is heavy so he may frollick it a little in his younger days then become dull and spend the greatest part of his life void of true cheerfulness and that ended a worâ—e thing may befall him For Psal 104. 15. John 2. 10. Which are commonly alledged in vindication of this sin when it rather argues of more Ingratitude and Disobedience Our Gracious God hath given this good creature for necessary refreshment and honest cheerfulness so there is no waste or disturbance to reason But if Men will not be content with this Liberty and when God hath ordered they shall drink no more after these ends are answered if they will go further to add Drunkenness to Thirst Deut. 29. 19. To force down more after they have well drunk already and have not the least Appetite there is the provocation of this sin Nothing exasperates so much as abused favour and because God hath been good therefore for Men to be more wicked this makes sin to be exceeding sinful He is most displeased with those which are committed against his loving-kindness and therefore because he hath given great liberty to transgress that and to presume upon his being merciful to forgive is a perverse way of reasoning and makes the sin seven times greater To hope that God will forgive give such Malicious and Presumptuous Offenders or Despisers is in effect that he will prove a Liar But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings saith the Lord Jer. 21. 14. Every Mans sin would be pardoned if hopes or wishes alone would induce the Lord to pardon them In truth he is what he hath proclaimed himself The Lord the Lord God Merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth iâ— so he is to be believed what he saith further keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the Guilty Exod 34. 6 7. His mercy is confirmed more then ten times before this of Judgment comes Think not this last hard O ye Transgressors Luke 21. 22. Rom. 3. 5. for whether is meet you should turn away from your â—ins or God should devest himself of justice and Truth rather then punish you for the same Which can he most reasonably expected either your selves must go into Hell or that the Words he hath spoken shall come to naught God hath spoken once twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God Psal 62. 11. Though hand joyn in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished Prov. 11. 21. Do not think to trifle with him for he is a Righteouâ— Judge and a Father only to those who perform unto him the Obedience of Children As for the other vain Imaginations the Drunkard hath they Antep 288 are grounded upon unbelief or desperate folly He cannot be so senceless to conclude it shall happen to him according to his unbelief that there is no future State only because he thinks so or would have it so and thus make void the fixed decrees of Almighty God with his own weak fancy or fruitless desire If he is unbelieving now and so resolves to continue the first thing that shall convince of the mistake will be his own woful experience but when this shall teach him his condition will be without hope or remedy It would be a more wise way to believe and so avoid then to go with an evil heart of unbelief till death delivers him over where he shall be forced to believe and tremble and afterwards see and suffer But if he hath not quite lost his Faith he must be convinced of a more foolish manner of Acting He abhors and cannot endure his present Life because it is miserable there is the same Reason he should not thrust himself forward into the other for if the Punishment of Sin is now so grievous that Men would do any thing to be rid of it what will it be hereafter when Jer. 12. 5. God shall stretch forth his Arm to take full Vengeance on the Workers of iniquity These had better take warning God hath given them a space to repent of their Drunkenness Be sure to comply with his gracious purpose make their Peace with him lengthen out their time by all lawful means to prepare the more for the Bridegroom 's coming But if they will go on in their own former way they shall Taste and Feel this to be true Their Grapes are Grapes of Gall their Clusters are bitter Their wine is the Poison of Dragons and the cruel Venom of Asps Deut. 32. 32 33. What hath possessed the minds of Men to be so in love with this Evil All are not for Turks and Iâ—fidels are not so guilty thereof as the Christian World. A Company of People who profess to believe the Scriptures in which are contained severe Threatnings against this Sin yet they most of all do commit it The Laws and Prescriptions of Heathen Deities and false Prophets throughout the World are observed but here in Christendom Men do not obey the Commandments of the Lord and his Christ The words of Jonadab the Son of Rechab that he commanded his Sons not to drink Wine are performed Jer. 35. 