A Christian Directory Volume I Part 100

12. Remember how diligent thy enemy is: Satan "goeth about even night and day, like a roaring lion seeking to devour!" 1 Pet. v. 8. And wilt thou be less diligent to resist him?

13. Think what an example of diligence Christ himself hath left thee!

And how laboriously blessed Paul and all the holy servants of Christ did follow their Master's work! Did they pray, and watch, and work as slothfully as thou dost?

14. Remember how hot and earnest thou wast formerly in thy sin! and wilt thou now be cold and negligent in thy duty, when G.o.d hath set thee in a better way?

15. Observe how eager and diligent worldlings are for the world, and flesh-pleasers for their sports and pleasures, and proud persons for their greatness and honour, and malignant persons to oppose the gospel of Christ, and their own and other men's salvation; look on them; and think what a shame it is to thee to be more cold and remiss for G.o.d.

16. Observe how an awakening pang of conscience, or the sight of death when it seems to be at hand, can waken the very wicked to some kind of serious diligence at the present; so that by their confessions, and cries, and promises, and amendments, while the fit was on them, they seemed more zealous than many that were sincere. And shall not saving grace do more with you, than a fit of fear can do with the unG.o.dly?

17. Remember of how sad importance it is, and what it signifieth, to be cold and slothful! If it be predominant, so as to keep thee from a holy life, it is d.a.m.nable. The spirit of slumber is a most dreadful judgment. But if it do not so prevail, yet, though thou be a child of G.o.d, it signifieth a great debility of soul, and foretelleth some sharp affliction to befall thee, if G.o.d mean to do thee good by a recovery. The decay of natural heat is a sign of old age, and is accompanied with the decay of all the powers. And sicknesses and pains do follow such decays of life. And as you will make your horse feel the rod or spur when he grows dull and heavy, expect when you grow cold and dull, to feel the spur of some affliction, to make you stir and mend your pace.

18. Remember that thy sloth is a sinning against thy knowledge, and against thy experience, and against thy own covenants, promises, and profession; and therefore an aggravated sin. These and such like serious thoughts will do much to stir up a slothful soul to zeal and diligence.

_Direct._ IV. Drown not your hearts in worldly business or delights;[601] for these breed a loathing, and averseness, and weariness of holy things. They are so contrary one to the other, that the mind will not be eagerly set on both at once: but as it relisheth the one, it more and more disrelisheth the other. There is no heart left for G.o.d, when other things have carried it away.

_Direct._ V. Do all you can to raise your hearts to the love of G.o.d, and a delight in holy things, and then you will not be slothful, nor weary, nor negligent. Love and delight are the most excellent remedy against a slow, unwilling kind of duty. Know but how good it is to walk with G.o.d, and do his work, and thou wilt do it cheerfully.

_Direct._ VI. A secret root of unbelief is the mortal enemy of zeal and diligence; labour for a well-grounded belief of the word of G.o.d and the world to come, and stir up that belief into exercise, when you would have your slothful hearts stirred up. When there is a secret questioning in the heart, What if there should be no life to come?

What if the grounds of religion be unsound? This blasteth the vigour of all endeavours, and inclineth men to serve G.o.d only with hypocritical halving and reserves; and maketh men resolve to be no further religious, than stands with present, fleshly happiness.

_Direct._ VII. Take heed of debauching conscience by venturing upon doubtful things, much more, by known and wilful sin.[602] For when once conscience is taught to comply with sin, and is mastered in one thing, it will do its duty well in nothing, and zeal will quickly be extinct; diligence will die when conscience is corrupted or fallen asleep.

_Direct._ VIII. Live in a constant expectation of death. Do not foolishly flatter yourself with groundless conceits that you shall live long. There is a great power in death to rouse up a drowsy soul, when it is taken to be near; and a great force in the conceit of living long, to make even good men grow more negligent and secure.

_Direct._ IX. Live among warm and serious christians; especially as to your intimate familiarity.[603] There is a very great power in the zeal of one to kindle zeal in others; as there is in fire to kindle fire. Serious, hearty, diligent christians, are excellent helps to make us serious and diligent. He that travelleth with speedy travellers, will be willing to keep pace with them; and tired sluggards are drawn on by others; when he that travelleth with the slothful will go slowly as they do.

