Thou that saiest there is no God see whither thou dost speak against thine own conscience It is most likely that thou rather wishest there were than really thinkest in thy heart that there is no God For this truth is so deeply graven upon man's heart that there is a God that it is hardly possible to root it totally and constantly out of our minds but Conscience will some time or other discover that there are some Notions of a Diety remaining in the worst of men What mean those accusations of Conscience which even such as profess themselves Atheists feel for secret sins which none know but themselves especially in times of distress and when they are in danger of death They are intimations that there are apprehension there is a God to whom men must be accountable even for their secret sins Why do Atheistical persons fear and tremble when it Thunders and Lightens in a dreadful manner Why did Caligula the Emperour who feared no man on Earth shew so much timerousness when it Thundred and Lightned that he got under his Bed Their fears of God's judgments shew that there are some impressions of the Being of God remaining in the Minds and Consciences of the most professed Atheists 4. If you will not be convinced of your folly in being of this singular and wicked Opinion that there is no God enjoy your Opinion to your self and please your self in your own delusion and take your fill of sin but know whither you will believe it or will not that there is a righteous God who will call thee to judgment for all these things and will without repentance cast you into Hell-fire for your sins and when you feel his vengeance in the other world you shall never doubt any more whither there be a God to Eternity For whatever Atheistical Opinions men hold on Earth they shall cease to be Atheists when they come in Hell § The despairing Drunkard's Plea who thinks there is no hope of mercy for him and therefore resolves still to go on in his sins Plea 27. I have been such a vile and wretched sinner and have lived so â—â—…ng in this sin of drunkenness that I am afâ—â—â—… there is no Mercy for me And therefore I had as good enjoy what delight and pleasure I can whilst I live seeing I must perish when I die If I did apprehend there was any hope of Mercy for me I would speedily break off my evil courses and reform my life A. 1. Despair doth harden mens hearts to go on still in their trespasses Jer. 18.12 And they said There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the Imagination of his own evil heart And therefore we should be careful that we do not give way to despairing thoughts concerning the mercy of God 2. Though your case should be hopeless yet you had better break of your evil courses than go on to add sin to sin for that will lessen your torments in the other world 3. There is hope upon your Repentance that you may obtain mercy from God though you have been as vile a Drunkard as any that lives upon the face of the Earth For 1. The blood of Christ is of sufficient vertue to wash away the greatest sins of the greatest sinners in the world Joh. 1.23 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world All sins though never so many for number and never so heinous for nature are cleansed away by the blood of Christ from such as repent and believe in him Joh. 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 2. The Lord for Christ his sake hath promised remission of sins upon their repentance to the chiefest of sinners and such as have continued so long in their sins that they have even wearied the patience of God to bear with them Isa 1.16 17 18. Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well Come now let us reason together though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red as Crimson they shall be as wool The most heinous sins such as are like scarlet and crimson of a deep die shall be forgiven to such as cease to do evil Isa 43.24 25. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine Iniquities I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Though a man hath been a very wicked man and led an evil Life and committed abundance of sin yet upon his Repentance God will pardon all his sins Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 3. Abominable Drunkards and other vile sinners have obtained pardon of sin through the blood of Christ and Sanctification by the Spirit of Christ 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Such were some of you that is such as are mentioned in the foregoing verses Drunkards Idolaters Adulterers abusers of themselves with Mankind Theives Revilers Extortioners And yet though some of them had been such abominable sinners they were pardoned by the blood and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ And therefore let no man though a great sinner though the chiefest of sinners say his case is desperate for there is mercy for him upon his Repentance Prov. 28.13 Who so confesseth and forsaketh shall have mercy Sect. 7 And Exhortation to such as are addicted to this sin of drunkenness to break off their sin If drunkenness be such a wofull sin then let me exhort all persons that are addicted to this sin of drunkenness whether they be rich or poor young or old speedily to break of their sin and to leave of their drunken courses and companions I entreat and beseech you for God's sake whose name is dishonoured by this beastly sin and for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake who shed his most precious blood to redeem you from this and your other sins and for the Holy Ghost's sake who is greived and vexed by your sensual courses and for the Gospel's sake which is scandalized by your lose Conversations and for your own sake that you would not ruine your selves Body and Soul for ever and for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake that you would not deprive your selves of the unspeakable glory and joys of Heaven rather than to leave off this swinish sin and for your Families that you would not ruine and corrupt your Families and entail God's Judgments on your Posterity and for the Nation 's sake that you would not pull down God's wrath upon the Land of your Nativity leave off your
