[CASE III. Now I will venture to affirm that this very Practice generally, and as it were necessarily, produces these Effects upon Profeffors: 1. Heathenish Sentiments; 2. Heathenish Language; 3. Heathenifh Affections: All which together often introduce, 4. Heathenifh Practices. You may well be startled at the very Proposal of these Particulars. However, all that I defire is, that you would give them that Weight, which upon proper Examination they appear to have in Fact upon yourselves and your Experience.

1. Heathenifh Sentiments appear to be the unavoidable Confequence of this Practice. It actually contracts your Notions of Divine Providence. It makes you ready to imagine, that God leaves fome Events to Chance or Fortune. And indeed you dare not be clear, confiftent, and properly extensive in your Sentiments concerning the divine Determination of cafual Events, without making fome Breach upon, or causing fome Sufpicions in, your Confciences concerning this Practice, wherein you profeffedly agree to refer the Determination of an Event, wherewith you are concerned, away from yourselves, you know not whither, or at leaft dare not think whether it is in Fact referred according to the true Doctrine of Providence.

This Diverfion naturally leads you into an Opinion, that Chance prefides over and rules the Game; that Fortune sometimes takes one Side, and fometimes another, in a Sort of arbitrary Way. It naturally tends to make you think that fome Perfons are lucky and fortunate, while others are unlucky and unfortunate. To which we may add, that there is a Multitude of heathenifh Notions arifing from, or making their Way into, your Minds: Such as, that Fortune fmiles upon fome, and frowns upon others; that, if the Cards are

I

fhuffled

fhuffled in fome other Manner, or if we change our Places, &c. this will turn the Courfe of Chance another Way. Let me ask you freely, whether you do not find that fuch Imaginations gradually obtain fome Place in your Minds? And furely these Conceptions are not only idle, but heathenish and foolish in the highest Degree, and have more Evil and Infection in them than we may at first View be ready to allow. I am indeed very sensible, that no judicious, confcientious Chriftian can in his fober Thoughts embrace fuch Opinions: But yet a frequent Practice of thefe Games will unavoidably leave the Infection of them upon the Imagination; and that fometimes to fuch a Degree, that a Perfon actually defires to divert himself this Way, because of the Amusement and Entertainment he finds in feeing (as he thinks) how Fortune fhifts Sides, defiring and hoping that it may turn about in his own FaAll this will be farther confirmed by observing,

vour.

2. That Heathenish Language appears to be the una voidable Confequence of this Practice. How conftantly do we hear the Terms, Luck, Chance, Fortune, in the Process of this Game? How freely do the Gamesters talk of lucky Perfons, lucky Hands, and fortunate or unfortunate Places? This every one knows is the very Dialect of the Card-Table. And let me afk thee, O Profeffor, whether fuch Expreffions as these are fit for the Lips of a Chriftian? One would rather think that the very Sound of them muft be offenfive to his Ears, and drive him away from the Diversion, when he knows that the whole of this Phrafeology is expreffive of Sentiments directly oppofite to the Chriftian Doctrine of Divine Providence. Yea, farther,

3. Heathenifh Affections are the unavoidable Confequence of this Diverfion. From hence naturally arise

fuch

a

fuch Motions of the Soul as these; a wishing that Fortune may favour us, a Hope that it will, and a real Dependence upon it for our Succefs in the Play grieving and being uneafy at our Fortune, if we be particularly unlucky, an envying another whom Fortune seems to favour more than us; a being pleased and rejoiced when a good Hand comes to our Share, and then in our Minds infulting over those that are not so happy and profperous in that Respect. And as all Perfons know that the Succefs of the Game very much depends upon Chance; therefore, fo far as a Perfon's Heart is concerned with the Event, by reafon of his Interest or Honour being involved in it, fo far these various Affections of the Soul are unavoidably moved. So that here is a vaft Variety of Paffions fixed upon Chance, and excited by it. The Defire is towards it; the Dependence is upon it; and, when it frowns, there is either a Submiffion to it, or a Fretting at it, or envying and grieving at the Fortunateness of another. And it cannot but be acknowledged, that these Affections, thus excited frequently work with great Strength, and vifibly difcover themfelves in the Countenance, Words, and Actions. Now fome of thefe Affections are evil in themselves; fuch as Fretfulness and Envy. They all of them are generally agitated to an immoderate Degree: And even thofe Affections, fuch as Hope, Fear, Submiffion, Dependence, and Joy, which are lawful in themselves, become heathenish and criminal fo far, as they have Fortune for their Object and Motive.

