CHAP. V.Persons that are free from the necessity of labour and employments, are to consider themselves as devoted to God in a higher degree.1.GREAT part of the world are free from the necessities of labour, and have theirtimeandfortunesin their own disposal.But as no one is to live in hisemploymentaccording to his own humour, or to please his own fancy, but is to do all his business in such a manneras to make it a service unto God; so those who have no particular employment, are so far from being left at liberty to live to themselves, to pursue their own humours, and spend their time and fortune as they please, that they are under greater obligations of living wholly unto God in all their actions.Thefreedomof their state lays them under a greaternecessityof always chusing and doing the best things.They are those, of whommuch will be required, becausemuch is given unto them.Aslavecan only live unto God in one particular way; that is, by religious patience and submission in his state of slavery.But all ways of holy living, all instances, and all kinds of virtue, lie open to those who are masters of themselves, their time, and their fortune.It is as much the duty, therefore, of such persons, to make a wise use of their liberty, to devote themselves to all kinds of virtue, to aspire after every thing that is holy and pious, and to please God in the highest and most perfect manner, as it is the duty of aslaveto beresignedunto God in his state of slavery.2. You are nolabourer, ortradesman; you are neithermerchantnorsoldier; consider yourself therefore as placed in a state, in some degree like that ofgood angels, who are sent into the world asministring spirits, for the general goodof mankind, toassist,protect, andministerfor them who shall be heirs of salvation.For the more you are free from thecommonnecessities ofmen, the more you are to imitate thehigherperfections ofangels.Had you,Serena, been obliged to wash cloaths for your maintenance, or to wait upon somemistress, that demanded all yourlabour, it would be your duty to glorify God, by suchhumility,obedience, andfaithfulness, as might adorn that state of life.It would then be recommended to your care, to improve thatone talentto its greatest height; that when the time came for mankind to be rewarded for their labours by the great Judge of the quick and dead, you might be received with awell done good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.But as God has given youfive talents, as he has placed you above the necessities of life, as he has left you in the happy liberty of chusing the most exalted ways of virtue; as he has left you nothing to do, but to make the best use of variety of blessings, to make the best of a short life, to study your own perfection, the honour of God, and the good of your neighbour; so it is now your duty to enquire how the most eminent saints have lived, to study all theartsandmethodsof perfection, and to set no bounds to your love and gratitude to the bountiful author of so many blessings.3. It is now your duty to turn yourfive talentsinto five more, and to consider how yourtime, andleisure, andhealth, andfortunemay be made so many happy means of purifying your own soul, improving your fellow-creatures, and of carrying you at last to the greatest heights of eternal glory.As you have nomistressto serve, so let your own soul be the object of your daily care and attendance.Nourish it withgood works, give it peace insolitude, get it strength inprayer, make it wise withreading, enlighten it bymeditation, make it tender withlove, sweeten it withhumility, enliven it withpsalmsandhymns, and comfort it with frequentreflectionsupon future glory. Keep it in the presence of God, and teach it to imitate thoseguardian angels; which tho’ they attend on the lowest of mankind, yetalways behold the face of our Father which is in heaven.This,Serena, is your profession. For as sure as God is one God, so sure it is, that he has but one command to all mankind, whether they be bond or free, rich or poor; and that is, to act up to theexcellencyof their nature, to live byreason, to walk in thelightof religion, to glorify God in all hisgifts, and dedicate every condition of life to his service.This is theone commoncommand of God to all mankind. If you have an employment, you are to be thus reasonable, and holy in the exerciseof it; if you have time and a fortune in your own power, you are to be thus reasonable, and holy, in the use of all your time and all your fortune.4. The right use of every talent, is the indispensable duty of every being that is capable of knowing right or wrong.For the reason why we are to doany thingas unto God, and with regard to our relation to him, is the same reason why we are to doevery thingas unto God, and with regard to this relation.That which is a reason for our beingwiseandholyin the discharge of all ourbusiness, is the same reason for our being wise and holy in the use of all ourmoney.