their sinfull courses and say in their hearts they shall have peace though they go on to add sin to sin 1. The Lord will not spare him No excuses no pleas no entreaties no tears shall prevail with God to spare such a man The Lord will not spare him that is the Lord will shew him no mercy he will not spare him from destruction here Jer. 13.14 I will not spare but destroy them Nor spare him from eternal torments in the other world Not sparing implyes a casting down to Hell 2 Pet. 2.4 God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell 2. The anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man If the Lord's anger be kindled but a little they are happy that are secured from it Psal 2.12 And therefore that man is in a wofull condition against whom God's anger and his jealousie waxeth hot and sinoaketh The jealousies of a man is dreadsull Prov. 6.34 35. But the jealousie of God is far more dreadfull that burns like fire Psal 79.5 Shall thy jealousie burn like fire 3. All the curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him The curses written in this book that is the curses of God denounced in the Scripture and they are more dreadfull than the curses of any men they shall not only come and fall but they shall lye upon that man that adds drunkenness to thirst and that not only some but all of them To have any one of the curses of God come upon a man is dreadfull but to have them all not only to fall but to lye upon a man is unspeakable misery 4. And the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven That is the Lord shall give him no part no portion in the Kingdom of Heaven and the Lord shall root out his posterity and leave him no name of Son or Daughter and shall cause his name the memory and remembrance of him to perish 5. The Lord shall separate unto evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the curses that are written in the book of this Law As much as to say God will separate such a man from the rest of mankind to make him an object of his wrath and a monument of his displeasure to pour out all his wrath upon him and to bring upon him all the plagues and all the curses threatned in his word against impenitent sinners Let such drunkards and other impenitent sinners as go on still in their sins and yet hope for Salvation when they dye consider and lay to heart what dreadfull judgments are here denounced against such as add drunkenness to thirst and yet bless themselves in their hearts and say they shall have peace § The plea of such as have a secret hope God will spare them either because of some excellency or because Christ dyed for sinners or because they confess their sin Plea 21. I do verily believe that some yea many drunkards shall be shut out of Heaven but I have a secret hope that God will spare me because of those excellencies he hath put upon me and because Christ dyed to save sinners and when ever I am drunk as soon as I am come to my self I confess my sin and make vows and promises to leave my sin A. 1. It is folly and self-flattery makes thee think God should spare thee for that sin for which God will condemn others For God is no respecter of persons but will execute vengeance upon every impenitent sinner of what Nation rank or condition soever they be upon the rich as well as the poor the honourable as well as the base the great as well as the mean man Act 10.34 Of a truth I perceive God is no respecter of persons Rom. 2.6 9 Who will render to every man according to his deeds Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Centile 2. Let such as fancy that God will spare them and not cast them to hell for their drunkenness and their other sins because of some excellency they have above others as because they are great men or Learned men honourable men or the like consider that God did not spare the Angels when they sinned but cast them into Hell 2. Pet. 2.4 God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell Yet the Angels are wiser than the greatest Scholars and most Learned Men in the World and more glorious Creatures than the greatest Gentlemen Knights Noblemen yea more glorious than Kings and Princes And if God did not spare the Angels when they sinned against him but cast them down to Hell why shouldest thou think that he will spare thee and not cast thee to Hell for thy drunkenness because thou art a Learned or an Honourable man seeing all thine Excellencies whatever are inferiour to the Excellency of Angels Obj. But Christ died to save Sinners but he did not dye to save Angels and therefore I hope God will save me though I go on still in my Sins A 1. Jesus Christ who came into the World to save sinners came also to call sinners to Repentance Luk. 5.32 I came not to call the Righteous but sinners to Repentance He came not to save Sinners in their sins I mean to let Sinners live as they list and yet to save their Souls but he came to save sinners from their sins Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins 2. Jesus Christ who came to save Sinners tells us expresly that he will not save one sinner without Rrepentance but that all who do not repent shall perish and that he will shut out of Heaven at the day of Judgment all workers of Iniquity Luk. 13.3.5 I tell you nay but except you repent ye shall all likewise perish I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish He speaks the same words twice that they may sink the deeper into our hearts See also Luk. 13.27 Depart from me all ye workers of Iniquity Obj. I do believe may some say such as do not repent of their sins shall not be saved by the death of Christ but I repent of my Drunkenness when I have been overcome with Wine or strong Drink one day the next day when I am sober I am grieved for my sin and I confess my sin to God and make vows that I will not be drunk any more and therefore I hope God will spare and pardon me though he condemn other Drunkards A. 1. If you so repent of are grieved for and confess your sin as to forsake your Drunkenness you shall find mercy with God and he will pardon your sin though you have been a very vile and wicked person and have committed abundance of sin Isa 55.7 Let thē wicked for sake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will
