thofe bewitching follies, the very reason why they are fo ignorant and infenfible of him: Him who continually ftands knocking at the door of their hearts; in whom they ought to abide, and whofe divine power they should know to be the crofs on which every beloved luft and alluring vanity fhould be flain and crucified; that fo they might feel the heavenly life to fpring up in their hearts, and themselves to be quickened to seek the things that are above; that when Chrift fhall appear, they might appear with him in glory, who is over all, God bleffed for ever." Amen. §. 1. The customs, fashions, &c. which make up the attire and pleasure of the age, are enemies to inward retirement. §. 2. Their end is to gratify lust. §. 3. Had they been solid; Adam and Eve had not been happy, that never had them. §. 4. But the confidence and prefumption of Chriftians, as they would be called, in the ufe of them is abominable. §. 5. Their authors further condemn them, who are usually loofe and vain people. §. 6. Mostly borrowed of the Gentiles, that knew not God. §. 7. An objection of their usefulness confidered and anfwered, and the objectors reproved. §. 8. The beft heathens abhorring what pretended Chrif tians plead for. §. 9. The use of these things encourages the authors and makers of them to continue in them. §. 10. The objection of the maintenance of families anfwered. None must do evil, that good fhould follow: but better employments may be found more ferviceable to the world. §. 11. Another objection answered: GOD no author of their inventions, and fo not excufable by his inftitution. §. 12. People pleading for thefe vanities, fhew what they are. An exhortation to the weighty and confiderate. A great part of the way to true difcipleship, is to abandon this School and Shop of Satan. §. I. NEXT, thofe customs and fashions, which make up the common attire and converfation of the times, do eminently obftruct the inward retirement of peoples minds, by which they may come to behold the glories of immortality: who instead of fearing their Creator in the days of their youth, and feeking the kingdom of God in the first place, expecting the addition of fuch other things as may be necessary and convenient, according to the injunctions of God, and the Lord Jefus Chrift; as foon as they can do any thing, they look after pride, vanity, and that converfation which is most delightful to the flesh," which becomes their moft delightful entertainment: all which do but evidently beget luftful conceptions, and inflame to inordinate thoughts, wanton difcourfes, lafcivious treats, if not at laft to wicked actions. To fuch it is tedious and offenfive to fpeak of Jer. xviii, 18, 19, 20. Eccl. xii. 1. Luke xii. 31. heaven, or another life. Bid them reflect upon their actions, not grieve the holy Spirit, confider of an eternal doom, prepare for judg ment; and the best return that is ufual, is reproachful jefts, profane repartees, if not direct blows. Their thoughts are otherwife employed their mornings are too fhort for them to wash, to fmooth, to paint, to patch, to braid, to curl, to gum, to powder, and otherwife to attire and adorn themselves; whilft their afternoons are as commonly befpoke for vifits, and for plays; where their ufual entertainment is fome ftories fetched from the more approved romances; fome strange adventures, fome paffionate amours, unkind refufes, grand impediments, importunate addreffes, miferable dif appointments, wonderful furprises, unexpected encounters, caftles furprised, imprisoned lovers refcued, and meetings of fuppofed dead ones; bloody duels, languifhing voices echoing from folitary groves, overheard mournful complaints, deep-fetched fighs fent from wild deferts, intrigues managed with unheard-of fubtlety: and whilft all things feem at the greatest distance, then are dead people alive, enemies friends, despair turned to enjoyment, and all their im poffibilities reconciled: things that never were, nor are, nor ever shall or can be, they all come to pass. And as if men and women were too flow to answer the loose fuggeftions of corrupt nature; or were too intent on more divine fpeculations and heavenly affairs, they have all that is poffible for the most extravagant wits h. v. 3, 4. Pfal. xii. 2. Ifa. v. xii. lix. 3, 4 to invent; not only exprefs lies, but utter impoffibilities to very nature, on purpose to excite their minds to thofe idle paffions, and intoxicate their giddy fancies with fwelling nothings, but airy fictions: which not only confume their time, effeminate their natures, debase their reason, and fet them on work to reduce these things to practice, and make each adventure theirs by imitation; but if difappointed, as who can otherwise expect from fuch mere phantafms, the prefent remedy is latitude to the greatest vice. And yet these are fome of their most innocent recreations, which are the very gins of fatan, to enfnare people; contrived moft agreeable to their weakness, and in a more infenfible manner mastering their affections by entertainments most taking to their fenfes. In fuch occafions it is, their hearts breed vanity, and their eyes turn interpreters to their thoughts, and their looks do whisper the fecret inflammations of their intemperate minds; wandering fo long abroad, till their lafcivious actings bring night home, and load their minds and reputations with luft' and infamy. f. II. Here is the end of all their fashions and recreations, to gratify the luft of the eye, the luft of the flefh, and the pride of life: clothes that were given to cover fhame, now want a covering for their fhameful excefs; and that which fhould remember men of loft innocency, they pride and glory in: but the hundredth part of thefe things coft man the lofs • Prov. vii. 10 to 21. * 1 John ii. 15, 16. of paradife, that now make up the agreeable recreation, aye, the accomplishment of the times. For as it was Adam's fault to feek a fatisfaction to himself, other than what God ordained; fo it is the exercife, pleafure, and perfection of the age, to spend the greatest portion of their time in vanities, which are fo far from the end of their creation, namely, a divine life, that they are deftructive of it. §. III. Were the pleafures of the age true and folid, Adam and Eve had been miferable in their innocency, who knew them not but as it was once their happiness, not to know them in any degree; fo it is theirs, that know Chrift indeed, to be by his eternal power redeemed and raised to the love of immortality: which is yet a mystery to those who live and have pleasure in their curious trims, rich and changeable apparel, nicety of drefs, invention and imitation of fafhions, coftly attire, mincing gaits, wanton looks, romances, plays, treats, balls, feafts, and the like converfation in requeft: for as these had never been, if man had ftaid at home with his Creator, and given the entire exercife of his mind to the noble ends of his creation; fo certain it is, that the use of thefe vanities, is not only a fign that men and women are yet ignorant of their true reft and pleasure, but it greatly obftructs and hinders the retirement of their minds, and their serious enquiry after thofe things that are eternal. Eph. ii. I to 5. Col. ii. 13. I Pet. i, 14 to 19. James v. 5. Mar. vii. 17, 18, 19. I Cor. vi. 13. Rom. viii. 8. Mat. xvi. 26. I Pet. i. 24. |