The Young Mans Guide, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Of Drunkenness, which is another Vice, whereunto Young Men are addicted.
II. ANother sin whereunto Youth is subject, is Drunkenness. I confess there are Drunkards of all Ages, Old as well as Young: But many get such habits of this sin in their Youth, that they know not how to leave it when they are Old. Touching this Vice of Drunkenness, I shall briefly shew you,
1. What it is.
2. What Remedies may be used for avoiding the same.
I. Drunkenness is a Vice whereby in drinking men so exceed the measure of necessity, and honest delight, as they distemper both their minds and bodies thereby. By necessity, I mean such a measure as is needful to preserve our life, and quench our natural thirst. By honest delight, I mean that liberty which God in Christ hath given his Children at times of rejoycing, to drink not only for meer necessity to quench the thirst, but also for Christian delight and pleasure. Thus did Ioseph, and his Brethren, Gen. 43. 34. And David saith (Psal. 104. 15.) That God hath given unto man not only bread to strengthen him, but also Wine to make glad the heart of man.
Lastly, I add, Whereby in drinking men so exceed, as they distemper both their mind and body; because this is the usual sign which maketh a difference betwixt a lawful, and an unlawful measure of drinking. If any way it makes a man unfit to the duties of his Calling, if the mind be thereby intoxicated, if the Brain be distempered, if the senses made dull and heavy, there is excess, which makes it Drunkenness.
II. The heinousness of this sin doth appear by the fearful sad effects thereof, which are
First, Excellently set forth by the Wise Man, Prov. 23. 29. &c. Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the Wine, they that go to seek mixt Wine. This Text I may call The Drunkards Looking-glass, wherein they may see the woes and sorrows that attend them. As if Solomon had said, You Drunkards promise your selves mirth, pleasure and jollity in your Cups; but for one drop of your mad mirth, be sure of Gallons of Gall and Wormwood, of woe and sorrow, both here and hereafter. Other sinners shall taste of the Cup of Gods Wrath, but you after your tasting, and turning off so many Cups of pleasure, shall drink off the dregs of the Cup of Gods wrath and displeasure.
O Young Man, what a madness is it for the enjoyment of a little Wine, or Ale here, to drink the Vials of Gods Wrath, and lye in Seas of misery for ever!
More particularly the effects of Drunkenness are these.
1. It defaces the Image of God in Man, and transforms him into the likeness of the Beasts that perish. The Image of God in Man stands;
…. In his Knowledge and Understanding. And where is the understanding of a Drunkard? Is not this man above all others become Bruitish in his knowledge? Jer. 10. 14. Or as the words there signifie, Is more a … than to know? What's spoken there of the Idolater, is it not fully applicable to the Drunkard? who when he is drunken is a very bruit; yea, and commonly even when he is sober, is but a very Sot.
2. The Image of God in man stands in Righteousness and Holiness. And what a Swine is this holy Soul become? If Swearing and Cursing, if Raving and Madness, if Whoring, and all manner of filthiness, if this be holiness, then this Beast is still a very holy man.
2. It hurts the body of man, causing many Diseases; as Dropsies, Gouts, Apoplexies, Agues, Consumptions of the Vital parts, Inflammations of the Blood: So that though they may drink Healths, and pretend it is for their Health, yet they indeed drink sicknesses: for who have more infirmities and deformities? who have richer faces, and redder eyes, than such as tarry long at the Wine?
3. It hurts the Souls of men, filling them full of noysom lusts, Prov. 23. 33. Solomon speaking to the Drunkard, saith, Thine eyes shall behold strange Women; that is, Harlots; implying Drunkenness to be the occasion of Adultery? Though all Adulterers are not Drunkards, yet there are few Drunkards but are Adulterers.
4. It is dangerous to the several faculties of the Soul. For it besotteth the Wit, infeebleth the Memory, dulleth the Spirits, drowneth the Judgment, and depriveth men of the use of their Understanding; so that many times they differ not from Beasts. Zenophon in his foreign, reports of Cyrus the Persian Monarch, that being asked by his Grandfather Astyages, why he refused to drink Wine, answered, For fear he should drink Poyson instead of Wine: For sure I am, saith he, that not one of the Guests yesterday did rise from your Table in his right mind, or wit, which makes me think that Poyson … with their Wine. Whereas indeed it was the abundance of Wine which they had drunk, that had … them of their senses.