_Direct._ X. Lastly, Be oft in the use of quickening means: live, if you can attain it, under a quickening, zealous minister. There is life in the word of G.o.d, which, when it is opened and applied livelily, will put life into the hearers. Read the holy Scriptures, and such lively writings as help you to understand and practise them. As going to the fire is our way when we are cold, to cure our benumbedness, so reading over some part of a warm and quickening book, will do much to warm and quicken a benumbed soul: and it is not the smallest help to rouse us up to prayer or meditation, and put life into us before we address ourselves more nearly unto G.o.d. I have found it myself a great help in my studies, and to my preaching: when studying my own heart would not serve the turn, to awake me to serious fervency, but all hath been cold and dull that I have done, because all was cold and dull within, I have taken up a book that was much more warm and serious than I, and the reading of it hath recovered my heat, and my warmed heart hath been fitter for my work. Christians, take heed of a cold, and dull, and heartless kind of religion; and think no pains too much to cure it: death is cold, and life is warm; and labour itself doth best excite it.

PART II.

_Directions about Sports and Recreations, and against Excess and Sin therein._

_Direct._ I. If you would escape the sin and danger, which men commonly run into by unlawful sporting, under pretence of lawful recreations, you must understand what lawful recreation is, and what is its proper end and use. No wonder else if you sin, when you know not what you do!

[Sidenote: What lawful recreation is.]

No doubt but some sport and recreation is lawful, yea needful, and therefore a duty to some men. Lawful sport or recreation is the use of some natural thing or action, not forbidden us, for the exhilarating of the natural spirits by the fantasy, and due exercise of the natural parts, thereby to fit the body and mind for ordinary duty to G.o.d. It is some delightful exercise.

1. We do not call unpleasing labour by the name of sport or recreation; though it may be better and more necessary. 2. We call not every delight by the name of sport or recreation; for eating and drinking may be delightful; and holy things and duties may be delightful; and yet not properly sports or recreations. But it is the fantasy that is chiefly delighted by sports.

_Qual._ I. All these things following are necessary to the lawfulness of a sport or recreation, and the want of any one of them will make and prove it to be unlawful. 1. The end which you really intend in using it, must be to fit you for your service to G.o.d; that is, either for your callings, or for his worship, or some work of obedience in which you may please and glorify him: I Cor. x. 31, "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of G.o.d." It is just to your duty, as the mower's whetting to his scythe, to make it for to do his work.

_Qual._ II. 2. Therefore the person that useth it, must be one that is heartily devoted to G.o.d, and his service, and really liveth to do his work, and please and glorify him in the world: which none but the G.o.dly truly do.' And therefore no carnal, unG.o.dly person, that hath no such holy end, can use any recreation lawfully; because he useth it not to a due end. For the end is essential to the moral good of any action; and an evil end must needs make it evil. t.i.t. i. 15, "Unto the pure all things are pure, (that is, all things not forbidden,) but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their mind and conscience are defiled."

_Quest._ But must all wicked men therefore forbear recreation? _Answ._ 1. Wicked men are such as will not obey G.o.d's law if they know it; and therefore they inquire not what they should do, with any purpose sincerely to obey. But if they would obey, that which G.o.d commandeth them is immediately to forsake their wickedness, and to become the servants of G.o.d, and then there will be no room for the question. 2.

But if they will continue in a sinful, unG.o.dly state, it is in vain to contrive how they may sport themselves without sin. But yet we may tell them that if the sport be materially lawful, it is not the matter that they are bound to forsake, but it is the sinful end and manner.

And till this be reformed they cannot but sin.

_Qual._ III. 3. A lawful recreation must be a means fitly chosen and used to this end. If it have no apt.i.tude to fit us for G.o.d's service in our ordinary callings and duty, it can be to us no lawful recreation. Though it be lawful to another that it is a real help to, it is unlawful to us.

_Qual._ IV. 4. Therefore all recreations are unlawful, which are themselves preferred before our callings, or which are used by a man that liveth idly, or in no calling, and hath no ordinary work to make him need them. For these are no fit means, which exclude our end, instead of furthering it.

_Qual._ V. 5. Therefore all those are unlawful sports, which are used only to delight a carnal fantasy, and have no higher end, than to please the sickly mind that loveth them.

_Qual._ VI. 6. And therefore all those are unlawful sports, which really unfit us for the duties of our callings, and the service of G.o.d; which, laying the benefit and hurt together, do hinder us as much or more than they help us! which is the case of all voluptuous wantons.

