IT were vaine to be at open defiance with iniquity, if first we subdue not beastly Concupi­scence in Gluttony: which like a false-hearted subiect in a City, is ready to worke a mischiefe at home, when the forreine enemy is encountred abroad. Many not[Page 2]knowing the right order of a spi­rituall Combate, cherish that vice, and giue the on-set vppon some other sinne: it may be va­liantly, I dare say, vnprofitably, at length in steppeth Gluttony for the rescue, violently tearing out the throate of Vertue, and giuing sinne as much aduantage as it had before. Let this Tray­tour be first wounded, the flesh subdued, and brought into sub­iection, then shall you with more facility get the mastery ouer all transgression.

Gluttony, if we take it large­ly, brancheth it selfe into Drun­kennesse and all excesse in meate or drinke. The body of my Text contayneth both, which may thus be read a part, though Hypozeugma ioyne both in one: The Drunkard shall come to Po­uerty: and the glutton shall come[Page 3]to pouerty. The former onely is now the obiect of my speech, wherein you may obserue the party delinquent, and his heauy punishment.

Defin.Drunkennesse is a violent pri­uation of reason, by excessiue drinking, through inordinate af­fection to any lyquor of intoxi­cating power. Losse of reason: Excessiue drinking: Inordinate affection: these three make drun­kennesse compleate.

The first, is the losse of reason, eyther in whole, or in part: Pro­prijssime illi dicuntur ebrij, qui prae nimio potu mente altenantur, Zanc. in Ep. ad Ephe. c. 5. p. 18. §. de Ebrietate. they are most properly sayd to be drunken, who are depriued of reason by excessiue drinking. As for the intemperate drinker, that can downe with aboundance of lyquor, and yet for strength of braine is no whit mooued in[Page 4]body or minde: I suppose, I may truely call him a Glutton, how euer I excuse him not. Tanto nequior, quanto sub poculo in­uictior, Aug. de ver. apost ser. 4. the more able a man is to beare his lyquor, the more full of Sathan, if hee abuse his strength that way. Woe vnto them that are mighty to drinke wine, and men of strength to min­gle strong drinke. Esay 5.22.

But there is a two-fold pri­uation of reason, to wit; naturall, and violent. When a sober man lyeth downe to rest, sleepe depriueth him of reason for a little time. Yet so as that hee can haue it, and vse it at his pleasure: if hee appoynt one to call him, or a Bell to a wake him at s [...]ch an houre. Like Pliny his Cranes,Nat. histor. lib 10. ca. 3. who in a long iourney maintayne a watch all night, and haue their Sentinels that stand [Page 5]with one foot, and hold a stone in the other: if they chance to sleepe, downe falleth the stone, and awaketh them. But the Drunkard, being violently bereft of reason by the fume of the Grape, hath no such shift to re­couer his wits: Till the lyquor cease working, hee is not him­selfe, whether hee sleepe or wake: Ebrietas ita mentem alie­nat ut vbi sit nesciat, Isidor, sen­ten. lib. 2. ca. 43. Drunken­nesse doth so besot him, that hee knoweth not where hee is.

A man is violently bereft of reason diuers manner of wayes; by strong sents, and poysonous hearbes, that cause distraction. Anger, lust, vayne-glory, coue­tousnesse, each vehement inor­dinate affection, deserueth the name of Drunkennesse: They are drunken, but not with wine, they stagger, but not with strong drink.[Page 6]Esay 29.9. But Salomon spea­keth here of drunkennesse by wine, be not amongst wine-bib­bers: where by Wine, is meant any lyquor of intoxicating pow­er. Ebrietas dicta est quasi extra briam, quod debitam vini mensu­ram excedit. In Aquin. 22 [...]. q. 150 ar. 1. Drunkennesse is so called (saith Lessius) from taking strong drinke out of measure. When (as Saint Augustine hath it) Ad mensuras sine mensura bi­bunt. De temp. ser. 231. By full cups and measures, men drinke out of measure.

It is not simply vnlawfull to drinke VVine, if wee keepe a meane: according to that of Caietan, Vinum potatum non ine­briat, nisi sit multum respectu illius qui bibit, quantumcunque parum sit quod bibitur, In Aqu. loc. dic It is not bare drinking Wine doth intoxi­cate the braine, if it bee not much in regard of the drinker: [Page 7]though but little in measure, hee exceedeth to ebriety, that ex­ceedeth the strength of his braine to beare it. Oh! be not drunken with wine wherein is excesse; but be filled with the Spirit. Ephe. 5. chap. 18.

