution of body and freedom and serenity of mind and temperate persons eat and drink with greater delight than gluttons and drunkards though they have no better fare than bread and water 2. The pleasures that drunkards have in their cups their songs their musick their merry company is not comparable to those pleasures that temperate men find in an Holy Life For the drunkards pleasures are meer vanity and vexation of Spirit Eccl. 2.2.3 8.17 I said of laughter it is mad and of mirth what doth it I sought in my heart to give my self unto wine I gat me men-singers and women-singers and the delights of the sons of men as Musical Instrumens and that of all sorts All is vanity and vexation of Spirit They leave the heart sad and end in heaviness Prov. 14.13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heaviness But the pleasure and peace and delight which temperate men find in the wayes of God is exceeding great solid and abiding pleasure Psal 119.165 Great peace have they which love thy Law and nothing shall offend them Psal 21.6 Thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance Psal 138.5 Yea they shall sing in the wayes of the Lord. VVe see here there is peace great peace gladness exceeding gladness to be found in the wayes of God yea such as will make the heart sing for joy Yea all the wayes of God bring pleasure and peace Prov. 3.17 Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace The pleasure of
drunkenness and company-keeping If you have any regard to the honour of God if you have any love to Jesus Christ if you have any respect to the Blessed Spirit of God if you have any respect to your own welfare either in this or the World to come if you have any love to your Families or to the Nation in which you live break off this beastly this sottish this bewitching this abominable this damnable sin of drunkenness To press on this Exhortation the more effectually consider 1. If you will turn from this loathsome sin of drunkenness there will be exceeding great joy both in Heaven and Earth at your Conversion Your Parents and Godly Relations that have prayed for you and wept for your disorderly courses they will rejoyce at your Conversion Prov. 10.1 A wise Son maketh a glad Father The Ministers of God will rejoyce exceedingly at your Conversion for they have no greater joy in this World than to see the fruit of their labours in the Conversion Holy Conversation and Salvation of those to whom they preach Joh. 3d. Epist 3.4 I rejoyced greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee even as thou walkest in the truth I haveno greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth The Apostle Paul had such joy in the Conversion of the Thessalonians that he was not able to express his joy and his thankfulness to God for their Conversion 1 Thes 3.9 What thanks can we render to God again for you for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God And the Saints and Servants of God will joy to hear of your Conversion Act. 15.3 Declaring the Conversion of the Gentiles they caused great joy unto all the brethren Yea more if you repent of your sins and turn from drunkenness you will cause joy among all the Angels of Heaven Luk. 15.7 10. 2. If you neglect or refuse to break off this sin of drunkenness you will be grief to God and Men and bring grief and sorrow to your own Soul You will grieve God that made you and maintains you that God in whom you live and move and have your being Gen. 6.5 6. God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the Earth And it grieved him at his heart And by your hardness of heart and persisting still in your sins you will grieve Jesus Christ who shed his blood to save lost man Mark 3.5 Being grieved for the hardness of their hearts Your going on in this sin in a rebellious manner will grieve the Holy Spirit of God Isa 63.10 They rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit You will be a grief to your Parents Prov. 19.13 A foolish son is the calamity of his Father Prov. 17.25 A foolish son is a grief to his Father and bitterness to her that bare him You will be a great grief to God's Ministers and to all Godly People Psal 119.136 158. Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law I bebeld the Transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy Word And you will bring great sorrows to your own Soul Prov. 23.29 30. Who hath sorrow They that tarry long at the wine See also Prov. 5.11 12 13 14. And will you grieve God and grieve your Parents and grieve God's Ministers and all God's Servants and pierce your own Soul through with many sorrows rather than leave off this grievous sin of drunkenness What shall I say more to perswade you to leave off this vile sin of drunkenness If teares would prevail with you I would say with the Prophet Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a Fountain of tears that I might weep day and night before you till I had prevailed with you to leave this abominable this Soul destroying sin of drunkenness If the mercies of God would make any impression upon your hearts I would beseech you by all the mercies of God that ever you received or hope to receive either in this World or in the World to come to break off this beastly sin If God's promises would do any thing to lead you to Repentance I might tell you what great things God hath promised to do for you if you will leave of this and