_Qual._ VII. 7. All sports are unlawful which take up any part of the time which we should spend in greater works: such are all those that are unseasonable; (as on the Lord's day without necessity, or when we should be at prayer, or any other duty;) and all those that take up more time than the end of a recreation doth necessarily require (which is too common).

_Qual._ VIII. 8. If a recreation be profane, as making sport of holy things, it is a mocking of G.o.d, and a villany unbeseeming any of his creatures, and laying them open to his heaviest vengeance. The children that made sport with calling the prophet "bald-head" were slain by bears, 2 Kings ii. 23.

_Qual._ IX. 9. They are unlawful sports which are used to the wrong of others: as players, that defame and reproach other men; and hunters and hawkers, that tread down poor men's corn and hedges.

_Qual._ X. 10. It is sinful to make sport of other men's sinning, or to act it ourselves so as to become partakers of it; which is too common with comedians, and other profane wits.

_Qual._ XI. 11. Unclean, obscene recreations are unlawful; when filthiness or wantonness is represented without a due expression of its odiousness, or with obscene words or actions. Eph. v. 3, 4, "But fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as becometh saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting."

_Qual._ XII. 12. Those sports are unlawful, which occasion the multiplying of idle words about them; and engage the players in foolish, needless, unprofitable prating.

_Qual._ XIII. 13. And those sports are sinful, which plainly tend to provoke ourselves or others to sin: as to l.u.s.t, to swearing, and cursing, and railing, and fighting, or the like.

_Qual._ XIV. 14. Those also are sinful, which are the exercise of covetousness, to win other men's money of them; or that tend to stir up covetousness in those you play with.

_Qual._ XV. 15. Cruel recreations also are unlawful: as taking pleasure in the beholding of duellers, fighters, or any that abuse each other; or any other creatures that needlessly torment each other.

_Qual._ XVI. 16. Too costly recreation also is unlawful: when you are but G.o.d's stewards, and must be accountable to him for all you have, it is sinful to expend it needlessly on sports.

_Qual._ XVII. 17. Unnecessary recreations forbidden by our lawful governors are unlawful. If they were before lawful to thee, yet now they are not; because your king, your pastor, your parents, your masters, have power to rule and restrain you in such things; and you most obey them.

_Qual._ XVIII. 18. Lastly, if you have the choice of divers recreations before you, you must choose the fittest: and if you choose one that is less fit and profitable, when a fitter might be chosen, it is your sin; though that which you choose were lawful, if you had no other.

[Sidenote: What to think of common stage-plays, gaming, cards, dice, &c.]

By all this it is easy to judge of our common stage-plays, gaming, cards dice, and divers other such kind of sports. If they have but any one of these evil qualifications they are sinful. And when they are used without very many of them, 1. They are too commonly used by men that never intended to fit themselves for their work and duty by them; yea, by men that live not at all to the pleasing and glorifying G.o.d, and know not what it is to be obediently addicted to his service; yea, by men that live not in any constant, honest labour, but make a very trade of their recreations, and use them as the chief business of the day.

2. They are sports unfit for the ends of lawful recreation, as will easily appear to the impartial.[604] For it is either your bodies or your minds that need most the recreations: either you are sedentary persons, or have a calling of bodily labour: if you are sedentary persons, (as students, scribes, and divers others,) then it is your bodies that have most need of exercise and recreation, and labour is fitter for you than sport; or at least a stirring, labouring sport.

And in this case to sit at cards, or dice, or a stage-play, is, instead of exercising your bodies, to increase the need of exercising them: it stirreth not your parts; it warmeth not your blood; it helpeth not concoction, attraction, a.s.similation, &c. It doth you much more harm than good, as to your very health. But if you are hard labourers, and need rest for your bodies and recreation for your minds; or are lame or sickly, that you cannot use bodily exercise; then surely a hundred profitable exercises are at hand which are more suitable to your case. You have books of necessity to read (as the word of G.o.d); and books of profit to your souls; and books that tend to increase your knowledge in common things, as history, geography, and arts and sciences. And should not these be any of them pleasanter than your dice, and cards, and plays?