14. But our bountiful Lord hath permitted the good use thereof with this charge Be ye not drunk with Wine wherein is excess Eph. 5. 18. Yet Men have transgressed his Voice wherefore the Râ—chabites may be their Judges and it will be more tolerable in the day of Judgment for Mahometans and Idolaters then for this sottish Generation â—O foolish People who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently-set forth crucâ—fied among you Gal. 3. 1. All of you hear him Preached and some have drunk of the Cup of the Lord yet you resort again to the Cup of Devils by Drinking after such an excessive manner as they of old did in Sacrificing to Evil Spirits which also now chiefly gratifies them who prompt to sin and disobedience If we did allow for the Temptations of Drink and Company yet the loss of Gods Favour Peace of Mind and health of Body will not be sufficiently recompenced with that pretended converiency Look not only upon the good colour of the Liquor nor hearken to the Merriment of Companions when they are at it but consider the enâ— Think upon the whole life and way of those jolly Persons and then tell me whether drunkâ—â—â—ess is not pâ—â—judicial to Mans Happâ—ness But couldst thou â—eep into the Chambers of Death as that may be done by Faith and see those poor Souls who were once Drinking and making Merry on the Earth the Pit hath shut her Mouth upon them and now they are full of Anguish and Indignation for their former Folly There remains still the like Threatning to the Drunkards of England the Drunkards of England shall be troden under Feet Isa 28. 3. For the Judgment of God is the same against all Nations Times and People who
through the Liver do not fear the assaults of the armed Man within thee The Souldier is strengthened with Brandy and thou mayst afterwards resort to good Liquor to drown Melancholy fancies Be Patient resist them and they will by degrees vanish If thy Acquaintance find thee dejected they will Laugh at thee do as they have done and thou shalt be as brisk as they Such is the Policy of the old Serpent to get the young beginner into an Habit and Course of Sin for he knoweth this is the way of hardening and then he is almost sure of a prey It is acknowledged that Custom will take of the Sense of this Sin as appears from Eph. 4. 19. But this is a long time in gaining and those struglings in the mean while do annul the Pleasure of it Men think themselves Wise and Happy if they can once come to enjoy their Lusts without interruption for then they imagine they have nothing to do with the Powers of the World to come but are only for what present Pleasure they can have Whereas in Truth they have only hardened their Hearts and shut their Eyes â—east they should repent and see the Evil But still it waits for them and shall overtake them whether they believe and consider or not When the Eyes which they wilfully shut Zech. 7. 12. are sunk into their Heads and their Hearts which they make as an Adamaâ—t Stone shall be turned into Dust then their Souls shall see the Power of Gods wrath and be so far softened as to be made sensible thereof Take a further view of that present Happiness these boast to have It might have been delivered before how Nature is nipt in the Bud and blasted like an untimely Fruit. Even young Marriages are prejudicial much more are forbidden and irregular Lusts He renders himself weakly and short lived loses the delicaâ—e and ruddy Complexion there succeeding a thin Paleness and other ways soyls the Beauty of flourishing Youth The Lips of a strange Woman drop as an Honey Comb and her Mouth is smoother then Oyl but her End is bitter as Wormwood sharp as a two edged Sword Her Feet go down to Death Remove thy way far from her and come not nigh the Door of hâ—r House Prov. 5. 3 4 5 8. We may take his Word for it who had experience of what he said Whose shame is published to the World and stands a remarkable Penitent for this sort of Folly. He gives warning of those Evils which himself felt The common Reply which hath been delivered down from one Adulterous Generation to another is I will do as Solomon did in younger years and repent as he did in Old Age Then I will cry out All is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit when I can follow â—ust no longer Then thou wilt do a thing now because thou art resolved to be ashamed for it hereafter and wish thou hadst not done it for such must be true and unfeigned Repentance And how can that be when thou choosest to do it now To Sin with foresight of future Repentance argues an evil intent of mind so likewise it is an absurdity It is ridiculous to say I will wound my self that I may go to a Surgeon for thou wilt have a certain smart and pain when thou mightest have continued whole but how knowest thou thy hurt may be incurable such that the great Physitian of Souls hath vowed he will not heal and he is not a Man that he should Lie or alter his purpose To despise the Riches of his Goodness or to continue in Sin that Grace may abound there is not the least Encouragement from his Word or Nature see Rom. 2. 