The Principles of Christian Practice, Point of doctrine 10
EPICURISME DESCRIBED, AND DISGRACED.
EXOD. 32. 6.
And the people sate downe to eat and to drink…, and rose up to play.
AFter that God had delivered Coherence.his Lawes in the former chapters, here wee see how his own people addresse themselves to obedience For, w…ile Moses in the …ount stayeth with God to receive more directions, somewhat longer then they think fit, they fall to commit most horrible Idolatry: which in the first verse the people propound to Aaron, make us gods: and vers. 2. Aaron against his conscience yeelds to it, setting them in a way to bring their Iewels. Vers. 3. the people contribute to it, being as ready to bring, as he to desire them. Vers. 4. Of the Iewels an Idolis made by Aaron, and with the Calfe an Altar set up. Then is an holy-day proclaimed to the Idol, on the morrow after, vers. 5. Afterward the consummation of their idolatry, vers. 6. the people offered sacrifices before the golden Calfe. Lastly, in the Text is set downe the inseperable adjunct of Idolatry, namely, excesse and idlenesse, or luxury and wantonnes, The people also sate downe to eat and drinke, and rose up to play.
At this time consider.
1. Who did this, the people.Parts.
2. When they did sit downe to eat and drinke.
3. Whether it be a sinne to eat and drinke.
4. The use thereof.
For the first of these. Who I.did this? The people: who had impiously presumed to set up a worship without, yea, against God. They thinke much to spend whole forty daies without some ceremony, or publike testimony of duty: And they had seene such a worship in Egypt, wherewith God (of whom they heard nothing) might perhaps be appeased: and therefore as the Egyptians worshipped their Apis in the form… of a Bull, for their tillage sake, so would they worship the Calfe, and afterward Note. Idolatry ever attended with sloth and luxury.give themselves to excesse and idlenesse.
Whence note, that feastings and idlenesse are the undivided companions o… Idolatry. These people are first Idolaters, from Idolatry they fall to gluttony, from gluttony to wantonnesse. Yea, such inseparable attendants they are, that the Apostle (1 Cor. 10. 7.) proves the Isra…es to bee Idolaters, by this testimony, because they sate downe to eat and drinke, and rose up to play.
It appeares in heathenish Idolatry: for the Heathens, in all their false and idolatrous worships, celebrated the honour of their gods with feastings, banquettings, playes, and dancings. Both the Greekes and Romans used many filthy sports and actions, in their solemne services. The Romans, to magnifie their heathenish idolatry, instituted their Saturnalia, that is, a feast of five dayes, ordained by Ianus in honour of Saturn…, in who…e time all things were used in common. These five dayes were kept in December, with great cost in sumptuous feasts, with variety of sports & games, and presenting of rich gifts. In these dayes servants had equall power with their Masters, and authority to sit at table with them, and have a common command with them. We read also of the obscene spectacles in the sacrifices, called Floralia, wherein harlots were brought in naked on the Theater, &c.
But whence comes this?Reasons. 1
1. Because the Heathens would imitate the Iewes, who by Gods Commandement must eat and drinke, and feast before Deu. 14. 1…the Lord in offering their sacrifices; whence both Iewes and Gentiles tooke occasion of all carnall liberty and excesse, and to adde what God never prescribed, as to rise up to play.
2. Because idolatry must bee 2.contrary to the true worship of God, wherein repentance, godly sorrow, and a contrite heart is most acceptable. Of all creatures an Idolater is most departed from God, and expresseth it in these carnall fruits: so Ambrose, alleaging this Text, …e…ose luxni committit, nisi qui recedit a praeceptis Dei: epist. 4. 36.No man gives up himselfe to luxury, but hee that departeth from the Commandement of God.
3. As the Idolater is furthest gene from God, so God is furthest gone from him, and leaves 3him to vilest and foulest lusts, as the heathen, Rom. 1. 26. to infinite bodily uncleannesse, the Lord revenging spiritual whoredome with corporall: as his owne Israel, joyning with Baal-Pe…r, Num. 25. 1, 2.not onelyonly committed spirituall fornication, in bowing to their gods, but defiled their bodies with the daughters of Moab.
