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Show !668. 1,/"Y"'J Chap. XV. No CROSS, No CROWN. Vor.. J. thofe who ha\•e nothing to do, and indeed do nothing, Which i5 worfe, but Sin, which is worft of all, here is Variety of Pleafant, of Profitable, nay~ o~ ' 'ery Honourable Employments and Diverfions for them: Such ca~ ~Hh great Delight fit at a Play, a BttU, n lllafquc, 111 Cards, Due, 1f:Lt. ~)rmkmg, Amos 6• 3• Revelling, J'eafti11g, and the like, an CJ~IIrt Day; yea, Tu.,·n 1\rgbr mro DaJ, N a. nnd invert rbe very Order of rbe Crcallon, 19 lu.tmourtbtl1' Lufls. And were h not for Eruing and Sleeping, it would be plft _a Doubt ';"'hethe.r they would ever find Time to ceafe from thofe Vain and Smful Pajluncs, ull the Hajly Call.r of Dcarh jho11/d Summon their Appearance. in another lt~or!d. Yet do they think it intolerable, :1nd hardly poffible for any to fiit fo long :n :1 Profitable or Religious Exercife. . . '§. VI. Bur how do rhefe think to paft thetr ~ft\Eternuy away? For tU Ecc, u. 3• tbe Tru {aUsfo it /iu. Let none d~ceive themfelves, I_lOI mock their im~ morral S'ouls with a Pleafant, bnt molt f:tlfe and _permclous Dream, that they !hall be ~hanged by l co~ftraini~g and irrefiftible P~wer, juft when their Souls rake leave of tbetr Bod1es: No, no, my Fuends, What yo~ Gal. 6· 4• to f oro tbttt jhall you reap i If Vanity, FoUy, vt}ible Delights, fading Ple11J11rtq ~·ph.~· 6. no better {hall you ever re:tp than Corruption~ Sorrow, and the Woful Ph. 4• 6. 1· Eph. 4· 18, 19. 20. Mat,J 3,!, 9· Jlom 10. 2, (\nguilb. of Eternal Difap_pointmems. :Rut alas! what'~ the Reafon that \he Cry is fo com.mon, mu}t tr;e always do~e tm tbife Thmg.r? Why, m~ft cenainly it is this, they know not what Js the Joy and Peace of fpealung and afling, as in the Prefen~e of the mo.ft holy God: That paffes fuch vai!J Underffandings, darkned wtth the Glones and Pleafures of the God of tha World ; wh.ofe Religion is fo m_any mumbled and ig.norantly devo11l fail Word.r, an bey reacb Parrot.r; fonf they ~er.e of tho1e, ""'<hofe Hearts a~e flit on 1kings above, and whofe Tn;:~. fure ISm Heaven, there would rhe1t Minds inhahtt, and their greareft Plt afurc confiantly be: And fuch who. call tflat a Burden, and feekto be refrclhed by fuch llafiimes, as a Play, a JHo.rrice-Dtmce. a Punchtmcllo, 'a Ball, a Mafque, Cord.r, Die.e, or the like, I am bold to Jffirm, they not only never knew the div\nc Excellency of God, and his Truth, but thereby declare themfelves moft unfit for them in.ano~ ther World. For how is it poffible that they can be delighted to Eternity, whh that Snisfaaion which isfo tedious -and irkfomc forth irty or forty Years; that for a Supply of Recreation to their Minds, the lirtfc Toys, and FopR._eriu of this perilhing World, muft be brought into PraElice andR~ Mat. 12" ' 8· ~~:~~~ t~u~~~r·a~ao;cth~;Ti~:, t~~f~~0~h:~[ a;:ez!'