Samuel Miller on the design of recreation

[satz]

I was recently reading a sermon by Samuel Miller and came across the following interesting quotation on the purpose of recreation of christians.

The design of recreation,"”I mean the design of it in the view of the Christian, or even of the sober minded votary of mere natural religion, is not to kill time; but to refresh the body and mind, and to prepare them for the more vigorous and comfortable performance of duty. It follows, therefore, that recreations are lawful only so far as they are necessary and suitable for this purpose; of course, when they are either carried to such a length as to consume more time than we need to employ in this manner; or when they are of such a nature as to have no tendency to prepare either the body or the mind for the more easy, comfortable, and perfect discharge of the sober duties of life, but the contrary, they become wholly unjustifiable. They are a criminal waste of time; and to indulge in them is utterly unsuitable to the character of rational and accountable beings

Thoughts? Agree? Disagree?

 

[Peter]

Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God - 1 Cor 10:31

Do your own business and work with your own hands that ye may have lack of nothing - 1 Thess 4:11, 12

Henry Scudder (The Christian's Daily Walk) has some great rules on recreation that maybe I'll have time to post. Also T. Vincent's exposition of WSC 1 (where I copied the above texts from). Commentaries on WSC 1 and the 8th commandment would have useful info. Basically, we need to remember man has two great vocations in life. Thatof being a Christian and walking with the Lord and secondly his particular calling or employment in the world. Everything ought to be subordinate to these two duties.

[Edited on 8-29-2006 by Peter]

 

[satz]

Thanks Peter.


I think our generation has come to regard entertainment or recreation as far more important than it actually is. Instead of being a reprieve from work, entertainment has become the be all and end all for many people. I say this as someone who has much to change and reform in this area.

In that sense, I think Mr Miller´s statement is in many ways a timely one for our generation. We need to come to see recreation as a break from duty, and not just rush though our duties in order to get to the recreation, which is the way of many today.

I do wonder though at his proposition that all lawful recreations must "˜necessary and suitable´ to prepare us to better perform our duties. The bible is clear that a christian´s duty in this world is work and worship ( to put it that way) and we can thus infer from that that recreation ought to take up only a small portion of our time and energies. That much is true, but the bible does not make the logical leap of saying then that recreation must be "˜for the purpose of making us better at worship and work´ or "˜to revive your body and mind for further labor´. It does not seem to me that the bible makes that logical leap.

If a man finds pleasure in a certain thing I don´t see how the bible would prevent him from engaging in it simply for enjoyment´s sake, as long as he does not compromise his priorites.

The bible does not really address the matter of recreation at all, or its purpose etc. It does focus heavily on man´s duties and work, while barely mentioning recreation at all, which show us that man is to be primarily occupied with his duties and not on playing, but I do not think we can go beyond that.

 

[ReadBavinck]

Posted by satz
If a man finds pleasure in a certain thing I don´t see how the bible would prevent him from engaging in it simply for enjoyment´s sake, as long as he does not compromise his priorites.

Richard Baxter talks a lot about priorities when he addresses this issue to ministers in The Reformed Pastor. I just read it and am thinking through this issue a lot right now, since I am seeking to be a pastor. I admit it is a difficult one for me.

He answers these objections:

OBJECTION 4:

But this course will destroy the health of our bodies, by continual spending
our spirits, and allowing us no time for necessary recreations; and it will
wholly lock us up from friendly intercourse with others, so that we must
never stir from home, nor enjoy ourselves a day with our friends, for the
relaxation of our minds; but, as we shall seem uncourteous courteous and
morose to others, so we shall tire ourselves, and the bow that is always
bent will be in danger of breaking at last.

OBJECTION 5:

I do not think that it is required of ministers that they make drudges of
themselves. If they preach diligently, and visit the sick, and perform other
ministerial duties, and occasionally do good to those they converse with, I
do not think that God doth require that we should thus tie ourselves to
instruct every person distinctly, and to make our lives a burden and a
slavery.

His responses are very detailed (long) so I won't post them, but if you're interested you can find them here.

 

[satz]

Thanks Christopher.

Anyone else have any comments?

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Here's a comment or two from William Twisse regarding recreations. From The Morality of the Fourth Commandment, as Still in Force to Brad Christians (London: 1641) 242-244; 184. By William Twisse D. D. From An Anthology of Presbyterian & Reformed Literature 3.3 (1988) 79.

[pp. 242-244] As for recreations, which are here said to serve lawfully to the refreshing of our spirits; this appellation is very ambiguous, neither do I know any difference between the recreating of our spirits, and the refreshing of our spirits. Yet here the refreshing of our spirits is made the end of recreation. Again it were good to distinguish between recreation of the body, and recreation of the mind. I think the refreshing of spirits pertains to the recreation of the body. Men's spirits are natural and material things, and they are apt to be wasted (1) naturally; for as life consists in calido, in hot matter, so heat is apt to spend and waste the matter wherein it is; and spirits thus wasted are recreated, that is, repaired by eating and drinking. And thus provisions of victuals are commonly called recreates.

