N00124:63
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.
For, 3. Know for Certain, that whoever liveth and death in this sin, shall perish to Eternity. It will be a folly for any such sinner to expect Salvation: Can you be saved without an Interest in Christ? This Lust alone, if loved or lived in, will keep Christ out of the Soul. I have read of a great man that once said to Luther, (r)Sir, we would all willingly be Christians, but we cannot since in our hearts to leave that custom of drinking to excess. But a man must leave that custom, or die and perish a Christless sinner for ever. It was partly showed the last time, That Drunkenness is such an Evil as will assuredly exclude the sinner out of Heaven: Therefore the Lord hath commanded Churches to exclude such out of their Communion, 1 Cor. 5. II. If any man that is called a Brother, be a Drunkard, with such an one no not to eat. What a Church-member, and a Drunkard? Ah! vile: Ah! vile. Woe to that Church that shall know such amongst them, as make a practice of this iniquity, and yet not make them to know the Terror of a Censure. How plain and peremptory is that expression, Chap. 6. ver. 10. where it is said in so many words, Drunkards shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And if not, it must needs follow, that Hell and destruction will be the eternal portion of every Drunkard, so living, so dying. Wherefore the Evangelical Prophet Isaiah, speaking of Drunkards, yet faith, Hell hath enlarged her self, and opened her mouth without measure, Isa.5. 14. Drunkards, tremble at this! Do you not see Hell gaping for you, and opening her mouth wide to receive your Souls, when once they are out of your Bodies? Yea verily, though a man should reform his life in many things very much, though he should be swept and garnished never so, having attained to great gifts, practising many duties forsaking many sins, yet if there be but this one lust of Drunkenness, which still his heart hath a secret love and liking to, there is no remedy, but dying in his present estate, he must be a damned wretch to all eternity. Oh that you would think sadly between God and your own Souls, on the words of the Lord Jesus, Mat. 5. 29. 30. If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members ⟨p. 27⟩