3. At least it is plain that they are not the fittest recreations for any man that intends a lawful end. If you are students, or idle gentlemen, is not walking, or riding, or shooting, or some honest, bodily labour rather, that joineth pleasure and profit together, a fitter kind of exercise for you? Or if you are labouring persons, and need only pleasure for your minds, should you not take pleasure in G.o.d, in Scripture, in holy conference, meditation, or good books? Or if indeed you need a relaxation from both these, have you not profitable history or geography to read? Have you not herbs, and flowers, and trees, and beasts, and birds, and other creatures to behold? Have you not fields, or gardens, or meadows, or woods to walk into? Have you not your near relations to delight in; your wives, or children, or friends, or servants? May you not talk with good, and wise, and cheerful men, about things that are both pleasing and edifying to you? Hath G.o.d given you such a world of lawful pleasures, and will none of them, nor all of them, serve your turns, without unlawful ones, or at least unfit ones (which therefore are unlawful): all these are undoubtedly lawful; but cards, and dice, and stage-plays are, at best, very questionable: among wise and learned men, and good men, and no small number of these, they are condemned as unlawful.[605] And should one that feareth G.o.d and loveth his salvation, choose so doubtful a sport, before such abundance of undoubtedly lawful ones? If you be so proud or rash as to reply, Why should I leave my sport for another man's conceits or judgment? I will tell thee that which shall shame thy reply, and thee, if thou canst blush. 1. It is not some humorous, odd fanatic that I allege against thee, nor a singular divine; but it is the judgment of the ancient church itself. The fathers and councils condemn christians and ministers especially, that use _spectacula_, spectacles, or behold stage-plays and dicing. 2. Even the oldest canons of our own church of England forbid dicing to the clergy, which is because they reputed it evil, or of ill report. 3. Many laws of religious princes do condemn them. 4. Abundance of the most learned, holy divines condemn them. 5.

The soberest and learnedst of the papists condemn them. 6. And how great a number of the most religious ministers and people are against them, of the age and place in which you live, you are not ignorant.

And is the judgment of the ancient church, and of councils, and fathers, and of the most learned protestants and papists, and the most religious people, besides many ancient laws and canons, of no force with you in such a case as this? Will you hold to a thing confessedly unnecessary, against the judgment of so many that account them sinful?

Are you and your play-fellows more wise and learned than all these? Or is it not extremity of pride, for such unstudied, empty men to prefer their sensual conceits, before such a concurrent stream of wiser and more ponderous judgments? Read but Dr. J. Reignolds's Treatise against Stage-plays, against Albericus Gentilis, and you will see what a world of witnesses are against you. And if the judgment of Voetius, Amesius, and other learned men against all lusory lots be of no authority, at least it should move you that even Mr. Gataker and others, that write for the lawfulness of them in that respect (as lusory lots) do yet lay down the rest of the requisites to make them lawful, which utterly condemn our common use of cards and dice, much more our gamesters: so that all the sober divines that ever I read or heard, condemn all these: and are you wiser than all of them?

4. Besides this, your consciences know that you are so far from using them to fit you for your callings, that you either live idly out of a calling, or else you prefer them before your callings: you have no mind of your work, because your mind is so much upon your play: you have no mind of your home or family, but are weary of your business, because your sports withdraw your hearts; and you are so far from using them to fit you to any holy duty, that they utterly unfit you, and corrupt your hearts with such a kind of sensual delight, as makes them more backward to all that is good; insomuch that many of you even grow so desperate as to hate and scorn it. This is the benefit it bringeth you.

5. And you cannot but know what a time-wasting sin it is. Suppose the game were never so lawful; is it lawful to lay out so many hours upon it? as if you had neither souls, nor bodies, nor families, nor estates, nor G.o.d, nor death, nor heaven to mind?

6. And how much profaneness, or abuse of others, is in many of your stage-plays! How much wantonness and amorous folly, and representing sin in a manner to entice men to it, rather than to make it odious, making a sport and mock of sin; with a great deal more such evil! And your cards and dice are the exercise usually of covetousness, the occasion of a great deal of idle talk and foolish babble about every cast and every card: and ofttimes the occasion of cursing, and swearing, and railing, and hatred of those that win your money; and oft it hath occasioned fighting, and murder itself. And even your huntings are commonly recreations so costly,[606] as that the charge that keepeth a pack of hounds, would keep a poor man's family that is now in want: besides the time that this also consumeth.