4 5. and Rom. 6. The Great God will no more suffer himself to be triâ—â—ed withal then the mighty Ones among the Childâ—en of Men. Surely you have low Thoughts of him if you Fancy to put him off after that manner and huddle up your Peace with him whensoever you would You pâ—â—â—umâ— upon this instance but we are not to Live nor yet be judged by Examples but by the written word of God. And what saith that Thou shalt not commit Adultery Exod. 20. 14. Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor Abusers of themselves with mankind shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. This last is not to be understood absolutely but unless true and timely Repentance doth interpose as is evident from the Verse following And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. The Apostle speaks to all in General as to Men and Women after their Conversion to Christianity and so they were to continue unto their Lives end If Men will Confess and forsake their Sins endeavour to reclaim others and at last leave it to God whether he will accept and Pardon them as blessed be his Name we have abundant assurances from his Goodness Mercy and Truth that he will forgive such then they may stand in Judgment But who put off his Fear and Obedience with a jest or scornful Neglect Let us alone we will Repent hereafter who put a slight upon God it is just to recompence them after their deservings to let them run through that space he gave for their Repentance and they repented not The Eye also of the Adulterer waiteth for the twilight Job 24. 15. those Intervals of Expectation are not so pleasant Especially to him who hath disturbance and hurry of mind A Cloud arises before the understanding that he can conceive nothing he lies under the base Slavery of an imperious Will hath discomposed and ruffled Affections And several other things forego the gratifying a Lust which occasion no little torment or disorder What is it at the time or rather instant I have read that sinful Pleasure is sooner gone then well perceived of so short a continuance that the end sticks to the very beginning immediately after is annoy and loathsomeness We may use as plain Expressions as we find in Scripture After Amnon had forced Tamar and lay with her Then Amnon hated her exceedingly so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater the love wherewith he had loved her 2 Sam. 13. 14 15. And Amnon said unto her Arise and be gone The expected Satisfaction is come to nothing and the more often these Acts are repeated the less Pleasure Let the Objects be never so many different or beautiful that will not take away Nauseating No Ezek. 16. Variety can satisfie the Cravings of unlimited Lust or hinder weariness If he doth from the Similitude of Boars Bulls and forefooted Creatures who go with their belly to the ground plead for running after the whole Sex but the Beasts do it only to propagate their kind neither do they joyn after conception whereas he hath no such end or confinement for it is only to satisfie a worse then
foundation of Faith and good manners How Religion is as it were turned into an endless prate and talk about controverted points They have unsetled well disposed minds by taking them off from the Doctrine according to Goâ—â—â—ness They have turned out of the way of Truth into Errors and Deceits The Infidels Scorners Carnal and indifferent Persons have been confirmed in their ungodliness thinking it as good to be of no Religion at all as to profess one with so much wrangling They make sport with the Absurdities and fallings out of the Religious Also the Hypocrites and Adversaries under the shelter of them do throw out their Reproaches and hereupon the Presumption of them which hate God increaseth yet more Whereas it might be considered that notwithstanding they differ and squabble yet they all agree in this That Obedience and Holiness is the only way to Heaven If they contend about Circumstantial and positive Duties it is about the manner In this they concenter that God is to be Worshipped And they all stand up with one accord for the Moral part the immutable Laws of Good and Evil. There hath been an expedient proposed and only wants to be put in use if what some would Arrogantly have in their Church be it no wise granted to them but what is most reasonable and due that there should be an implicit Belief in Scripture the Word of God. In all plain places believe them as they are but in the hard and difficult so believe in general whatever the Holy Spirit did intend was the very meaning of that place Whosoever believes thus much shall certainly be saved Nor doth this shut out knowledge and industry for that is a necessary Duty but after that used to rest in what we apprehend the meaning and that if any other is so we believe it See 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. Phil. 3. 