5. Drunkenness weakneth mens Estates. He that loveth Wine shall not be rich, Prov. 21. 17. The Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty, Prov. 23. 21. Experience hath verified the truth of this: for how many poor men have oftentimes spent more in an Evening at an Alehouse, than they have earned all the day before at their work? And how many rich men who have had fair Revenues left them by their Fathers, have in a short time bezel'd all away by Drinking? and so robb'd not only their Wives and Children, but likewise God, and the Poor, of what belonged unto them. How sad will it be with many, when they shall see how many pounds they have spent in Drink, and how little for Gods honour?
6. Drunkenness robs men of their precious time. No sort of men usually mis-spend so much precious time, as Drunkards: for they use to sit long at the Wine, as the Prophet Isaiah describeth them, (Chapt. 5. 11.) They rise up early to follow Drunkenness, and continue unto the night, till the Wine do inflame them. And when the Wine hath once inflamed them, then are they a while after unfit for any thing but sleep.
7. Another effect of Drunkenness is, That it makes a man unfit, as to all good duties, so especially to that of Christian watchfulness, which our blessed Saviour, and his Apostles, often call for; whereby he should be always prepared to appear before Christ, whensoever he shall come to Judgment. Therefore Christ forewarns all his to take heed, that their hearts be not overcome with surfeiting and drunkenness, lest that day come on them unawares, Luk. 21. 34.
O Wretch, what if that day of the Lord should come upon thee in thy drunken fit? The day of the Lord will so come as a Thief in the night. The Drunkards life is all Night; a drowsie sleeping season: 'tis often Night with him at Noon. His Cups do darken (as to him) the brightest Sun, and serve for Clouds or Curtains to cover him up to sleep.
Arise Sleeper, the Lord is coming; thy day is near, the next fit of Drunkenness may be the night wherein the Judge will come. Do not put it off thus; I do not think so, I believe he will not come yet; he is the more like to come for that, that thou thinkest he will not. That wicked servant, Luk. 12. 45. that said, My Lord delayeth his coming, and did eat and drink, and was Drunken: The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware. Thou thinkest not that Death will meet thee, that Judgment will meet thee the next time thou art Drunken. But what if it should be so, if thou shouldst be snatch'd from the Ale-bench, and brought to Judgment? how wouldst thou give an account of thy self to God, when thou hast not reason enough left thee to give an answer to a man. Watch therefore, but that can never be, unless thou wilt first awake from thy Drunkenness.
Having shewed the Nature and Heinousness of the sin of Drunkenness, come we now to the Remedies for avoiding the same.
1. Often meditate of the fearful Woes denounced against Drunkards, and the dreadful Iudgments threatned against them.
Woe to the Drunkards of Ephraim, Isa. 28. 1. Woe to them that rise up early in the Morning, that they may follow strong drink, and continue until night, till Wine inflame them, Isa. 5. 22. Note this, O Young Men, who count it a glory to be able to bear much drink; a glory more fit for a Draw-horse than a man: yet such men, or rather such Beasts there are, which glory in drinking others under-board, as they use to speak. If this be not, what is it for men to glory in their shame? And besides, thus bring they on their Souls, their own, and others blood.
No marvel therefore that the Apostle putteth Drunkards into the Catalogue of them that shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, 1 Cor. 6. 10. and Gal. 5. 21. And the Prophet avoucheth, that Hell hath inlarged her self, and opened her mouth without measure for them, Isa. 5. 14. Instance Drunken Dives, whose Soul immediately passed from Earth to Hell, where he could not get one drop of Water to cool his Tongue in that tormenting flame, Luk. 16. 24.