4. Our nature is most propense 4.and ready to pleasure and carnall delight: so as wee willingly annexe unto Gods worship, whatsoever pleaseth us, that under that cover or pretence we may more freely enjoy it.
The counsell then of the Apostle, Vse.upon this ground, is not unseasonable, 1 Cor. 10. 7. Be not idolaters, as they were. Hard it is for us to sit down to eat & drink, and rise up to play, but we must make our belly our god, and offer sacrifices to it, as the Romans did to Bacchus in their Bacchanalia.
Obiect. But we are the people of God, and baptized in the name of Christ: there is no feare we should be Idolaters.
Ans. The Iewes were Gods people, yet set up the golden Calfe. The Corinthians were Christians, converted, and baptized into the name of Christ, and yet they must beware of the sinne of the Iewes. And if we be Christians, wee must avoyd not onelyonly the Calfe it selfe, but even the shows and appearance; excessive feasts & wantonnesse, which are inseparable fruits of it: and thinke how easie it is, to be found in the skirts of this sinne: which is the use the Apostle makes of this allegation, 1 Cor. 10. 7.
For the second generall.II. The sinne aggravuted by circumstance
When did this people sit down to eat, and rise up to play?
Answ. Even when their case was most miserable, then were they most insensible: for,
1. They had robbed themselves, and made themselves 1poore, in that the eare-rings and jewels which God had given them from the Egyptians, they bestow upon an idoll.
2. They had committed an horrible sinne, aggravated sundry 2.wayes. They had turned the glory of an incorruptible God into the similitude of a Calfe that eateth hay. They that had opened their mouthes a little before in singing praises to God for their deliverance out of the Sea, and for the destruction of the enemies, with the same mouth sing now to their Idols, These are thy gods, O Israel, that brought thee out of Egypt. They had used their feet, not many dayes or weeks before, to walke through the Red Sea by a miracle, and now with the same feet they dance before the Calfe. Thus was their sinne great.
3. For this fearefull sinne they 3lye under an heavy punishment: they were now naked, and God was comming to revenge upon them: and after he was intreated, at the instance of Moses, to spare them, yet for example 3000. of them were presently slaine the same day. They had more need have beene fasting, and praying, and weeping for their sinne: but now they sit downe to eat and drinke, and rise up to play.
Observe this: Never are men nearer mischiefe, then when they Note. Secure in sin, nearest to mischiefare most iolly and m…rry in their sinnes. Commonly when men cry peace, peace, then is peace furthest off: and God comes on the wicked, when they looke least for him, as David on the Amalekites (1 Sam. 30. 16.) when they were drinking and dancing, and most secure. We in this land specially, if we would Use.enquire what causes of mourning we have, should finde small cause of sitting downe to eat and drinke, and of rising up to play.
1. If we behold the inundation of sinne, the increase of sinnes against God and the light of the Gospell, horrible Idolatry, excesse of pride and wantonnesse, a deluge of drunkennesse, a confusion of manifold disorders, &c.
2. Our security in the midst of judgements: the sword hath fed upon us, and wee have forgotten it: the plague hath destroyed thousands of us, and threatens still, hovers about us, Preached ann dom. 16…0.and shewes his Commission to be still in force: and other warnings serve not: we are corrected, but not instructed: Wee eat, and drinke, and play, as those that remember not what reckoning is behinde for all these things.
3. Would every man seriously looke over his owne accounts hee might finde himselfe other businesse, then sit downe to eat and drinke, and rise up to play.
But is it not lawfull to eat and drinke?III. Vse of creatures most lawfull, and how.
