The True Christians T est, Part 2 · Meditation 25
MEDITAT. XXV. Of Gameſters.
I Think it is generally concluded, That Exerciſe is expedient, and upon the matter neceſſary, for the health of the Body. Phyſicians contend for the agreeableneſs of ſome Recreations in particular to ſome Conſtitutions, and ſo they alot Ringing to ſome, Shooting to others, Hunting to others, and Bowling to others. I had rather believe theſe Artiſts, than diſpute with them; though it ſeems that the end of all theſe Recreations may be attained as well by Riding or Walking. I ſhall eſteem him a wiſe and temperate man, who is induced to theſe Recreations by no other conſideration, but that of Health: But I fear there are few ſuch.
Recreations are alſo ſaid to be needful to the relief of the mind, which I will not deny: And yet ſo far as I can apprehend, the Variety of Buſineſs is the beſt Recreation, and does as effectually relieve the mind, as any Sports whatſoever: For my own part, I would defire no better Recreation of mind, than to go from one Buſineſs to another, that ſhould be within my call and compaſs; and then ſeaſonably to lay down both the one and the other upon my Pillow. But whatſoever may be ſaid in Vindication of ſome Sports, there are certainly many others which cannot be juſtify'd; yea, and the Gameſters will be found Lovers of the World, and not of the Father.
Such Gameſters are they, who follow Sports in their own Nature unlawful, being againſt the Rules of Juſtice, Temperance, or Modeſty.
And ſuch are they, who follow Sports in themſelves lawful, unlawfully; that is, unrighteouſly, intemperately, or unſeaſonably. I reckon that they follow Sports unrighteouſly, who make a Calling of Gaming, and Recreation their Buſineſs, thereby either endeavouring to get other mens Eſtates, or venturing to loſe their own. The nature of Commutative Juſtice requires, that when I receive that which is another mans, I part with ſomething of my own that is equivalent, and bears ſome due proportion to it. Hereby the gains of Wagers and Gaming comes to be rank'd amongſt other filthy Lucre, and may be matcht with the price of a Dog, or the hire of an Harlot.
And here, by the way, I cannot but ſtop a little, and complain of the Careleſneſs and Cruelty of thoſe Parents and Maſters, who inſtruct, or encourage, or ſo much as allow their Children, Servants or Scholars, to play for money. Is not Covetouſneſs a ſufficient blemiſh to our old Age, but we muſt be inur'd to it in our Youth? Is it not Cruelty, to inſtruct Children to cheat and wrong one another, before they be in a capacity to make Reſtitution? Is the Love of money the Root of all Evil; and yet we take ſo much care to plant it, and that in the minds of thoſe whom we pretend to preſerve from Evil? It cannot eaſily be computed, how much idle, covetous, contentious, cozening Converſation is uſher'd into the World by this kind of Education; nor how many miſchievous Conſequences there are of it. Oh that all that pretend to love the Father, would diligently watch against the introduction of the love of the world into the hearts of their Children by this means!
