The Drunkards Character, Section 172 – Section 173
§ 172.
IN the former Treati…e I have applyed my selfe to drunkards in shewing how injurious they are,
to
God.
Their neighbours.
Themselves.
For all that hath beene spoken, may bee reduced to one of these heads. In this which followes, I will wholly apply my selfe to the sober; I meane such, as either are sober, or would be sober; such, as care more to be good men, and good Christians, then good fellowes▪
Indeed, it remaines that I should shew the drunkard how he may leave his drunke…esse, and become, first, a sober man, and after that a found Christian: but how hard a matter is it (as Cato speakes) to preach abstinence to the belly,… drunkar… hath beene too long sick to be recouere… which hath no eares, and will take no denyall however the case standeth? Besides, the drunkard hath beene too long sicke of this disease, to be recovered: for the sound of the pot, wth him, will drown al reprehension, all admonition; even al the precepts, and sweet promises, all the menaces, all the terrors of God, contained in the Bible, cannot move them, bnt he that is thus filthy, will be filthy still, in spite both of Law and Gospell. The drunkard will rather be confounded; then reformed: for (as if he were infected with the poyson of that Serpent, which is cold in the fourth degree mortall) hee lackes heat to bee wrought upon; he hath a brazen brow, a stiffe necke, an uncircumci…ed eare, a fat heart, yea, his heart is adamantine, as strong as a stone, and as hard as a nether Mil-stone, Iob 41. 15. a blinded eye, an obdurate soule, &c.
Nay, he is dead in sense, and dead in soule, as I have proved; why then should I touch that sore, which is all dead flesh? The sick man may heare, or feele, the dead can neither: yea, when a man is dead, chaffe him, rub him, bow him, put Aqua-vitae into him, then take him by the hand, and bid him, walke, yet hee cannot stirre the least joynt; except the soule be restored, all perswasions are in vaine.
I have said enough to perswade them to a detestation of this vice, had they the least spark of grace, or matter combustible in them. But, alasse! how should mud take fire? plants, and stones lye under the same beames of the Sunne, and are wet with the same moysture of the clowds, yet the plants spring and grow, when there is no alteration of the stones. An Ethiopian enters blacke into the Bath▪ and commeth out againe blacke. A good man is easily stopt in his evill intendments, as David, in his purpose of murthering Nabal, but nothing shall prevaile with the desperately minded.
Nay,Nothing wil do good upon a wisked …eart. if I may speak it with reverence, what meanes can God use, that shall bee able to convert such an one, which resolves against yeelding? neither Word, judgements, mercies, threatnings, promises, or an Angell sent from the dead to warne him,VVhereof ma…s … shall prevaile. The nine plagues shall not prevaile with Pharaoh: the graves openning, the dead arising, the Temple renting, the light of the Sunne failing, the Centurion confessing, &c. will doe no good upon the Scribes and Pharisies …yea, though Ahab be told from the Lord, that if he goe to warre, he shall perish; yet he goeth and speeds accordingly.
Againe, let Malchus be smitten to the ground, with the very words of our Saviour, let him have his right eare cut off, and miraculously healed againe by him, whom he came to apprehend, yet he will be one that shall lead him bound to Pilate: O Malchus, could thy eare bee whole, and not thine heart broken, and contrite with remorse, for rising up against so merciful and so powerful an hand! let the Sodomites be all strucken blind, for contesti…g with Lot, and his two Angels, they w…ll not cease seeking his doore, to break it open, persist they will, untill they feele fire and brimstone about their eares, Gen. 19. Yea, let God himselfe forbid Balaam to goe with Bala…ks messengers, to curse the children of Israel; yea, let an Angell stand in his way, with a drawne sword to stop him; yea, let him heare his beast speak under him; yet he slights all: who does not wonder, that this Magician wondered not! who would not looke that his haire should stand upright, his blood forsake his cheekes, that hee should alight from that strange kind of beast, and stand amazed at the miracle! yet stil he persists, and resolves desperately, as Esther did religiously, if I perish I perish. What shall I say? Reason once debauched, Reason once deba…ched is worse then brutishnesis worse than brutishnesse. I see the savagest of all creatures, Lions, Tigers, Beares, &. by an instinct from God, came to seek the Ark (as we see Swine foreseeing a storme, runne home crying for shelter) not one man doe I see▪ except Noah, and his family: so none but the wel affected, whose hearts it pleaseth the Lord to change, would follow my directions, should I take the paines to prescribe: as they only followed Saul, when hee was chosen King, whose hearts God had touched, 1 Samuel 10. 26.
Indeed, though they refuse to heare, yet wee must not altogether bee silent. The fountaine casteth out her water, though none come to drink: and though Physitians come not to infected persons, that are past cure, yet they give Antidotes to preserve the sound. Wherefore a word, and but a word to them of the remedies; because others have well handled them already, were they as well put in practise.
§ 173.
IF there bee any then that would relinquish this sinne, The tran…ccendey of the sin of drunken nesse.that would mortifie and subdue this abusive, excessive, unseasonable drinking; that would leave this swinish swilling, which makes sick the Land, this besotting sinne,If any would re…n quish this sin let …hem. that takes away the heart, especially from God, against the first commandement; this idolatrous sin, which makes men worship the belly, and sacrifice upon their knees to others, instead of God, against the second Comman dement; this blasphemous and execrable sin, that setteth men so on swearing, cursing &c. that makes a jest of Gods words, and his Name; that prophane and sacrilegious sin, which makes no difference of times or dayes, but most rageth on the Lords day; this mad and unruly sin, that knowes neither Magistrate, nor Minister, nor Father, nor King, nor Caesar; this murtherous sin, which kil…l more then the sword; this adulterous sin, wch fils all corners with whoredome and uncleannes; this thievish sinne, that steals away mens time, wealth, wits, that robs the poore of their due; this slanderous sin, that loades the world with tales and slanders, against the Host of the living God; this Atheisticall sinne, that believes no more the threates and promises of God, then if some Imposter, had spoken them; this hellish sinne, which hardens and makes up the heart against all repentings; this unnaturall sinne, that puts off al thoughts of ones familie,1 Lay to heart the things delivered. ones selfe, and sends him on grazing with Nebuc hadnezzar, this sinne, this vile sinne thus transcendent; let him first dwell upon, and lay to heart the things formerly delivered, that by this tast hee may learne to detest the drunkards qualities; 2. Avoid the causes formerly h…dled.let him remove and take heed of all the forenamed causes, (especially of affecting popular applause, and reputation of good fellowship) that so the causes being removed and taken away, the effect may cease: to unlearn evill, is the best kind of learning.
Next observe these Rules, which I shall but touch; whereof some are generall; some more proper and peculiar. The generall meanes are,