for it seems their original was base, and the finery of them will neither make them noble, nor man innocent again. But doubtless bleffed was that time, when innocence, not ignorance, freed our first parents from fuch fhifts: they were then naked, and knew no fhame; but fin made them afhamed to be longer naked. Since therefore guilt brought shame, and shame an apron and a coat, how very low are they fallen that glory in their shame, that are proud of their fall? For fo they are, that use care and coft to trim and set off the very badge and livery of that lamentable lapfe. It is all one, as for a man that had loft his nose by a fcandalous distemper, to take pains to fet out a falfe one, in fuch fhape and fplendor, as fhould give but the greater occafion for all to gaze upon him, as if he would tell them, he had loft his nose, for fear they should think he had not. But would a wife man be in love with a falle nose, though never so rich, and however finely made? Surely no. And shall people that call themselves Chriftians, fhew fo much love for clothes, as to neglect innocence, the firft clothing? Doth it not fhew what coft of time, pains, and money, people are at, to fet off their fhame, with the greatest fhew and folemnity of folly? Is it not to delight in the effect of that caufe, which they rather fhould lament? If a thief were to wear chains all his life, would their being gold, and well made, abate his infamy? To be fure his being choice of them would increase it. Why, this is the very cafe of the vain fashion-mongers

of this fhameless age; yet will they be Chriftians, judges in religion, faints, what not? O miferable ftate indeed! To be fo blinded by the luft of the eye, the luft of the flesh, and pride of life, as to call fhame decency, and to be curious and expenfive about that which fhould be their humiliation. And not only are they grown in love with thefe vanities, and thereby exprefs how wide they are from primitive innocence; but it is notorious how many fashions have been and are invented on purpose to excite luft: which still puts them at a greater distance from a fimple and harmless ftate, and enflaves their minds to bafe concupifcence.

§. V. Nor is it otherwife with recreations, as they call them; for these are nearly related. Man was made a noble, rational, grave creature; his pleasure ftood in his duty, and his duty in obeying God; which is to love, fear, adore, and ferve him; and in ufing the creation with true temperance and godly moderation; as knowing well that the Lord, his judge, was at hand, the inspector and rewarder of his works. In fhort, his happiness was in his communion with God; his error was to leave that conversation, and let his eyes wander abroad to gaze on tranfitory things. If the recreations of the age were as pleasant and neceffary, as they are faid and made to be, unhappy then would Adam and Eve have been, that never knew them. But had they never fallen, and the world been tainted by their folly and ill example, perhaps man had never known the

neceflity or use of many of these things. Sin gave them birth, as it did the other; they were afraid of the prefence of the Lord, which was the joy of their innocency, when they had finned; and then their minds wandered, fought other pleasures, and began to forget God; as he complained afterwards by the prophet Amos, They put far away the evil day: they eat the fat of the flock: they drink wine in bowls they anoint themfelves with the chief perfumes they ftretch themfelves upon beds of ivory they chant to the found of the viol, and invent unto themselves inftruments of mufic, like David, not heeding or remembering the afflictions and captivity of poor Joseph; him they wickedly fold, innocency was quite ba nifhed, and flame foon began to grow a custom, till they were grown fhameless in the imitation. And truly, it is now no lefs a fhame to approach primitive innocence by modeft plainness, than it was matter of shame to Adam that he loft it, and became forced to tack fig-leaves for a covering. Wherefore in vain do men and women deck themselves with fpecious pretences to religion, and flatter their miferable fouls with the fair titles of Chriftian, innocent, good, virtuous, and the like, whilft fuch vanities and follies reign. Wherefore to you all, from the eternal God, I am bound to declare, You mock him that will not be mocked, and deceive yourselves; fuch intemperance must be denied, and you must know yourselves changed, and more nearly approached to pri

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mitive purity, before you can be entitled to what you do now but ufurp; For none but thofe who are led by the fpirit of God, are the children of God,' which guides into all temperance and meekness.

§. VI. But the Chriftian world, as it would be called, is juftly reproveable, because the very end of the first institution of apparel is grofly perverted. The utmost service that clothes originally were defigned for, when fin had ftripped them of their native innocence, was, as hath been faid, to cover their fhame; therefore plain and modeft: next, to fence out cold; therefore fubftantial: laftly, to declare fexes; therefore diftinguifhing. So that then neceffity provoked to clothing, now, pride and vain curiofity in former times fome benefit obliged, but now, wantonnefs and pleasure: then they minded them for covering, but now, that is the leaft part; their greedy eyes must be provided with gaudy fuperfluities; as if they made their clothes for trimming, to be feen rather than worn; only for the fake of other curiofities that must be tacked upon them, although they neither cover fhame, fence from cold, nor diftinguish fexes; but fignally difplay their wanton, fantastic, full-fed minds, that have them.

§. VII. Then the best recreations were to ferve God, be juft, follow their vocations, mind their flocks, do good, exercise their bodies in fuch a manner as was fuitable to gravity, temperance, and virtue; but now that word is extended to almoft every folly that carries any

1 Rom. viji 14. Gal. v. 23.

appearance above open fcandalous filth, (detefted by the very actors, when they have done it ;) fo much are men degenerated from Adam in his disobedience; fo much more confident and artificial are they grown in all impieties: yea, their minds, through cuftom, are become fo very infenfible of the inconveniency that attends the like follies, that what was once mere neceffity, a badge of fhame, at beft but a remedy, is now the delight, pleasure, and recreation of the age. How ignoble is it, how ignominious and unworthy of a reasonable creature. Man who is endued with understanding, fit to contemplate immortality, and made a companion (if not fuperior) to angels, that he fhould mind a little duft, a few fhameful rags, inventions of mere pride and luxury; toys for apifh and fantaftic, entertainments fo dull and earthly, that a rattle, a baby, a hobby-horse, a top, are by no means fo foolish in a fimplet child, nor unworthy of his thoughts, as are fuch inventions of the care and pleasure of men. It is a mark of great ftupidity, that fuch vanities fhould exercife the noble mind of man, and image of the great Creator of heaven and earth.

§. VIII. Of this, many among the very Heathens of old had fo clear a profpect, that they detefted all fuch vanity, looking upon curiofity in apparel, and that variety of recreations, now in vogue and efteem with falfe Chriftians, to be deftructive of good manners, in that it more eafily ftole away the minds of people from fobriety to wantonnefs, idlenef