Yes, it is not lawfull onelyonly, but necessary to nourish our life, to repaire strength decayed, and enable us to our duties and callings. Nay, more: we may use the creatures, not onelyonly for necessity, but for delight: God hath given us leave, liberally to use his mercies, and furnished us with variety, farre beyond necessity: he hath not given Psa. 104 15bread onelyonly, to strengthen the heart, but oyle to make the face shine. And hee hath allowed us to feast together, and to invite one another, for the maintaining of Christian love, and cherishing of mutuall fellowship: as in the case of Jobs sonnes, which was not unlawfull, though their feasting ended so fearefully: and the Primitive Churches had their Agapas, or love-feasts, mentioned and approved, Acts 2. 46.
Quest. What then did this people other?
Answ. They failed in many How the Israelites …ff…nded herein. 1things:
1. Whereas the chiefe end of eating and drinking, is, to glorifie God, 1 Cor. 10. 31. the end o… this eating and drinking was, to dishonour God, and honour the Calfe.
2. Whereas eating and drinking 2.should sit us to our duties and callings, both generall and speciall, they by eating and drinking made themselves fit for nothing but play and wantonnesse.
3. Whereas men ought to 3eat and drinke according to the call of nature, in sobriety and moderation, the Text noteth an intemperate and excessive wast both of time and creatures; they sate downe to it, addicting themselves to the creature, and nothing else.
4. Whereas feastings are seasonable in times of joy and 4gladnesse, these feast in a time when Gods judgements are comming on them for their sin, and so the deepest sorrow would better beseeme them: as also did they in Noahs time, They ate and dranke, &c. and Esa. 5. Luk. 17. 1712. not considering the worke of God.
Now these are types to us Use.(saith the Apostle) that is, common examples for our instruction, 1 Cor. 10. 6to beware of immodest, intemperate, and sinfull eating and drinking, that it may not be said of us, as of them, The people sate downe to eat and drinke.
Hereunto must sundry rules Rules to …e observed in eating and drinking 1be observed:
1. Wee must eat and drinke our owne: the sweat of our owne brows, not other mens, as many that cut large shives into other mens loaves; I meane, that which they know is not theirs, but other mens, if all debts were paid: this were an high kinde of injustice, condemned, 2 Thes. 3. 12. Yea, we must so eat and drinke, that we allow some part for the poore, and other occasions, publike or private.
2. For measure, it must bee 2according to the call of nature, or of honest and moderate delight, to keepe us in a fitnesse to godly duties, of hearing, and the rest. All that eating or drinking, by which wee make our selves heavy, sleepy, unweldy, and unfit for duties, is sinfull. For this is not a refreshing, but oppressing; not a refection, but a destruction of nature.
3. For season, it must be so, that we eat not up too much 3time, which would hinder our callings: but rather redeeme time, Ephes. 5. 16. A sinne it is, to sit downe to feasting, and not feele the passage of three or foure houres; whereas perhaps one houre is tedious to sit out a Sermon.
4. We must eat with moderation 4.of affection; not to fit at it, as men that have nothing else to doe; nor suffering our selves to be brought under the power of the creature, as those that cannot be without the pot or pipe, corrupting themselves with the creatures, oftentimes losing sobriety, modesty, chastity, health and reason it selfe; thereby utterly perverting Gods Ordinance, who hath ordained them for servants and helps, not masters and hindrances.
5. The best appetite is, to taste the sweetnesse and goodnesse 5of God himselfe in his creatures: saying within our selves, O Lord, how sweet and good art thou in thy selfe, who canst put such sweetnesse into thy creatures!
6. The best Sawee is good and 6. Col. 4, 6savoury speech, as salt on our tables: acknowledging Gods bounty and goodnesse, both to praise him, and edifie others: whereas commonly our barren and empty hearts know not how to weare out the time of feasting, but either in trifles, or inviting others to eat and drink, who need in truth rather bridles then spurres.
What? no other speech but Quest.of Scripture? how then shall we be merry?
