From this I think it undeniably appears, that, if no body were to attend the ftage, but such as really needed recreation or amusement upon Chriftian principles, and of these fuch only as were able to pay for it, and of these only fuch as did themselves chufe it, there is not a place this day in the world fo large as to afford a daily audience. It will be immediately objected, This argument, make as much of it as you please, is not compleat, for it hinders not but that fome, however few, may attend in a proper manner, and with warrantable views. But let it be remembered, that I attack not a play fingly as a play, nor one person for being witness to a thing of that nature, but the ftage as a system containing all the branches I have enumerated above. This cannot fubfift without a full audience and frequent attendance, and therefore is, by its constitution, a constant and powerful invitation to fin, and cannot be maintained but by the commiffion of it. Perhaps fome will fill object, that this argument is too finely fpun, that it feems to demand perfection, and to find fault with every practice, in which there is a probability that fin will be committed. That, if this holds, we should no more contribute to the establishment of churches than play-houses, because we have a moral certainty, that no congregation ever will meet together on earth, but much fin will C 2 will be committed, both by minifter and people. But there is a great difference between a commanded duty which is attended with fin by defect, and what is no where commanded, which neceffarily invites to fin by its nature, and is in fubftance finful to the great majority of those who attend it. But further, the ftage is an improper, that is to fay, an unlawful recreation to all without exception, because it confumes too much time. This is a circumftance which, however little impreffion it may make upon thofe who find their time often a burden, will appear of the greatest moment to every serious Christian. In proportion as any man improves in holiness of heart, he increafes in usefulness of life, and acquires a deeper and stronger fense of the worth and value of time. To fpend an hour unprofitably appears to fuch a perfon a greater crime, than to many the commiffion of grofs fin. And, indeed, it ought to appear very heinous in the eyes of those who believe the reprefentation given by our Lord Jefus Chrift of his own procedure at the day of judgment, "Caft ye the UNPROFIT ABLE fervant into utter darkness, where there fhall be weeping and wailing, and gnashing of "teeth." Mark this, ye lovers of pleasure, ye fons of gaiety and mirth, who imagine you * Matt. XXV. 30. re are fent into the world for no higher end than your own entertainment; and who, if you are free from, or able any how to palliate your groffer fins, never once reflect on the heavy account against you of wafted time. Though there were no other objection against the ftage as a recreation but this one, it is furely faulty. If recreations are only lawful becaufeneceffary, they must ceafe to be lawful when they are no longer neceffary. The length and duration of regular comedy and tragedy is already fixed and fettled by rules of long ftanding; and, I fuppofe, whatever other circumftance may be confelled to need reformation, all men of tafte will agree, that thefe fhall continue as they are. Now I leave to all who know how much time the preparation for fuch a public appearance, and the neceflary attendance, must take up, to judge, whether it is not too much to be given to mere recreation. This holds particularly in the cafe of recreation of mind, between which and bodily exercise there is a very great difference. For bodily exercife, in fome cafes, for example, when the health requires it, may be continued for a long time, only for this reafon, that it may have effects lafting. in proportion to the time spent in it. But giving the mind to pleasure by way of recreation must be fhort, or it is certainly hurtful; it gives men a habit of idleness and trifling, and makes them averfe from returning to any thing that requires ferious application. So true is this, and fo applicable to the prefent cafe, that I could almoft reft the whole argument upon it, that no man, who has made the trial, can deliberately and with a good confcience affirm, that attending plays has added strength to his mind, and warmth to his affections, in the duties of devotion; that it has made him more able and willing to exert his intellectual powers in the graver and more important offices of the Chriftian life; nay, or even made him more diligent and active in the bufinefs of civil life. On the contrary, it is commonly to fuch length as to produce a fatiety and weariness of itself, and to require reft and refreshment to recruit the exhaufted fpirits, a thing quite abfurd and felf-contradictory in what is called a recreation. But the ftage is not merely an unprofitable confumption of time, it is further improper as a recreation, because it agitates the paffions too violently, and interefts too deeply, so as, in fome cafes, to bring people into a real, while they behold an imaginary diftrefs. Keeping in view the end of recreations, will enable us to judge rightly of this. It is to refresh and invigorate the mind. Therefore when, instead of reft, which is properly called relaxation of mind, recreations are are used, their excellence confifts in their being, not only a pleasant, but an eafy exercife of the intellectual powers. Whatever is difficult, and either requires or caufes a ftrong application of mind, is contrary to their intention. Now it is plain, that dramatic reprefentations fix the attention fo very deeply, and intereft the affections fo very strongly, that, in a little time, they fatigue the mind themselves, and however eagerly are they defired and followed, there are many ferious and ufeful occupations, in which men will continue longer, without exhaufting the fpirits, than in attending the theatre. Indeed, in this refpect, they are wholly contrary to what should be the view of every Chrif-tian. He ought to fet bounds to, and endeavour to moderate his paffions as much as poffible, inftead of voluntarily and unneceffarily exciting them. The human paffions, fince the fall, are all of them but too ftrong; and are not finful on account of their weakness, but their excess and mifapplication. This is fo generally true, that it hardly admits of an exception; unless it might be counted an exception, that fome vicious paffions, when they gain an afcendancy, extinguish others which oppofe their gratification. For, though religion is confiftent throughout, there are many vices, which are mutually repugnant to, and destructive of each other. But this ex |