Yet one thing is missing to make drunkennesse compleate; namely, inordinate affection; who so hath this, is a Drunkard in heart, though hee drinke not a drop: as he is an Adulterer, that lusteth after a Woman, though he commit not the deed.

I blame not all affection to, or delectation in drinking wine: Creatum est in iucunditatem, non in ebrietatem: Ambros. de Helia et ieiun. c. 11 Twas created for iucundity, not for ebriety; to make glad the heart. Psal. 104.15. It were extreame folly to crye out, I would there were no Wine, because some are ne­uer [Page 8]quiet, but when they are at it. A man might as well say, I would there were no night be­cause of Theeues, no Women because of adultery, no Wea­pons because of murther: Vinum datum est vt rideamus, non vt de­rideamur: Chrysost. in Math. 17. hom. 58. Wine is giuen to make vs laugh, not to be laughed at, to preserue health, not to de­stroy it: God hath graced thee with this excellent blessing, see thou disgrace not thy selfe by in­temperate drinking.

But inordinate affection to the Wine, wee blame: when a man, knowing the strength of the lyquor, be it Wine, Beere, hot Water, or what else soeuer, yet taketh such delight therein, as to inioy his cups, hee willingly depriueth himselfe of reason, and becommeth a beast: for what difference is there betweene a[Page 9]man, in such a case, and a beast: but that one is vnreasonable, na­turally, the other voluntarily?

Not that all Drunkards will the absence of reason directly, as some do to rid thēselues of cares for the time: tis enough, nay too much, to will it indirectly, and in its cause: they are not weary of their wits, faine they would in­ioy their cups, and reason too, but if both cannot be had, they bid reason adieu with all their heart; of the twaine, chusing rather to want wit, then Wine.

Now here ariseth a doubt: Noah dranke Wine and was drunken:Gene. 9.21 was he worthy blame? Before the flood, in that drunken age, they had no Wine at all, though haply they had wilde Vines, and did eate of the Grapes: but Noah was the first, yea, and that after the flood, who dressed the vine,[Page 10]and pressed the grape: for which cause (sayth Berosus) he was cal­led Ianus, the inuentor of wine, from [...] that signifieth Wine; who is sayde to haue two faces, because he saw two Worlds, to wit, before and after the flood. Noe dedit naturam, sed ignora­uit pote [...]tiam, ita (que) nec vinum suo pepercit Authori. Ambros. de Helia & ieiun. ca. 5. Noah gaue Wine its nature, but knew not the power; wherefore it spared not the Authour, but made him drunken. Againe, Noe deceptus est, quia vini vis ignorabatur: cap. 6. Noah was ouertaken by chance, because he knew not the strength of it. So that (as Saint Ambrose sayth) it was Per ignorantiam, non per intemperantiam. cap. 5. For want of experience; and not through intemperance. Heere­uppon the Summists acquit him of sinne; and I excuse him A[Page 11]tanto, non a toto: Hee was drun­ken, but no Drunkard, I may safely extenuate, but I dare not annihilate the sinne. Without question, Noah sinned, and was pardoned; yet let no man bee emboldned to doe the like: ho [...]y mens weaknesses, should not en­courage vs to wickednesse. In­struant Patriarchae, non solum do­centes, sed etiam errantes. Ambros. de Abrahama Patriarcha cap. 6. Let the Patriarchs instruct vs, not onely by Doctrine, but also by falling. If they being so godly, had their slips and falls: let him that thinketh hee standeth, take heede least hee fall: Non solum attende, quod inebriatus est iu­stus: sed quod postea hoc iterum et non acciderit. Chrysost. ad loc. Noah was once drunke and no more: follow him in repentance, and not in sinne.

A sicke man hath no affection to wine, but abhorreth it: yet [Page 12]vpon his Doctors prescription, he is willing to drinke drunken, to procure a vomite, and recouer health: doeth hee offend herein? Aquinas sayth, Cibus et po­tus est moderandus, secundum qd competit corpor is valetudini; Aqui: 22 [...]: q: 150: ar: 2 [...] m. that wee are so to moderate our selues in meate and drinke, as it may stand with the health of the bo­dy: whereby it sometime com­meth to passe, that what is but enough for the sound, were too much for one sicke: And againe, what is but enough for the sicke, were too much for the sound. Whereupon the Summists hold it no sinne.