15. Psal 25. 12 13 14. The way to Truth is by good Life and direction from above God is Gracious and Merciful he threatens none but only those who shall not believe on him and his Son Jesus Christ All Ignorances Errors and Mistakes that are neither wilful nor affected will be pardoned Let no Man lay any other Foundation and every one keep fast to that There is a great stir about an infallible Judge of Controversie and an unerring interpreter of Scripture Whereas the common and ordinary places do no more need any Interpretation then every common expression of this Nature is most part of the Gospel but for the Mysteries and dark Speeches throughout Holy Writ God will unfold and bring them to Light in his due time We ought to pray and through his Grace endeavour to be meet for the Holy Spirit which searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. We are to set our Seal that God is true and so is every thing contained in his Word though we do not presently understand it God may reveal many things in Succession of time and what he doth not none shall mis-carry for not knowing them The Promise is annexed to Obedience and not Opinion do this and live Yea Faith it self is in order to Practice Vnto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus Christ sent him to Bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Acts 3. 26. All that Jesus did and said was to this end And whosoever doth really believe that he was sent from God if he is fully and effectually perswaded that those things are so which our Saviour hath made known that Person can never live ill if he let them sink deep into his Heart The whole Scripture as well as that particular Gospel Luke 1. 1. Is an orderly Declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us Whoso is of this number will order his Conversation accordingly In this faln and corrupt State of mankind Religion begins Of Repentance by aversion from Sin and Conversion unto God which is Repentance We are by Nature the Children of Wrath the Seeds of evil grow up into sinful Acts and Habits As soon as ever we come to years of the least Discretion and Knowledge there is set before us the good and evil way And this last seeming pleasant unto us from our Infancy and Childhood for therein also Sin breaks forth as soon as the outward Powers of sinning appear is most commonly chosen Should our merciful God have given us but one time to make our Choice and thereby eternally abide we must all have perished or not one of a thousand would have been saved of what are now For who is he that to his Original Corruption doth not add actual and continued Sin That to natural Depravation doth not add fresh Perverseness of his own All we like Shâ—ep have gone astray VVe have turned every one to his own way Isa 53 6. We do err and wander of our selves seeking out for green Pasture for those foolish and sinful Delights which we know not would rot and destroy us We would sain be Happy as soon as possible then that luscious and present appearance of good doth draw us away after it Did none take Care of us but our selves we must be consumed in this our Folly for we go away from the Supream and only Good and snatch at those things which are hurtful It pleases the Lord to put before us the good and the evil to prove whither we will be obedient unto him Whether we who were purposely made for him will by any thing be taken off from him Whether we will follow after what he recommends and eschew what he forbids so approving our selves obedient Children but alas We will not believe his Word for we would willingly have some Tryal by experience whether it be so or not We are not contented to trust unto his Goodness and Truth but for knowing of our selves What ingratitude Contempt and dis-belief do we shew unto God who is so infinitely above us What unparralled Condescention and Goodness is in him that he should be pleased to suffer it in this Wise When not only by the Excellencâ— of what he Commands but by the sensible disappointment and deceitfulness of what he forbids we may Taste and see that the Lord is good 1 Pet. 2. 25. We cannot go back of our selves he sends his Son and Bishop of our Souls who is the way John 4. 6. so we may know it he sends his Holy Spirit to stir and push us forward so that we may do it If that when it is fully known what is the utmost good in all the Pleasures of Sin when not withstanding all their vain Promises the Man is fully convinced of the Hunger and Emptiness of them When he is ready to perish Luke 15. 17. for want of true Satisfaction and Content and might have more in the ways of God if then he would return and come over unto him it is accepted Read and consider well the third Chapter of Jeremiah especially Verse 1