[1] Some of you glory in your shame, that you have drunk down
your companions, and carried it away,--the honour of a
sponge or a tub, which can drink up or hold liquor as well
as you.--_Baxter,_ 1615-1691.
[2] We recommend wine for the excellency of it; but if it could
speak, as it can take away speech, it would complain, that
by our abuse both the excellencies are lost; for the
excellent man doth so spoil the excellent wine, until the
excellent wine hath spoiled the excellent man. Or, that a
man should take pleasure in that which makes him no man;
that he should let a thief in at his mouth to steal away
his wit; that for a little throat-indulgence, he should
kill in himself both the first Adam, his reason, and even
the second Adam, his regeneration, and so commit two
murders at once.--_Adams,_ 1653.
How base a price dost thou set upon thy Saviour and
salvation, that will not forbear so much as a cup of drink
for them? The smallness of the thing showeth the smallness
of thy love to God, and the smallness of thy regard to His
Word and to thy soul. Is that loving God as God, when thou
lovest a cup of drink better? Art thou not ashamed of thy
hypocrisy, when thou sayest thou lovest God above all, when
thou lovest Him not so well as thy wine and ale? Surely he
that loveth Him not above ale, loveth Him not above all!
Thy choice showeth what thou loveth best, more certainly
than thy tongue doth. It is the dish that a man greedily
eateth of that he loveth, and not that which he commendeth
but will not meddle with. God trieth men's love to Him, by
their keeping His commandments. It was the aggravation of
the first sin, that they would not deny so small a thing as
the forbidden fruit, in obedience to God! And so it is of
thine, that wilt not leave a forbidden cup for Him! O
miserable wretch! dost thou not know thou canst not be
Christ's disciple, if thou forsake not all for Him, and
hate not even thy life in comparison of Him, and wouldst
not rather die than forsake Him! And art thou like to lay
down thy life for Him that wilt not leave a cup of drink
for Him? Canst thou burn at a stake for Him, that canst not
leave an alehouse, or vain company, or excess for Him? What
a sentence of condemnation dost thou pass upon
thyself!--_Baxter,_ 1615-1691.