But tis not material what they say: I am sure the Scripture sayth, We may not doe ill, that good may come of it. In a despe­rate case, to preserue the body from infection, it is lawfull to [Page 13]chop off a legge, or an arme, but to procure health, tis not lawfull to depriue ones-selfe of reason. Malum non sentitur, qd per ebrietatem committitur: Isidor: lib: 2 senten: c. 43 when a man is drunken, hee knoweth not what mischiefe he may do; hee is like enough to murther, commit adultery, or any other Villany. Admit his friends bind him, or locke him vp, to pre­uent such out-rage, till he come to himselfe: yet they are not a­ble to keepe him from a desire to kill, and whore; the tongue is an vnruly euill, which no man can tame: hee will fall to cursing, and swearing, do all his friends what they can: therefore let no man take that vngodly course, to recouer health.

Suppose a man meete, with lewd company, who will quar­rell, fight, and stab, if hee pledge[Page 14]not their healthes: if in giuing them content, hee drinke more then his share to saue his life, were he too blame? The Sum­mists say no; but Saint Augu­stine sayth yea:De tempor. serm. 232. If once it come to that passe, that thou must drinke, or dye, twere better for thy body to bee slaine when thou art sober, then thy soule to perish through drunkennesse.

But I will no longer digresse; I am now chiefly to deale with the Drunkard, and not with a drunken man: Plurimum inter­esse concedes, inter ebrium, et e­briosum, Sen lib. ep. Epistol. 83. there is great difference betweene a drunken man, and a drunkard: Potest et qui ebrius est, tunc primum esse, nec habere hoc vitium; et qui ebriosus est, saepe extra ebrietatem esse. Loc. dic. Some are once drunken, and no more, and the common Drunkard[Page 15]may sometime haue his wits a­bout him. Now sayth Augu­stine, In homine iusto, etsi non ebriositatis, at certe ebrietatis causa quaerenda est: Contra Faust. l. 22. cap. 44. The iust man for being once drunken is much too blame. But the Drun­kard is the obiect of my speech, tis euen hee shall come to po­uerty.

Salomon had many other ar­guments to disswade from drun­kennesse, as wee finde in the following part of the Chapter; but (as they say) there is no woe to want: of all things, men loue not to heare of that, therefore is this reason placed in the fore­front, as most powerfull to pre­uayle with vs: the drunkard shall come to pouerty: or, as the roote [...] imports, shalbe driuen out of his inheritance, and thrust from his possession.

[Page 16]Trades-men (sayth Ambrose) Vno die bibunt multorum labores, De Helia et ieiun. c. 11. drinke as much in a day, as they get in a weeke: they spend their money, mispend their time, neglect their seruants, how is it possible such men should thriue? if they be not yet poore, [...]ere long they shall: pouerty will set vpon them like an armed man, without resistance.

Rich men (if giuen vnto the pot) may not looke to escape: they will spend frankly, swagger, and fight, sometime vnto their cost: they will buy, and sell, giue and lend, chop, and change, they care not what; when the drinke is in, the wit is out: at length Gods secret iudgement creepeth vpon their estate: be the Drun­kard whosoeuer, (if Salomon say true,) hee shall come to po­uerty: no possession, though ne­uer [Page 17]so large, can beare him out.

Thus yee haue heard the Ex­position: now suffer (I beseech you) a word of Exhortation. I know I take, an hard taske in hand to preuaile with the Drun­kard; out alas I finde Saint Au­gustines wordes to be true in this our age, Ebrietatis malum ita per vniuersum mundum a pluri­bus in consuetudinem missum est, vt ab illis qui Dei praecepta cog­noscere nolunt, iam nec putetur, nec credatur esse peccatum; De tempor: ser: 231. Drunkennesse is now in such request throughout the world, that ma­ny call it into question whether it be a sin, and deserue reproofe. Shall wee speake against Drun­kards? Saith Basil, In emortu­um auditum insonabimus, Contra E­briosos. wee had as good round a dead-man in the eare.

