Ai'g. 6. Sadly consider, there can be nothing of the sanctifying Spirit in a soul that is under the dominion of this lust ; for upon the first discovery of the grace of God, the soul renounces the go- vernment of sensuality : " The grace of God that bringeth salvation, " teacheth men to live soberly," Tit. ii. 11, 12. That is one of its first efiects. Drunkenness indeed may be found among heathens, that are lost in the darkness of ignorance; but it may not be once named among the children of the day. " They that be drunken, *' are drunken in the night ; but let us that are of the day, be sober," 1 Thess. V. 7, 8. And the apostles often oppose wine and the Spi- rit as things incompatible, Eph. v. 18. " Be not drunk with wine, *' wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." So Jude 19. " Sensual, not having the Spirit." Now what a dreadful consider- ation is this.'^ " If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none " of his," Rom. viii. 9- Sensual persons have not the Spirit of Christ, and so can be none of his. It is true, Noah, a godly man, once fell into this sin ; but, as Theodoret saith, and that truly, it proceeded ab inea^perkntia, non ab iniemperantia, from want of ex- perience of the force and power of the grape, not from intemper- ance ; and, besides, we find not that ever he was again overtaken with that sin ; but thou knowest it, and yet persistest, O wretched creature ! the Spirit of Christ cannot dwell in thee. The Lord help thee to lay it to heart sadly !
-^rg. 7. It is a sin over which many direful woes and threats hang in the word, like so many lowering clouds, ready to pour down ven- geance upon the heads of such sinners. Look, as the condition of the saints is compassed round with promises, so is yours with threaten- ings, Isa. v. 11. " Woe to them that rise up early in the morning, *' that they may follow strong drink, and continue until night, un- " til wine inflame them." So Isa. xxviii. 1,2. " Woe to the crown " of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim," &c. with many others.
OF THE SIN OF DRUNKENNESS. 303
too long to be enumerated here. Now, consider what a fearful thing it is to be under these woes of God ! Sinner, I beseech thee, do not make light of them, for they will fall heavy ; assure thyself not one of them shall fall to the ground ; they will all take place upon thee, except thou repent.
There are woes of men, and woes of God : God*s woes are true woes, and make their condition woful, to purpose, on whom they fall. Other woes, as one saith, do but touch the skin, but these strike the soul; other woes are but temporal, these are eternal; others do only part betwixt us and our outward comforts, these be- twixt God and us for ever.
Arg. 8. Drunkenness is a leading sin, which has a great retinue and attendance of other sins waiting on it ; it is like a sudden land- flood, which brings a great deal of dirt with it. So that look as faith excels among the graces, because it enlivens, actuates, and gives strength to them, so is this amongst sins. It is not so much a special sin against a single precept of God, as a general violation of the whole law, saith accurate Amesius. It doth not only call off the guard, but warms and quickens all other lusts, and so exposes the soul to be pro- stituted by them. (1.) It gives occasion, yea, is the real cause of many contentions, and fatal quarrels, Prov. xxiii. 29. " Who hath " woe "^ Who hath sorrow ? Who hath [contentions,] babbling, *' wounds without cause ? They that tarry long at the wine," S^c. Contentions and wounds are the ordinary effects of drunken meetings: When reason is deposed, and lust heated, what will not men at- tempt? (2.) Scoffs and reproaches of the ways and people of God, Psal. Ixix. 12. "David was the song of the drunkards.*'' (3.) It is the great incendiary of lust : You shall find rioting and drunkenness joined with chambering and wantonness, Rom. xiii. 15. Nunquam ego ebrium castuvi putabo, saith Hierom ; I will never think a drunkard to be chaste. Solomon plainly tells us what the issue will be, Prov. xxiii. 33. " Thine eyes shall behold a strange woman, and " thy heart shall utter perverse things," speaking of the drunkard. It may be called Gad, for a troop followeth it. Hence one aptly calls it, The devil's bridle, by which he turneth the sinner which way he pleases ; he that is overcome by it, can overcome no other sin.
Arg, 9. But if none of the former considerations can prevail, I hope these two last may, unless all sense and tenderness be lost. Con- sider, therefore, in the 9th place, that drunkards are in scripture marked out for hell ; the characters of death are upon them. You shall find them pinioned with other sons of death, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. " Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom " of God ? Be not deceived : Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor " adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, " nor thieves, nor covetous, nor [drunkards,] nor revilers, nor ex- " tortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." Oh dreadful thunder-bolt ! He is not asleep but dead, that is not startled at it.
504 A SOBER COXSIDEEATION, &C.
Lord, how ai'e guilty sinners able to face such a text as this is ! Oh soul ! darest thou for a superfluous cup, adventure to drink a cup of pure unmixed wrath ? O think when the wine sparkles in the glass, and gives its colour, think, I say, what a cup of trembling is in the hand of the Lord for thee. Thou wilt not now believe this. Oh ! but the day is coming, when thou shalt know the price of these brutish pleasures. Oh ! it will then sting like an addder. Ah ! this short-lived beastly pleasure is the price for which thou sellest heaven, and rivers of pleasure that are at God's right hand.
Obj. But I hope I shall repent, and then this text can he no bar to my salvation.
Sol. True ; if God shall give thee repentance, it could not. But, in the last place, to awaken thee thoroughly, and startle thy secure conscience, which sensuality hath brawned and cauterized, let me tell thee,