Woe to drunkards. Two sermons testifying against the sin of drunkennessWo to drunkards. Two sermons testifying against the sin of drunkenness

Hence even Heathens, that have had nothing but the Light of Nature to guide them, yet have spoken against this Evil, yea, and made severe Laws to Punish it. Solon (who is accounted amongst the wisest of the Grecian Princes) made it a Law. That if a man in Public Place should abuse himself with Drink, his Crime should be deemed Capital. If he were Drunken but once, he was Punished with Death for that Transgression: Which I mention not to justify the severity of that Law, but to show how Odious this detestable Evil hath been even to those who had nothing but the Light of Nature & Reason to guide them. ⟨p. 9⟩3. A Drunkard is an Universal Transgressor of the whole Law of God. James saith, Chap. 2. v. 10. Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. We cannot say concerning the Drunkard, that he keeps the whole Law, or that he offends in one point only; but we must say, that he is guilty of all, even guilty of the breach of all the Commandments: and that not only as he that breaketh one link in a Chain may be said to break the whole Chain, but he hath broken every link, that is, every Precept of that Divine Chain of the Royal Law. If the question be, Which of the Commandments is Drunkenness a Transgression of? The answer must be, Not of one alone, but it is a general Violation of the whole Law, & of every Precept therein. The Drunkard is an Idolater, for he loveth Drink as he should love God, that is, above all, even above Wife & Children, & Name and Estate, and every thing that he hath in this world. And there is Robbery, Adultery, nay, Murder enwrapped in the bowels of this sin, as afterwards will appear. The Drunkard is a Transgressor against the First Table of the Moral Law, in as much as by this Sin he is rendered unfit to Worship God in any Religious Duty: for wine taketh away the Heart, Hos. 4.11. But the Heart must be given to God in every Duty: if he Pray it must be with Understanding; and therefore when th•• is taken away by Drink, ⟨p. 10⟩what work will he make of it? Should a Vile Sinner dare to appear before God when he is in drink, he would but take the Lord's Name in Vain, and bring Wrath & a Curse upon his own Soul. Some think that Nadab and Abi•u were distempered with drink, when they offered strange Fire before the Lord;