The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

Therefore they are without excuse before god, which either filthily feed themselves, not respecting the sanctification which is by the word of god & prayer, or else unthankfully abuse the good creatures of God by surfeiting and drunkenness, forasmuch as Gods ordinances in ⟨p. 200⟩his creatures plainly forbiddeth it. They that give them selves therefore to bibbing and banqueting, being altogether without consideration of Gods judgements, are suddenly oppressed in the day of vengeance. And therefore our saviour Christ warneth his disciples, saying: Take heed to your selves, least at any time your ¹hearts be overcome with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this world, and so that day come on you unawares. Whosoever then will take warning at Christ, let him take heed to ²him self, least his heart being overwhelmed by surfeiting, and drowned in drunkenness, he be taken unawares with that unthrifty servant, which, thinking not on his masters coming, began to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, and being suddenly taken, hath his just reward with unbelieving hypocrites. They that use to drink deeply, and to feed at full (wallowing them selves in all kind of wickedness) are brought a sleep in that slumbering forgetfulness of Gods holy will and commandments. Therefore almighty God crieth by the prophet Joel: Awake ye drunkards, weep and howl all ye drinkers ³of wine, because the new wine shall be pulled from your mouth. Here the Lord terribly threateneth to withdraw his benefits from such as abuse them, and to pull the cup from the mouth of drunkards. Here we may learn not to sleep in drunkenness and surfeiting, least God deprive us of the use of his creatures, when we unkindly abuse them. For certainly the Lord our God ⟨p. 201⟩will not only take away his benefits when they are unthankfully abused: but also in his wrath and heavy displeasure, take vengeance on such as immoderately abuse them. If our first parents ⁴Adam and Eve had not obeyed their greedy appetite, in eating the forbidden fruit, neither had they lost the fruition of Gods benefits which they then enjoyed in paradise, neither had they brought so many mischiefs both to themselves and to all their posterity.