Why then what course shall[Page 18]wee take? Physitians in the dangerous time of the plague, come not at the infected, if past cure, but giue Antidotes to pre­serue the sound: but wee must speake vnto all, that all may be profited, the sober preserued, and as wee hope, the Drunkard reclaymed: but whether they will heare, or whether they will forbeare, we must not be silent, that they may know there hath bin a Prophet amongst them. Ezech. 2.5 The Fountaine casteth out her water, though no man come to drinke: and we must Preach, though few regard. If wee plant, and wa­ter, wee neede not doubt, but God will giue increase: such is the strength and power of the word, as to profite none it is impossible: much may fall into the beaten way, & among stones, yet some will light vpon good[Page 19]ground, and bring forth fruite. As the raine commeth downe from Heauen, & returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, & maketh it fruitfull: so my word (saith the Lord) shall not returne empty to me, but shall do whatsoeuer I wil.

Admit Drunkards do not pre­sently amend, but will to the tap-house againe: yet can they not doe it with such boldnesse, as they did before: their heart will smite them when they enter in, and thinke vpon the words they heard, they wil euen blush to fol­low their wōted course: for if they shold do so, they know this were [...], to warre with God him­selfe, and kicke against the pricke, wherby they declare to the world that they are despisers of Gods word, who when they know their masters wil, yet are so obsti­nate, that they wil do contrary.

[Page 20]Giue eare then (I beseech you) to the wordes of Salomon, Prou. 20.1. Wine is a mocker, strong drinke is raging; and whosoeuer is deceiued thereby, is not wise. Vinum Dei donum: Ebrietas di­aboli opus est: Chrysost. in Matth. 22. hom. 71. Hee blameth not the wine, but the drinker: nor him neyther, if hee keepe a meane: Medicina optima, quando commensurationem habet opti­mam; Loc. notato. if it be taken moderately, it helpeth our infirmity: drinke no longer water, but vse a little wine for thy stomackes sake, and thine often infirmities. 1 Tim. 5.23 It is the excesse must be auoyded, as Salo­mon hath shewed: and that for three regards. First, wine is a mocker. The Drunkard laugh­eth at the Iudgments of God, that are denounced against him: hee neyther feareth God, nor reue­renceth man, but amids his cups[Page 21]will laugh the best to scorne. As certaine youths did, who ma­king merry, and drinking free­ly, were bold with King Pyrrhus, Plutar. [...] the life of Pyrrhus. to speake their pleasure of him in very vndutifull sort, and being brought before him, hee asked them whether it were so? It is true, and it please your Grace, sayd one of them, we sayd it in­deed, and had not our wine failed vs, wee had spoken a great deale more. What an audacious part is this, that pot-companions will presume to deride Kings, yea to mocke God himselfe. Ah! be not deceiued, God is not moc­ked, though he forbeare a while to put his threates in execution, on hope of their conuersion; if they will not amend, at length he will strike home.

The drunkard mocketh o­thers, but he is most ridiculous [Page 22]himselfe, all his absurd speeches, and idle gestures, make others laugh. In Lycurgus his dayes,Plutarc's in the life of Lycurgus drunken men were brought into common-hals, that little children might behold what a ridiculous and beastly thing it was for a man to be drunken.

Secondly, strong drinke is raging. Seneca saith, that drunk­ennes is voluntary madnesse: non minor, sed breuior, Epistol. 83. no lesse than soe; though haply it last not soe long: but for the time, he rageth like a mad-man, he will sweare, and swagger, quarrell and fight; de ebrietate ad arma consurgit, pro vino sanguis effunditur. Ambros. de Helia & ieiun. ca. 11. of late he powred in wine, but now he will powre out his neighbours blood.

Alexander King of Macedon, in his drunkennes slew Clytus his dearest friend; but when he was[Page 23]sober, and vnderstood the mat­ter, he tooke it soe heauily, that he could haue died willingly: mo­ri voluit, certe debuit, indeede (saith Seneca)Loco notat. he ought to haue died: he that killeth a man when he is drunken, deserueth to be hanged when he is sober; especi­ally if his drunkennes were vo­luntary, let him vndergoe the law of Pittacus, and suffer double punishment: first, for immoderate drinking, then for committing out-rage in his drunkennesse.

Thirdly, whosoeuer is decei­ued thereby, is not wise) the roote is [...] sapere; he cannot rellish well. Prae [...]nimio voluptatis stu­dio, voluptatem se amitere nesci­unt, Basil. Mag­nus contra Ebriosos. drunkards hunt after plea­sure in their cups: but taking o­uer much, they loose their tast.

