N00124:29
Woe to drunkards. Two sermons testifying against the sin of drunkennessWo to drunkards. Two sermons testifying against the sin of drunkenness
Woe to drunkards. Two sermons testifying against the sin of drunkenness: wherein the woefulness of that evil, and the mystery of all that are addicted to it, is discovered from the word of God. / Preached by Increase Mather, teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Ten lines of Scripture texts]Wo to drunkards. Two sermons testifying against the sin of drunkenness: wherein the wofulness of that evil, and the mistery of all that are addicted to it, is discovered from the word of God. / Preached by Increase Mather, teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Ten lines of Scripture texts]
printed by Marmaduke Johnson. 1673., 1673
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.
1. If we look into the Original and Causes of this sin, we shall see the evil of it: And it hath no better an author then the Devil himself, who never was the author of any good (except accidentally, besides his intention, and against his will) since he was a Devil. Drink is in it self a good creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness, but the abuse of drink is from Satan; the wine is from God, but the Drunkard is from the Devil, 1 John 3. 8. He that committeth sin is of the Devil, for the Devil sinneth from the beginning: for this purpose was the Son of God manifest, that he might destroy the works of the Devil. Therefore he that committeth drunkenness (for that is sin) that is, if in his ordinary course he commit it) is of the Devil. Drunkenness was one of the works of the Devil which Christ came to destroy. It hath also another Cause, as bad or worse then the Devil, namely, Sin. It is a sin, and the cause of sin, (as afterwards will be showed) and also the effect of sin. Therefore what a woeful evil is it? That corrupt nature which is in sinners, causeth them to become guilty of this evil, James I. 14. He is drawn away of his own last, and enticed; when a sinner is drawn into Drunkenness, his own lust hath enticed him. Hence Drunkenness is expressly and by name mentioned amongst the works of the flesh, Gal. 5. 19. 21. The works of the flesh are manifest, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. How woeful must that evil needs be, that hath no other causes but such as these?
1. If we look into the Original and Causes of this sin, we shall see the evil of it: And it hath no better an author then the Devil himself, who never was the author of any good (except accidentally, besides his intention, and against his will) since he was a Devil. Drink is in it self a good creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness, but the abuse of drink is from Satan; the wine is from God, but the Drunkard is from the Devil, 1 John 3. 8. He that comitteth sin is of the Devil, for the Devil sinneth from the beginning: for this purpose was the Son of God manifest, that he might destroy the works of the Devil. Therefore he that committeth drunkenness (for that is sin) that is, if in his ordinary course he commit it) is of the Devil. Drunkenness was one of the works of the Devil which Christ came to destroy. It hath also another Cause, as bad or worse then the Devil, namely, Sin. It is a sin, and the cause of sin, (as afterwards will be shewed) and also the effect of sin. Therefore what a wofull evil is it? That corupt nature which is in sinners, canseth them to become guilty of this evil,