Indeed commonly all speech Ans.but carnall is unsavoury: but first, we must eat and drinke before the Lord, and our speeches must be such asbeseeme his presence, and may be approved of God that heares them. Secondly, all speeches of Christians ought to be better then silence, and to savour of …obriety, wisedome, and grace in the heart: for, whom call wee to our tables, but Gods children by profession, who must every where be like themselves and their Father? Thirdly, God hath given us leave to be merry, but with this onelyonly restraint, Be merry in the Lord, and not against him. Psal. 32. 10.Never must God be set out of sight, in our merriments: as doe they, who never think they can be merry, but in rude and ungodly behaviour, and wanton naughty speeches, unbeseeming Christians. Plato and Xenophon thought it profitable, that mens speeches at their meales might be written. If Christians should doe so, what kinde of bookes would they be?
7. In eating and drinking we must season our hearts with 7 Meditations in eating and drinking. 1 Chap. 1. 6.these or the like meditations:
1. How prone we are to immoderate joy, and so provoke God in our feasts. Iob suspected his sonnes, being in likelihood good men, and sent to them to sanctifie themselves, and himselfe sacrificed for every one of them all.
2. Watch against incitements 2.which we shall not want to forget our selves, and arme against them. We read of Antigonus, that being invited to a feast where a notable harlot was to be present, he asked counsell of Menedemus, what hee should doe? who bade him onelyonly remember, that hee was a Kings sonne. So good men may be invited, where none of the best may meet: the best counsell is, Keepe ever in minde that you are Kings sonnes, Gods children, and a base thing it were for such to be allured by the wicked to things unseemely.
3. Mingle our feasting with a meditation of our end and 3mortality. Joseph had his tombe in his garden, to season his delights with meditation of his death: The Egyptians had a Skeleton or carkasse brought into their feasts, for the same purpose. So set thou thine owne carkasse before the eye of thy mind, and it will moderate thee from pampering it: alas (say thou) this feeding and feasting is but a little repaire of a ruinous house, that must downe shortly.
4. Consider how many of Gods servants want some part 4.of thy superfluity, and how many of them never sate downe at such a table: then follow the meditation, Who am I that I should be full, when so many are hungry? that I should abound when so many doe want? how am I engaged to God for thankfulnesse? how should I sinne to requite his love and bounty with such unkindnesse, as by it to grow wanton, idle, forgetfull of him most when he is most mindefull of me? must I eat and drinke, to rise up to play? Oh no, I must bestirre me in duties, in which I may expresse love for love: neither may I sinne as those great men, Amos 6. 6. who ate the fat, dranke the sweet, and had wine in bowles, and forgate the afflictions of Ioseph: no, if I eat the fat, and drink the sweet, I must remember to send some part to them, for whom none is prepared, Nehem. 8. 10.
This of the peoples eating and drinking.
Now of those words, And rose up to play.
This being a practice condemned Sports and recreations, lawful and how.in this people, it will be a question, Whether it bee not lawfull to sport, or play? To which I answer: it is lawfull: as in the former branch, not eating and drinking were condemned, but their sitting downe to eat and drinke: so in this latter not all play and sport is taxed, but their rising up to play: for,
1. There is a time to laugh, Eccles 3. 4. but this time, when 1.they lay under the curse of God, and danger of sinne, was not it.
2. Wee are commanded to 2 Phil. 4. 4rejoyce, yet in the Lord, not against him. But these were laughing, and singing, and dancing about the Calfe, in honour of their Idoll.
3. Recreation is Gods Ordinance for the necessary refreshing 3.of body or mind, or both; and the sitting of either or both to the calling. But these rose up to play, thrust themselves out of their callings, and did nothing but eat and drinke to play; as many turne their recreations into vocations, and intend nothing else.
4. The Scriptures allow, both 4.exercises of body, as the use of the bow, 2 Sam. 1. 18. and of musicke, Neh. 7. 67. and of hunting, hawking, or birding, so that such sports bee without swearing, disorder, and needlesse tormenting of the silly creatures: As also exercises of the minde and wit, suppose honest riddles (Judg. 14.) and such games, as the ground of which is wit or skill, Chesse, Draughts, and the like. And farre are wee from disallowing any delight, which Gods Word alloweth his children. And as farre be it from any Christian, not to bee governed or bounded by Gods word in every thing.