A small sound delights the eare; too loude a noise will make one[Page 24]deafe a small light doth please the eie, but gazing on the Sunne will make one blind, a sober draught affects the tast, but too much wine offends the palate: the full soule loatheth an hony-combe: but to the hungry soule euery bit­ter thing is sweete; Pro. 27.7. the drunkards wine seemeth water to him, but the sober mans water is turned into wine: the Israelites drank ho­ny out of a rocke: the water was so pleasant to them, being sore a thirst.

But, sapere quod hoc verbo sig­nificatur, est mentes, non palati▪ Mercer. on Pa [...]in, in [...]adice [...] The taste here meant, is of the minde, not of the palate. Now the drunkard commeth short of that: ventrem & mentem nemo replere potest, a full belly hath an empty braine; whoredome, and Wine take away the heart, Hos. 4.11.

[Page 25] Sapientis est ordinare (sayth Thomas on the Masters Prologue;) tis the part of a wise man, to or­der all his doings to the right end: but the drunkard cannot do so, whether the end be in aliquo speciali artificio, vel in tota vita humana, vel simpliciter vltimus. In some special worke, or morall, or God himselfe.

The end whereat a Carpen­ter doth aime, is an house for ha­bitation: and who so can giue best direction to inferiour worke­men, is a wise man As a wise ma­ster-builder, I haue layd the foun­dation, and another buildeth thereon. 1. Cor. 3.10 Now the drunkard in his cups, is not able to giue dire­ction, in any particular vocation. The Preacher cannot, Esay 28.7. They haue erred through wine, and through strong drinke are cut of the way: they are swallowed vp[Page 26]of wine, they erre in vision, they stumble in iudgement. The Ma­gistrate cannot. Pro. 31.45. It is not for Kings, O Lemuel, it is not for Kings, to drinke wine, nor for Princes strong drinke, least they forget the Law, and peruert the iudgement of any of the affli­cted. A filly woman could ap­peale from Philip King of Ma­cedon being drunken, to the same King when he should bee sober: that he might well consider the matter, before he passed sentence against her. The Trades-man cannot: what need I go to parti­culars in a generall truth? Who­soeuer is deceiued thereby, is not wise.

If the end bee morall, to liue well and happily on earth, he that can best order all his actions to that end, is a wise man. Pro. 10.23 It is a sport to a foole to doe mischiefe, [Page 27]but a man of vnderstanding hath wisedome: true, and the drunkard hath none, he is such a foole, that he careth not what mischiefe hee doth himselfe, or others in body, goods, or name: whereby it commeth to passe, that he lea­deth a most vnhappy life. Or if the end be, simpliciter vltimus, euen God himselfe, who so or­dereth his course aright to ob­taine this end, is a wise man in­deed, sapere, nihil aliudest, nisi verum Deum iustis ac pijs culti­bus honorare: Lactan. de vera sapien cap. 1. to be wise is nothing else, but to worship the true God aright. O keep, and do the Com­mandements of the Lord: for this is your wisdome, and your vnder­standing in the sight of the Nati­ons. Deut. 4.6. Againe, sapientia, est intelli­gentia, vel ad bonum, rectumque faciendum vel abstinentia dictorū factorum (que) improborum, Lactan. de iustitia c 19 wisdome [Page 28]is an vnderstanding heart, to es­chew euill, and doe good, the feare of God, that is wisedome: and to depart from evill, is vnder­standing. Iob 28.28.

But drunkards haue no feare of God before their eyes, they say vnto the Lord, depart from vs, we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes: Iob 21.14. neither haue they any heart to depart from euill: therefore as for wine, whosoeuer is de­ceiued thereby, is not wise.

What if a man should say he is a very foole; the word of the Lord is verified in such: my people is foolish, they haue not knowne me, they are sottish children, and haue none vnderstanding, they are wise to doe evill, but to doe good they haue no knowledge. Ier. 4.22.

Sane discimus vitandam ebrie­tatem, per quam crimina vitare non possumus. Ambros. de Abrah. Patriar. c. 6 in any case auoyd [Page 29]drunkennes, which disableth you to shun wickednes. Oh it is a Ca­pitall crime, with as many heads as Hydra. What sinne can be so­vile, that drunkards will not ven­ture on? ebrietas fomentum libi­dinis, Ambros. de Hel. & ieiu. cap. 16. drunkennes prouoketh men to wantonnes: their eyes be­hold strange women, Verse 33. they will make no bones of adultery, nor yet of idolatry▪ the People sate downe to eate, and drinke, and rose vp to play, that play was idola­try, to worship the golden calfe which Aaron made. Basil. Mag contra ebri­osos. And thus at length it appeareth, that wine is a mocker, strong drinke is ra­ging, and whosoeuer is deceiued thereby, is not wise.

