Titus ii.

1 Pet. v.

AN

HOMILY

AGAINST

Gluttony and Drunkenness.

YE have heard in the former Sermon, well-beloved, the defcription and the virtue of fafting, with the true ufe of the fame. Now ye fhall hear how foul a thing gluttony and drunkennefs is before God, the rather to move you to ufe fafting the more diligently. Understand. ye therefore, that Almighty God (to the end that we might keep ourselves undefiled, and ferve him in holiness and righteousness, according to his word) hath charged in his Scriptures fo many as look for the glorious appearing of our Saviour Chrift, to lead their lives in all fobriety, modefty, and temperance. Whereby we may learn how. neceffary it is for every Chriftian, that will not be found unready at the coming of our Saviour Chrift, to live fober-minded in this prefent world, forafmuch as otherwife being unready, he cannot enter with Christ into glory and being unarmed in this behalf, he must needs be in continual danger of that cruel adversary, the roaring Lion, against whom the Apostle Peter warneth us to prepare ourselves in continual fobriety, that we may refift, be-, ing steadfast in faith. To the intent therefore that this foberness may be used in all our behaviour, it shall be expedient for us to declare unto you how much all kind of excefs offendeth the Majefty of Almighty God, and how grievously he punifheth the immoderate abuse of those his creatures, which he ordained to the maintenance of this our needy life, as meats, drinks, and apparel; and again, to fhew the noisome diseases and great mifchiefs, that commonly do follow them that inordinately give up themselves to be carried headlong with fuch pleasures as are joined either with dainty and over-large fare, or else with coftly and fumptuous apparel.

And

And first, that ye may perceive how deteftable and hateful all excefs in eating and drinking is before the face of Almighty God, ye fhall call to mind what is written by St. Paul to the Galatians, where he num- Galat. v. bereth gluttony and drunkennefs among thofe horrible crimes, with the which (as he faith) no man fhall inherit the kingdom of heaven. He reckoneth them among the deeds of the flesh, and coupleth them with idolatry, whoredom, and murder, which are the greatest offences that can be named among men. For the first spoileth God of his honour; the fecond defileth his holy temple, that is to wit, our own bodies; the third maketh us companions of Cain in the flaughter of our brethren; and whofo committeth them, as St. Paul faith, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Certainly, that fin is very odious and loathfome before the face of God, which caufeth him to turn his favourable countenance fo far from us, that he should clean bar us out of the doors, and difinherit us of his heavenly kingdom. But he fo much abhorreth all beaftly banqueting, that, by his Son our Saviour Chrift in the Gofpel, he declareth his terrible indignation against all belly-gods, in that he pronounceth them accurfed, faying, Woe be to you that are full, for ye Luke vi. fhall hunger. And by the Prophet Ifaiah he crieth out, Woe be to you that rife up early, to give yourselves to drunken-Ifa. v. nefs, and fet all your mind fo on drinking, that ye fit Swilling thereat until it be night. The harp, the lute, the fhalm, and plenty of wine are at your feafts: but the works of the Lord ye do not behold, neither confider the works of his hands. Woe be unto you that are firong to drink wine, and are mighty to advance drunkenness. Here the Prophet plainly teacheth that feafting and banqueting make men forgetful of their duty towards God, when they give themselves to all kinds of pleasures, not confidering nor regarding the works of the Lord, who hath created meats and drinks, as St. Paul faith, to be received thankfully of them that believe and know the truth. So that the very beholding 1 Tim. iv. of these creatures (being the handy-work of Almighty God) might teach us to use them thankfully, as God hath ordained. Therefore they are without excufe before God, which either filthily feed themselves, not respecting the fanctification which is by the word of God and prayer, or elfe unthankfully abufe the good creatures of God by furfeiting and drunkenness, forafmuch as God's ordinances in his creatures plainly forbid it. They that give themselves therefore to bibbing and banqueting,

Joel i.

being altogether without confideration of God's judgments, are fuddenly oppreffed in the day of vengeance. Luke xxi. And thereof our Saviour Chrift warneth his difciples, faying, Take heed to yourselves, left at any time your hearts be overcome with furfeiting and drunkennefs, and cares of this world, and fo that day come on you unawares. Whofoever then will take warning at Chrift, let him take heed to himself, left his heart being overwhelmed by furfeiting, and drowned in drunkenness, he be taken unawares with that unthrifty serLuke xii. vant, which, thinking not on his master's coming, began to fmite his fellow-fervants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, and being fuddenly taken, hath his juft reward with unbelieving hypocrites; they that ufe to drink deeply, and to feed at full, (wallowing themfelves in all kind of wickednefs,) are brought asleep in that flumbering forgetfulness of God's holy will and commandments. Therefore Almighty God crieth by the Prophet Joel, Awake ye drunkards, weep and howl all ye drinkers of wine, because the new wine fhall be pulled from your mouth. Here the Lord terribly threateneth to withdraw his benefits from fuch as abuse them, and to pull the cup from the mouth of drunkards. Here we may learn, not to fleep in drunkenness and furfeiting, left God deprive us of the ufe of his creatures, when we unkindly abuse them. For certainly the Lord our God will not only take away his benefits when they are unthankfully abused, but also, in his wrath and heavy difpleasure, take vengeance on fuch as immoderately abuse them. If our first parents, Adam and Eve, had not obeyed their greedy appetite in eating the forbidden fruit, neither had they loft the fruition of God's benefits which they then enjoyed in Paradise, neither had they brought fo many mischiefs both to themfelves, and to all their pofterity. But when they paffed the bounds that God appointed them, as unworthy of God's benefits, they are expelled and driven out of Paradife; they may no longer eat the fruits of that garden, which by excefs they had fo much abused. As tranfgreffors of God's commandment, they and their posterity are brought to a perpetual fhame and confufion; and as accurfed of God, they must now fweat for their living, which before had abundance at their pleasure: even fo, if we in eating and drinking exceed, when God of his large liberality fendeth plenty, he will foon change plenty into fcarcenefs. And whereas we gloried in fulness, he will make us empty, and confound us with penury; yea, we fhall be compelled to labour and travel with pains, in

