N01322:41
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.
l•st that by any means when I have Preached to others, I ••y self should be a Cast-away. The Apostle we see w•s very Abstemious, even Temperate in all things, le•t notwithstanding all his knowledge, & gifts & service done for God, he should miss of Heaven at last. They that run a race must be very Temperate; if they be not Sober, they will never obtain the Reward: So must they that are engaged in a Christian Course, that desire to run that Race of Christianity, live Temperately, or else they will fall short of that Crown of Eternal Life. Moreover, Sobriety is necessary, that so a man may be fit for Death & Judgment. When Paul reasoned before Felix of Righteousness, Temperance, & Judgment to come, Felix trembled, Act. 24.25. Well he might, for having lived Intemperately, his Conscience must needs tell him, that it would be Woe with him at the Judgment to come. It is a vain thing for any one to hope for Mercy from ⟨p. 29⟩Christ at the Day of Judgment, that doth not live Soberly now. Wherefore the Apostle saith, Be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unt• you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 1.13. Then it is not Hope, but Presumption and vain Confidence in the man that shall think Christ will be Gracious to him in the Day when he shall be Revealed from Heaven, tho' Sobriety be not regarded by him: And therefore this Grace is very Beneficial as well as Needful; for the Christian that hath and doth exercise the Grace of Sobriety, is thereby capacitated to withstand the Temptations of Satan. Therefore is that, 1 Pet. 5.8. Be sober, be vigilant, because your Adversary the Devil, as a roaring Lion, walketh about feeling whom he may devour. Men that are Drunken, are not capable of defending themselves against their Enemies, that watch to destroy them. Were not the Assyrians undone by this? N•h. 1.10. While they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry. A few m may rout & ruin thousands of their Enemies being overcome with Drink. Was not the huge Host of Benhadad, wherein there were above Thirty Kings, Vanquished by a few of the Israelites? And how came that to pass, but because Benhadad was drinking himself drunk, he & the thirty & two Kings that helped him, & thereby was incapacitated to make resistance against his Enemies?