Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 44 – Section 46
§ 44.
BUt: It is Gods unſpeakable mercy that wee have not a fomine, or that the land doth not ſpue out her inhabitants for this ſin.O how juſt a puniſhment were famine, after ſuch a ſatiety; and peſtilence, after famine, for ſuch as turne the Sanctuary of life, into the ſhambles of death? O Lord it is thy unſpeakeable mercy, that our land, which hath beene ſo long ſicke of this drunken diſeaſe, and ſo often ſurfitted of this ſinne, doth not ſpue us all out which are the inhabitants. The Lord of moſt glorious Majeſty and infinite purity, ſees all, heares all, knowes all, and yet behold we live; nay, the Lord ſtill cauſes Heaven, Earth, Sea, Land, all Creatures to waite upon us, and bring us in all due proviſion; nay, he hath not long ſince abounded even in that bleſſing and graine which hath bene moſt abuſed to drunkenneſſe; here is patience, here is mercy, here is bounty. O that we could ſtay here, and ſuffer our ſelves to loſe our ſelves, in the meditation and admiration of this wonderfullneſſe!
But what's the reaſon? God will not puniſh the righteous with the wicked, But Drun kards are reſerved unto the great dayGen. 18.25? he knoweth how to deliver the godly, and to reſerve the wicked, theſe brute beaſts, who walke after the fleſh in the luſts of uncleanneſſe, and count it pleaſure to riot, unto the great day to be puniſhed, 2 Peter, 2.9.13. whoſe judgement is not farre off, and whoſe damnation ſleepeth not, ver. 3. For as ſurely as the word of God pronounceth many a woe unto them, as, woe to Drunkards, ſaith Iſaiah, that are mighty to drinke wine, and unto them that are ſtrong to powre in ſtro…g drinke, that continue drinking till the wine doth inflame them. Woe, ſaith Habakuk, unto him that giveth his neighbour drinke till hee be drunken. Woe, ſaith Solomon, to them that tarry long at the wine, to them that goe and ſeeke mixt wine. Woe to his body, which is a temporall woe; woe to his ſoule, which is a ſpirituall woe; woe to both body and ſoule, which is an eternall woe: howle ye Drunkards, ſaith Ioel, weepe yee, ſaith St. Iames, Iſaiah, 5.22. Habakuk, 2.15. Ioel. 1.5. Iames, 5.1.5 Yea, which of Gods Servants hath not a woe in his mouth to throw at this ſinne? ſo every tittle of this word ſhall be accompliſhed, God will one day hold the cup of vengance to their lips, and bid them drinke their fills.
Yea, The judgments of God ſpirituall, temporall, and eternall, which in Scripture are threatned againſt Drunkards.as Drunkards are Sathans eldeſt Sonnes, ſo they ſhall have a double portion of vengance: whereas riot in the forenoone hath beene merry, in the afternoone drunke, at night gone to bed ſtarke mad, in the morning of their reſurrection it ſhall riſe ſober into everlaſting ſorrow: they finde not the beginning and progreſſe ſo ſweete, as the farewell of it ſhall be bitter; for as ſure as God is in Heaven, if they forſake not their ſwilling (which they are no more able to doe, then they are able to eate a rocke, the Devill hath ſo beſotted them) they ſhall once pay deare for it, even in a bed of unquenchable flames.
I ſpeake not of the many temporall judgments, which God brings upon them even in this life, though to mention them alone were omni-ſufficient, if they thirſted not after their owne ruine: as I could tell them from Levit. the 26. and Deut. the 28. that all curſes threatned, all temporall plagues and judgments which befall men in this life, are inflicted upon them for ſinne and diſobedience.
But I ſpeake of thoſe torments which are both intollerable and interminable; which can neither be indured, nor avoided, when once entred into.
If, I ſay, you perſevere in this your brutiſh ſenſuallity, and will needs, Dives like, drinke here without thirſt; you ſhall thirſt hereafter without drinke; yea, though that fire be hot, the thirſt great, and a drop of water be but a little; yet in this hot fire, and great thirſt, that little drop ſhall be denied you, Luke, 16.
