DIRECTIONS ABOUT SPORTS
AND RECREATION
by Richard Baxter; an
abridgement from A
Christian Directory,
(SDG), 386–390
Direct. I: On Lawfulness
If you would escape the sin and danger, which men commonly run into by unlawful
sporting, under pretence of lawful recreations, you must understand what lawful
recreation is, and what is its proper end and use.
No doubt but some sport and recreation are lawful, yea needful, and therefore a
duty to some men. Lawful sport or recreation is the use of some natural thing
or action, not forbidden us, for the exhilarating of the natural spirits by the
fantasy, and due exercise of the natural parts, thereby to fit the body and
mind for ordinary duty to God. It is some delightful exercise.
We do not call unpleasing labour by the name of sport or recreation; though it
may be better and more necessary. We call not every delight by the name of
sport or recreation; for eating and drinking may be delightful; and holy things
and duties may be delightful; and yet not properly sports or recreation. But it
is the fantasy that is chiefly delighted by sports.
All these things following are necessary to the lawfulness of a sport or
recreation, and the want of any one of them will make and prove it to be
unlawful:
(1) It must be engaged in with the glory of God in view. The end which you
really intend in using it, must be to fit you for your service to God; that is,
either for your callings, or for His worship, or some work of obedience in
which you may please and glorify Him (cf. 1 Cor 10:31). Therefore the person
that uses it, must be one that is heartily devoted to God, and His service, and
really lives to do His work, and pleases and glorifies Him in the world: which
none but the godly truly do! And therefore no carnal, ungodly person, that has
no such holy end, can use any recreation lawfully; because he uses it not to a
due end. For the end is essential to the moral good of any action; and an evil
end must needs make it evil: “Unto the pure all things are pure, [that is, all
things not forbidden,] but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is
nothing pure, but even their mind and conscience are defiled” (Tit 1:15).
(2) It must fit you for God’s service. A lawful recreation must be a means
fitly chosen and used to this end. If it has no aptitude to fit us for God’s
service in our ordinary callings and duty, it can be to us no lawful
recreation. Though it be lawful to another that it is a real help to, it is
unlawful to us.
Therefore all recreations are unlawful, which are themselves preferred before
our callings, or which are used by a man that lives idly, or in no calling, and
has no ordinary work to make him need them. For these are no fit means, which
exclude our end, instead of furthering it.
Therefore all those are unlawful sports, which are used only to delight a
carnal fantasy, and have no higher end, than to please the sickly mind that
loves them.
And therefore all those are unlawful sports, which really unfit us for the
duties of our callings, and the service of God; which, laying the benefit and
hurt together, do hinder us as much or more than they help us! which is the
case of all voluptuous wantons.
(3) It must not take time away from greater works. All sports are unlawful
which take up any part of the time which we should spend in greater works: such
are all those that are unseasonable; (as on the Lord’s day without necessity,
or when we should be at prayer, or any other duty;) and all those that take up
more time than the end of a recreation does necessarily require (which is too
common).
(4) It must not be sacrilegious. If a recreation be profane, as making sport of
holy things, it is a mocking of God, and a villainy unbeseeming any of His
creatures, and laying them open to His heaviest vengeance. The children that made
sport with calling the prophet “bald head” were slain by bears (2 Kgs 2:23).
(5) It must not be at the expense of others. They are unlawful sports which are
used to the wrong of others: as players, that defame and reproach other men;
and hunters and hawkers that tread down poor men’s corn and hedges.
(6) It must not involve deriving pleasure from the sin of others. It is sinful
to make sport of other men’s sinning, or to act it ourselves so as to become
partakers of it; which is too common with comedians, and other profane wits.
(7) It must not be unclean or obscene. Unclean, obscene recreations are
unlawful; when filthiness or wantonness is represented without a due expression
of its odiousness, or with obscene words or actions. “But fornication, and all
uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as becometh
saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting” (Eph 5:3–4).
(8) It must not evoke lust and other sinful reactions. Those sports are sinful,
which plainly tend to provoke ourselves or others to sin: as to lust, to
swearing, and cursing, and railing, and fighting, or the like. Those also are
sinful, which are the exercise of covetousness, to win other men’s money of
them; or that tend to stir up covetousness in those you play with.
