N01322:51
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.
2. Know, that this Sin will certainly be Bitterness in the Latter End. Suppose the best that can be supposed; Suppose the Lord should give you Repentance, ⟨p. 40⟩& so forgive this Iniquity, yet then it will cost you much Bitterness of Soul. Extraordinary cases must always be excepted; but otherwise, God is not wont to Pardon great Sins, without bringing first to great Sorrows, & heavy Breakings of Heart for them. Now, Drunkenness is a great Sin, and therefore conclude thou mayest, that if ever the Lord Pardon it to thee, He will first break all thy Bones & Heart for it: Or if the Sin be not Mourned for, and Turned from, then bitter Destruction will be the End of it. The Scripture saith of those whose God is their Belly, that their End will be Destruction, Phil. 3.19. Now, the Drunkards Belly is his God, unto which he offers a Drink-offering. What bitter & lamentable Ends have many Drunkards come to? Hath not the Lord been wont to make such Persons awful Examples of Divine Vengeance at last? What a sad End did Nabal come to, after he had been very Drunken? 1 Sam. 25.36. And what a lamentable End did Amnon come to at last, who was Murdered by his own Brother at that very instant when his Heart was merry with Wine? 2 Sam. 13.28. And yet he was the Child of a Godly Father, who no doubt had Wept & Prayed for the Salvation of his Children full many a time. And what a lamentable End did Elah come to at last? Whose Servant Zimri conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, & smote him & killed ⟨p. 41⟩him, 1 King. 16.9, 10. It may be because thou art given to this Sin, God will suffer thee to Dye Drunken at last▪ & to go down into Eternal Darkness in that Condition: Or it may be, God will leave thee to that which is worse than any Death; it may be, some time when thou art Drunk, thou will be left to fall into some horrid Sin, for which the Sword of Justice shall Cut thee off at last. I could produce many direful Instances to this purpose: But I will only mind you of one dismal Example, which Austin mentions, who saith. That in Hippo (the Town where he was Minister) there was a Citizen whose Name was Cyril, who had but one only Son, to whom he was extremely Indulgent; and as Austin saith, Loved him above God Himself: