N01322:65
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.
Do not think, My Brethren, That I delight in Terrifying you, with the sad Tidings of Hell and Death. Indeed sometimes I am forced to it. Knowing the Terror of the Lord. I ⟨p. 56⟩seek to Persuade you by those Arguments; Nevertheless, I take no Pleasure to Tell you thereof. But now that I am speaking to you of the Pardoning Grace of GOD, Me-thinks I could be glad to stay and dwell here, and enlarge my self much to you, would Time and Strength permit me. But I can only say thus much. We read in Scripture of those that have been grievously Guilty of this Sin, many & many a time; of such as have Walked in it, yet when they have truly Repented of it, the Gracious Blessed GOD has freely Forgiven them; and in Jesus Christ looked upon them as if they had never Committed this Sin. To Encourage to Repentance, and to break the Heart of the Vilest Drunkard, I'll put you in mind of Two Scriptures: The one is that, 1 Pet. 4.3. The time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, &c. So that those Christians had afore their Conversion been woefully Guilty of this Iniquity, but upon true Repentance they were sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ; as the beginning of the Epistle showeth: That is to s•y, The Blood of Jesus Christ Cleansed them from the Guilt of this Sin, and obtained Pardoning Mercy for them. Another Scripture to Encourage you to Repentance is that, 1 Cor. 6.11. Where the Apostle having said to the Corinthian, that ⟨p. 57⟩no Drunkard (that is, so Living and Dying without Repentance) shall inherit the Kingdom of God; he addeth withal, Such were some of you: But ye are Washed, you are Sanctified, you are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Know therefore, that although', thou hast been Guilty of this great Sin, it may be an Hundred & an Hundred times, yet thou mayest be Justified from it in the Name of the Lord Jesus, if indeed thou dost Repent of it. But then your Repentance must be thus Qualified;