(9) It must not be cruel. Cruel recreations also are unlawful: as taking
pleasure in the beholding of duellers, fighters, or any that abuse each other;
or any other creatures that needlessly torment each other.
(10) It must not be too expensive. Too costly recreation also is unlawful: when
you are but God’s stewards, and must be accountable to Him for all you have, it
is sinful to expend it needlessly on sports.
(11) It must not be forbidden to us by our superiors. Unnecessary recreations
forbidden by our lawful governors are unlawful. If they were before lawful to
you, yet now they are not; because your king, your pastor, your parents, your
masters, have power to rule and restrain you in such things; and you must obey
them.
By this it is easy to judge of our common stage-plays, gaming, cards, dice, and
diverse other such kind of sports. If they have but any one of these evil
qualifications they are sinful.
All these are applicable both to young and old. But I would
especially address our youths, who are sadly being carried by the love of
sports and pleasure from the love of God, and the care of their salvation, and
the love of holiness, and the love of their callings; and into idleness,
riotousness, and disobedience to their superiors:
(1) Do you not know that you have higher delights to mind? And are these toys
beseeming a noble soul, that has holy and heavenly matters to delight in?
(2) Do you not feel what a plague the very pleasure is to your affections? how
it bewitches you, and befools you, and makes you out of love with holiness, and
unfit for any thing that is good?
(3) Do you know the worth of those precious hours which you play away? have you
no more to do with them? Look inwards to your soul, and forward to eternity,
and bethink you better.
(4) Is it sport that you most need? Do you not more need Christ, and grace, and
pardon, and preparation for death and judgment, and assurance of salvation? Why
then are not these your business?
(5) Have you not a God to obey and serve? and does He not always see you? and
will He not judge you? alas! you know not how soon. Though you be now merry in
your youth, and your “heart cheer thee…, and [thou] walk in the ways of thine
heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: yet know thou, that for all these things
God will bring thee into judgment” (Ecc 11:9).
(6) Observe in Scripture what God judges of your ways. “We ourselves… were
sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures”
(Tit 3:3), being “lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God” (2 Tim 3:4).
“Flee… youthful lusts: but follow after righteousness, faith, charity, peace,
with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim 2:22; read also 1
Peter 1:14–15; 2:11–12; 4:1–4; 2 Peter 3:3).
(7) You are but preparing for your future sorrow, either by repentance or
destruction; and the greater is your pleasure now, the greater will be your
sorrow and shame in the review.
Direct. II: On Needfulness
When you understand the true nature and use of recreations, labour to be
acquainted just how much and what sort of recreation is needful to yourselves
in particular. In which you must have respect, (1) To your bodily strength; (2)
To your minds; and (3) To your labours.
And when you have resolved on it, what and how much is needful and fit, to help
you in your duty, allow it its proper time and place, as you do your meals, and
see that you suffer it not to encroach upon your duty.
Direct. III: On Profitability
Ordinarily join profit and pleasure together, that you lose no time. I know not
one person of a hundred, or of many hundreds, that needs any game at all: there
are such variety of better exercises at hand to recreate them. And it is a sin
to idle away any time, which we can better improve! I confess my own nature was
as much addicted to playfulness as most: and my judgment allows me so much
recreation as is needful to my health and labour (and no more). But for all
that I find no need of any game to recreate me. When my mind needs recreation,
I have variety of recreating books, and friends, and business to do that. And
when my body needs it, the hardest labour that I can bear is my best
recreation: walking is, instead of games and sports, as profitable to my body,
and more to my mind: if I am alone, I may improve that time in meditation; if
with others, I may improve it in profitable, cheerful conference. I condemn not
all sports or games in others, but I find none of them all to be best for
myself: and when I observe how far the tempter and life of Christ and His best
servants was from such recreations, I avoid them with the more suspicion. And I
see but few, but distaste it in ministers (even shooting, bowling, and such
more healthful games, to say nothing of chess and such other, as fit not the
end of a recreation). Therefore there is somewhat in it that nature itself has
some suspicion of. That student that needs chess or cards [ed. or
computer games] to please his mind, I doubt has a carnal, empty mind. If God
and all His books, and all His friends, &c. cannot suffice for this, there
is some disease in it that should rather be cured than pleased. And for the
body, it is another kind of exercise that profits it.