Gen. iii.

feeking

feeking for that which we fometime enjoyed at eafe. Thus the Lord will not leave them unpunished, who, not regarding his works, follow the lufts and appetites of their own hearts. The Patriarch Noah, whom the Apo- 2 Peter ii. ftle calleth the preacher of righteoufnels, a man exceed- Noah. ingly in God's favour, is in holy Scripture made an example, whereby we may learn to avoid drunkenness. For when he had poured in wine more than was convenient, in filthy manner he lay naked in his tent, his privities discovered. And whereas fome time he was fo much esteemed, he is now become a laughing-stock to his wicked fon Cham, no fmall grief to Sem and Japhet, his other two fons, which were afhamed of their father's beaftly behaviour. Here we may note that drunkenness bringeth with it fhame and derifion, fo that it never escapeth unpunished. Lot, in like manner being over- Lot. come with wine, committed abominable incest with his own daughters. So will Almighty God give over drunkards to the fhameful lufts of their own hearts. Here is Lot by drinking fallen fo far befide himself, that he knoweth not his own daughters. Who would have thought that an old man in that heavy cafe, having loft his wife and all that he had, which had feen even now God's vengeance in fearful manner declared on the five cities for their vicious living, fhould be fo far paft the remembrance of his duty? But men overcome with drink are altogether mad, as Seneca faith. He was deceived Epift. 84. by his daughters: but now many deceive themselves, never thinking that God by his terrible punishments will be avenged on them that offend by excefs! It is no small plague that Lot purchased by his drunkennefs. For he had copulation moft filthy with his own daughters, which conceived thereby, fo that the matter is brought to light; it can no longer be hid. Two inceftuous children are born, Ammon and Moab, of whom came two nations, the Ammonites and Moabites, abhorred of God, and cruel adverfaries to his people the Ifraelites. Lo, Lot hath gotten to himself, by drinking, forrow and care, with perpetual infamy and reproach unto the world's end. If God fpared not his fervant Lot, being otherwise a godly man, nephew unto Abraham, one that entertained the angels of God; what will he do to thefe beastly belly-flaves, which, void of all godlinefs or virtuous behaviour, not once, but continually day and night, give themselves wholly to bibbing and banqueting? But let us yet further behold the terrible examples of God's indignation

Amnon.

1 Macc.

xvi.

Exod. xxxii.

dignation against fuch as greedily follow their unsatiable 2 Sam. xiii. lufts. Amnon the fon of David, feafting himself with his brother Abfalom, is cruelly murdered of his own Judith xiii. brother. Holofernes, a valiant and mighty captain, being overwhelmed with wine, had his head ftricken from his fhoulders by that filly woman Judith. Simon the high priest, and his two fons, Mattathias and Judas, being entertained by Ptolemy the son of Abobus, who had before married Simon's daughter, after much eating and drinking were traitorously murdered of their own kinfman. If the Ifraelites had not given themselves to bellycheer, they had never fo often fallen to idolatry. Neither would we at this day be fo addicted to fuperftition, were it not that we fo much esteemed the filling of our 1 Cor. x. bellies. The Ifraelites, when they ferved idols, fut down to eat and drink, and rofe again to play, as the Scripture reporteth; therefore feeking to ferve their bellies, they forfook the fervice of the Lord their God. So are we drawn to confent unto wickedness, when our hearts are overwhelmed by drunkennefs and feafting. So Herod fetting his mind on banqueting, was content to grant, that the Matt. xiv. holy man of God, John Baptift, fhould be beheaded at the request of his whore's daughter. Had not the rich glutton been fo greedily given to the pampering of his belly, he would never have been fo unmerciful to the Luke xvi. poor Lazarus, neither had he felt the torments of unquenchable fire. What was the caufe that God so horriEzek. xvi. bly punished Sodom and Gomorrah? was it not their proud banqueting and continual idleness, which caused them to be fo lewd of life, and fo unmerciful towards the poor? What shall we now think of the horrible excess, whereby fo many have perifhed, and been brought to Alexander. deftruction? The great Alexander, after that he had conquered the whole world, was himself overcome by drunkenness, infomuch that, being drunken, he flew his faithful friend Clitus, whereof, when he was fober, he was fo much ashamed, that for anguish of heart he wished death. Yet notwithstanding, after this he left not his banqueting; but in one night fwilled in fo much wine, that he fell into a fever, and when as by no means he would abstain from wine, within few days after in miferable fort he ended his life. The conqueror of the whole world is made a flave by excefs, and becometh so mad, that he murdereth his dear friend; he is plagued with forrow, fhame, and grief of heart for his intemperance; yet can he not leave it; he is kept in captivity; and he,