men to seek their own pleasures. Usually, diversions must be used not before, but after the body or mind hath been thoroughly employed in honest business. Not over long, to the expense and loss of your precious time, which you should study to redeem, not to trifle away. 3. Recreations must always be inoffensive; such as do no harm to yourself, or to your neighbour. If your diversions do impeach or hazard your own, or your neighbour's life, estate, or comfortable living, they are unlawful. 4. Recreation must be moderate, not sensual or brutish; looking at no higher or farther end than earthly delights. For as he that eateth and drinketh that he may enlarge his appetite, to eat and drink yet more; so he who sporteth that he may sport, is brutish and sensual. It is very Epicurism: God hath threatened that he who loveth sport, shall be a poor man, and he that loveth wine and oil, shall not be rich. 5. Whatsoever your diversions be, you must so recreate the outward man, that you be no worse, but rather better in the inward man. For God hath set such a blessed order in all lawful things, that the meanest being, lawfully used, shall not hinder, but assist us in the best things. 6. In all recreations you must propose the right end. The next and immediate end is to revive your weary body, and to quicken your dull mind; but your highest and principal end is, that with this refreshed body and quickened spirit, you may the better serve and glorify God; that whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do else, all may be done to the glory of God you should walk This may serve for direction how with God upon any of the six days, except there be special cause of setting a day apart for holy use, as for fasting and prayer. CHAPTER IV. Of Religious Fasting. I. The Nature of, and Reasons for, Religious THE fast which I mentioned in the former chapter, of which I am now to treat, is a religious fast. Which is, sanctifying a day to the Lord by a willing abstinence from meat and drink, from delights and worldly labours, that the whole man may be more thoroughly humbled before God, and more fervent in prayer. This fast hath two parts; the one, outward—the chastening the body; the other, inward-the afflicting of the soul; under which are contained all those religious acts which concern the setting of the heart right towards God, and the seeking help of God for those things, for which the fast is intended. Take fasting strictly for bodily abstinence, so it is an indifferent thing, and is no part of God's worship. But take it as it is joined with the inward part, and is referred to a religious end, being a profession of an extraordinary humiliation; and it is a great assistance to a man's spiritual and reasonable service of God, giving a stronger and speedier wing to prayer, which must always go with it; so it is more than an ordinary worship. It hath the name from the outward part, it being most sensible; but hath its excellency and efficacy from the inward, being that for which the outward is observed. A fast is called public, when a whole state, or when any one public congregation doth fast. Private, when one alone, one family, or some few together do fast. Public and private fasts have their warrant from the New Testament, as well as from the Old; which showeth that religious fasts were not peculiar to the Jews, but are a Christian duty, belonging to all fitly qualified for them. In the sacred scriptures we have manifold examples of private fasts, and examples and commandment for public ones. Our Lord and Saviour said, that his disciples after his departure from them should fast, and giveth directions to all concerning private fasts. The apostle speaketh of husbands and wives abstaining from conjugal embraces, that they might give themselves to fasting and prayer. And we have repeated examples of the apostles and primitive Christians for religious fasts. All which prove fasting to be a Christian duty. The case of a person's self, or family, the church, or commonwealth, may be such, that ordinary humiliation and prayer will not suffice. For, as there were some devils that could not be cast out, but by fasting and prayer, so it may be that such hardness of heart may be grown upon a person, or some sinful lusts may have gotten so much strength, that they will not be subdued; some evils, private and public, (1 Sam. vii. 5. 7. Judges xx. 18, 23. compared with verse 26.) which cannot be prevented or removed; some special graces and blessings, which shall not be obtained or continued, but with the most importunate seeking of God by fasting and prayer. Reasons for fasting. Fasting is contrary to that fulness of bread, which maketh both body and soul more disposed to vice, and indisposed to religious duties, through drowsiness of head, heaviness of heart, dulness and deadness of spirit. Now these being removed, and the dominion of the flesh subdued by fasting, the body will be brought into subjection to the soul, and both body and soul to the will of God, more readily than otherwise they would be. A day of fasting is a great assistance to the soul, for the better performing of holy duties, such as meditation, reading, and hearing the word, prayer, examining, judging, and reforming a person's self; both because his spirits are better disposed, when he is fasting, to serious devotion; and the mind being so long taken wholly off from the thoughts, cares, and pleasures of this life, he may be more intent and earnest in seeking of God. Fasting is an open profession of guiltiness before God, and an expression of sorrow and humiliation; being a real acknowledgment of man's unworthiness, even of the common necessaries of this present life. But it is not enough that the body be chastened, if the soul be not also afflicted, because it is else but a mere bodily exercise, which profiteth little; nay, it is but a hypocritical fast, abhorred and condemned of God; frustrating a chief end of the fast, which is that the soul may be afflicted. Afflicting the soul worketh repentance; another chief end, and companion of fasting: "for godly sorrow worketh repentance, never to be repented of." When the soul is afflicted and heavy laden with sin, then a man will readily and earnestly seek after God, even as the sick do to the physician for health, and as a condemned man to the king for a pardon. In their affliction, saith God, they will seek me diligently. If this be true of the outward, then much more of inward affliction. The afflicted soul is a fit object of God's mercy; to him doth God look that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, that trembleth at his word; yea, the bowels of his fatherly compassion are troubled for him, who is troubled and ashamed for his sin. 66 Moreover, upon a day of humiliation, if a man deal sincerely, this affliction of his soul driveth him quite out of himself to seek help of God in Christ; and maketh him endeavour to bring his soul into such good frame, that he may truly say he doth not regard iniquity in his heart," and that his unfeigned purpose is, and endeavour shall be, to keep a good conscience toward God and man alway. Whence followeth boldness, and assurance, through Christ Jesus, that God will be found of him, and that in God's own time, and in the best manner, he shall have all his holy desires fulfilled. Who are to observe religious fasts. All whom lawful authority enjoineth, are to keep a public fast, so far as health will permit. These only may keep a private fast: 1. Such as are of understanding: else how can |