A37046:1216
The law unsealed
The law unsealed: or, A practical exposition of the Ten Commandments With a resolution of several momentous questions and cases of conscience. By the learned, laborious, faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. James Durham, late minister of the Gospel at Glasgow.
Glasgow: printed by Robert Sanders, 1676
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The Scripture insisteth much in condemning the sin of intemperance, which we conceive doth mainly consist in gluttony and drunkenness; and seeing these sins must belong to some one Command (although virtually and indirectly they break all) we take them especially to be condemned here in this Command, where temperance is commanded; and therefore we shall find them in Scripture mentioned with a special respect to the sin of uncleanness, expressly forbidden here: Fullness of bread and gluttony is observed to have been Sodoms, sin, and the rise and source of their filthiness, Ezek. 16. 49. Drunkenness is marked, especially as leading to this, Prov. 23. 31. 33. Therefore we choose to speak a word to these two evils here, which are in themselves so abominable, and yet, alas! so frequent amongst those who are called Christians.
The Scripture insisteth much in condemning the sin of intemperance, which we conceive doth mainly consist in gluttony and drunkenness; and seeing these sins must belong to some one Command (although vertually and indirectly they break all) we take them especially to be condemned here in this Command, where temperance is commanded; and therefore we shall find them in Scripture mentioned with a special respect to the sin of uncleanness, expresly forbidden here: Fulness of bread and gluttony is observed to have been Sodoms, sin, and the rise and source of their filthiness, Ezek. 16. 49. Drunkenness is marked, especially as leading to this, Prov. 23. 31. 33. Therefore we choose to speak a word to these two evils here, which are in themselves so abominable, and yet, alas! so frequent amongst those who are called Christians.
It is true, there is both in eating and drinking, respect to be had, 1. To nature, which in some requireth more, in some less: 2. To mens stations, where, as to the kind or quality (as we said of clothes) there is more allowed to one then another: 3. To some occasions, wherein more freedom and hilarity is permitted then at other times, when more abstinency and a restraint upon these, even in themselves lawful pleasures, is extraordinarily called for, so that we cannot bound all persons, and at all times, with the same peremptory rules.