your other sins He will give you a free full and eternal pardon of all your Transgressions he will give you his Heavenly Kingdom where you shall have unspeakable glory fullness of joy and Rivers of pleasure for evermore he will withhold no good thing from you If you have any fear of God's judgments I might tell you of the VVorm that dyeth not of the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone of blackness of darkness of being sent from Christ's Judgment Seat with a curse into Everlasting Fire to have your abode with the Devil and his Angels all which things and more than the tongue of man can express will be your portion if you break not off this damnable sin of drunkenness If any words or arguments will prevail with you I could wish I had the tongue of Men and Angels to speak to you in the most perswasive manner to leave off this Soul destroying sin § The convinced sinner's case considered that is almost perswaded to leave off this sin It may be some will say my heart begins to relent methinks I am almost perswaded to leave off my drunkenness and to become a new man I am of the mind to bind my self with a vow and to make a solemn promise never to be drunk any more what counsel would you give to one in my condition A. 1. Do not only almost but altogether resolve to leave off this sin else you will be but almost saved If you be double minded sometimes of the mind to leave your sins and sometimes of the mind to keep them still you will be unstable in all your wayes Jam. 1.8 2. Do not only resolve and promise and vow to forsake this sin but perform your vows and promises As that man's Son dealt with his Father whom his Father bid go and work in his Vineyard he said I go Sir but he went not Matth. 21.30 So many men deal with God they make promises to God to leave their sins but they perform them not Now it is better not to make any vows or promises of Reformation than after we have made them not to perform them Eccl. 5.5 Better it is that thou shouldst not vow than that thou shouldst vow and not pay 3. Take heed of leaving this sin for a time and then returning to it again as the dog doth to his vomit and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire for the latter end of such persons is worse than the beginning 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. 4. Turn from all your other sins as well as drunkenness if you would find favour with God and obtain the remission of your sins It is not sufficient to cast away some of our sins but if
us 4. The World and the Flesh and the Devil will be as tempting hereafter as they are now and our hearts as ready and more ready to yield than they are now § The plea of such as say they would leave off their drunkenness but they cannot Helps against this sin of drunkenness If any say I am abundantly convinced that Drunkenness is an abominable sin and I would leave it but I cannot I find it hath got such power over me as that I can't withstand it What shall I do that I may be able to leave this sin A. It is no easie matter for a man that is accustomed to this sin to leave it it is of such an enticing bewitching nature and therefore having set out the greatness of this sin and answered the Pleas that are made use of to excuse this sin I shall now propose some helps against this sin § Prayer is a special help against Drunkenness and all other sins 1. Pray to God to give you his Holy Spirit to sanctify your hearts and to turn you from this and from all your other sins When the Apostle had cautioned the Ephesians against Drunkenness as a means and help against this sin he exhorts them to be filled with the Spirit Eph. 5.18 Be not drunk with Wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit Now the way to get the Spirit of God is to pray for it Luk. 11.13 Your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him By Prayer to God we may obtain help against all our sins such as are strongest and of longest continuance Psal 119 2 3. Blessed are they that seek him with the whole heart they do no iniquity Such sins as we are most inclined to that have dwelt in us a long time and are become natural to us may be overcome by the grace of God Jam. 4.5 6. The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy but he giveth more grace That is God's grace is sufficient for the subduing our strongest Corruptions and if we do seek to him with humble hearts he will give us more strength of grace than there is strength of sin in us whereby we shall overcome those sins that have dwelt longest in us and to which our Hearts and Spirits are most strongly enclined But here some may say by way of discouragement Obj. 1. It is true Prayer will do great things with God but it is said Joh. 9.31 We know that God heareth not sinners and therefore to what purpose should I that am a sinner pray to God to give me his grace to leave and forsake my sins seeing God will not hear me A. 1. When it is said God heareth not sinners it is to be understood of impenitent sinners of such as love and delight in their sins and hate to be reformed and turn a deaf Ear to the word of God Prov. 28.9 He that turneth away his Ear from hearing the Law even his Prayer shall be an abomination 2. As for such sinners as are desirous to leave and forsake their sins there is hope for them if they pray to God for his grace that he will hear them The VVoman of Samaria that discoursed with Christ at