~;:s;~' ;::~~~r;~~f; to redeem, confidering no lefs Work is to be done, than making their C,J. ling and Eldlion _furc: Much lef$ fiudy to invent Rureatiom fo~ their Ph. 1· t4. yain rv inds, and tpend the. greatdl Part of their Days, and M.onths, and• c~et. 2• I ~· Years therein, nor allowing a Quarrer of that Time toward the gre~~ Con~ E.p. ~· lo 0 ' 4' 1· · ~ Cernment of their Li\'es aod Souls, for which that Time was given them. §. VI f. There's but little Need to drh.'e away that, by foolifh DhrertifemcJHs, which fl ies aw1y fo 1Wifrly of it felf; and when qnce gone, is ne)' er to be recllled, Playr, Park.r, Ball.r, Trelllt, RonJances, l'rlll}i,ks, Lov(-Son· · ' nrt.r, and the like, wi)l be a very invalid _Ple1 for any other Purpo.fe thln t~eir C1mJcmnorro,t, who are taken, 3!Jd delighted with them, at 1be Revt• !at ion of the righteous ]uJgmrnt of (;od. 0 my Friends! thefe were 11e• \'er inl'enred, bt;r by that Mind which had fi[ft )pft rhe Joy and ral'ilhing ;: ~m;1~' _. Delights of God~s holy Prefe~ce. So1 that- . we conclude-. • Fir[l, That of.f (hde many Excellent Employql~nrs a re:~dy plentioned. as wonhy to po .. fefs fuc.h ~inds as are incliueA to thefe Vaniries, there is Srore enough of Time, n·o" opty_ t,., tlke u_p thelr Spare Ftours, but double fo much, :rnd thlt with gre:nDeJighr, J)iv~rfion and Profit, both to ,themfetvcs ando• . ~". thers; werelt-hey but -once weaned from ' va.in lnd fruitltfsFopperiest and ... ; ·1 did they but confider, how gre~t the Satisfa.ltion, and ho,w certaiJ rhe Rc· l"'<irds are, which a trend t,his, and rhe · other Life, 'for fuc-li- Uf\iverf~l Benefits and Vir~llo ns Examp,les. The feccnd Condufion is, That what IS 3lledged by mc, .. c~n be difPl~afi~g :wd ungrpteful. tO ·Jlone, but f4ch as knvw nor whbc I[ 1s to w~lk ,w.ah God, to pr~pare for an Eurnal ftJanfio:~· :. ~ ..... Vo~. I. No CROSS, No, CROWN. 351 IMR ~ Chlp. XV. to ha''C the Mind excrcifed on heJvenly- :~nd good Things, rc follow the J~xam plcs of the holy Men and \.Yomen of former h3ppy Ages : Such as know nor Chrijl'J Dollrine, Life, D~ath, and Rrfi~rr~fltdn, but onlv have their Miods faltened to the Flelh, and by the Objefl:s of ir are allured deceived. and mifer:~bly ruined: And' lajl!y, that defpife · Heaven, and' the Joys that are not feen, though Eternal, for a few perifhing Trifles that they d~ fee, r.hou~h th.ey are ~ecreed to pa.fs . away. Hon; th~f~ are baprizeJ Jtom. 6. 3, WttbChrij1, tntobu holy Lif~. crud Slljjermgr, /bamrfJI/ v~atb, t171d raifed to 8. mirh him to immortal Drfircr, beaven!y Mdit(ltion.r, a divihe new Life, grow- 1 Cor. 12. i11g into the Knowledge ofb~avenly ft1JJ!.~rier, and all Holine[s, ~11m unto the ~·1 ]Majure of th~ Stature of ]efm Chnft~ rbe 1,rcat EXample of aU; How (I col. ~ :,2!.'1 1• f:~y) thefc refembte moft neceffary Chriftian Qp:tlifications, :tnd what fha re Eph. 3• 12. they have therein, lee [heir Confciences tell them upon a ti:rious luquiry 13· in the Cool of rhe Day. §. VJIL But in the nexr Place fuch Attire and Piflimes do not only fl1eW the exceeding \¥orldlinefs of People's Inclinations, and their very great Jgn. orance of the divine ]oy.r! but by imitating thefe Fajhio.n.r, and frequen .. tmg thcfe Places and D1verfions, not only much Good IS omincd, but a cettlin Door is opened ro mnch Evil