When Mirth ir ji11Jul. 'This unthanliful grredinefs is an odious fin. Think what you have already for foul and body, cllate and friends; and will not all this quiet yqu, (even this with Chrift and Heaven) unlefs you have 1he other lull or fanfie fatisfied ; and unlefs God humour you in your fick defires ? ., 9· , 9 • Dir<Cl. '7· Vnderftand. ho"': little it wW[atitjic you, if God jh~ttld give _YOU aU that .!"' Dire[/. , 7 , carnally dcfire. When you have zt, It wtll not qmct you nor anfwer your·expcChtJOns. You thmk it will make you happy and be exceeding fWeer to you, but it deceivcth yt>u, and you promife your fclves, you know no~ what : And therefore defir~ you know ~or wha:t? It ·would be to you but If:1. 2.9. s. like a dreaming feafi, wh1ch would leave you hungry 111 the mornmg. 9· 20 , Direct. 18. Reml'mber ftill that tbe greatejt hurt that the Creature ca1t do thee if in being Dircfr. 18~ oiJtrlrJved and defired, and it if never fo dangero1" to thee M when it [eemeth moji defirabte. If you remernbrcd this aright, you would be cafi into the gJeatefi fear and caution, when any thing bdow is prcfented very pleajing and defirable to you. 9· 21 • Direct. I9· Confulcr that :,our defires do but mak.,e t!Jofe wants a burde~ and mifcry to_yoU, VirelJ. 1 1 1 which otherwife rvouldbe none. 11nrft makes the want ot drmk a torment, wh1ch to another IS no pain or trouble at a~I. The luf\ful wanton _is rea~y to die for love of the. ~efired mate, w~ch no_body eHC:: cares for, nor ts ever the worfe for bemg wnhour. A proud ambmous Raman thmks hunfelf undone if he be not honoured, and is vexed if he be but cafi down into the mean condition of a farmer: when many thoufand honcfl: contented men live merrily and quietly in as low a condition. It is mens own Vefiru and not their real wants which do torment them. 9· 22 , Direct. 20· Remember that when you bave done all, if God love you l1e will be the choofer, Direll. 20~ and will mt grant your fick,_ defiru, but ~ill corrdl you. for them till they are cured. If y~ur child cry for a k,_nife, or for unwholefom me~r, _or any thing that would h~rt him, you will quiet him wirh tht!rod jf he give nor over. And n JS a fign fome rod of God IS near you, when you arc: fick for this or 'that or the other thing, and will not be quiet and content unle{S your fanfie and concupikencc be humoured. Tit. 4· :DireEfions againft Jinful MtrtiJ and Plea[tm. y. r. Mirth is~nful, r.Wh~n men rejoyce in that which is ~vi_l; as in rhe hurt of others,o( in mens Stoi~i dicu~~ fin,or m the fuffermgs ofGods fervants, or rhe afihCbons of the Church, or the fuccefs or teveros dl~ fa~· profperity of the enemies of ChriH, ( or of any evil caufc: : ) This is one of the greatell: fins in the pieme~, quod world, a~d. one of the grcat~H figns of wic~ednefs, when wicke~ne{s i~ ic that they rejoyce in. n~~~~~:~J~-~- 2. when tt IS unfeafonable or m anunmeet fuh;ell: ~s to b~ merry m the tune and place of mourn- ~ptatem, ne .. ing; to feaft when we !hould f,;ji: er for an unfanCTJficd m1ferable foul to be taken up in mirth, that <Jtteabalils ad is in the powtr of fin and fatan and near to HeJJ. 3• Mirth is finful when it tendeth to the commit- v~lupt~re~_n t!ngof fin_, or is managed by fin : as_to make m~rry with lies and fables and temptin~ unneceffary !1 ~\a~';f;c~1tJrne-wafimg dances, plays or recreauons; or With the flandcr or abufe of others; or wnh drunken- rem & alios - nefs, gluttony or exccfs. 4• Mirth is finful when it is a hinderance to our duty, and untitreth the {Qui feveros, qui for the exercifc of that grace, which is mofi fuitable to its efiate. As when it hindcrerh a finners con- ~d ~ari?~em viction and bumiliation, and refil\cth the fpirit ofGod, and bawleth down the calls of grace, and the 1~1~~ VJm fe\'e-: voice of confcience, that they cannot be he~rd : An~ when it banifheth.all fob_cr C?nflderation about the ~1u01 ~~1~;Ji .. matters that wefhould mofi regard, and Will not gwe men leave to thmk, w1th hxednefs and fobriery, c.tmen:a, p~ upon God and l.1pon themfelves, their fin and danger,upon death and judgement and the life ro come: tius ~uat~l a~ when it makes the foul more unfit to take reproot~ to profit by a fermon, eo call upon God ; This propin.tuone, drunken mirth which fhnts out Reafon, and iilcnct:th Confcience, and laughts at God, ahd jefieth at ~;u;e~~r;/arrt~ Damnation, and dorh.but inmxicate the brain, and make men mad in the mattqs whe1e they thould mofi Chew their wifdom, I fay this mirth, is the: Devils fporr, and the tinncrs mifery, and rhe wi(e mans pity: of which Solomo1t fpeaketh, Eccle( l· 2· I [aid of laughter, it is mad, tJ?td of mirth n·h;t doth it. Prov. 26. 18, 19• As a mad man who ca{fethfire-brands, arrows and deatb, [o iflhe man that decei'Veth hif nei"ghbour and faith Am I "not in fpDrt: Prov. 10· 23· Itis aJPort to a fool to do mifcbief. ~· But mirth is mofi horridly odious when it.is blafphemous and profane: when incarnate·Devils do make themftlves rrierry with jefting and mocking at fcripture or at the judgements of God, or the duties of Religion; or in horrid Oaths and curfed fpeeches, againfi the fervants of the Lord. 9· 2• Direct. I• Firft {tt tiJat thou be a per}on fit for mirth, aitd that thou be 11ot a mifer.Jb/t jl.~-veof D'rrfl ' S 1 1an, in an unr.egenerate, unholy, unjujlified )fate. Thou would{\: fcarce think the innocent games Pr~- 19". !~ .. or [ports were becoming a malefactor that rnufi die to morrow. An unrtgenerate unholy perfon is DtlightJnrot fure whenever he dyeth fuch, to be damned : If he believe not thiS, he mutt deny God or the Gofpei {!cml] {Dt afool. to be true. And he is not fure to live an hour : And he is flue that he fhall die ere long. And now, if you have notJool'd away your Reafon, tell me whether y'our Reafon can jullitle the mirth of fuch a man? Doft thou ask, what barm Uit to be merry.? ~one at all for one that hath cttu[e tu be merrj, and rejoyceth in the Lord. But for a man to be merry m the way to Hell, and that fo near it ; for a man to be merry, before his foul be fanctified, and his fin be pardoned, or before he fcek,,etb it wirh · xx a\\
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