Jacob's VVell was a great sinner she lived with a man that was not her Husband and so was an Adultress Joh. 4.16 17 18. She was a Samaritan ver 4. and the Samaritans were Idolaters and did did not know what they worshipped ver 22. Ye worship ye know not what See also 2 King 17.24 28 29 41. The Samaritans were a people of ill fame among the Jews Joh. 8.48 Say we not well thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devil This VVoman of Samaria had carried her self unkindly to Christ yet when he asked for a draught of water though she knew the VVell was deep and that he had nothing to draw with ver 11. She did not grant him his request but instead of giving him water she gave him a check ver 9. How is it that thou being a Jew asketh drink of me which am a Woman of Samaria for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans Yet our Lord Jesus Christ incourageth this VVoman to pray though a Samaritan though one that lived with a man as her Husband that was not her Husband though she had carryed her self unkindly to Christ he incourageth her to pray and tells her if she had asked he would have given her living water Joh. 4.10 Jesus said unto her if thou knowest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Oppressours and Unrighteous persons are great sinners yet they are exhorted to seek the Lord and have a promise that if they seek God they shall live Amos 5.6 7. Seek ye the Lord and ye shall live ye that turn judgment to Wormwood and leave off righteousness in the Earth Obj. 2. But I have such inclinations to drinking and have been so long addicted to this sin and am so enslaved to it that I think it is in vain to pray for help against it for I fear there is no hope that I should ever be made able to leave off this sin A. 1. There is nothing too hard for God Jer. 32.17 He that formed the Heavens and the Earth out of nothing that brought light out of darkness there is nothing too hard for him He can enlighten those that are under the greatest ignorance and blindness he can make those that have carnal and vile hearts to become Heavenly and Spiritual He can make the chief of sinners to become the greatest Saints There is a possibility yea a probability that God may give repentance to such as are the greatest Slaves to Sin and Satan that Satan leads them Captive at his pleasure and doth with them even what he will and oppose the means of their recovery yet such as these may be recovered out of the Devil's snare 2 Tim. 2.25 26. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil who are taken captive by him at his will 2. We have examples of God's Mercy and Grace in recovering other sinners that have been as much enslaved to their sins as you are and their hearts have been as much glued to their sins as yours are and have continued as long in their evil courses as you have done The Apostle tells us of some that were Servants to their sins and served divers Lusts and Pleasures that were saved by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.3 5. The Israelites were exceedingly given and addicted to the sin of Idolatry Their hearts went after their Idols and were glued to them Ezek. 20.16 Their heart went after their Idols Hos 4.17 Ephraim is joyned to Idols Yet when they
bemoaned their sins and prayed to God to turn them from their sins God gave them grace to forsake their Idols Jer. 31.18 20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Turn thou me and I shall be turned I will surely have mercy upon him compared with Hos 14.8 Ephraim shall say what have I to do any more with Idols Obj. 3. I have prayed to God often to give me Grace to leave off this sin of drunkenness but God doth not regard my prayers this sin prevails over me as ever it did I find no help against this sin by praying to God 1. Do you not dissemble in your hearts with God when you pray for grace to leave this sin though you pray against this sin yet possibly you have no desire no mind no intention to leave it and this is a dissembling with God As the Jews dissembled in their hearts when they sent to the Prophet Jeremiah to pray for them when they had no mind to do that which they desired him to pray for Jer. 42.20 Ye dissembled in your hearts when ye sent me unto the Lord your God saying Pray for us unto the Lord our God and according unto all that the Lord our God shall say so declare unto us and we will do it So men may pray for themselves they may pray against their sins as if they had a mind to leave their sins and yet but dissemble in their hearts with God and not be really willing to break off their sins The Lord is nigh to all them that call upon him in truth Ps 145.18 If you would obtain what you pray for you must heartily desire what you pray for else you do not pray in truth 2. Do you watch against the Temptations and Occasions that may draw you to this sin This you must do as well as pray against it if you would have God keep you from it Matth. 