N00124:32
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.
If his breath stink, by his being overcome with Wine, in the nostrils of men, how do his Prayers stink in the Lords nostrils? Moreover, the Drunkard is a Transgressor of the Rule of Honesty as well as of Piety; therefore faith the Scripture, Let us walk honestly, not in drunkenness. Rom 13. 13. so that the Word of God will bear us out in calling those that deserve the name of Drunkards, Impious and dishonest persons.
4. Drunkenness is a wasteful, destructive Evil, which is another thing which showeth the Woefulness of it. A Drunkard is a mere stroy good: wherefore the Apostle faith that is Wine there is excess, Eph. 5. 18. The Greek word ([Greek or Hebrew]) which is there used, signifieth Wastefulness and Prodigality: It is the same word which is used concerning the Pro••gil, when 'tis said that he wanted his substance with riotous living, Luke 15. 13. There is much Prodigality, Riot, Profuseness in this sin: for thereby the good Creatures of God are wasted, ⟨p. 7⟩which is contrary to the express charge of the Lord Jesus, who hath said, Let nothing be lost, Joh. 6.12. but all that is spent in drunkenness is woefully lost; And this consideration proveth that a Drunkard is a woeful guilty creature before the Lord, for so are they that take his Name in vain. It is said in the third Commandment, that God will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain, which doth intimate that such sinners are exceeding guilty before the Lord. Now to abuse any of his Creatures, is to take his Name in vain: in this respect Drunkenness is a breath of the third Commandment. It is also a great master of precious Time; men have no need to be prodigal of their Time, they have not so much of it: For what is your life? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away,