2. Consider that Drunkenness is the Mother of most abominations, Rom. 13. 13. saith the Apostle, Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in Rioting and Drunkenness, not in Chambering and Wantonness. Where mark the course of the Apostles words, after Gluttony and Drunkenness, follows Chambering and Wantonness. Thus Lot in his Drunkenness committed Incest with his two Daughters. Therefore doth the Apostle exhort the Ephesians, Chap. 5. 18. not to be filled with Wine, because therein is excess. He that is full of Wine, his wickedness runs over, the stream of Lust swells so high, that it overfloweth all its banks. Alexander we read in a Drunken Fit killed his dear Friend Clitus, for which, when he was sober, he attempted to kill himself. Famous is the Story of one who once craved the Devils help to accomplish his desire: But the Devil would first have one thing done at his appointment: What's that, quoth the man: Kill thy Father, saith the Devil: That's too horrible a fact, replies the man: Then lie with thy Mother, saith the Devil: That's most unnatural, quoth the man: Wilt thou then be Drunk, saith the Devil? That I will, quoth the Man. And being Drunk, defiled his Mother, and murthered his Father. The Moral of this Parabolical story is this, A Drunkard makes bones of no sin.
3. Be diligent and industrious in thy Calling. Whilest Israel was working in Aegypt, they had no leisure to sit long at their Cups: but while they lay still in the Wilderness, they sate down to eat and drink, and then rose up to pl…y, Exod. 32. 6. Thou wicked and slothful servant, saith our Saviour, Matth. 25. 26. If slothful, certainly wicked: for the slothful and idle servant is the Devils Captive, whom he carries about with him, and leads into every Tavern and Alehouse.
4. Consider Gods All-seeing presence about thee wheresoever thou art. Couldst thou sit long over thy Cups, … away thy precious time in vain and fruitless discourses; didst thou but seriously consider Gods Allseeing presence about thee, to whom …hou must one day give an account, as of thy sinful actions, so of thy idle words, and mis-spent time?
5. Avoid the Society and Company of Drunkards, Prov. 23. 20. Be not amongst Wine-bibbers; that is, frequent not the company of such as are given to drinking and tipling. For though they do not find thee like unto themselves, yet if thou consort with them, they will make thee such. For as he that walketh with wise men, shall be wise; so a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed, Prov. 13. 20. As associating thy self with wise men, is an excellent means of getting Knowledge and Wisdom: So contrariwise, associating thy self with Drunkards, is the high way to drunkenness and folly; their company is no less contagious to such as adjoyn themselves to them, than such as are infected with the Plague, or Leprosie.
There are two Arguments which are very prevalent with many Young Men to perswade them to go on in this so heynous and dangerous a sin: but being weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary, they will be found very light.
1 Arg. Taken from the hope of Repentance; they flatter themselves with a conceit, that they can repent when they list, and that Heaven-gate will open to them at the first knock.
A. 1. Repentance is the gift of God, from whom every good and perfect gift cometh, Jam. 1. 17. And therefore ought to be accepted by us, when it is offered to us; and not to be delayed, and put off from time to time. For as God is merciful to offer Grace, so he is just to punish the neglect thereof.
2. How many are there, who though they have fully resolved to repent, and turn from their sins unto God in their old age, or in the time of sickness, yet have been prevented, and cut off by some sudden death? One drunken fit may cut off that hope. How many instances have there been in the world, of men that have died Drunken? Some Drunkards have been twice dead at once, dead drunk, and drunken unto death, carried away from the Ale-bench to their Graves, and thence to the Judgment. And what if it should be so with thee? where is then thine after-repentance?
And how many that have over-lived their drunken fits, have been deprived of the use of their senses, and understanding, in the time of their sickness, and so have died sensless? And how many, who though they have lived to old age, yet have been more hardened against Repentance, than in their Youth? which cometh to pass through the just Judgment of God. For what can be more righteous, than that they should be left to forget God when they are old, who would not remember him in their Youth? And this the Lord himself threatneth, Prov. 1. 24. &c.
2 Arg. Is taken from their present impunity. They flatter themselves with a conceit, that because God doth not presently execute vengeance upon them for their Drunkenness; therefore they shall not be punished, and thereupon take heart to go on in their sins, according to that of the Wise Man, Eccles. 8. 11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the Sons of men is fully set in them to do evil; implying, that impunity increases impiety, and makes sinners the more obstinate; because the Judgments of God threatned against them are not presently executed, therefore they go on in their wickedness. But let such know, that though God is slow in executing his Judgments on wicked and ungodly men, thereby to lead them to Repentance, yet will he be sure in the execution at last: and the longer he is fetching his stroak, the sorer will be his blow, and the deeper will he wound when he strikes. In which respect Gods wrath may be compared to a great Bell, which is long in raising, but being up, it gives the greater sound.