A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.

§. Sect. 4 That we must make choice of such recrea∣tions as are lawfull, and which they are.

And thus it appeareth that recreations are not onely lawfull, but also profitable and necessary. Now because many are apt to abuse this liberty vnto licenciousnesse, and to rush vpon all sports and pleasures without choyce or difference, or if they pitch vpon those which are allowable in themselues, care not how shamefully they abuse them, in respect of their il carriage in the manner of vsing them: We are in the next place to know, that recreations are not absolutely good, but of an indifferent nature; good to those that vse them well, and euill to those who abuse them vnto sinne; not simply good being considered apart by themselues, but as they in their vse tend to the aduancing of those ends for which they are vsed. Finally, not good at all vnto vs, if we rush vpon them rashly and hand ouer head without choyce, and haue neither care nor conscience in our manner of vsing them; but when wee obserue diligently those lawes and cautions, wherewith wee are limited and bounded in their vse by the Word. And these either respect the matter or manner; the recreation it selfe, or our course and carriage in exercising our selues in it. For the re∣creation it selfe, our first care must be that it be lawfull, and either approo∣ued and warranted, or at least, not forbidden and condemned in the Scrip∣tures. And here we are to obserue not onely those recreations which are particularly named, but likewise all those which haue some analogie and similitude with them. And these are either of the minde alone, or of the body and minde ioyntly together. The recreations of the minde, as the propounding of Riddles, and resoluing of them, for the exercise of wit, of which we haue an example in Samson, propounding vnto the Philistines at his marriage feast this Riddle, Out of the eater came foorth meate, and out * 1.1

of the strong came foorth sweetnesse, &c. Wherein wee are to obserue, that both the words and meaning bee modest and chaste, and not like many Riddles, propounded in obscene words, which men thinke excused by their modest resolution. So also the contemplation of Gods workes, flowers, and plants, birds, fishes and beasts, that out of their beauty and excellent properties and qualities, wee may take occasion to see and ad∣mire the infinite wisedome and power of their Creatour, without which, the bare sight of the creatures, and delight that ariseth out of them is vaine and fruitlesse, in respect that it faileth of one principall end, and will (as experience sheweth) rather distract vs from our callings, then fit vs for them. And this seemeth to haue beene one of Salomons recreations in his best times, who out of this exercise of contemplation, was able to speake of all trees, from the Cedar that was in Lebanon, euen to the hyssope that * 1.2 sprung out of the will, and also of beasts and fowles, creeping things, and fishes. Vnto which we may adde the delighting of our mindes one with another, with pleasant discourses and witty conceits, and by our selues by vsing the excellent Art of Poetry, either making Poems our selues, or reading those which are composed by others. In all which, and the like exercises of the minde, our care must be that our recreations, neither in respect of words, matter, or manner, be wanton or wicked, insulse or corrupt, and nei∣ther bitter and biting, tending to the disgrace of others, nor prophane and filthy, tending to the poysoning of our hearts and affections, or to the corrupting of our manners and conditions; neither to the impeaching and losse of Christian grauity, nor to the hindring of that harmony and * 1.3 seemely decency which ought to be obserued in all our conuersation. The recreations of the minde and body ioyntly together are many, as the exer∣cise of the senses, especially the eyes with delightfull sights, and the eares with harmonious musicke, which aboue all other recreations is commen∣ded in the Scriptures, and by the example of the Saints, who not onely vsed it in Gods worship, to cheere and fit the heart the better for holy du∣ties, but also for ciuill recreation, that they might thereby be the better inabled for the duties of their callings. And thus the Prophet in almost innumerable places, stirreth vp both himselfe and others, with voyce and musicall instruments to praise the Lord; & hauing penned the Psalmes for his owne vse and the benefit of the Church, appointeth them to be sung by the most skilfull Musicians to diuers instruments. Whose steps Salomon his * 1.4 sonne heerein followed, and appointed most exquisite musicke, not onely to be vsed in the Temple in Gods seruice, but also in his owne house for his recreation and delight. The which continued in the Church, euen in the time of their captiuity; for howsoeuer they refused to gratifie the * 1.5 proud and scornefull heathens, by making them musicke in their misery, yet they continued this recreation for the solacing of themselues, as here∣by appeareth, in that at their returne out of Babylon to their owne Coun∣trey, they had amongst them two hundred, forty and fiue singing men and * 1.6 singing women. And vnto these wee may adde hunting, hawking, fishing, fowling; feates of actiuity, running, leaping, wrastling, fencing, with all lawfull sports and games; amongst which that laudable exercise of shoo∣ting chiefly excelleth, as being not onely a manly exercise, most fit to pre∣serue * 1.7

the health and strength of the body, and delightfull to the minde, in respect of that Art and skill which may be shewed in it; but also a good defence, both priuately for our selues, and publikely for our Countrey, if it were rightly vsed as in ancient times.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iudg. 14. 12, 13.
• * 1.2

  1. King. 4. 33.
• * 1.3

  Caueamu•• ne dum relaxare animum volu∣mu••, soluamus omnem harmo∣niam quasi con∣centū quendam bonorum operū. Ambr. de offic. cap. 20.
• * 1.4

  Eccl. 2. 8.
• * 1.5

  Ps. 137. 1, 2, 3.
• * 1.6

  Nehem. 7. 67.
• * 1.7

  2. Sam. 1. 18.