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!
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 God. 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 God; 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 God." 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 God, and his service, and really liveth to do his work, and please and glorify him in the world: which none but the godly truly do.' And therefore no carnal, ungodly 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. Tit. 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 God'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 God commandeth them is immediately to forsake their wickedness, and to become the servants of God, and then there will be no room for the question. 2. But if they will continue in a sinful, ungodly 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 aptitude to fit us for God'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 God; 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 God, 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 lust, 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 God'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.
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 God, 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, assimilation, &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 God); 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 God, 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 God 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 God 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 God, 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.
So that the case is clear, that our gamesters, and licentious, sportful gallants, are a sort of people that have blinded their minds, and seared their consciences, and despise the laws and presence of God, and forget death and judgment, and live as if there were no life to come, neglecting their miserable souls, and having no delight in the word or holy worship of God, nor the forethoughts of eternal joys, and therefore seek for their pleasure in such foolish sports, and spend those precious hours in these vanities, which, God knows, they had need to spend most diligently, in repenting of their sins, and cleansing their souls, and preparing for another world.
If yet any impenitent gamester or idle time-waster shall reply, I will not believe that my cards, or dice, or plays are unlawful. I use them but to fit me for my duty. What! would you have all men live like hermits or anchorites, without all pleasure? I answer you but by this reasonable request: will you set yourselves as dying men in the presence of God, and the sight of eternity, and provide a true answer to these few questions; even such an answer as your consciences dare stand to at the bar of God?
Quest. I. Dost thou not think in thy conscience that thy Maker, and Redeemer, and his work and service, and thy family and calling, and the forethoughts of heaven, are not fitter matters to delight a sober mind, than cards or stage-plays? And what can it be but a vain and sinful mind that should make these toys so pleasant to thee, and the thoughts of God and heaven so unpleasant?
Quest. II. Doth not thy conscience tell thee, that it is not to fit thee for thy calling or God's service that thou usest these sports, but only to delight a carnal fantasy? Doth not conscience tell thee, that it is more the pleasure than the benefit of it to thy soul or body that draws thee to it? Dost thou work so hard or study so hard all the day besides, as to need so much recreation to refresh thee?
Quest. III. Doth not thy conscience tell thee, that if thy sensual fantasy were but cured, it would be a more profitable recreation to thy body or mind, to use some sober exercise for thy body, which is confined to its proper limits of time; or to turn to variety of labour, or studies, than to sit about these idle games?
Quest. IV. Dost thou think that either Christ or his apostles used stage-plays, cards, or dice; or ever countenanced such a temper of mind as is addicted to them? Or was not David as wise as you, that took up his pleasure in the word of God, and his melodious praise?
Quest. V. Doth not your conscience tell you, that your delight is more in your plays and games than it is on God? And that these sports do no way increase your delight in God at all, but more unfit and undispose you? And yet every "blessed man's delight is in the law of the Lord, and in it he meditateth day and night," Psal. i. 2. And do you do so?
Quest. VI. Do you bestow as much time in praying and reading the word of God, and meditating on it, as you do in your sports and recreations? Nay, do you not shuffle this over, and put God off with a few hypocritical, heartless words, that you may be at your sports, or something which you love better?
Quest. VII. Doth not conscience tell thee, that this precious time might be much better spent, in the works that God hath appointed thee to do? And that thy sinful soul hath need enough to spend it in far greater matters? Doth it become one that hath sinned so long, and is so unassured of pardon and salvation, and near another world, and so unready for it, to sit at cards or be hearing a stage-play, when he should be making ready, and getting assurance of his peace with God?
Quest. VIII. Wouldst thou be found at cards or plays when death cometh? If it were this day, hadst thou not rather be found about some holy, or some profitable labour?
Quest. IX. Will it be more comfort to thee when thou art dying, to think of the time which thou spentest in cards, and plays, and vanity, or that which thou spentest in serving God, and preparing for eternity?
Quest. X. Darest thou pray to God to bless thy cards, and dice, and plays, to the good of thy soul or body? Would not thy conscience tell thee, that this were but a mocking of God, as praying for that which thou dost not intend, and which thy pleasures are unfit for? And yet no recreation is lawful, which you may not thus lawfully pray for a blessing on.