*As we have always thesame natures, and are every where the servants of the same God; as every place is equally full of his presence, and every thing is equally his gift; so we must do every thing as the servants of God; we must live in every place, as in his presence; we must use every thing as that ought to be used which belongs to God.Either this wisdom, and devotion is to go thro’ every way of life, or it is to go through no part of life.If we might forgetourselves, or forget God; if we might live by humour or fancy in any thing, or at any time, or in any place, it would be aslawful to do the same in every thing, and every time, and every place.5. If therefore some people, fancy, that they must be grave and solemn atchurch, but may besillyandfranticat home; that they must live by some rule on theSunday, but may spend other days by chance; that they must have some times of prayer, but may waste the rest of their time as they please; that they must give some money incharity, but may squander away the rest as they have a mind; such people have not considered the nature of religion, or the true reasons of piety. For he that, upon principles of reason, can tell why it is good to be wise and heavenly-minded atchurch, can tell that ’tis good to have thesame tempersin all other places. He that knows why he should spend any time well, knows it is never allowable to throw any time away. He that rightly understands the reasonableness ofcharity, will know that it can never be excusable, to waste any of our money in pride and folly, or in any needless expences.For every argument that shews the wisdom of charity, proves the wisdom of spending all our fortune well. Every argument that proves the reasonableness of having times of prayer, shews the reasonableness of losing none of our time.6. *If any one can shew, that we need notalwaysact in the divine presence, that we need not useevery thingas the gift of God, that we need notalwayslive by reason, and make religionthe rule of all our actions, the same arguments would shew, that we needneveract as in the presence of God, nor make religion and reason the measure ofanyof our actions. If therefore we are to live to God at any time, or in any place, we are to live unto him at all times, and in all places. If we are to use any thing as the gift of God, we are to use every thing as his gift. If we are to do any thing by strict rules of reason and piety, we ought to do every thing in the same manner; becausereason, andwisdom, and piety are as much the best things atall times, and inall places, as they are the best things atany time, or inanyplace.If it is our glory and happiness to have arational nature, that is endued with wisdom and reason, that is capable of imitating the divine nature; then it must be our glory and happiness, to improve our reason and wisdom, to act up to the excellency of our rational nature, and to imitate God in all our actions. They, therefore, who confine their religion totimesandplaces, and some little rules ofretirement, who think that it is being too strict to introduce religion intocommon life, and make it give laws to all their actions and ways of living; they who think thus, not only mistake, but they mistake thewhole natureof religion, who can think any part of their life is more easy, for being free from it. They may well be said to mistake thewhole natureof wisdom, who don’t think it desirable to bealwayswise. He has not learned thenatureof piety,who thinks it too much to be pious in all his actions. He does not sufficiently understand whatreasonis, who does not earnestly desire to live in every thing according to it.If we had a religion that consisted in absurd superstitions, that had no regard to the perfection of our nature, people might well be glad to have some part of their life excused from it: but as the religion of the gospel is only the refinement of our best faculties, as it only requires a life of the highest reason, as it only requires us to use this world, as in reason it ought to be used, to live in suchtempersas are the glory of intelligent beings, to walk in such wisdom as exalts our nature, and to practise such piety as will raise us to God; who can think it grievous, to livealwaysin thespiritof such a religion, to haveevery partof his life full of it, but he that would think it much more grievous, to be as the angels of God in heaven?7. Farther, as God is one and the same being, always acting like himself, and suitable to his own nature; so it is the duty of every being that he has created, to live according to the nature that he has given it, andalwaysto act like itself.It is therefore an immutable law of God, that all rational beings should actreasonablyinalltheir actions; not at thistime, or in thatplace, or upon this occasion, or in the use of some particular thing; but atalltimes, inallplaces, atalloccasions, and in the use ofallthings.When, therefore, any being that is endued with reason, does anunreasonablething at any time, or in any place, or in the use of any thing, it sins against thegreat lawof its nature, and against God the author of that nature.They, therefore, who plead for anyfoolishfashions,customsandhumours, for the misuse of ourtimeormoney, plead for a rebellion against our nature, for a rebellion against God, who has given us reason for no other end, than to make it theruleandmeasureof all our ways of life.8. When, therefore, you are guilty of anyfollyorextravagance, or indulge anyvaintemper, don’t consider it as a small matter; but consider it as it is, actingcontraryto yournature; and then you will see that there is nothingsmallthat isunreasonable, because all unreasonable ways are contrary to the nature of all rational beings.The infirmities of human life make suchfoodandraimentnecessary for us asangelsdo not want; but it is no more allowable for us to turn these necessities intofollies, and indulge ourselves in the luxury offood, or the