pertly concerning Him; especially considering
that whatever we do say about Him, we do utter it in His presence,
and to His very face. "For there is not," as the holy psalmist
considered, "a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it
altogether." No man also hath the heart to droll, or thinks
raillery convenient, in cases nearly touching his life, his health,
his estate, or his fame: and are the true life and health of our
soul, are interests in God's favour and mercy, are everlasting glory
and bliss affairs of less moment? are the treasures and joys of
paradise, or the damages and torments in hell, more jesting matters?
No, certainly no: in all reason therefore it becometh us, and it
infinitely concerneth us, whenever we think of these things, to be
in best earnest, always to speak of them in most sober sadness.

The proper objects of common mirth and sportful divertisement are
mean and petty matters; anything at least is by playing therewith
made such: great things are thereby diminished and debased;
especially sacred things do grievously suffer thence, being with
extreme indecency and indignity depressed beneath themselves, when
they become the subjects of flashy wit, or the entertainments of
frothy merriment: to sacrifice their honour to our vain pleasure,
being like the ridiculous fondness of that people which, as AElian
reporteth, worshipping a fly, did offer up an ox thereto. These
things were by God instituted, and proposed to us for purposes quite
different; to compose our hearts, and settle our fancies in a most
serious frame; to breed inward satisfaction, and joy purely
spiritual; to exercise our most solemn thoughts, and employ our
gravest discourses: all our speech therefore about them should be
wholesome, apt to afford good instruction, or to excite good
affections; "good," as St. Paul speaketh, "for the use of edifying,
that it may minister grace unto the hearers."

If we must be facetious and merry, the field is wide and spacious;
there are matters enough in the world besides these most august and
dreadful things, to try our faculties and please our humour with;
everywhere light and ludicrous things occur; it therefore doth argue
a marvellous poverty of wit, and barrenness of invention (no less
than a strange defect of goodness, and want of discretion), in those
who can devise no other subjects to frolic upon besides these, of
all most improper and p