Salomon telleth vs againe that vngodly men reioyce to doe evill Pro: 2.14. [...] the roote for euill is [...] taratantarizare, taken from the sound of the trumpet, laetitiae[Page 30]causa vocem at tollere, to lift vp the voyce for ioy. This inepta laetitia, foolish mirth, is in all ini­quity; but chiefly in ebriety.

The sober man well vnder­standeth the manifold calamities that befall him in this life, which make him say of laughter it is mad, and of mirth, what doth it: Eccles. 2.2. but wine turneth euery thought into i [...]ty, and mirth: so that a man remembreth neither sorrow, nor debt: 1 Esd. 3.20. He doth euen inioy his cups, which maketh his heart to leape, supposing felicity to consist therein: hee cannot con­taine, but breaketh foorth into outward signes of ioy, he begin­neth to laugh, dance, and sing tara-tantara: but alas poore soule, if hee knew all, hee hath more cause to weepe.

Goe to now yee Drunkards, weep and howle for the miseries [Page 31]that shall come vppon you howle yee Ships of Tarshish, (sayth E­say,)Esay 23.1. and well doth the Prophet compare Drunkards to ships Saith Ambrose, De Helia et ieiun. c. 19. They that goe downe to the Sea in ships, that doe businesse in great waters, reele too and fro, and stagger; so doth the Drunkard; they are at their wits end, so is the Drunkard; they are troubled with windes, and raging waters, so is the drun­kard: they cast out their lading, so doth the Drunkard: Os poste­riorum partium assumit vsum: Chrysost. ad pop. hom. 54 his mouth executeth the office of the lower parts: they scarce es­cape with life, no more doth the Drunkard: Pleri (que) dum vomunt epulum, fudere animam: Ambros. de Helia et ei­iun. cap. 8. too many vomit vp drink, and life together. Alexander at a supper brought out a crowne for a reward to him that dranke most:Plutarc. Alexa. Promachus [Page 32]swallowed downe foure gallons of wine, and wan the Crowne worth a Talent; but hee liued not aboue three dayes after, and forty one of his fellowes dyed of an extreame cold, that tooke them in their drunkennesse. A fearefull example, and a faire warning for all pot-companions. Though the Mariners escape with life, yet they are halfe vn­done, their wares are lost, and their ship well-nigh broken: So is the Drunkard almost, if not quite vndone, Ebrietas mors om­nium virtutum: Vincen. specul. mor. lib. 3. par. 8 dist. 8. Drunkennesse is the shipwracke of all goodnesse, his modesty, sobriety, and tem­perance, most precious wares, are cast away, and the shippe of his body is fore shaken, with palsies, and other diseases, that he will haue much adoe to patch it vp againe.

[Page 33]Who goeth with a rugged coate? the Drunkard: who tur­neth wife and children out of doores? the Drunkard. Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath bab­ling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath rednes of eies? they that tarry long at the wine, they that goe to seeke mixt wine. Oh! looke not vpon the wine, when it is red: when it giueth his colour in the cap: when [...] it selfe aright: at the last it bi­teth like a Serpent, and stingeth like an Adder.

Man that is in honour, and vnderstandeth not, is like the beast that perish. Psal. 49.10 Tell me O man, wherein differest thou from a beast? is it not in the excellent gift of reason, whereby thou rulest the creatures? Oh! then, be not thou so base to be led by[Page 34]the sway of sensuall desire, and for the loue of liquor turne thy selfe on grazing with Nebuchad­nezzar among the beasts of the field. The silly Asse will quench his thirst, and drinke no more: but thou for thy pleasure, wilt passe the bounds of nature, and become a beast, nay rather worse: for they haue no reason, no more hast thou: but they can vse their limbes, soe canst not thou. Whereto shall I liken drunkards? but to the Idols of the heathen, who haue eyes, and see not, eares and heare not, feete, and walke not.