For know this, that without repentance, Paul will be found a true Prophet, who ſaith, that no Drunkard ſhall ever enter into the kingdome of Heaven. 1 Cor. 6.9.10. And Iſaiah no leſſe, who ſaith, that Hell enlargeth it ſelfe for Drunkards, and openeth her mouth without meaſure, that all thoſe may deſcend into it, who follow drunkenneſſe, and preferre the pleaſing of their palats, before the ſaving of their ſoules, Iſaiah, 5.11.14. for as they ſhall be excluded and ſhut out of Heaven, ſo they ſhall be for evermore damned body and ſoule in Hell; Chriſt ſhall ſay unto them at the great day of accounts, depart from me yee curſed into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the Devill and his Angells. Math. 25.41.
As they make their belly their god, and their ſhame their glory, ſo damnation ſhall bee their end, Phil. 3.19. yea, their end is a damnation without end; it is heauy and miſerable, that their end is damnation; but it is worſe and more miſerable, that their damnation is without end: wickedneſſe hath but a time, but the puniſhment of wickedneſſe is beyond all time.
Neither is the extremity of the paine inferiour to the perpetuity of it, for the paines and ſufferings of the damned, are ten thouſand times more then can be immagined by any heart, as deepe as the Sea, and can be rather indured, then expreſſed; it is a death never to be painted to the life, no pen nor pencill, nor art, nor heart can comprehend it.
Yea, if all the land were paper, and all the water inke, every plant a pen, and every other creature a ready writer; yet they could not ſet downe the leaſt peece of the great paines of Hell fire. For ſhould we firſt burne off one hand, then another, after that each arme, and ſo all the parts of the body, it were intollerable; yet it is nothing to the burning of body and ſoule in Hell: ſhould we indure ten thouſand yeares torments in Hell, it were much; but nothing to eternity: ſhould we ſuffer one paine, it were enough; but if we come there, our paines ſhall be even for number and kindes infinitely various; as our pleaſures have bene here: every ſenſe and member, every power and faculty both of ſoule and body, ſhall have their ſeverall objects of wretchedneſſe, and that without intermiſſion, or end, or eaſe, or patience to indure it.
§ 45.
NEither let drunkards ever hope to eſcape this puniſhment, Yet if they can repent and leave their ſin, God is very ready to forgive.except in due time they forſake this ſinne; for if every tranſgreſſion, without repentance, deſerves the wages of death eternall, as a juſt recompence of reward, Heb. 2.2. Rom. 6.23. how much more this accurſed and damnable ſinne of drunkenneſſe, which both cauſeth, and is attended upon by almoſt all other ſinnes, as hath beene ſhewed.
And yet if thou canſt, after all this, but truly repent, and lay hold upon Chriſt by a lively faith, which ever manifeſteth it ſelfe by the fruits of a godly life and converſation; know withall, that though thy ſinnes have beene never ſo many for multitude, never ſo great for magnitude, God is very ready to forgive them; and this I can aſſure thee of, yea, I can ſhew thee thy pardon, from the great King of Heaven, for all that is paſt, the tenour whereof is, Let the wicked forſake his way, and the unrighteous his owne imaginations, and let him returne to the Lord, and hee will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Iſ…. 55.7. and againe, Ezec. 18. …f the wicked will turne from all his ſinnes which he hath committed, and keepe all my ſtatutes, and doe that which is lawfull and right, he ſhall ſurely live, and not die; all his tranſgreſsions which he hath committed they ſhall not bee once mentioned unto him; but in his righteouſneſſe that he hath done hee ſhall live, becauſe he conſidereth and turneth away from all his tranſgreſſions that he hath committed, he ſhall ſave his ſoule alive. ver. 21.22.23.27.28. other the like places you have, Ioel, 2.12.13.14.
Yea, I can ſhew thee this very caſe in a preſident 1 Cor. 6.10.11. where we reade of certaine Corinthians that had bin given to this ſinne of drunkenneſſe; who, upon their repentance, were both waſhed, ſanctified, and juſtified. And St. Ambroſe tells of one, that being a ſpectacle of drunkenneſſe, proved after his converſion, a patterne of ſobriety. Yea, know this that Gods mercy is greater than thy ſin, what ever it be; thou canſt not be ſo infinite in ſinning, as hee is infinite in pardoning, if thou repent; let us change our ſins God will change his ſentence; God is more mercifull, ſaith Nazianzen, then man can be ſinfull, if hee bee ſorrowfull; none can bee ſo bad, as God is good; the Seed of the woman is able to bruſe this Serpents head; wherefore, if you preferre not hell to heaven, abandon this vice.