26.41 Watch and Pray that you enter not into temptation To pray against drunkenness and yet to run your selves needlesly upon temptations to go into idle and vain company and to Taverns and Ale-houses this is but a mocking of God 3. Do you strive against this sin and use means to avoid it as well as pray against it If not that may be the reason why the Lord doth not answer your prayers For we must strive against sin as well as pray against it Heb. 12.4 Striving against sin When any evil Motions or evil Lusts arise into our hearts and solicit us to gratifie them we must not yield to them but must deny the sollicitations of sin Tit. 2.12 Denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts 1. Pet. 2.11 I beseech you abstain from fleshly Lusts 4. You must wait as well as pray if you would have your prayers answered Psal 40.1 2. I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined his Ear and heard my cry He brought me up also out of an horrible pit out of the miry Clay By the horrible Pit and miry Clay out of which the Lord brought David upon his crying and waiting on the Lord some understand his exceeding great afflictions and troubles out of which he obtained deliverance by Prayer †de profundo iniquitatum ex vitijs carnalibus Aug. Others interpret this Pit and miry Clay out of which David was delivered of his sins that defiled him like the mire and cleaved and stuck fast to him as the Clay And to warrant this interpretation we shall find that sinful Lusts are compared to a pit Prov. 22.14 Prov. 23 27. And to the mire Isa 57 20. 2 Pet. 2.22 Such as find their feet stick fast in the miry Clay of their sins if they cry unto the Lord and wait patiently upon him he will bring them out of the miry Clay and establish their goings in his wayes so as they shall not return to their sins again § Consideration of the evil and danger of this sin will help us to forsake it 2. Consider seriously with your selves the evil and horrible Nature of this sin of drunkenness and what the latter end of it will be It offends and displeaseth God it is a trampling under foot the blood of Christ who shed his blood to redeem us from our vain conversations it makes a man like a Beast yea worse than a beast it ruines your Bodies destroys your Souls wasts your Estates blemisheth your reputations will undo your Families it is the Nursery of all manner of wickedness though it be pleasant for a while at the last it will bite like an Addar and sting like a Serpent It will most certainly shut you out of Heaven and plunge you in the depths of Hell A serious consideration of their wayes is useful and beneficial for all sorts of persons Good men by pondering their wayes may reform what is amiss in them Ps 119.59 I thought on my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies And such as are wicked and graceless persons by considering their ways may be led and brought to repentance Ezek. 18.27 28. When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed he shall save his soul alive Because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed he shall surely live he shall not die Mark those words because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions A serious consideration of our wayes will help us to turn from all our transgressions The want of a due consideration of our ways is the reason why men commit and continue in abominable impieties Hos 7.1 2. They commit falsehood and the Thief cometh in and the troop of Robbers spoileth without and they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness § Reading Hearing and Meditating on God's word a great help against Drunkenness and all other sins 3 Read the Scriptures diligently attend on the Preaching of God's word Meditate on what you read and hear this will be a means to reclaim you from drunkenness and all other sinfull and destructive courses The Word of God hath a converting power in it and when it is set home by the Spirit of God it will convert a sinner from the error of his wayes Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul It was by God's word that David was kept from sinning against God Psal 119.11 Thy word have I hid in mineheart that I might not sin against thee It was by God's word that he was kept from sinfull and destructive courses Psal 17.4 By the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer The reading of the Scriptures is a great help to bring men to the knowledge and the fear of the Lord and to make them leave and forsake their sins Deut. 31.11.12 Thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing that they may learn and fear the Lord your God and observe to do all the words of this Law And as reading the Scriptures so
to break off this sin but if there be in his heart an inordinate affection to VVine or strong drink he will not be able to leave off his drunkenness But here some may say How shall we get our inordinate affections to wine and strong drink mortifyed 1 Seek after Union with Jesus Christ It is through Union with Christ that we receive vertue from him for the crucifying of our sinful Lusts and inordinate affections Gal. 5.24 They that are Christ's have crucifyed the Flesh with the affections and Lusts The affections cleave so fast to sin and are carried out so inordinately after the Creatures that nothing less than Grace given to us from Jesus Christ can turn the heart from sin and place the affections on right objects VVe may think our selves free but we shall never be free indeed from the slavery of sin and inordinate affections till Jesus Christ makes us free John 8.36 If the Son shall make you free then shall ye be free indeed 2. Be convinced and perswaded in your judgments of the great evil that is in setting your Affections inordinately on VVine or strong Drink or any other Creature VVhen man was in his state of Innocency his judgments ruled