The Drunkards Character, Section 121
§ 121.
BUt to be everlastingly in Hell, to lye for ever in a bed of quenchles flames, is not all:Drunkards shal have a double portion of vengeance to other men. for as thy sinnes have exceeded, so shall thy sufferings exceed; as thou hast had a double portion of sinne to other men here, so thou shalt have a double portion of torment to them hereafter; the number and measure of torments, shall be according to the multitude and magnitude of offences; mighty sinners shall be mightily punished, for God will reward every man according to his workes, Revel. 20. 12. 13. and 22. 12. As our workes are better or worse, so shall our joyes in heaven, our paines in hell bee more or lesse; as every one hath beene more wicked, he shall bee more wretched; Capernaum exceeding Sodome and Gomorrah in sin, shall feele also an excesse of punishment; and the willfull servant shall receive more stripes, then the ignorant, Luk. 1…. 47. 48. Mat. 10. 15 which being so, viz. that every man shall be punished according to merit; what will become of thee? surely thy sins are so prodigious, that they scorne any proportion under a whole volume of plagues.
But see wherein thy sinnes exceed other mens,The drunkards sinns aggravated by the circumstances. that shall go to the same place of torment, how every sinne receiveth weight and increase in regard of circumstances, and how thou, after thine hardnes and heart which cannot repent, heapest unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath, and of the declaration of the just judgment of God, who will reward every man according to his workes, Rom. 2. 5, 6.
The particulars which greaten, aggravate, and adde weight to thy sinnes, and make them above measure sinfull, are so diverse and sundry, that I may not insist upon all; yet some are of such import, that I dare not omit them.
First, the civill justitiary, who omi…t…th the performance of those good duties which the Law require…h,First, the civily righteous have hel for their portion bu… drunkards are notoriously wicked. is in a damnable condition; but thou in a farre worse, who wilfully runnest on in the commission of those sinnes, which the Law flatly forbids. It was the not slaying of Agag. 1 Sam. 15. that lost Saul his Kingdome, and the favour of God. The not circumcising of Moses his first borne. Exodus 4. had like to have cost him his life. The not relieving of poore Lazarus, Luk. 16. was the rich mans ruine. It was not the evill servants spending his Masters money, which cast him into prison, but the not gaining with it; he did not evill with his Talent, no, it was enough to condemne him, that he did nothing with it.
Now if barrennesse bee sent into the fire, how can rapine looke to escape? if omission of good works be whipped with Rodds, surely commission of impieties shall be scourged with Scorpions.
The old world did but eat, and drink, build, and plant, marry and bee merry, and were swept away with the Beesom of an universall deluge: which things were in themselves lawfull: what then shall become of Lyers, Swearers, Drunkards, Adulterers, malicious monsters, scandalous sinners, whose workes are in themselves simply unlawfull? If the civily righteous shall not bee saved in that great and terrible day, where then shall all ungodly drunkards, and deboyshed swilbowles appeare?
Heaven is our Goale, we all runne: loe the Scribes and Pharisies are before thee; what safty can it bee to come short of those, that come short of heaven? Except your righteousnes exceed, &c.
Meroz was cursed by the Angell, because they came not to helpe the Lord, in the day of battell, Iudges 5. 23. they fought not against God, yet because they did not fight for him, they are cursed. And if they that stand in a luke-warm neutrality shall be spewed up, sure the palpable and notorious offender, who takes up armes against God, and opposes all goodnesse, shall bee trodden under foot of a provoked justice.
O consider this, and lay it to heart, you, that commit sinnes of all sorts and sizes; you, that can tear heaven with your blasphemies, and bandy the dreadfull name of God in your impure mouthes, by your bloody oaths and execrations; yee that dare exercise your saucy wits in prophane scoffes at Religion; yee that can neigh after strange flesh &c.