But withall know, that if it ſhall come to paſſe, that the drunkard (when he heareth the words of this curſe, namely theſe threatnings before rehearſed) ſhall Pharaoh like, harden his heart, and bleſſe himſelf in his wickedneſſe, ſaying, I ſhall have peace, although I walk according to the ſtubbornneſſe of mine owne heart, thus adding drunkenneſſe to thirſt; the Lord will not be mercifull to that man, but then his wrath and jealouſie ſhall ſmoak againſt him, and every curſe that is written in his Law, ſhall light upon him; and the Lord ſhall put out his name from under heaven, as himſelfe ſpeakes, Deutero. 29.19, 20. which chapter, together with the former, I wiſh thee to read, if thou wilt know thy ſelfe, and foreknow thy judgement.
§ 46
I But will ſome Titormus ſay, (being, it may be, 4. Excuſes which drunkards uſually make taken away.ſtronger to drink, and taler to tipple, then Milo himſelf was to eat, who devoured a whole Oxe at a meale) I was never ſo gone yet, but I knew the way home, I could tell what I did, what I ſaid &c. (for if a drunkard can but put his finger juſt into the flame of the candle, without playing, hit I miſſe I, (which is their tryall of the victory, If they can bare their drink they are no drunkardsthough hee ſpue whole fiſh-ponds, he is held a ſober man) Yea, no man ever ſaw mee ſo much as wheele in the ſtreets; I am therefore no drunkard, neither doe theſe threatnings appertaine to me; as deſperate is the cauſe which admits no colour of defence: but what anſwers the Prophet? woe unto them that are mighty to drinke wine, men of ſtrength, to mingle ſtrong drinke, Iſa. 5.22. and Salomon that divine Orator anſwers, (whoſe anſwer is alſo ours) they that tarry long at the wine, they that go to ſeek mixt wine, they are the parties, to whom this woe belongs, they are to bee ranked with drunkards. Yea, the abuſe may bee committed many wayes, as vice is manifold, vertue vniforme; drink then is not only abuſed when it turnes up a mans heeles, and makes the houſe runne round; but when it ſteales away the affections ſo far, that a man cannot make too much haſt to it, take too much paines for it, ſpend too much time at it, and money in it.
Believe it, if a man drink too much for his purſe, too much for his calling and occaſions, too much for his health and quiet of body and mind, Salomon cals him a drunkard.
A man hath no more reaſon, nor warrant to drown his time, his eſtate, his liver, his ſtomack, &c. then his wits and braines: and in caſes of this nature, things are rather meaſured by the intention and affection of the doer, then by the iſſue and event. Why ſhould not a man be deemed a drunkard, for his inordinate affection to drinke, as well as an adulterer, for the like affection to his neighbours wife. Sinne as ſinne, in it's owne colours and nature, is neither deſired nor deſirable; but onelyonly as it is diſguiſed, and offers it ſelfe to the underſtanding and will in the likeneſſe and habit of goodneſſe.
Alaſſe! if none be drunke, but ſuch as have loſt their leggs, tongues, ſenſes, that by tumbling in their owne vomit and ſleeping in a guzell; what ſhould Salomon ſpeake of quarrells, bablings &c. ſuch bee as dead asſo many withered plants, and doe what you will to them, they lye like Iupiters logg, and neither anſwer, nor ſtirre again: it is your mannerly, ſober, methodicall drunkard, that drinkes by the hower, and can tell the clock, that drinkes by meaſure and by rule; firſt, ſo much Ale; then ſuch a quantity of Beere; then of Sack; then of Rheniſh; then back again from Wine to Ale, to Beere, till the reynes bee cleanſed, the liver cooled, the ſtomack ſet upright, and heat and moyſture brought to a juſt and an even temper; wherefore though it be ſomewhat to keep a mans ſenſes, yet it is not ſufficient; a man may not be drunk, and yet not bee ſober.