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.
PART III.
Directions about Apparel, and against the Sin therein committed.
Direct. I. Fitness is the first thing to be respected in your apparel, to make it a means to the end to which it is appointed. The ends of apparel are, 1. To keep the body warm. 2. To keep it from being hurt. 3. To adorn it soberly so far as beseemeth the common dignity of human nature, and the special dignity of your places. 4. To hide those parts, which nature hath made your shame, and modesty commandeth you to cover.