And were we to try at giving another Turn to our Account of thefe Affections, and fuppofe them to be excited not by Chance, but by the View of the Divine Decifion; this would only make the Matter worse, by introducing apparent Prophaneness. For certainly you

would

would not choose to call the Pleasure in having a good Hand Thankfulness to God, nor this Submiffion, if you have a bad Hand, a Submiffion to the Divine Providence; any more than you would choose to call any Degree of Fretfulness or Envy in the Game a fretting at the Divine Difpofal, or envying another the Advantage God has given him*.

Look therefore into your own Experiences under fuch Diverfions, and fee how far these Sentiments, this Language, and these Motions of Heart are chargeable upon you; and then you will be obliged to allow that the Game is very pernicious and intoxicating to you, whether you will grant the Juftnefs of the foregoing Reafonings upon the Nature of a Lot, or no: Though one can scarcely think, that a Person, who finds and obferves these heathenifh Effects upon him, fhould be at any Lofs to judge from whence they proceed; fince the very Nature of these evil Experiences, and the very Nature of the Evil that is in them, proclaim, that they are a practical and experimental Subftitution of Fortune in the room of Providence. Upon thefe Principles and Obfervations, we need not wonder, if a Fondness for and a Pursuit of this Diverfion produce,

4. Heathenifh Practices and Effects. It naturally

tends to make Perfons lose their Reverence for God in the common Affairs of Life, to make them forget that cafual Events are under the Disposal of the great Governor of

* In other Diverfions, wherein the Succefs entirely depends upon the Exertion of our own Skill or Strength, there is no fuch Snare; because therein our Hopes or Fears, &c are founded upon a Reality, and may therefore be very innocent. But in Chance-Games a Perfon is in the utmost Danger of letting his Affections loose upon that, which, if it be any Thing, is, and can be, no other than the Divine Providence, which certainly ought not to be thus played and trifled with.

[CASE III. the Universe, by ascribing them to Chance, without looking any higher. It tends to draw off the Heart from God, and to difcompofe the Spirit for devotional Exercifes. It fills the Mind with fuch Imaginations, Sentiments, Wishes, Hopes, and Dependencies, as are unfuitable to a serious Chriftian, deftructive to the Power of Godliness, and are a never-failing Hindrance to the Spirit of Devotion. It generally precludes the Worfhip of God in the Family and Closet, or drives it into a Corner. And as a Relifh for this Diverfion increases, fo, in Proportion, à Regard to and a Relish for spiritual vital Religion declines; and those that are the most attached to it, are fuch as live without God in the World.

All this may be turned into an Address to all those, that occupy themfelves in these Diverfions. Are there any of you, whofe Confciences are ftruck by these Reprefentations and Appeals? How deeply ought you to be humbled before the LORD, that you have walked in the Counsel of the Ungodly, have ftood in the Way of Sinners, and have even fat in the Seat of the Scorners ? Beg of God the Holy Spirit to faften the Conviction in your Hearts, as a Nail in a fure Place, that you may be never more polluted with these Corruptions.

But are there any of you, who make a Profeffion of Religion, who ftill are found in, and are fond of these Practices? Give me Leave to expoftulate Matters with you: What is there in this Diverfion, that is fo relishable and enchanting to you? Is the Pleasure fo great, or have you fuch a Regard for your Honour or Interest at à Game of Cards, as to bring them into Competition with your Reputation as Chriftians, or the Interest of your precious Souls?

I would