But note here: though play and recreation bee lawfull, yet Note. In sports is much sinne.much play as we so call, is sinfull: and much sinne lyeth oftentimes in playes and sports, lawfull in themselves, as our Text gives instance. And I thinke the rule will prove generally true, that Christians doe more multiply their sinnes in abuse of things lawfull, then in adventuring on things unlawfull; and faster doe they rivet themselves in those sinnes which lye in lawfull things, then in such as are easily convinced to be unlawfull. An hard taske it is for a Teacher to winne Christians by profession, either from wicked practices if they please to call them play, oh meddle not with mine eyes! or from the usuall sinnes attending such recreations, as in the substance of them are not unlawfull: In both, resembling Salomons mad-man, that casteth darts and firebrands, and saith, Am I not in sport?
But a wise and teachable Christian will confine himselfe to Gods allowance, and neither in jest catch at any forbidden fruit, be it never so pleasant in it selfe, or strongly perswaded; nor in the use of allowed delights, straine beyond the bounds and limits of the Word; nor complaine of us as injurious, when we disallow in men nothing, but what God himselfe in the Scriptures restraineth them in.
And if we will be ruled by God in our sports & rejoycings, we must listen to his directions, 1. in the choyce, 2. in the use of our play.
First, our choyce must be of sports in themselves lawfull. 1 Choyce is to be made of sports.We may not play with holy things, suppose Scripture-phrases: wee must feare the holy name of Iehova, not play with it: nor with oaths, our owne or others: nor with lots, which are a part of the Name of God, yea more solemn then any oath, and must not be vainly used, or for recreation. Neither on the other side may we play with sinne, or things evill in themselves, viz. to make one drunke or sweare, or to laugh at such persons: it is a matter of sorrow, to see Gods Image so defaced, his honourable name so disgraced; and Davids eyes will gush out with rivers of teares Ps 119. 136for such sinnes. So in other sinful merriments.
Or if wee have not warrant for them, by generall rules of the Word: if the lawes of the land prohibit them, as unlawfull: if honest heathens have on good ground condemned them: if the Fathers and judicious Divines have blotted and disgraced them, &c. Here pause on that rule, Phil. 48.
And Christian wisedome will also guide us to the choyce of the best spots. A spirituall mind will chuse spirituall recreations, as a carnall mind will use carnal. And although there be time and place for bodily, yet a wise Christian must in the highest roome set heavenly delights, vi…. comforts of the Spirit, joy in God and his Word, walking in the garden of Christ, where is most sweet and ravishing delight, in hearing, reading, meditating, holy conference, and in gathering and smelling the sweetest flowers of knowledge, faith, love, hope, holinesse. Here is a profitable, and a lasting delight. And here is a tryall of the constitution of thy soule: the soule that more contents it selfe with carnall delights, then these, is of a carnall constitution, if it be so constantly.
Secondly, when we have chosen warrantable sports, we must 2. Vse lawfull, lawfully.beware we sinne not in the use of them. And to keepe us from sinne in our recreations, wee must looke to our neighbour, to our selves.
1. For our neighbour, the rule of wisdome to be observed, is, we must wisely sort our selves 1in our sports, with the most sober, godly, and wise of our degree, condition, and sort of life, that may rather watch over us, that we offend not in them, then any way draw and provoke us so to doe. No pestilentiall ayre so contagious, as where swearers and riotous gamesters are met. And as thy company is, which thou chusest and usest, so art thou.
2. We must looke carefully 2 Our selves how to be ordered in sports.to our selves.
First, for our affection; that it be moderate. Wee may use lawfull sports, but not love them. Hee that loves pastime, 1.shall be a poore man, saith Salomon, Prov. 21. 17. And the Apostle commands Christians to reioyce as not reioycing, 1 Cor. 7. 30. that is, to bee so moderate and retired in our joyes, as not over-value them, nor set affections on them, as having greater things to doe. Moderation will observe due circumstances: it suffreth not a man to be given over to sport, nor to sit up night and day, and turne dayes into nights, and nights into dayes, as intemperate and riotous gamesters doe: nor will it let the duties of generall or speciall calling lye aside for daies and weeks together; because the least commanded thing is better than the best that is indifferent, and sports were not ordained to hinder our callings, but to fit us for them, as whetting a sythe to forward the mower; but if a mower shall doe nothing but whet, whet, for a whole day together, wee would say hee is mad, &c.
