~rj!.t2. Tv fport!ul Yvuths. fcclef.II-9· The con1JiEI:io11 of Gamefters and Voluptuoru Yourh. plea~o.re to be a good cxcufe: Rom. 1 S· I, ~, 3· In fuch cafes, we_tbat ar_efttong ought to btar the in– firmwu of tbe rreal{_ (that ts, to compaffionate them as we do chtldren tn their we.!kne(s) and to plea[e onr[elves (to r~ei.r hurt.) Let every ont of 111 pleafe hH migbbour, for bU good to cdijictft~:~ (that JS, prefer the cd•fymg of. anorhers foul, before the pleafure of your bodiu) For evtn Chrjjf pleafid not himfe!f--· -If Cbnfi loll his life to fave men from tin, will not you lofe your lport for It? ~· 4t. ~eft 12· What kind of m_en are they that are moll addicted to thy games and plays? and what kmd ot men are they that avOJd them, and arc againll them? Are there not more Fornicators Dr~nkard$, Swearers, Curfers, Coveters of other mens mony, and prophane uegledcrs of God and the." fouls, among GameClers and Players, than among them that arc againfl them? judge by the fru1ts. , 9· 42· And what I fay to idle Gatndlers, is proportionably to be faid to Voluptuozu Y,1zttb,;; that: run ahcr Wakes, and May-games, and Daucings, and Rcvcllings, and are carried by the Love of fports and pleafure, from rhe Love of God, and the care of their ~alvation, and the Love of Holincfs and the Love ~frheir Callings; and i~to idlenef~, rioroufnefs and difobedicnce to their Superiors: Fo; tbe cure of thiS Voluptuoufnefs ( behdes what IS laid Cbap. 4· Part 9·) Confider ~· 43. t. Dofl thou not know that thou hafl higbe:r dtlights tomind? And are thefe toycs beleem. ing anoble foul, that hath Holy and Heavenly matters to delight in? • 9·44· 2· Doll thou not fetl what a plague tbe very pltafore is to thy affeelions >How it be. w~rchcth thee, and befoolcth thee, and rnakerh thee out of Love with HolindS, and untit for any thmg that's good? 9· 45· 3• Dofl thou know the worth of thole pretiour h,m which thou playefi aw•y >HJil thou no more to do with th<m? Look inwards to thy foul, and forward to c:ttrnity, and berhink thee bettrr. §. 46. 4• Is it !port that tho11 mof! 11tedef!? Dofl thou not more nerd Chrifi, and Grace, and Pardon, and preparation for Death and Judgement, and affurance of S1lvation ~ Why then are not thefe thy bufineh? ~· 47· 5• Hafl tbou not a God to obey and {trot? And doth he not allway fee thee? And will He · not judge thee? Alas, thou knowell not how foon. Though thou be nowmerry i11 tby yotnb, a.nd thy He.'lrt chnr tbu, and thoH walk in the ways of thy heart, and the fight of thy eyu, yet. 'ttto1P tbJJI that for aU tiHfi thingI Gcd will bring thee into jrtdgement. 1 Pet t 14,11. ~- 48. 6. Obfcrvc in Scripture what God judgeth of tby ways. Tit. 3· 3· We our [elves were & i, u u. [omrtimcs f oolijh, difobcdient, deceived, {erving divers lufts and pleafores ---2 Tim. 2· 22. FJ_y youthful lufts: but [oUow after rigbteoufnef!, faith, charity, ptact with tbcm that eaU on the Lord ou1 of , a pure heart. Read 1 Pet. 4· 1, 2, 3, 4• 2 {Jd, 3• .3• I Tim. 3· 4· Lovers of plea[Hre more th.:m Lovers •f God. 9· 49· 7· You are but preparing for your future forrow, either by Rcpenunce or dellruClion: And the greater is your p1eafure now, the greater will be your farrow and lhame in the review. H<ving fpokcn this much for tbe cure of fi•ful fportJ, I proceed to diretf the more fober in their tecrc:ations. Virtt1- 2. 9· 50· Direct. 2· IYhm you tmderftand tbt true nawrt and ufe of Rccreati(ntJ, Lab.?ttr to be acquain~ ttdj~tjf how much, and what fort of Recreation Uneedful toJ'Our felvu i1t particttlar. In which yoU mull: have nfpcct, t. To your bodily firength, 2· To yom mit1ds, 3· To your labours. And when fOLt have rcfolved on'r, what and how much i1 nerdf~tl and fit, to help you in your duty, allow it its proper time and place, as you do yollr meals, and fee that you fuffer it not t0 encroich upon your du;y. Direll. 3• ~· 5t· Direct. 3· Ordinari(y joyn profit and pleafitrt togetherthat you lo[e 110 time. I know not one perCon of an hundred, or of many hundred, that ncedeth any Game at all: there are fuch variety of better fxerdfes at hand to recreate them: And it is a fin to idle away any time, which we can better improve! I.confefs my own nature was as much addiCted to playfullnefs as mofi: andmy judgement alloweth me fo much recreation as is needful to my Health and LaboHr ( and no more ) : But for all that I find no need of any game to recreate: me? When my mind necdeth recreation, I have variety ofucrraring Booil!,and Friends, and bu(lnefs to do that : And when my body necdeth it, the ba.rdefi La– hour that 1can bear is my bcfl: recreation : walking is infiead. of games and fports: as protitablc to my body, and more to my mind : If I am alone, I may imp~ove that time: in meditation ; lf with others, I may improve it in profitable cheerful conference. I condemn not all fports or games fn others but I find none of them all to be btft for my [elf: And when I ob!ervc bow far the temper and life of Chrifi: and his bell fervanrs was from fuch recreations, I avoid them with the: more fq[pi~ tion. And I fee but few but diflafie it in Minifltrs (even Shooting, Bowling, and !uch more healthful games ( to fay nothing of C!J<fs and luch other, as fit not tbe end of a recreation ) : Thctefore t!iere is lomcwhat in it that nature it felf hatb fome fufpitio>t of. That fiudent that needcth Cl!cfi or Cards to pleafe his Mi11d, I doubt bath a carnal empty mind : If God and all his books, and all his friends, &c. cannot fufficc for this, there is fome difeafe in it that !hould rather be cured than plcafed. And for the Body, it is another kind of excrcife that profits ito I>ireCI. 4 • 9· 52· Diretr. 4• Watch agai•ft inordinatt fmfoal Delight, tvm i11 tbt Lawf•Prft [port: ExceC. of plelfl1re in any fuch vanity, doth very much corrupt and befool the rnmd: It pnts 1t om of tc:.o lifil with fpiritual things; and turnetb it from God and Heaven and duty,
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