But beſides thoſe Gameſters that unrighteouſly get or ſpend Eſtates by Gaming, there are others, Lovers of Pleaſures, more than Lovers of God; who ſpend their time exceſſively in Sports, pleaſurably paſſing away their Time, which without Paſtimes, haſtens away apace; and which when it is paſt, cannot be call'd back, though one would give all the ſubſtance of his Houſe to retrieve it. I know it is unjuſt to determine the ſame meaſure of time for Sports to all men; and I think it is unſafe to determine an exact meaſure to any man. But every mans own Conſcience, if he examine it, can tell him, Whether he be a Lover of Pleaſure, more than of God; whether he live in Pleaſure; whether he ſpend his time, either more largely, or more gladly, in Sports or in Devotion, or good Buſineſs, or which he prefers or o…ghts in moſt. It ſeems to be angerly ſpoken by the Philoſopher, Indignus est humano n…mine, qui vel unum di…m velit eſſe in voluptaribu…, That he does not deſerve the name of a man, who is content to ſpend one day in pleaſures But if he was in earneſt, as he ſeems to have been, I think it is highly reaſonable, that the Profeſſors of Chriſtianity ſhould be as ſerious and abſtemious as any Heathen Philoſopher of them all; and rather reduce the Un…m …, into Unam Horam, than enlarge their Liberty. I wonder exceedingly what moſt of our Gentlemen, and many of our Scholars think of themſelves, (if ever they think of themſelves and what opinion they have of their own temper and inclination; who from Week to Week, ſpend more than a moiety of their days in Sports and Recreations, in needleſs Viſits, impertinent Confabulations, and either in doing Ill, or doing Nothing, or doing that which is nothing to their purpoſe, nothing ſerving to their general or ſpecial calling They cannot imagine ſure, that by ſaying a Prayer, or reading a Chapter in the morning, they have purchas'd all the reſt of the day to their own uſe; as the Jews got the remainder of the Fields, and of the Flocks, by offering up the Firſt-fruits, and the Firſtborn; or that by beginning in the Spirit, they have obtained a Licence to go on, and end in the Fleſh. One would think it that a Chriſtian Preacher ſhould make as much Conſcience of his time, as an Heathen Painter, and allow Nulla Dies ſine Linca, No Day without a Line, to be a good Motto. It is certainly a weak Argument, that becauſe Men have good Eſtates, and need not Work nor Trade to maintain themſelves, that therefore God does require no buſineſs at all of them, but that their time is their own: And as for thoſe that are in a Clerical Capacity, methinks the Children of this World (who act at a more induſtrious rate) ſhould ſhame the Children of Light, or the Lights of the World, (let them call themſelves by what name they pleaſe) out of that ſilly fancy, that becauſe they have got a little Learning, therefore they need ſtudy no more; or becauſe they can make a Sermon in one day of a Week, and preach it on another, that therefore the other five are their own to play with.
Amongſt the Worldly Gameſters, the unſeaſonable make up as great a number, as the unrightcous or intemperate. I reckon thoſe unſeaſonable Gameſters, who purloin from the Lords-day, to beſtow in Sports and Recreations. I will not enter into the Controverſie about the Morality of the Sabbaths, nor the certain Right of Succeſſion that the Lords day hath to the Holy Reſt of the Seventh day; but I do believe that the Conſcience of a good man is the beſt Caſuiſt in this matter: And that every ſuch man in the World doth think it reaſonable to appropriate ſome certain time to the more immediate and ſolemn Worſhip of God; and that no ſuch man will grudge a ſeventh part of his time to ſo good a matter, who gives him all the reſt; and that there are many ſuch men, who are ſo far from grudging God one day in a Week, that they had rather every day in the Week, and every Week in the Year, and every Year of their Lives, could be directly ſpent in the ſervice of that God to whom they owe all they have, and in communion with whom (and therein I place the true Celebration of a Sabbath) their true and proper happineſs doth conſiſt. And I am of opinion with Mr. Hales, and many other good men, That Religion doth proſper or decay in Church, Family, or ſingle Soul, proportionably as the Chriſtian Sabbath is obſerved or neglected.
It ſeems that there are ſome Pleaſures allow'd us in general, which are therefore call'd our own, Iſa. 58. 13. which yet we are required to refrain from on God's Holy-day. And I ſee no reaſon he has to complain for want of Recreation on the Sabbath, to whom the Sabbath it ſelf is the greateſt Recreation: which I pray God it may be to all that pretend to a predominant love of the Father.
As for thoſe Conſcientious Senſualiſts, who uſe Sports on the Lords-day, to prove that they are no Jews; the end may be good poſſibly, but the method that they take, will, I doubt, indifferently ſerve to prove, that they are no good Chriſtians neither.
Beſides theſe, there are other Worldly Gameſters who indulge themſelves in Sports and Pleaſures, in a time of Publick Calamity or Danger; whom the Prophet Amos deſcribes, (Amos 16. in the beginning) and God threatens above all ſorts of men that I read of, except thoſe that blaſpheme the Holy Ghoſt, ſaying, That their iniquity ſhall not be purged from them till they dye, Iſa. 22. 14. In ſhort, It is the Character of true Iſraelites, that they cannot make merry when Jeruſalem is oppreſſed, Pſal. 137. and by the Rule of Contraries, it is a Symptom of a Senſualiſt to nouriſh himſelf in a day of ſlaughter.