Quest. XI. If you were sure yourselves that you sin not in your games or sports, are you sure that your companions do not? that they have no lust or vanity of mind at stage-plays, no covetousness, or sinful pleasure, or passion at cards or dice? If you say, We are not bound to keep all other men from sin, I answer, You are bound to do your best towards it; and you are bound not to contribute willingly to their sin; and are bound to forbear a thing indifferent, though not a duty, to avoid the scandalizing or tempting of another. If Paul would never eat flesh while he lived rather than make a weak person offend, should not your sports be subject to as great charity? He saith, "It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy weak brother stumbleth, or is offended, or made weak."[607] Object. Then we must give over our meat, and drink, and clothes, and all. Answ. It followeth not that we must forsake our duty to prevent another man's sin, because we must forsake our pleasure in things indifferent. If you knew what sin is, and what it is to save or lose one's soul, you would not make a sport of other men's sin, nor so easily contribute to their damnation, and think your sensual pleasure to be a good excuse. Rom. xv. 1-3, in such cases, "we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, (that is, to compassionate them as we do children in their weakness,) and not to please ourselves (to their hurt). Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification (that is, prefer the edifying of another's soul, before the pleasure of your bodies). For even Christ pleased not himself—" If Christ lost his life to save men from sin, will not you lose your sport for it?
Quest. XII. What kind of men are they that are most addicted to thy games and plays, and what kind of men are they that avoid them, and are against them? Are there not more fornicators, drunkards, swearers, cursers, coveters of other men's money, and profane neglecters of God and their souls, among gamesters and players, than among them that are against them? Judge by the fruits.
To sportful youths.
And what I say to idle gamesters, is proportionably to be said to voluptuous youths, that run after wakes, and May-games, and dancings, and revellings, and are carried by the love of sports and pleasure from the love of God, and the care of their salvation, and the love of holiness, and the love of their callings; and into idleness, riotousness, and disobedience to their superiors. For the cure of this voluptuousness (besides what is said chap. iv. part ix.) consider:
1. Dost thou not know that thou hast higher delights to mind? And are these toys beseeming a noble soul, that hath holy and heavenly matters to delight in?
2. Dost thou not feel what a plague the very pleasure is to thy affections? how it bewitcheth thee, and befooleth thee, and maketh thee out of love with holiness, and unfit for any thing that is good?
3. Dost thou know the worth of those precious hours which thou playest away? hast thou no more to do with them? Look inwards to thy soul, and forward to eternity, and bethink thee better.
4. Is it sport that thou most needest? Dost thou not more need Christ, and grace, and pardon, and preparation for death and judgment, and assurance of salvation? Why then are not these thy business?
5. Hast thou not a God to obey and serve? and doth he not always see thee? and will he not judge thee? alas! thou knowest not how soon. Though thou be now merry in thy youth, and thy "heart cheer thee, and thou walk in the ways of thy heart, and the sight of thy eyes, yet know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment," Eccles. xi. 9.
6. Observe in Scripture what God judgeth of thy ways. Tit. iii. 3, "We ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures—" 2 Tim. ii. 22, "Fly youthful lusts: but follow after righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Read 1 Pet. iv. 1-4; 2 Pet. iii. 3; 1 Tim. iii. 4, "Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God."[608]
7. You are but preparing for your future sorrow, either by repentance or destruction; and the greater is your pleasure now, the greater will be your sorrow and shame in the review.
Having spoken this much for the cure of sinful sports, I proceed to direct the more sober in their recreations.
Direct. II. When you understand the true nature and use of recreations, labour to be acquainted just how much and what sort of recreation is needful to yourselves in particular. In which you must have respect, 1. To your bodily strength. 2. To your minds. 3. To your labours. And when you have resolved on it, what and how much is needful and fit, to help you in your duty, allow it its proper time and place, as you do your meals, and see that you suffer it not to encroach upon your duty.
