The heinous Sin of Drunkenness.
EPHESIANS v. 18.
_Be not drunk with Wine, wherein is Excess; but be filed with the Spirit._
THE persons to whom these words were written, were the inhabitants of _Ephesus_, as we are told in the _Acts_, had been ♦worshippers of the great goddess _Diana_, and, in all probability, worshipped the God _Bacchus_ also; at the celebration of whose festivals, it was always customary, nay, part of their religion, to get drunk; as though there was no other way to please their God, but by turning themselves into brutes.
♦ “worshipppers” replaced with “worshippers”
The apostle therefore in this chapter, amongst many other precepts more especially applicable to them, lays down this in the text; and exhorts them, as they had now, by the free grace of GOD, been turned from heathenish darkness to the light of the gospel, to walk as children of light, and no longer make it part of their religion or practice to be “drunk with wine, wherein is excess;” but, on the contrary, strive to “be filled with the Spirit” of that Saviour, after whose name they were called, and whose religion taught them to abstain from a filthy sin, and to live soberly as they ought to live.
The world being now christian, and the doctrines of the gospel every where received, one would imagine, there should be no reason for repeating the precept now before us. But alas, christians! I mean christians falsely so called, are led captive by all sin in general, and by this of drunkenness in particular; that was St. _Paul_ to rise again from the dead, he might be tempted to think most of us were turned back to the worship of dumb idols; had set up temples in honour of _Bacchus_; and made it part of our religion, as the _Ephesians_ did of theirs, “to be drunk with wine, wherein is excess.”
Some of our civil magistrates have not been wanting to use the power given them from above, for the punishment and restraint of such evil doings; and I wish it could be said this plague of drinking, by what they have done, had been stayed amongst us. But alas! though their labour, we trust, has not been altogether in vain in the LORD, yet thousands, and I could almost say ten thousands, fall daily at our right-hand, by this sin of drunkenness, in our streets; nay, men seem to have made a covenant with hell, and though the power of the civil magistrate is exerted against them, nay, though they cannot but daily see the companions of their riot hourly, by this sin, brought to the grave, yet “they will rise up early to follow strong drink, and cry, To-morrow shall be as to-day, and so much the more abundantly; when we awake, we will seek it yet again.”
It is high time therefore, for thy ministers, O GOD, to lift up their voices like a trumpet; and since human threats cannot prevail, to set before them the terrors of the LORD, and try if these will not persuade them to cease from the evil of their doings.
But alas! how shall I address myself to them? I fear excess of drinking has made them such mere _Nabals_, that there is no speaking to them. And many of GOD’s servants have toiled all their life-time in dissuading them from this sin of drunkenness, yet they will not forbear. However, at thy command, I will speak also, though they be a rebellious house. Magnify thy strength, O LORD, in my weakness, and grant that I may speak with such demonstration of the Spirit, and power, that from henceforward they may cease to act so unwisely, and this sin of drunkenness may not be their ruin.
Believe me, ye unhappy men of _Belial_, (for such, alas! this sin has made you) it is not without the strongest reasons, as well as utmost concern for your precious and immortal souls, that I now conjure you, in the Apostle’s words, “Not to be drunk with wine, or any other liquor, wherein is excess.” For,
_First_, Drunkenness is a sin which must be highly displeasing to GOD; because it is an abuse of his good creatures.
When GOD first made man, and had breathed into him the breath of life, he gave him dominion over the works of his hands; and every herb bearing seed, and every tree, in which was the fruit of a tree yielding seed, to him was given for meat: but when _Adam_ had tasted the forbidden fruit, which was the only restraint laid upon him, he forfeited this privilege, and had no right, after he had disobeyed his Creator, to the use of any one of the creatures.