vain perfons: when fo zealously devoted they are to attendance on thofe perfons, whofe very calling is vanity. But indeed vanity is not the worst article against the plays, and their makers, their actors and promoters; which (after all the late expence of fweat and struggle to defend them) are generally fuch wretched inftructors of the age, as to teach and credit nothing more than its profaneness and debauchery; and help to fet the fparks of luft and paffion all in a flame. When wit fhall be made the paint and varnish, to fpread beauty even over the fouleft villany; and the taking plot and artifice is, to bring it ftill off with flying colours; and the chief of all the repaft fo fitted to men and women of carnal minds and loofe lives; as to feed them with froth and duft; yea, and poison fent down in a relifhing vehicle. But this infection, alas, is not confined only to the theatre: no, it has fpread itself much wider, And how fashionable now is the humour, to play and sport with the miscarriages (that is indeed, the miferies) of poor finful men! to make ourselves merry with their worft harms; and laugh at that, which is the greatest matter of forrow! to make fin the bauble, for diverfion of the company, and fome notorious pranks the piquant fauce of converfation! fo that if fome had not done fo wickedly, others would not have known how to make themselves fo merry. Men that have trampled down confcience, think they cannot be triumphant enough for the victory over fuch an enemy; unless they carry the darling humour to fuch a height; till they prove themselves even stark mad. And left the fear of fin fhould caft any damp upon the revels of their fociety, they trump up that gamefome thing, for the only fubject of their rejoicing; and are not a little pleased to get any thing by the end, that ferves for the intereft of God's biggest enemy. O how they roll foll in the reflections on filthy lewdnefs; as the luf cious repaft, which fets them all in a transport! and what does delight the fwine, like their rooting in the mire! mimic apes are active only to play unlucky tricks. And the ungodly buffoons, have no fuch joy, as to fly even in the face of God; and run wantoning upon the place of torment. That which pierced the heart of our Lord Jesus, is like to break their hearts, only with laughing. So reconciled are they to the infernal monfter, fin: that nothing makes them fo wanton and playful, as that frightful thing, abhorred by all in the world, who do regard the Lord. O how facetious and witty would they be thought, for rejoicing in iniquity! when boldness indeed is most of the wit: and loud laughing, made the flourish for impudent finning. They are aware, that broad fpeaking helps to break all that modefty, which is the guard of virtuous living. Therefore will they not fpare that talent; but fpeak even juft all one as goats and bears would do; if they could speak at all: nor do they think it enough, to pifh and poogh at the thing, which God declares his wrath againft: but the foulmouthed creatures muft fet up for the devil's orators, to make mufic for their mafter; when he fees what egregious fools he can make of them all; that, like condemned malefactors finging and jingling their fetters, can make it their frolickfome exultation, to throw themselves into his dreadful condemnation. But though obdurate wretches can fo brave, and brazen it out against the light of nature, and the fenfe of all that are wife and fober: when it is fo unnatural, to make a game of that, which all the world, which are in their wits, agree to pronounce fo bad and fad a thing: and would caft fuch a foul afperfion even on all fociety, as if every one were as much paft fhame, as themselves: O my foul, thou thou canst not but fee fo much in them, as to make thee bless thyself from them. And I must be a reprover of them, if I would not be confederate with them. I muft behold the tranfgreffors, and be grieved, and never speak but in fober fadnefs, of thofe fcandalous abominations, which are the main foundation of their gaiety and drollery. For though I do not act just like them, yet fhould I fhew myself to be one of the fame ftrain, but to laugh along with them; and fo help to protect the rebellion against heaven, and to countenance that, which is fuch abomination to the Lord. For when villany is made the fiddle of the company, O how do the most infamous limbs of mankind brifk up, and wax pert and rampant, as if they had done no harm at all, but fome very obliging thing; fo to please and rejoice the blades, and occafion all their mirth and laughter! O what good then to be done of them! to reprove them, for that which fo recommends them it would be a new jeft to them. And if any magiftrate, that fhould make the offenders fmart in their bodies, or any minifter, that should throw fire into their confciences, will fo betray his truft, as to go and make sport with their vile misdoings: how does this fteel their faces; and make them proof against all other rebukes, as if then they might do wickedly, by authority: and laugh at every one elfe, as a filly impertinent momus, that muft go and call them to account for the exploits; which gave his worship, and the ghoftly father, fuch a fine diverfion. But if the very correctors of fin will make them felves fome of the fools, to mock at it they that fo laugh, fhall take their turns to weep after they have made fome others mourn at their horrid treafon, to that glorious majesty, which they reprefent. O curfed O curfed fin! thou plague of the world, that haft not only undone poor mankind, but plundered them of their fenfe, as well as their innocence! that they should make merry with their doleful mifery; and cut and wound themselves worst of all, when they have a mind to be most pleasant! Go, ye bedlams, and applaud yourselves in the merry diftraction; but do not you perceive a horror, twisting itself with that pleasure, to be the devil's jefters? and jocularly to bandy about that damnable matter, for which himself will once be your tormentor? my foul, bewail the defperate creatures, loft to all fear of God, and fenfe of good, that nothing but what affronts the Lord, and ruins fouls, can please them. And were it not for their fwearing, drunkennefs, lewdnefs, and ungodly extravagance, there would be nothing but dulness, no mufic among them. My heart is in pain for them; and ftill the more, becaufe I, and greater than I, cannot help them; but they will take the risk, and there is no stopping them: they will enjoy the frolic, though it coft them fo dear, as the burning wrath of God, and the everlafting damnation of their fouls. GOD forbid, that I fhould ever make a mock of any fin, which was the price of 66 my bleffed Saviour's blood! but may fuch laugh❝ter of fools, rather fetch tears from my eyes. "And turn, Lord, their mad laughter, into "mourning, before the mufic be fpoiled, in everlafting weeping and howling; that the desperate "fots, who play with their damnation, may better "bethink themfelves, in fo fleeing from the wrath VOL. 1. M m 66 to "to come, that they may yet be made the wonder "ful monuments of thy faving mercy in Jefus "Chrift. Amen." THE MEDITATION LVIII. Of fcoffing at religion. HE moft commendable ufe that I know of farcafm and raillery, is to run down ill manners; and put wickednefs out of countenance, thus indeed, wit, (though never fo fharp and keen,) may be well employed; when it is as the ax, laid to the root of that tree, which bears nothing, but what is poisonous and naught. But O what intolerable faucinefs with the God of heaven, to turn the edge upon his holy Word, and his bleffed Spirit; and throw fcorn and contempt at such as he fets a work about his bufinefs! to make them ashamed of their Mafter; and make it a fcandalous matter, to be found trufty and zealous in his fervice! to dress up the religious for fuch fools; that men may count it the most ridiculous thing, to be found in that garb: and not offer to follow Chrift, nor go to heaven, for fhame; to jeer and deride the only thing that fhould fave their fouls, and fo joke and fcoff at the way of falvation, as to put all that ever they are able, quite out of conceit with it. Yet might the fparks and drolls want a fubject of merriment; had they nothing. ferious and facred, to make their game. For what fo tickles and tranfports them, as to expofe the hateful name religion, for a drefs fit to be worn only by fome conceited antics, or pitiful |