ple, and totally to divert them from heavenly reflections, and divine meditations, than the attire, fports, plays, and paftimes of this godlefs age, the fchool and fhop of Satan, hitherto fo reasonably condemned. CHA P. XVIII. §. 1. But if these customs, &c. were but indifferent, yet being abused, they deferve to be rejected. §. 2. The abuse is acknowledged by those that use them, therefore fhould leave them. §. 3. Such as pretend to feriousness, fhould exemplarily withdraw from fuch latitudes: a wife parent weans his child of what it dotes too much upon; and we fhould watch over ourselves and neighbours. §. 4. God, in the cafe of the brazen ferpent, &c. gives us an example to put away the use of abused things. §. 5. If these things were fometimes convenient, yet when their use is prejudicial in example, they fhould be difufed. §. 6. Such as yet proceed to love their unlawful pleafures more than Chrift and his crofs, the mischief they have brought to perfons and eftates, bodies and fouls. §. 7. Ingenuous people know this to be true: an appeal to God's Witnefs in the guilty: their ftate that of Babylon. §. 8. But temperance in food, and plainness in apparel, and fober converfation, conduce most to good: fo the apoftle teaches in his epiftles. §. 9. Temperance enriches a land: it is a political good, as well as a religious one in all governments. . 10. When people have done their duty to God, it will be time enough to think of pleafing themfelves. §. 11. An addrefs to the magiftrates, and all people, how to convert their time and money to better purposes. S. I. BUT UT fhould these things be as indifferent, as they are proved perniciously unlawful (for I never heard any advance their plea beyond the bounds of mere indifferency) yet fo great is their abuse, fo univerfal univerfal the fad effects thereof, like to an infection, that they therefore ought to be rejected of all, efpecially thofe, whofe fobriety hath preferved them on this fide of that excefs, or whofe judgments (though themfelves be guilty) fuggeft the folly of fuch intemperance. For what is an indifferent thing, but that which may be done, or left undone? Granting, I fay, this were the cafe, yet doth both reafon and religion teach, that when they are used with fuch an excess of appetite, as to leave them would be a cross to their defires, they have exceeded the bounds of mere indifferency, and are thereby rendered no less than neceffary. Which being a violation of the very nature of the things themfelves, a perfect abufe enters; and confequently they are no longer to be confidered in the rank of things fimply indifferent, but unlawful. $. II. Now that the whole exchange of things against which I have fo earnestly contended, are generally abufed by the excess of almost all ages, fexes, and qualities of people, will be confeffed by many, who yet decline not to conform themselves to them; and to whom, as I have understood, it only feems lawful, because (fay they) the abuse of others fhould be no argument why we should not use them. But to fuch I answer, that they have quite forgot, or will not remember, they have acknowledged these things to be but of an indifferent nature: if fo, (and vanity never urged more) I say, there can be nothing more clear, than fince they acknowledge their great abuse, that they are wholly tọ be forfaken for fince they may as well be let alone as done at any time, furely they fhould then of duty be let alone, when the use of them is an abetting the general excefs, and a mere exciting others to continue in their abuse, because they find perfons reputed fober to imitate them, or otherwife give them an example *: precepts are not half fo forcible as examples. §. III. Every one that pretends to feriousness ought to inspect himself, as having been too forward to help a Phil. iii. 17. on the excess, and can never make too much haste out of those inconveniencies, that by his former example he encouraged any to; that by a new one he may put a seasonable check upon the intemperance of others. A wife parent ever withdraws thofe objects, however innocent in themfelves, which are too prevalent upon the weak senses of his children, on purpose that they might be weaned. And it is as frequent with men to bend a crooked ftick as much the contrary way, that they might make it ftrait at last. Those that have more fobriety than others should not forget their stewardships, but exercise that gift of God to the fecurity of their neighbours. It was murdering Cain that rudely asked the Lord, Was he his brother's keeper? for every man is neceffarily obliged thereto; and therefore should be fo wife, as to deny himself the use of fuch indifferent enjoyments, as cannot be used by him without too manifeft an encouragement to his neighbour's folly. §. IV. God hath fufficiently excited men to what is faid; for in the cafe of