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

USE, III. This Text and Doctrine is like a Thunderbolt, enough to shake the Soul, & split the Heart of every Drunkard under Heaven. I could be glad if there were no need to speak by way of Terror & Awakening to such Sinners. And time was, when there was not need for Ministers to Preach much against this Sin in New-England: Oh! that it were so now. But we may say, as sometimes the Prophet Oded spake in another case to the Host of Israel, You have (saith he) Slain your Brethren with a rage that reacheth up to Heaven: But are there not with you, even with you, Sins against the Lord your God? 2 Chron. 28.9, 10. So I say, This Sin is amongst us, even amongst us also; Yea, & the Rage of it begins to reach up to Heaven; it crieth for Judgment. It is sad, that ever this Serpent should creep over into this Wilderness, where Three-score Years ago he never had had any footing, but now it is come, and I fear will hardly ever out again, although' it hath already devoured many. If we speak of that which God & Scripture calls Drunkenness, Namely, when there is a drinking of Wine or Strong Drink to any Excess, how many are there who have cause to lay their hands upon their mouths, & to Cry Guilty before the Lord? I have heard some say, That there is more Wine & Strong Drink drunk in this Town, than in most Towns not greater than this in the Christian World. We may then fear that ⟨p. 34⟩there hath been much Excess herein, that any should have cause so to speak or think. And how many are there that must be reckoned amongst woeful Drunkards, that nevertheless do not believe any such thing of themselves? There are that flatter themselves in their Iniquity, and think that they are hardly guilty of this sin, because they are not wont to be subject to such, worse than Beastly Drunkenness, as not to be able to understand what they do or say; when as it may be the reason of it is, because by using themselves to Excess in Drinking, they are able to bear a great deal. Now that's worse than to be merely Drunken; for it is to be a Drunkard: One may be Drunken, that is not a Drunkard; and one may be a Drunkard, that is seldom Drunken. He that abhors the Sin of Drunkenness, yet may be overtaken with it, and so Drunken; But that one Act is not enough to denominate him a Drunkard:

USE, III. This Text and Doctrine is like a Thunderbolt, enough to shake the Soul, & split the Heart of every Drunkard under Heaven. I could be glad if there were no need to speak by way of Terror & Awakening to such Sinners. And time was, when there was not need for Ministers to Preach much against this Sin in New-England: Oh! that it were so now. But we may say, as sometimes the Prophet Oded spake in another case to the Host of Israel, You have (saith he) Slain your Brethren with arage that reacheth up to Heaven: But are there not with you, even with you, Sins against the Lord your God?