Direct. IV: On Moderation
Watch against inordinate, sensual delight, even in the most lawful sport.
Excess of pleasure in any such vanity, does very much corrupt and befool the
mind. It puts it out of relish with spiritual things; and turns it from God,
and heaven, and duty.
Direct. V: On Control
To this end keep a watch upon your thoughts and fantasies, that they run not
after sports and pleasure. Else you will be like children that are thinking of
their sport, and longing to be at it, when they should be at their books or
business.
Direct. VI: On Company
Avoid the company of revellers, gamesters, and such time-wasters. Come not
among them, lest you be ensnared. Accompany yourselves with those that delight
themselves in God (2 Tim 2:22).
Direct. VII: On Eternality
Remember death and judgment, and the necessities of your souls. Usually these
sports seem but foolishness to serious men; and they say of this mirth, as
Solomon, “It is mad” (Ecc 2:2). And it is great and serious subjects which make
serious men. Death and the world to come, when they are soberly thought on, do
put the mind quite out of relish with foolish pleasures.
Direct. VIII: On Diligence
Be painful in your honest callings. Laziness breeds a love of sports; when you
must please your slothful flesh with ease, then it must be further pleased with
vanities.
Direct. IX: On Preferred Delights
Delight in your relations and family duties and mercies. If you love the
company and converse of your parents, or children, or wives, or kindred as you
ought, you will find more pleasure in discoursing with them about holy things
or honest business, than in foolish sports. But adulterers that love not their
wives, and unnatural parents and children that love not one another, and
ungodly masters of families that love not their duty, are put to seek their
sport abroad.
Direct. X: On Sanctifying
See to the sanctifying of all your recreations, when you have chosen such as
are truly suited to your need; and go not to them before you need, nor use them
beyond your need. See also that you lift up your hearts secretly to God, for
His blessing on them; and mix them all along as far as you can with holy
things; as with holy thoughts or holy speeches. As for music, which is a lawful
pleasure, I have known some think it profaneness to use it privately or
publicly with a psalm, that scrupled not using it in common mirth; whereas all
our mirth should be as much sanctified as is possible. All should be done to
the glory of God; and we have much more in Scripture for the holy use of music,
(public and private,) than for any other use of it whatever. And it is the excellency
of melody and music, that they are recreations which may be more aptly and
profitably sanctified by application to holy uses, than any other. And I should
think them little worth at all, if I might not use them for the holy
exhilarating or elevating of my soul, or affecting it towards God, or exciting
it to duty.
Direct. XI: On Time Spent
The sickly and the melancholy (who are usually least inclined to sport) have
much more need of recreation than others, and therefore may allow it a much
larger time than those that are in health and strength. Because they take it
but as physic to recover them to health, being to abate again when they are
recovered.
Direct. XII: On Judging Others
Be much more severe in regulating yourselves in your recreations, than in
censuring others for using some sports which you dislike. For you know not
perhaps their case, and reasons, and temptations; but an idle, time-wasting,
sensual sporter, every one should look on with pity as a miserable wretch.
[Richard Baxter (1615–1691)
pastored the church at Kidderminster, near Wales. He was much admired in his
own day in the area of casuistry, or practical theology. He was not so highly
regarded, however, in the area of justification and sanctification. Even his
fellow Puritans, who respected his ability to apply Scripture to so many areas
of life, wrote strongly against what they called “the Baxterian perversion of
the doctrine of justification,” which inclined itself towards a “sanctified and
then justified” position. Baxter never fell into the fatal error, though, of
attributing any merit to anything we do.—from SDG Books website. Most of
Baxter’s controversial works have not been republished, though his views do
surface occasionally in his more popular works, such as his excellent treatise, The Reformed Pastor. Despite that, Baxter can be very
profitable reading whenever he does not touch on justification or the
relationship between law and grace. We are publishing the present abridgement
on that basis.
—J.J. Lim]
—18 August, 2002