have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 2. If you only confess your sin but soon commit it again and make vows and promises of Reformation but break them as oft as you make them this is not true Repentance this is but dissembling with God and a kind of mocking God when you confess your sin and yet are not resolved to leave your sin and to make vows and Promises when you do not mean to perform them The promise of pardon is to such as confess and forsake their sins not to such as confess and commit them again Prov. 28.13 Whoso confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy VVhen men make Vows and Promises to God to reform their lives and their Hearts are not real neither are they stedfast to what they promise God accounts all our vows and promises but flattery and telling him so many lies Ps 78.34 35 36 37. When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God And they remembred that God was the 〈◊〉 rock and the high God their Redeemer Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongue For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his covenant § Noah and Lot's Drunkenness will not excuse Drunkards Plea 22. Noah and Lot were good men and there is no doubt but they are gone to Heaven yet they were both drunk with VVine and that in as fearful and shameful manner as ever we were Noah was so drunk that he lay uncovered within his Tent and one of his Sons saw his Nakedness Lot was so overcome with some that he knew not what he did but committed Incest with both his Daughters and why may not we be good men and go to Heaven as well as Lot and Noah though we be now and then overcome with Drink A. 1. Though Noah was once overtaken with Drunkenness and Lot was surprized twice yet they were no Drunkards A Drunkard is one that is addicted and given to the sin of drunkenness one that is frequently overcome with VVine and strong drink A good man may be overtaken with a fault and may fall into sin but they are wicked men that lie and continue in their sins A Sheep may fall into the Mire but they are Swine that love to wallow in the mire 2. Noah and Lot repented of their drunkenness and so obtained Mercy but impenitent Sinners such as instead of repenting go on still in their trespasses instead of Mercy shall receive vengeance from God Psal 68.21 But God shall wound the head of his Enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses 3. The falls of the Saints the sins of Lot and Noah and other Servants of God are recorded into Scripture not to justifie or encourage any man in his sins but as warnings to all that think they stand to take heed lest they fall 1 Cor. 10.12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall The Apostle had spoke in the foregoing verses of the murmurings and several other sins of the Israelites and of God's judgments against them for their sins and tells us that these things are recorded that such as think they stand should take heed lest they fall And therefore they that make this use of the fall of the Saints to encourage themselves in their sinful practices wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction 4. Lot's sin was punished in his posterity for the Children which he begat of his Daughters in his drunkenness namely Moab and Ammon brought forth a cursed Generation of Men that proved great Enemies to the Church of God For Moab who was Lot's eldest Daughters Son was the Father of the Moabites And Ben-ammi that was the Son of the younger Daughter was the Father of the Ammonites Gen. 9.37 38. And the Lord had such an indignation against the Moabites and Ammonites that he made a special Law against them above other Nations to exclude them from coming into the Congregation of the Lord. Deut. 23.3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord even to their tenth Generation they shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord for ever § The Plea of such as say Drunkenness is their infirmitie Plea 23. There is no man perfect in this VVorld but all men have their infirmities and failings one in one kind and another in another kind and this is my infirmitie that I love a Cup of good drink too well and when I am amongst my Companions I can't for my heart forbear drinking over much and I hope that seeing this is mine infirmity God will be gracious unto me and not shut me out of Heaven for a sin of infirmity A. 1. It is true all men have their infirmities and failings whilst they are in this World Eccl. 7.20 For there is not a just man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not The holiest men in the world have acknowledged themselves to be imperfect There was not a holier man on Earth than Job if perfection be taken for integrity and uprightness in that sence he was a perfect man Job 1.10 Yet Job was conscious to himself of his infirmities and durst not stand upon his own justification in the sight of God and say that he was perfect Job 9.20 If I justifie my self my own Mouth shall condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse The Apostle Paul acknowledgeth himself imperfect Phil. 3.12 Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect But although the Servants of God have their infirmities they do not live in such beastly sins as Drunkenness What Moses saith of the degenerate Jews Deut. 32.5 may be applyed to Drunkards They have corrupted themselves their spot is not the spot of his Children they are a perverse and a crooked generation They flatter and delude themselves who live in such vicious courses as drunkenness and call their sins their infirmities 2. Such as are frequently overcome with wine and strong drink their drunkenness is not a sin of infirmity but a wilful and presumptuous sin as will appear in these respects 1. A man that sins through infirmitie is willing and desirous to be freed from his sins Matth. 26.40 41. What could ye not watch with me one hour The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak The sleepiness of the Disciples was their infirmity their Spirits were willing to have watched but their flesh was weak And such a man as sinneth through infirmity useth means to be freed of his sins Psal 77.10 And I said This iâ—â—â—y infirmitie but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high The Psalmist having through infirmity called in question the love and mercy of God calleth to mind his former experiences of God's gracious dealings with his soul he used means to get out of that sin