Secondly, for our ends. Our 2ends must not be, to passe the time, which passeth whether we will or no, and we ought to redeeme our time, and not let it passe without gaining somthing Eph 5. 16better than it selfe. Nor yet to maintaine idlenesse, as men that cannot tell what to doe with themselves else, which is no better then idlenesse; for idlenesse is not onelyonly not-working, but a doing of trifles, and that which we dare not bring to God in accounts. And is not the case pitifull, that Christians having so much good worke to doe, and so many meanes, and so many cals, and so little time, should finde nothing so necessary as cards and dice?
Againe, the end of sport is preservation of our health, both of soule and body, and not to impaire the health of either; as many by watching at play, and forgetting or forgoing their diet and rest for play, destroy their health, and call in numbers of disease …on themselves, and oftentimes untimely death.
Lastly, seeing nothing can be lawfull, wherein some glory accrewes not to God, therefore if the end of our sports be not to enable us with chearefulnesse in duties of Religion and Christianity, it will all be returned as sinne in our reckoning. Thus of the ends.
Thirdly, we must guide our selves in our sports by remembring 3 Rules for our sportsthese rules:
1. That we may not recreate the outward man, but to better the inward: for Gods wisdome hath subordinated all inferiour things to the furtherance of the best things; the seeking of all other things (even necessaries, much more indifferent) to the Kingdome of God, and his righteousnesse. And he wils, that all Mat. 6. 33.earthly joy… helpe forward our spirituall joy, in God and his Christ, and the eternall joyes of Kingdome. But when they will step in competition with these, they are to be snibb'd, and cast out. Never must our chiefe joy be abated for these: nor our chiefe affections unsetled of that fulnesse of joy at Gods right hand for evermore.
2. Remember we have a spirituall 2.course and race to runne, and beware we clogge not, nor oppresse our selves with pleasures Luk. 21. 34that instead of speeding us in our way they become the Divels birdlime to entangle us; in which while we flutter, we are not able to mount aloft in heavenly meditations, but having escaped we are as long in unlyming and setting our hearts, as would have done the duty.
3. What ever wee winne 3 What may not be l…st in play. 1.or lose, wee must watch heedfully.
First, that we lose not our patience, meeknesse, and love to our companions; as they that scorne, and quarrell, and storme, and rage like heathens, against lucke, and chance, and fortune; yea, sweare and curse, if never so little crossed, as they that never heard of Religion.
Secondly, we may not lose 2our goods, nor waste our substance, nor play away more then without any doubt or scruple of conscience we may bestow on honest delights; the necessary maintenance of other things, and contributions to the Church and poore, first liberally provided for.
Thirdly, wee may not lose our 3good name, which is a precious thing; nor runne into the infamy, to bee accounted dicers, gamesters, idle persons, or companions with them; nor by rude, scurvilous, or obscene words or actions get a brand of a rude and disordered mate. This they justly winne, that lose their mastery, and are at the command of play.
Now certainely in this Vse alone must all recreations become good and comfortable, though corrupt nature cannot brooke to bee so confined. But to those that are ready to object the use and custome of the world, the Apostle answereth, Rom. 12. 2. Fashion not your selves according to this world, but prove what is the good and acceptable will of God. And if any say, Oh but others are of another practice, that know more then you; I say, if they know not the truth of Doctrine, now backed by the authority of Scripture, they know not so much as I, and whosoever walke not by Gods rules, sinne against their owne soules. And sanctified hearts will inure themselves to heavenly joyes, and preferre them above carnall; and little affect those, which loose persons so much, and so dangerously deat upon.