(2.) They are wasted also by labor voluntarily undertaken, and these are repaired, as by the former way, so by rest also. And each way we are allowed to recreate our spirits on the Lord's Day; and as to allow such rest to our servants as a work of mercy, so to our own bodies also. But now a-days many courses are called recreations, wherein there is found little rest; and the natural spirits of man are rather wasted, and his nature tired; far more than the one is repaired, or the other eased. And when all comes to all, I doubt the issue will be, to style the pleasures of our senses by the cleanly name of recreations.

Now the Jews were expressly forbidden to find their own pleasures on the Lord´s holy day (Is. 58:13); yet were they not forbidden all pleasure, that belonged only to such a Sabbath as was a fast; and therein indeed hypocrites are taxed for finding pleasure on that day (Is. 58:3). But the weekly Sabbath was for pleasure and delight, but not for man's own pleasure, nor for the doing of their own ways. But to delight in the Lord, which is spiritual pleasure, and the recreating of our souls in the Lord. This is blessed rest, thus to rest unto him; and the Word of God is the best food of the soul. No recreations like unto God's holy ordinances. Of wisdom it is said, that her ways are the ways of pleasantness (Pro. 3:17). I willing confess, that to the natural man, as the things of God are foolishness, so the word of God is a reproach unto him. He hath no delight in it (1 Cor. 2:14; Jer. 6:10. He delights rather in carnal pleasures; and is it fit to humor him in such courses, and that on the Lord's day? Our Savior expressly tells us, that The pleasures life choke the word, and make it become unfruitful (Luke 8:14). Therefore it no way fits a man to God's service; and if way is opened to such courses, though not till after evening prayer, as many as are taken with them, will have their minds running upon them, so as to say, when will the Sabbath be gone, and the time of divine service over? That so they may come to their sports, as well as covetous persons longed after the like, that they may return to their trading.

A natural man, before his calling is described unto us in Scripture, to be such a one as served lusts and diverse pleasures (Titus 3:3), and the wicked are said to spend their days in pleasure (Job 36:11); and such are they whom the Prophet describes after this manner, Hear now thou that art given to pleasure (Is. 47:8). As for the children of God, as they are renewed in their affections generally, so the matter of their delight is much altered. His delight is in the law of the Lord (Psa. 1:2); as Christ says, I delight to do thy will (Psa. 40:1), and I delight myself in thy statutes; thy testimonies are my delight; and I will delight myself in thy commandments (Psa. 119:16, 24, 47), and Thy comforts delight my soul (Psa. 94:19). On the other side, the character of the fool is this, He hath no delight m understanding (Ps. 18.2). As for the reformation of such fools, let every wise and sober Christian consider, whether it is a fit course to let the reigns loose upon their neck, and give them liberty to take their courses, and not rather to endeavor to wean them therefrom by representing the vanity of them, witnessed by the experience of King Solomon, who was acquainted with the delights of the sons of men (Ecc. 2:8) as much as any, and tells us what fruit and profit he reaped by them, saying vanity of vanities, all is but vanity; and that the end of that discourse of his, is to promote this exhortation, Fear God, and keep his commandments, For this is the whole man. Then on the other side, the blessed, the comfortable and only profitable condition of delighting in the Lord, in the judgment of David, the father of King Solomon, Delight thou in the Lord, and he shall give thee thy heart's desire (Ps. 37:4); to meet with the contrary judgment of carnal men, who say, It profitteth not a man, that he should delight himself with God (Job 34:9). If it is said that such sports are tolerated to fit a man for his calling the day following; it is very strange that works of our calling should not be permitted on any part of the Sabbath day, and sports and pastimes should. And shall not the spending of our time in God's service, not public only, but private also, far better fit us to serve God in the works of our calling, and make us more capable of his blessing upon our labors, than the exercising of ourselves in sports and pastimes.

[pp. 184] Lastly, all recreations are to this end, even to fit us to the works of our calling; either for the works of our particular callings, or the works of our callings, as we are Christians. Such sports, if they fit us for the service of God, were more seasonable in the morning than in the evening. If for the works of our particular calling, then are they inferior works to the works of our calling, the furthering whereof is their end; and the means are always inferior in dignity to the end. Now if the more noble works are forbidden on that day, how much more such as are inferior are forbidden? But it may be said, that men's minds being burdened, and oppressed with the former service of the day, therefore some relaxation is to be granted for the refreshing of our spirits; as much as to say, a part of the Lord's Day is to be allowed for profane sports and pastimes, to refresh us after we have been tired out with serving God. Can this be savory in the ears of a Christian?

 

[Puritanhead]

Sound thoughts.