the brazen ferpent, which was an heavenly institution and type of Chrift, he with great displeasure enjoined it fhould be broke to pieces, because they were too fond and doating upon it. Yes, the very groves themselves, however pleasant for fituation, beautiful for their walks and trees, must be cut down; and why? only because they had been abused to idolatrous ufes. And what is an idol, but that which the mind puts an over-eftimate or value upon? None can benefit themselves fo much by an indifferent thing, as others by not using that abufed liberty. §. V. If thofe things were convenient in themselves, which is a step nearer neceffity than mere indifferency, yet when by circumftances they become prejudicial, fuch conveniency itself ought to be given up; much more what is but indifferent should be denied. People ought not to weigh their private fatisfactions more than a public good; nor please themselves in too free an b Rom xiv. to the end. 3. 4. c Gen. iv. 9. 2 Kings xviii. use ufe of indifferent things, at the coft of being fo really prejudicial to the public, as they certainly are, whose ufe of them (if no worfe) becomes exemplary to others, and begets an impatiency in their minds to have the like. Wherefore it is both reasonable and incumbent on all, to make only fuch things neceffary, as tend to life and godlinefs, and to employ their freedom with most advantage to their neighbours. So that here is a two-fold obligation; the one, not to be exemplary in the use of fuch things; which, though they may use them, yet not without giving too much countenance to the abuse and exceffive vanity of their neighbours. The other obligation is, that they ought fo far to condefcend to fuch religious people who are offended at these fashions, and that kind of converfation, as to reject them. §. VI. Now thofe, who notwithstanding what I have urged will yet proceed; what is it, but that they have fo involved themselves and their affections in them, that it is hardly poffible to reform them; and that, for all their many proteftations against their fondness to fuch fopperies, they really love them more than Christ and his crofs? Such cannot feek the good of others, who do fo little refpect their own. For, after a serious confideration, what vanity, pride, idlenefs, expence of time and estates, 'have been, and yet are? how many perfons debauched from their first sobriety, and women from their natural fweetnefs and innocency, to loose, airy, wanton, and many times more enormous practices? how many plentiful estates have been over-run by numerous debts, chastity enfnared by accurfed luftful intrigues? youthful health overtaken by the hasty feizure of unnatural diftempers, and the remaining days of such spent upon a rack of their vices procuring, and fo made flaves to the unmerciful but neceffary effects of their own inordinate pleafures? in which agony they • Pfal. x. 3, 4. to the end. f 2 Pet. i. 3. Eph. v. 7. Rom. xiv. I. vow the greatest temperance: but are no fooner out of it, than in their vice again". §. VII. That these things are the cafe, and almost innumerable more, I am perfuaded no ingenuous person of any experience will deny: how then, upon a ferious reflection, any that pretend confcience, or the fear of God Almighty, can longer continue in the garb, livery, and converfation of those whose whole life tends to little else than what I have repeated, much lefs join with them in their abominable excefs1, I leave to the Juft Principle in themfelves to judge. No furely! this is not to obey the voice of God, who in all ages did loudly cry to all, Come out (of what?) of the ways, fashions, converfe and fpirit of Babylon? What is that? the great city of all these vain, foolish, wanton, fuperfluous, and wicked practices, against which the fcriptures denounce moft dreadful judgments; afcribing all the intemperance of men and women to the cup of wickedness the hath given them to drink; whofe are the things indifferent, if they must be fo*. And for witness, hear what the Revelations fay in her defcription: How much the hath glorified herself, ⚫ and lived deliciously, fo much torment and forrow 'give her. And the kings of the earth, who have • lived deliciously with her, fhall bewail and lament her; and the merchants of the earth fhall weep over her; for no man buyeth their merchandize any more: the merchandize of gold and filver, and precious ftones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and filk, and scarlet, and all manner of veffels of ivory, and all manner of veffels of moft precious wood; and cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, ⚫ and frankincenfe, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and beafts, and slaves, and fouls of men'.' Behold the character and judgment of luxury; and though I know it hath a farther fignification than what is literal, yet |