A Warning to Drunkards, Sermon · Section 1
SECT. 1
THE occaſion of my handling this Text is a ſad and dreadfull Providence, which lately befell a young man, who for ſome years was very hopefull for Religion, a diligent attender upon God's Ordinances, and well eſteemed of among the people of God, but afterwards being led away with temptation, he was ſometime overtaken with the ſin of drunkenneſs, and it ſeemed good to the Holy and Righteous God to cut him off in the act of ſin, when he was (as is generally reported) ſo far overcome with ſtrong drink that he was not able to go, but was led, and laid upon a bed, and dyed in few hours, without coming to himſelf again. When a Malefactour is puniſhed by men, all that hear thereof ſhould fear to commit the like ſins. Deut. 13.11. And all Iſrael ſhall hear and fear, and ſhall do no more any ſuch wickedneſs as this is among you. This is ſpoken of ſtoneing to death a perſon, that ſhould entice another to go and ſerve other Gods. God expected that the hearing of ſuch a mans death ſhould make all Iſrael fear, and do no more any ſuch wickedneſs. When a ſinner is cut off by the immediate hand of God, his death is as much or more to be regarded, than when he dyeth by the hands of men, and therefore I may ſay of this judgment, that befell this young man, Oh that all Colcheſter would hear, and oh that all England might hear and fear, and do no more any ſuch wickedneſs as this is, to drink Wine or ſtrong drink till they be drunk. I do the rather take this occaſion to preach againſt this ſin of drunkenneſs, becauſe this young man, on whom God ſent this judgment was one, that uſed to attend on my Miniſtry, and I thought it neceſſary to warn others, yea to warn all my hearers to take heed and beware of this ſin of drunkenneſs.
If any ſay, I have no need to be warned to take heed of the ſin of drunkenneſs, I hate and abhor it, and look upon it as a moſt beaſtly ſin, what manner of perſons do you take us to be, that you warn us to take heed of drunkenneſs.
A. 1. They do not know the corruption of their own hearts, nor what ſtrength and power there is in a temptation, that think they have no need to be warned to take heed of drunkenneſs. There is in our corrupt natures an inclination to all ſin, Rom. 7.8. Sin, taking occaſion by the Commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiſcence. And it is from God's reſtraining us, that thoſe evil inclinations, that are in our hearts, do not break forth in our lives. Gen. 20.6. I with-held thee from ſinning againſt me, therefore ſuffered I thee not to touch her. By the power of temptation we may be drawn to thoſe ſins, which we think our ſelves moſt averſe unto, yea to which we apprehend that we have ſuch an averſeneſs, that we will rather ſuffer death than conſent to them. Matth. 26.35. Peter ſaid unto him, though I ſhould dye with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Though Peter thought and ſaid this, that he would rather dye than deny Chriſt, yet being in a temptation, he did three times fall into that ſin, which he thought he of all men ſhould never have yielded to; ver. 33. Though all men ſhall be offended becauſe of thee, yet I will never be offended. And which he thought he ſhould rather dye than commit, he fell thrice into in one night, in the ſame night in which he ſolemnly profeſſed, he would rather dye than deny the Lord Jeſus. Hazael ſeemed to ſcorn the Prophets words, when he told him how cruelly he would deal with the people of Iſrael, that he would kill their young men with the ſword, and daſh out their childrens brains, and rip up the women with child, and replyed, 2 King. 8.13. But what is thy ſervant a dog that he ſhould do this great thing; Yet he fullfilled what the Prophet had foretold.
2. Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſaw it needfull to warn his own Diſciples, who had left all to follow him, to take heed of this ſin of drunkenneſs. Luke 21.34. And take heed to your ſelves leſt at any time your hearts be overcharged with ſurfetting and drunkenneſs, and the cares of this life, and ſo that day come upon you unawares. That our Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſpeaks here to his own Diſciples is evident from Ch. 20.45. and Luk. 21.5, 7. Compared with Matth. 24.1, 3. Matthew relating much of the ſame diſcourſe, tells that it was a private diſcourſe between Chriſt and his Diſciples. And ſeveral paſſages in the Chapter ſhew plainly that it was ſpoken to the Diſciples; As ver. 12.15, 17, 28. They ſhall lay their hands on you, and perſecute you— and ye ſhall be hated of all men for my names ſake. &c. Now if our Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſaw it needfull to warn his own Diſciples, who were enabled to ſuffer perſecution for Righteouſneſs ſake, to take heed of drunkenneſs, why ſhould any of us think we have no need to be warned to take heed of this ſin.
3. Perſons of great eminency for the grace of God have been overtaken with this ſin of drunkenneſs, and that in a very ſhamefull manner. Noah was a man of great eminency in the grace of God: he kept his integrity when all the men on the earth had corrupted their ways, Gen. 6.9, 11, 12. He was a Preacher of Righteouſneſs. 2 Pet. 2.5. He was renowned for his faith, and fear of God, and was an heir of the Righteouſneſs which is by ſaith. Heb. 11.7. He was a man in great favour with God, and could do great things with God in Prayer, and is ranked with Job and Daniel, God's ſpecial favourites. Ezek. 14.14.16, 18, 20. Yet this Noah who was ſo eminent and famous in his Generation, was overcome with Wine in a moſt ſhamefull manner, in ſo much as he lay uncovered in his Tent, and his Son ſaw his nakedneſs, and this after he had ſeen Gods judgment in drowning the old World for their ſins, and his infinite mercy in ſparing him and his Family. Gen. 9.20, 21, 22. And Noah planted a Vineyard, and he drunk of the Wine, and was drunken, and he was uncovered within his Tent, and Ham ſaw the nakedneſs of his Father, and told it his two brethren without. Lot was a Righteous man, ſo eminent for Holineſs that he was vexed in his Soul to ſee the unrighteouſneſs of the Sodomites. 2 Pet. 2.7, 8. He was in ſuch favour with God, that the Lord ſent two Angels to his houſe to give him warning of the deſtruction of Sodom, and to bid him haſten out of that place, leſt he was conſumed. Gen. 19.1, 12, 13, 15. He was in ſuch favour with God, that though Sodom's ſins were exceeding great, and Angels were come down from Heaven to deſtroy that place, yet they could do nothing, towards deſtroying that City, till Lot was gone out of it, and eſcaped to Zoar, ver. 22. Haſt thee, eſcape thither, for I cannot do any thing till thou art come thither. He had ſuch power with God that he prevailed for the ſparing of a whole City, which had deſerved deſtruction, as well as Sodom, for the Cities about Sodom were given to fornication, and going after ſtrange fleſh as well as Sodom. Jude 7. Yet at Lot's requeſt the City of Zoar was ſpared. Gen. 19.21. See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing, that I will not overthrow this City, for the which thou haſt ſpoken. Yet this Righteous Lot was twice overcome with wine, and that to ſuch an high degree as that he knew not what he did, and in his drunkenneſs committed the heinous ſin of inceſt with both his Daughters, for his two Daughters were with Child by lying with their Father, when they had made him drunk. Gen. 19.30. to the 36. And Lot's ſin was the greater becauſe it was committed after he had ſeen God's terrible judgments on Sodom, and the adjacent Cities for their ſins, and after God had ſhewen a miracle of mercy tovvards him in his deliverance out of Sodom. Novv if ſuch eminent Saints as Noah and Lot vvere overtaken vvith the ſin of drunkenneſs, and that in a very dreadfull manner, vvho can ſay they have no need of being vvarned to take heed of this ſin? Let theſe examples have this effect upon us, to make ſuch as think they ſtand, take heed leaſt they fall. 1 Cor. 10.12.