He was peaceable, obedient to Magistrates, frequent in prayer; if thou beest contrary, neither art thou holy, nor be∣longing to his discipline.
Christ was a patterne of temperance, sobriety, &c. The drunkard then, of all other, is one, who liueth most contra∣rie to our Sauiour Christ.
No maruell, if the Heathen were notoriously guilty of whoredome, drunkennesse, &c. for such things are spoken of their gods: but our God, he is holy; our Master most in∣nocent, a Lambe without spot, wholly pure, and without all sin; like whom we must liue here, if we would liue like him here∣after.
When then thou shalt be tempted to drunkennesse, or any other sinne, say as Vriah did; My Lord, and the people of my Lord, liue soberly, chastly, &c. and shall I commit such things? As the Lord liueth, I will not doe this thing.
Let the loue of Christ to vs, [Ʋse 3] constraine vs to loue and o∣bey him.
Christ tooke vpon him our sinnes, and dyed vnder the burthen for vs. He sought not his owne pleasure, but our good: let not vs seeke to please our selues, but him.
What should haue become of Manasses, Dauid, Mary Magdalen, Peter? Yea what should haue become of vs all, if he had sought to ease and please himselfe? Yea if he should not beare with vs euery day.
Let nothing draw thee from his obedience, whom no∣thing could draw from effecting thy good.
If most vnspeakable torments, most bitter death, most shamefull reproches, could haue done it, hee had neuer re∣deemed thee.
If counsell, euen Peters counsell could haue preuailed,
he had pleased himselfe, to our eternall displeasure: But he ouer∣came all impediments, to please and profit thee, though to his infinite paine; so doe thou, to please and obey him, though it should cost thee ten thousand liues.
Sinnes are reproches against God, to commit drunkennesse, [Ʋse 4] whoredome, to blaspheme, lye, slander, is to reuile the most High.