Secondly, The actions, 'Being drunk with wine/ and Tilled with the Spirit.' Both must be explained.
1. The action on the one side, ' Being drunk with wine.' Two things must be spoken to — (1.) The nature of the sin; (2.) The heinousness of it.
[1.] For the nature of it ; it is immoderate or inordinate drinking ; it is excessive when more is taken than natural necessity calleth for, or sober and christian cheerfulness doth allow. Necessity is a part of our measure, for God denieth us nothing that is necessary for us. In some cases lust multiplieth our necessities, but that is our disease. When the apostle saith, * Drink a little wine for thy manifold infirmities/
392 SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SeR. XXII
1 Tim. V. 23, he means to cure them, not to cause them. But yet a more liberal use of the creature is allowed beyond bare necessity, for delight and cheerfulness ; but then grace must interpose, which judgeth by two rules — the light of nature and scripture.
(1.) The light of nature judgeth what is fit for a man as a man. So he consists of a body and a soul. If the body be oi)pressed, it is a kind of self-murder. So it is said, Hosea vii. 5, ' In tlie day of our king, the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine.' Intemper- ance and immoderate drinking doth not only misspend time, and abuse the good creatures of God, but filleth the body with crudities and diseases ; which is carefully to be thought of by them that have given up their bodies to God, and would not have sin reign in their mortal bodies, as all christians have done : Rom. vi. 12, 13) ' Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin ; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.' But then for the soul, when men disturb their reason, or disable it, and hinder it from its proper office ; certainly when there is some gross defect in reason, a man turneth himself into a beast. And therefore the light of nature will condemn gross and brutish sensuality : Jude 10, ' But these speak evil of those things which they know not ; but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.'
(2.) The light of scripture doth direct us alsO' in eating and drink- ing ; for a christian is to be guided and ruled by God's word even in his common actions, not by his own appetite ; for he is to ' put a knife to his throat,' Prov. xxiii. 2: nor the pleasure of others: Hosea vii. 5, ' The princes made him sick with bottles of wine.' Our appetite is not our rule, for that may transport us easily to inordinances in this kind. We have but two common parents, Adam and Noah ; one the begetter, and the other the repairer of mankind ; and both miscarried by appetite, the one by eating, the other by drinking. Nor the desire of others : heathens thought it a crime to force any to drink : Esther i. 8, ' And the drinking was according to law, none did compel ; for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.' But what doth the scripture add above this? That considereth two things — (1.) The expense of time ; (2.) Our great end, the glory of God.
(Is^.) The expense of time, that we do not make it a business : Isa. V. 11, ' Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink ; they continue until night, till wine inflame them.' They made a business of it, passing an(l lavishing away the time in swilling and drinking which was allotted to labour and more serious and necessary employments ; they spend day and night in revelling and drinking, as if they were out of their element till they be at it, or cannot give over when once they set to it. Now when men make a set business of drinking, though they be not grossly distem- pered, yet they are drunkards before God.
{2d.) The end, which is the glory of God. This should be our end in eating and drinking : 1 Cor. x. 31, ' Whether therefore ye eat or
VeR. 18.] SERMONS UrON EPHESIANS V. 393'
drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God,' This is to be considered ; if we be unfitted for the service of God, though there be no gross defect of reason follow (as some men are of a stout body and a strong brain), yet these the scripture excepteth not from drunken- ness : Isa. V. 22, ' Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink/ They can take in much, and go away with it ; which is rather the commendation of a tun, than a man. Though the natural use of reason be not taken away, yet the heart is unfitted for God. Our Lord would have us consider that,. Luke xxi. 34, ' Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness ; ' when you are for- getful of God, and unmindful of better things.