Direct. III. Ordinarily join profit and pleasure together, that you lose no time. I know not one person of a hundred, or of many hundreds, that needeth any game at all: there are such variety of better exercises at hand to recreate them. And it is a sin to idle away any time, which we can better improve! I confess my own nature was as much addicted to playfulness as most: and my judgment alloweth me so much recreation as is needful to my health and labour (and no more). But for all that I find no need of any game to recreate me. When my mind needeth recreation, I have variety of recreating books, and friends, and business to do that. And when my body needeth it, the hardest labour that I can bear is my best recreation: walking is instead of games and sports; as profitable to my body, and more to my mind: if I am alone, I may improve that time in meditation; if with others, I may improve it in profitable, cheerful conference. I condemn not all sports or games in others, but I find none of them all to be best for myself: and when I observe how far the temper and life of Christ and his best servants was from such recreations, I avoid them with the more suspicion. And I see but few but distaste it in ministers (even shooting, bowling, and such more healthful games, to say nothing of chess and such other, as fit not the end of a recreation). Therefore there is somewhat in it that nature itself hath some suspicion of. That student that needeth chess or cards to please his mind, I doubt hath a carnal, empty mind. If God and all his books, and all his friends, &c. cannot suffice for this, there is some disease in it that should rather be cured than pleased. And for the body, it is another kind of exercise that profits it.
Direct. IV. Watch against inordinate, sensual delight, even in the lawfullest sport. Excess of pleasure in any such vanity, doth very much corrupt and befool the mind. It puts it out of relish with spiritual things; and turneth it from God, and heaven, and duty.
Direct. V. To this end keep a watch upon your thoughts and fantasies, that they run not after sports and pleasures. Else you will be like children that are thinking of their sport, and longing to be at it, when they should be at their books or business.
Direct. VI. Avoid the company of revellers, gamesters, and such time-wasters. Come not among them, lest you be insnared. Accompany yourselves with those that delight themselves in God, 2 Tim. ii. 22.
Direct. VII. Remember death and judgment, and the necessities of your souls. Usually these sports seem but foolishness to serious men; and they say of this mirth, as Solomon, "it is madness," Eccl. ii. 2. And it is great and serious subjects which make serious men. Death and the world to come, when they are soberly thought on, do put the mind quite out of relish with foolish pleasures.
Direct. VIII. Be painful in your honest callings. Laziness breedeth a love of sports; when you must please your slothful flesh with ease, then it must be further pleased with vanities.
Direct. IX. Delight in your relations and family duties and mercies. If you love the company and converse of your parents, or children, or wives, or kindred as you ought, you will find more pleasure in discoursing with them about holy things or honest business, than in foolish sports. But adulterers that love not their wives, and unnatural parents and children that love not one another, and ungodly masters of families that love not their duty, are put to seek their sport abroad.
Direct. X. See to the sanctifying of all your recreations, when you have chosen such as are truly suited to your need; and go not to them before you need, nor use them beyond your need. See also that you lift up your hearts secretly to God, for his blessing on them; and mix them all along as far as you can with holy things; as with holy thoughts or holy speeches. As for music, which is a lawful pleasure, I have known some think it profaneness to use it privately or publicly with a psalm, that scrupled not using it in common mirth; whenas all our mirth should be as much sanctified as is possible. All should be done to the glory of God; and we have much more in Scripture for the holy use of music, (public and private,) than for any other use of it whatever. And it is the excellency of melody and music, that they are recreations which may be more aptly and profitably sanctified by application to holy uses, than any other. And I should think them little worth at all, if I might not use them for the holy exhilarating or elevating of my soul, or affecting it towards God, or exciting it to duty.
Direct. XI. The sickly and the melancholy (who are usually least inclined to sport) have much more need of recreation than others, and therefore may allow it a much larger time than those that are in health and strength. Because they take it but as physic to recover them to health, being to abate again when they are recovered.
Direct. XII. Be much more severe in regulating yourselves in your recreations, than in censuring others for using some sports which you mislike. For you know not perhaps their case, and reasons, and temptations; but an idle, time-wasting, sensual sporter, every one should look on with pity as a miserable wretch.