EpiflkofS. Paulto Titua. CHAR1.15. our recreations, we lookour patience, meekneffe , and lout , and rage, 3°5 and fcorne,andquarrel with them that therein croffe vs : nay with the facred name ofGodhiaafelfe , or with thevaine name of lueke or for- tune;as gamer ers are neuer fo zealous in Gods matters,as in their owne gaine. I Thirdly , they arenot vfed in fobrietie; I. when men make acalling 3. sobrictie. of their recreation , and haue noother , or no fuck hold to maintaine them. z. when men fo powre out their hearts to plealure, as that they 2 hinder better duties in the calling publike or private; for recreations fhould fie vs toduties : and here cfpecially is reprooued that ordinarie vice whereby men Phew themfelues louers of pleafures more then of God namely, when for their pleafure or recreationmen omit the duties A z° °dl'eare j yr' eth the of the Sabbach ;yeafurther,whenmen.lit at play day andnight, longer horgobdot then they wouldwillingly for much mony bebound to any good cluing; fo whereby they wall their fubliance negleét their callings, loofe their rrcamrc is cc r parable na good names,and go voder thenameofgamefters,dicers, &c.in the mean pr °u s time who is at home toguid andorder,topray,and teach the family? oh this is a lirange voice to a gamelier. Thus we fee howmen falle in thereparticulars , to which many more might be added whereby they drawmuch finnevpon themfelues in the vfe oftheir molt lawful liberties. Now therefore Ihall it not be amiffe to adde a few general rules or Rules of Own for chdirt c counfels,by the obferuationofwhich, aheart deliroustopleafe God iii vfeofalrhings. all things (hall be able toavoide all there wandrings , & turne it Ìelfe to A manwal nc uer Niue over the comfortable vfe of all thefe things , whereinSaran hideth fo many earthly Ylea- fnares. As, r. Labour for a pure eye > and all the bodie fhall be bright better. he fee andlightfome;fuch aneie as may fee IefusChrill with his tnerics;for till then,outward things cannot but be much and great in our eyes. z.When z once thou feels Chrifi and his merits, let thy affe6tionson nothing elfe, loue nothing,meruaile at nothing, delirenothing , but either Chri fl, or for Chrift: nothing that is outwardmull be defired for it felfe> neither v- fed but fo far as it maketh to the cheife marke: yea andmore or leffe re- ceiuedor refufed, as each ofthem aremore or leffe valuable to this pur- pole. Much leffe mail thou reft inany thing , which thou canll feehere belowwhere thou art but a flráger; for the things thou canil fee are but asfhadows to the things thou feel not, but oughtel moll to affeél;and lometimes theyappeare tobe the things theyarenot , and vanifhaway with thevfe,andhafien vnto nothing. Now what follie were it to let them vp or equal! them, and much more topreferre them before Chrifl, as if they were things that couldmake aman happy orvnhappie?where- as they are in themfeluesneither good nor euill,buc fo farre as they lead veto
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=