The Young Mans Guide, Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. Of Moderation in Sports and Recreations.
II. BE moderate in thy Sports and Recreations. Spend not too much of thy precious time therein. Certainly if thou didst but seriously weigh and consider, how much work lieth before thee, and how little time remaining for the doing of it, thou wouldst not trifle away so much thereof in vanity and pleasure; but wouldst rather spend the greatest part of that time thou canst spare from thy particular Calling, in renewing thy peace with God, in clearing up thine Interest in Christ, and making thy Calling and Election sure.
I deny not but Recreations are lawful, and may be used; provided,
1. That they be such as are not forbidden either by the Law of God, or Law of Man. For the pleasing of our selves in any of those, must needs be displeasing unto God.
2. That they be used moderately, not spending too much time in them, nor taking too much pains about them; for thereby you will rather be disabled for the discharge of the duties of your Calling, than fitted thereunto, which crosseth the main end of Recreations. The Mowers whet is counted no let, but rather a furtherance of his work. But if he spend the whole day, or half a day in whetting, he spoils his Sythe, and hinders his work. Now our Recreations ought to be as whetting to the Mower, wherein no more time must be spent than doth conduce to the better fitting us for the duties of our general and particular Calling.
But contrariwise, how do the greater part of Young Men, either accustom themselves to unlawful Recreations, sporting themselves in sin and wickedness; or else abuse their lawful Recreations, by lavishing away much of their precious time therein, making a Vocation of their Recreation; as if their work were to play, and their pastimes were the very Trade to which they had served an Apprenticeship, and idleness were the business of their lives.
Ah Young Men, is your peace yet to be made with God? the pardon of your sins yet to be obtained? your Salvation yet to be wrought out? And is the time allotted for these things both short and uncertain, and yet do ye squander it away in sports and pastimes? Doth your everlasting happiness and misery depend upon your well or ill improving of your time here, and can you so prodigally lavish it out in sensual pleasures and delights? O that men indowed with reason should be so foolish and unwise, as to hazard the eternal welfare of their precious Souls for a few pleasing vanities, which last but for a moment!
It was the sad expression of Lysimachus, who had lost his Kingdom for one draught of water; For what a short pleasure have I made my self a Bondslave for ever? Oh the folly and madness that possesseth the hearts of many Young Men to throw away their time upon their Lusts and pleasures, as that which is nothing worth, which hereafter, if they had it, they would give a whole world to redeem it, but cannot obtain.
Do you lack Pass-time? Sports to pass away the time? company to pass away the time? Why man, is all thy work done, that thy time now lies upon thy hands? Look to it, thou mayst hereafter beg for an hour, one hour to pray in, one hour to repent in, which now thou meerly triflest, and playest away. O what a precious commodity would time be in Hell? One day of Grace, one day to repent in, what a joy would it be to the damned Souls? but then it will be too late; it's gone, and will not be recall'd for ever.
The more to restrain you from all excesses in your sports and pastimes, let me propound a few considerations.
1. Consider the shortness and uncertainty of that time which is allotted to thee here, for the doing of all that is to be done for Eternity. Thy life here is but for a moment, in comparison of that which follows after; yet upon this moment depends thine Eternal state. Thou art in this World but a Probationer for the other World. Look as thou behavest thy self here, either in well improving thy Time and Talent to the glory of God, or in mis-spending it in fruitless sports and recreations, and in satisfying thy carnal Lusts, accordingly will be thy state and condition hereafter to all Eternity.
O Young man, what a folly then must it needs be, to deprive thy self of that fulness of joy, which is at Gods right hand to all Eternity, for the enjoyment of a few pleasures here, which last but for a moment?
2. Consider that the time here spent in vanity and pleasure will yield thee little comfort on thy death-bed. What was it wherewith Hezekiah comforted himself on his supposed death-bed? Not with calling to mind his former glory, pleasures and delights; but his serving God in integrity and uprightness of heart, Isa. 38. 1. Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth and with an upright heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. This was that which then yielded hi… much peace and comfort.
Go, O Young man, to the bed-side of a dying man, and mind him both of his Worldly vanities with which in times past he was delighted; as also of all those duties of piety, and works of righteousness which he hath performed in the whole course of his life. And then ask him in which he doth now take most comfort, and delight; and you shall find that he will be confounded with shame to think of the former, and exceedingly rejoyce with the remembrance of the latter.
3. Consider how thou must be called to an account at that last and dreadful day of Iudgement, as for thy other sins, so for thy mispent time, for the many precious hours thou hast vainly spent in sports and pastimes. Thou maist▪ now make light of spending thy precious time in vanity and pleasure, in satisfying thy carnal Lusts, thinking never to hear of them again. But assure thy self, there is a day coming (how near thou knowest not) when thou must give account unto God of all thy merry meetings; yea of every hour spent in worldly pleasures and delights.
Now, O Young man, think with thy self how sad the case will be, when thou shalt recollect, how many dayes thou hast spent in sports and Recreations, and how few in fasting and humiliation; How many hours thou hast spent in Carding and Diceing, in Drinking and Tipling, and how few in Reading, Hearing, Praying, and the like.