his affections and when God recovers man out of his fallen Estate he works upon and regulates his affections by enlightning and renewing the Mind Col. 3.10 And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge Knowledge hath a great influence on renewing the Man that is all the Faculties of the Soul Understand therefore and be perswaded in your Judgments and Consciences that there is much evil in setting your affections inordinately on VVine and strong Drink or any other Creatures I will instance in some of those evils 1. Such as love wine or strong drink inordinately make not the Lord their God but make Bacchus their God VVhat a man loves most and best that is his God They that have such a love for wine and strong drink that they value not the transgressing of the Command of God to take their fill of their drink they love their drink more and better than they love God and so make their drink their God 2. Sinful Lusts and inordinate affections tend to the Soul's ruine and destruction They are the banes the poyson of our immortal Souls 1 Pet. 2.11 Abstain from fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul By fleshly lusts understand all the evil desires and inordinate affections of our corrupt natures And shall we cherish and imbrace that which is and will be the destruction of our Souls 3. VVeigh well the evils and mischiefs that arise from the love and following after strong drink and from excessive drinking which are set down Sect. 4. 3. The way to mortifie inordinate affections to Earthly things is to set our affections on things which be above and to get a well-grounded hope of our enjoying the Glory and Pleasures of the VVorld to come Col. 3.2 4 5. Set your affections on things above When Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall ye appear with him in glory Mortifie therefore your Members which are upon the Earth inordinate affection As it is in case of excessive bleeding by opening a Vein the course of the blood is turned and thereby immoderate bleeding at the Nose is stayed So here when our affections run out inordinately to Earthly things the setting our affections on things above will turn the stream of our affections that they will not as formerly run out after the world VVe shall tast such sweetness in Heavenly things by setting our affections on them that we shall not desire the delights and vanities of the world Psal 63.5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness When I remember thee on my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches The Psalmist found such sweetness and delight in God that he had what he could desire he was satisfied and did not desire the delights and pleasures of the world he was abundantly pleased and satisfied in his enjoyment of God § The right use of eating and drinking a means to prevent drunkenness 8. Learn the right use of eating and drinking for that will be a means to prevent the abusing your selves and abusing God's good creatures by surfetting and drunkenness and to this end observe these Rules 1. Eat and Drink to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God Eat and drink as in God's sight seeking his Blessing and giving him praise being carefull that you do not offend or displease him in eating or drinking 2. Eat and drink for strength to fit you for the service of God and your Generation Eccl. 10.17 Blessed art thou O Land when thy Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenness 3. Eat and drink for the preservation of your health not to the prejudice of your health Act. 27.34 I pray you to take some meat for this is for your health 4. There is a Lawful delight in eating and drinking so it be used with moderation Judg. 19.5 Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread Psal 104.15 Wine that maketh glad the heart of man Eccl. 9.7 Go thy way eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy work Only here be careful that your delight in eating and drinking do not transport you to excess therein either to the dishonour of God or the unfitting your selves for the service of God or the service of your Generation or the prejudice of health for then it is sinful The observing these Rules will prevent your being overcharged with surfitting and drunkenness § Being filled with the Spirit will prevent drunkenness How we may be filled with the Spirit 9. Seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit that will be a special help to keep you from this sin of drunkenness Eph. 5.18 Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit The Apostle gives this direction to prevent drunkenness to be filled with the Spirit VVhereas he might have said thou bidst us not to be drunk with wine but how shall we help it he adds be ye filled with the Spirit Temperance is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22.23 The fruit of the Spirit is Love Meekness Temperance Such as are filled with the spirit the spirit will teach and help them to be very temperate in eating and drinking Intemperance and other sins stick so close to us and have gotten such power over us that they cannot be mortified but by the spirit of God Rom. 8.13 If ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live There is no mortifying any sin but by the help of the spirit and with the help of the spirit we may be able to mortifie all sin Gal. 5.16 This I say then walk in the spirit and ye shall not