totally to divert them from heavenly Reflections and divine Meditations, than the Attire, Sports, Plays, and Paftimes of this godlefs Age, the School and Shop of Satan, hitherto fo reasonably condemned.

CHA P. XVIII.

§. 1. But if thefe Culloms, &c. were 'but indifferent, yet being abused, they deferve to be rejected. §. 2. The Abufe is acknowledged by thofe that ufe them, therefore should leave them, §. 3. Such as pretend to Seriousness, should exemplarily withdraw from fuch Latitudes: A wife Parent weans his Child of what it dotes too much upon; and we should watch over ourselves and Neighbours. §. 4. God, in the Cafe of the Brazen-ferpent, &c. gives us an Example to put away the Use of abused Things. §. 5. If these Things were fometimes convenient, yet when their Ufe is prejudicial in Example, they should be difufed. §. 6. Such as yet proceed to love their unlawful Pleafures more than Chrift and his Crofs; the Mischief they have brought to Perfons and Eftates, Bodies and Souls. §. 7. Ingenuous People know this to be true: An Appeal to God's Witness in the Guilty: Their State, that of Babylon. §. 8. But Temperance in Food, and Plainness in Apparel, and Jober Converfation, conduce moft to Good: So the Apoftle

teaches

teaches in bis Epiftles. §. 9. Temperance enriches a Land: 'Tis a political Good, as well as a religious one in all Governments. §. 10. When People have done their Duty to GOD, it will be Time enough to think of pleasing themfelves. §. 11. An Addrefs to the Magiftrates and all People, bow to convert their Time and Money to better Purposes.

§. I. BUT fhould these Things be as indifferent, as they are proved perniciously unlawful, for I never heard any advance their Plea beyond the Bounds of meer Indifferency, yet fo great is their Abuse, fo univerfal the fad Effects thereof, like to an Infection, that they therefore ought to be rejected of all, especially those whofe Sobriety hath preferv'd them on this Side of that Excefs, or whofe Judgments, though themselves be guilty, fuggeft the Folly of fuch Intemperance. For what is an indifferent Thing, but that which may be done, or left undone? Granting, I fay, this were the Cafe, yet doth both Reason and Religion teach, that when they are used with fuch an Excess of Appetite, as to leave them would be a Cross to their Defires, they have exceeded the Bounds of meer Indifferency, and are thereby rendered. no less than neceffary. Which being a Violation of the very Nature of the Things themfelves, a perfect Abuse enters; and confequently they are no longer to be confidered in the Rank of Things fimply indifferent, but unlawful.

§. II.

§. II. Now that the whole Exchange of Things, against which I have fo earnestly contended, are generally abused by the Excess of almost all Ages, Sexes, and Qualities of People, will be confeffed by many, who yet decline not to conform themfelves to them; and to whom, as I have understood, it only feems lawful, Because, fay they, the Abufe of others fhould be no Argument why we should not use them. But to fuch I anfwer, That they have quite forgot, or will not remember, they have ackdowledged thefe Things to be but of an indifferent Nature: If fo, and Vanity never urg'd more, I fay, there can be nothing more clear, than fince they acknowledge their great Abufe, that they are wholly to be forfaken; For fince they may as well be let alone, as done at any Time, furely they fhould then of Thil 3.17. Duty be let alone, when the Ufe of them is an abetting the general Excefs, and a meer exciting others to continue in their Abuse, becaufe they find Perfons reputed fober to imitate them, or otherwife give them an Example. Precepts are not half fo forcible as Examples.

§. III. Every one that pretends to Serioufnefs, ought to infpect himself, as having been too forward to help on the Excefs, and can never make too much Hafte out of thofe Inconveniencies, that by his former Example he encouraged any to; that by a new one he may put a feafonable Check upon the Intemperance of others. A wife Parent ever withdraws thofe to the End. Objects, however innocent in themselves, which

Rom. 14.

are

are too prevalent upon the weak Senfes of his Children, on purpofe that they might be weaned And 'tis as fréquent with Men to bend a crooked Stick as much the contrary Way, that they might make it ftraight at laft. Those that have more Sobriety than others, should not forget their Stewardships, but exercife that Gift of God to the Security of their Neighbours. 'Twas murdering Cain that rudely afked the Lord, Was he his Brother's Keeper? Gen. 4. 9 For every Man is neceffarily obliged thereto; and therefore fhould be fo wife, as to deny himself the Ufe of fuch indifferent Enjoyments, as cannot be ufed by him, without too manifeft an Encouragement to his Neighbour's Folly.

§. IV. God hath fufficiently excited Men to what is faid; for in the Cafe of the Brazen 2 Kings Serpent, which was an heavenly Inftitution and 8. 3, 4. Type of Christ, he with great Difpleasure enjoin'd it fhould be broke to Pieces, because they were too fond and doting upon it. Yes, the very Groves themselves, however pleasant for Situation, beautiful for their Walks and Trees, must be cut down: And why? Only because they had been abused to idolatrous Ufes. And what's an Idol, but that which the Mind puts an over Eftimate or Value upon? None can benefit themfelves fo much by an indifferent Thing, as others by not using that abufed Liberty.

§. V. If thofe Things were convenient in themselves, which is a Step nearer Neceffity,

than

than meer Indifferency, yet when by Circumftances they become prejudicial, fuch Conveniency itself ought to be put off; much more what's but indifferent, fhould be deny'd. People ought not to weigh their private Satisfactions more than a publick Good; nor please themfelves in too free an Ufe of indifferent Things, at the Cost of being fo really prejudicial to the Publick, as they certainly are, whofe Ufe of them, if no worse, becomes exemplary to others, and begets an Impatiency in their Minds to have the like. Wherefore it is both reasonable and incumbent on all, to make only fuch 2 Pet. 1.3. Things neceffary, as tend to Life and Godliness, and to employ their Freedom with most Advantage to their Neighbours. So that here is a twofold Obligation; the one, not to be exemplary in the Ufe of fuch Things; which, though they may use them, yet not without giving too much Countenance to the Abuse and exceffive Vanity of their Neighbours. The other ObliRom. 14. gation is, that they ought fo far to condefcend 1, to the to fuch religious People, who are offended at these Fashions, and that Kind of Conversation, as to reject them.

End.

§. VI. Now thofe, who notwithstanding what I have urged, will yet proceed; what is it, but that they have fo involved themselves and their Affections in them, that it is hardly poffible to reform them; and that for all their many Proteftations against their Fondness to fuch Fopperies, they really love them more than Christ and his Crofs. Such cannot feek

the