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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 misery of all that are addicted to it, is discovered from the word of God. / By Increase Mather, D.D.Wo to drunkards. Two sermons testifying against the sin of drunkenness: wherein the wofulness of that evil, and the misery of all that are addicted to it, is discovered from the word of God. / By Increase Mather, D.D.
Boston: printed by Timothy Green, 1712
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.
In a Book, called the Theatre of God's Judgments there is an amazing Story of a most prodigious Prodigal, who by Drunken & Debauched Courses' spent an Estate of above Thirty Thousand Pounds in Three Years time, and died a Beggar at last. In this respect, Drunkenness is a Breach of the Eighth Commandment. A Drunkard is a Thief and a Robber, yea, the worst kind of Robber in the world; for he Robbeth his own House, he Robbeth his Wife and Children, yea himself: And as Self-Murder is the most Horrid, so is Self-Robbery the greatest Villainy. Nay, the Drunkard Robbeth GOD, for he maketh himself uncapable of honouring God with his Substance. Go to a miserable Drunkard, and ask him for something to relieve a Poor Body that is in ⟨p. 14⟩want, or to promote some Public & Pious Wo••, & he hath nothing to spare; The Cursed Ho•••e in which he hath spent his time in drinking, hath devoured his Substance, that he hath nothing left thereof, neither for God nor for himself. How wasteful and how woeful then doth this Evil appear to be? Yea, 5. This woeful Vice is every way Prejudicial, Injurious & Destructive to him that sh•ll be subject to it. It is not so only in the respects which have been mentioned, but in every other respect, that may be said or thought of. A little further to instance under this Head; (1.) It is injurious to, & brings Woe and Misery upon the Name o• him that shall be guilty of it. It •• a most disgraceful, infamous Vice: Tho' a man should be but once guilty of this Sin in all his days, yet that is a blot & dishonour upon his Name, and a matter of shame and humiliation to him, as long as he hath a day to live; how much more when he hath been often & ordinarily guilty of it? Hence it was that the Malicious & Lying Pharisees, to the intent that they might be sure to disgrace Christ to purpose, said of Him, that He was a Wine-bibber, Mat. 11.19. That they might make every-body think meanly of Christ, they slanderously gave out, that He was a Drunken Companion. And of old such were looked upon as the very Children of Belial: Thence when Eli thought that ⟨p. 15⟩