The Drunkard can neither reade, nor pray; hee is not for the workes of piety, or policy: to say plainely, hee is good for iust nothing; like the vnprofitable ground, which hauing drunke too much, beareth no fruite, but[Page 35]turneth into dirt. Alas! what good fruite should wee expect from a Drunkard? Who is no better then a dead man, nay worse by farre: hee that is dead can doe neyther good nor ill, but the Drunkard is dead to all goodnesse whatsoeuer, and a­liue, yea very actiue to all wicked­nesse.

Loe, yee haue heard how the Drunkard is voyde of good­nesse, apt to lewdnesse, and that hee shalbee impouerished, diseased, a thousand wayes tor­mented in this life. If it come to passe, when hee heareth the wordes of this curse, that hee blesse himselfe in his heart, say­ing, I shall haue peace, though I walke in the imagination of mine heart, to adde drunkennes to thirst: the Lord will not spare him, but then the anger[Page 36]of the Lord, and his iealousy shall smoake against that man. Deut. 29.19.20. Woe to them that rise early in the morning, that they may follow strong drinke, that continue vntill night, till the wine inflame them. Esay 5.11, Vae lamentabilis est acclamatio, lamentatione autem digni sunt e­briosi, quia regnum Dei non pos­sidebunt. Basil. Mag. contra ebri­oses. Woe is a dolefull ex­clamation, and indeed all drun­kards deserue lamentation, for they are in the Catalogue of those that shall neuer inherite the kingdome of God.

Audite, et cauete vos, O quibus istud malum non in crimine, sed in vsu est, Orig. in Gen c. 19. hom. 5 heare and beware, O yee that blame not this sinne, but make a common practise of it: haue some respect to your out­ward estate, to the teares of your wiues, to the good of your chil­dren: [Page 37]be not altogether carelesse of the health of your bodies, of the vertue of your minde, of the Lawes of God, of the sauing of your soules: preferre not a little beastly pleasure before them all: doe not wilfully cast away your selues, for whom Christ dyed.

If yee repent, and amend, hee is ready to forgiue: I can shewe your pardon from the great King of Heauen, for all that is past, the tenour whereof is this, Let the wicked forsake his way, and the vnrighteous man his thoughts, and let him returne to the Lord, and he will haue mercy vpon him, and to our God, for he will aboun­dantly pardon. Esay 55.7 Gods mercy is greater then your misery: Yee cannot be so infinite in sinning, as he is infinite in pardoning, if you repent.

I know an euill habite is not[Page 38]cast off in a moment, but by de­grees: therefore (as Saint Au­gustine aduiseth)De tempor. serm. 232. presently with­draw one cup, to morrow another, and next day another, till you come to a setled, and sober dyet. Giue thy selfe to fasting and prayer, without which ex­ercise this kinde of Diuell is not cast out. Then haue a care to shunne lewd company, be not amongst Wine-bibbers, least they make thee returne to thy wonted course: Bonum esse inter malos, est quasi natare contra tor­rentem, Ste [...]a de contemp. mundi p. 2. cap. 27. to be abstemious among the Gluttonous, were to swimme against the streame.

If vrgent occasions call thee to such places, resolue by Gods grace not to pledge their healths: Nay, but they will stab then! care not for that: looke what wrong they offer thee, beare it pati­ently, [Page 39]and God will reward thee. Nemo dicat, quod in istis temporibus martyres non sint; quotidie martyres fiunt: August. de temp. s. 232 let no man say, wee haue no Martyrs in these our dayes, wee haue Martyrs daily: A Martyr, is a witnesse of the truth of God, and whatsoeuer a man suffereth for the truth sake, the Lord esteemeth it no lesse then Mar­tyrdome.

Moreouer, consider the great want of Christs poore mem­bers, and thou wilt not for pit­ty, wast that prodigally, where­with the bowels of the Saints may be refreshed.

Finally, be a frequent hearer of the word, and thou shalt of­ten meete with good exhortati­ons to sobriety, and powerfull reasons to diswade from drun­kennesse.

[Page 40]Vse these remedies conscionably, and thou wilt soone abandon this iniquity: so shalt thou liue godly, righteously, and soberly in this present world, to the glory of God, the good example of thy Neighbour, and the sauing of thy soule, through Gods tender mer­cy in Christ Iesu. To whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be ascribed all Glory, Honour, and Praise, Power, Might, and dominion, of vs, and all people, now and for euer. Amen.