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

and although' they were once men of rare Understanding, have been Besotted so as that they have been beneath the ordinary sor• of men. [2.] Drunkenness brings woe upon the Conscience. There are some Sins which make deep & fearful wounds in the Conscience, & this is one of them: If the Sinner have any Conscience in him, this will wound it. Indeed there are some that feel not, these wounds for the present, because they have drunk Conscience into a deep Sleep for a ⟨p. 19⟩while, but when their Souls shall awake in the midst of Eternal Flames, all the wounds received by this Sin, will be felt with a witness. You know a man may be wounded sorely, & yet not feel it at first; but afterwards he'll be sensible of Pain and Misery enough. So it is, as to the wounds which Sin doth give to the Souls of men; at present the sinner feels nothing perhaps, but, At the Last! At the Last! At the Last! Sin will wound him terribly: Therefore is it said concerning this sin of Drunkenness, At the Last it biteth like a Serpent, and stingeth like an Adder, Prov. 23.32. Some write that there is a Serpent, that when a man is first Stung therewith, the Poison of it tickleth him, so as that he cannot forbear Laughter; but when the venom is got to his Heart, it doth torment him most intolerably: So it is with Sin; and especially the Sin of Drunkenness; while it is in committing there's Foolish Pleasure in it; but, At the Last the Venom of it will reach to the Heart, & then the Bitterness will be a Thousand times greater than ever the Pleasure was. [3.] Without Repentance, this Sin alone will Ruin the Soul for ever. Now what a woeful Evil is that, which is the Poison & Bane of an Immortal Soul? Drunkards, think of this. If you knew that there were Poison in your Cups, you would be loth to drink them off: Did you see a Spider or other Poisonful Creature in the Pot, you would ⟨p. 20⟩be loth to drink it down. I have Read of a Drunkard, that when he was drinking there happened to be a Spider in the Pot, which he not observing, was Poisoned, and died immediately. Believe it so it is, there is Soul-poison in your Cups, there are Spiders in your Pots, tho' you know it not: As sometimes they said to the Man of God, O there is Death in the Pot; so I say to you that are Pot-Companions, O there is Poison, there is eternal Death in your Pots, drink, and your Souls will Dye.