to be committed. As Fir/1, Preciou:» Time, that were worth a World on a dying Bed, is loll: Money, rbac might be employed for fOme general good, vainly expended: PleafUre is taken in meer Shame ; Lofts are gratified, the Minds of People ~lien:ned from heavenly. Things, and exetcifed about meer Folly: Pride taken in Cloaths, lirft gtven to cover Nakednefs, whercbv the Cre-.rture is negleaecf :tnd the Noble Creltion of God difregarded, -and Men become Acceptabl~ by their Trim.r a.nd the .A.latJtodenljr of their D1efS and Apparel ; from whence Rifptll to Perfon.r doth fo . .,naturally a rife, that for a·ny ro deny it, is to :tffirm the ~un .!hines no~ ~t ~~Ofl: Day : Nothing heing rllore notori-ous, thJn the Crmgmg, Scraf!mg, S1rrmg, ond Mttdamin,g of Perfons ac- James 2 i cording to the Ga?Jdinif~ of their !In ire, which is deteitable to God,' and ~0 , , • • fo abfolutely forbidden 1n the Scuprures, rhar to do it, is to break the whole Law, and confequently to incur the Punifhment thereof. l\'~xt What ~re~lt Holes do the like Pr::~fiices make in Men's Efbtes? How arJ their Vocations n~gleEl-ed? You~gWo.men ?eluded? The Marriage Bed· i'rt· vJded? Contenttons and F::~mlly-Ammofitles begorten? Parrings of Mall and Wife) Dif-inheriting of Children~ difmiftin~ of Servants~ On the other Hand, Servants mJde Slaves, Children dilregarded, Wives defpifed n~d fhamefully abufed, through the intemperance of their Hu!bands; ~hicti e~ther puts them upon the fame Extravag:Jnce, Qr laying fi1ch cruel Injuf.. tlce to he:ut, they pine Jway their Days in Grief and Mifery. But of all thefe wretched Inventions, the Play·Houfe.r, like fo many Hellijh Seminttritr do moft pernicioufly conduce to thefe fad and miferable Ends; where lit~ tle belidts Frothy, Wanton, if not diri8:ly o/Jfcene and Propbtme H lUll ours are rtprefen~ed, which are of notorious ill Confequence upon the Minds of moft; cfpectally the Youth that frequent them. And thus iris th:Jt Idle and Debaucht Stagert are encouraged and maintained 1 th:tn which fcarceJ ly a .greater Aho!llination can be thought on of thlt Rank of Impieties, as Wlll:tnon p:trtlcularly b7 fhown; And truly, nothing, but the exceffive Pleafure People take therem, could blind their Eyes from feeing it. ~· IX. Bur Ljl!y, the .grand lndi.fpofiiion of Mind in People rofolid; ~erwus ln~ H~av~nly M2daa.uons, by thealmoft continual, as well as plea· iaht.Rumananon m theu Mmds, of thofe ''arious Advenrures they have Job. H• 13; been entertained with, which in the more Youthlul can nevcn mifs to in-flam~ tmd animate their. Boyli~g and airy Conftirutions. And in rhe reft ofthe'Cdmmo.n Recreauons. ?f Ballt, Mnfques, Tr~nu, Card.r, J1ia, &c . thcre1are the l1ke Opportunmes to promote the like F. viis. And yer flt-ther; how many, Q.Jlarrel~, Animofities, nay, Murders roo, :~swell as t.X~ prnu o~£ftatc a~d precious Time, have been th~ immediate Confequences of the:J:jke P13a1ces? In fl1ort, Thefe were rhe Ways of the Gcntile.r thac kne.w no.r God, but never rhe Practice ofrhem rh:Jt feared. him: Nay, the 1!.ph,_4, .,.. '* more to 2 i, |