vanities ofdress, than it is allowable forangelsto act below the dignity of their proper state. For a reasonable life, is as much the duty of allmen, as it is the duty of allangels. These are notspeculativeflights, but plain andundeniable laws, that are founded in thenatureof rational beings, who,as such, are obliged to live by reason, and glorify God by a continual right use of their several talents. So that tho’ men are notangels; yet they may know by what rules men are to act, by considering the state of angels. Our blessed Saviour has plainly turned our thoughts this way, by making this petition,Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. A plain proof, that the obedience ofmenis to imitate the obedience ofangels; and that rational beings on earth are to live unto God, as rational beings in heaven live unto him.9. When, therefore, you would represent to your mind how Christians ought to live unto God, and by what degrees of wisdom and holiness they ought to use the things of this life, you must not look at the world; but you must look up to the society of angels, and think what wisdom and holiness is fit to prepare you for such a state of glory. You must look to all thehighest preceptsof the gospel; you must examine yourself by theSpiritof Christ; you must think howdeparted soulswould live, if they were again to act the short part of human life; and what degrees of wisdom and holiness you will wish for when you are leaving the world.10. And as Christianity consecrates allstatesandemploymentsto God, as it requires us to aspire after universal obedience, doing and using every thing as the servants of God; so are wemore especially obliged to observe this exactness in the use of ourestatesandfortunes.The reason is plain, if we only consider, that ourestateis as much the gift of God, as oureyes, or ourhands, and is no more to be buried, or thrown away at pleasure, than we are to pull out our eyes, or throw away our limbs.But besides this consideration, there are several other important reasons why we should be exact in the use of our estates.11. *First, because the manner of using our money, enters so far into the business of every day, and makes so great a part of our common life, that ourcommon lifemust be much of the same nature, as ourcommon wayof spending our estate. If reason and religion govern us in this, then reason and religion have got great hold of us; but ifhumour,pride, andfancyare the measures of our spending our estate, then humour, pride, and fancy will have the direction of the greatest part of our life.12. Another reason is, because our money is capable of being used to the most excellent purposes, and is so great a means of doing good. If we waste it, we don’t waste a trifle that signifies little; but we waste that which might be as eyes to theblind, as a husband to thewidow, as a father to theorphan. If a man hadeyes, andhands, andfeet, that he could give to those that wanted them; if he should either lock them up in achest, or please himself with someneedlessorridiculoususe of them, instead of giving them to his brethren that wereblindandlame, should we not justly reckon him an inhuman wretch? If he should rather chuse to amuse himself withfurnishinghis house with those things, than to intitle himself to an eternal reward, by giving them to those that wantedeyesandhands, might we not justly reckon him mad?Nowmoneyhas much the nature ofeyesandfeet: if we either lock it up inchests, or waste it inneedlessandridiculousexpences whilst the poor and the distressed want it for their necessary uses; if we consume it in theridiculous ornamentsof apparel, whilst others are starving innakedness, we are not far from the cruelty of him that chuses rather to adorn his house with thehandsandeyes, than to give them to those that want them. If we indulge ourselves in such expensive enjoyments, to satisfy noreal want, rather than to entitle ourselves to an eternal reward, by disposing of our money well, we are guilty of his madness, that rather chuses to lock upeyesandhands, than to make himself for ever blessed, by giving them to those that want them.13. *Thirdly, if we waste our money, we are not only guilty of making that useless, which is so powerful a means of doing good, but we turn this useful talent into a powerful means of corrupting ourselves; because so far as it is spentwrong, so far it is spent in the support of somewrong temper, in gratifying some vain and unreasonable desires.*Aswitandfine partscannot be only lost, but expose those that have them to greater follies, if they are not strictly devoted to piety; somoney, if it is not used strictly according to reason and religion, cannot only be trifled away, but it will betray people intogreaterfollies, and make them live a more silly and extravagant life, than they would have done without it. If therefore you don’t spend your money in doing good to others, you spend it to the hurt of yourself. You will act like a man that should refuse to give acordialto a sick friend, tho’ he could not drink it himself withoutinflaminghis blood. For this is the case ofsuperfluousmoney; if you give it to those that want it, it is acordial; if you spend it upon yourself, in something that you do not want, it onlyinflamesand disorders your mind, and makes you worse than you would be without it.14. Consider again the fore-mentioned comparison; if the man that would not make a right use of spareeyesandhands, should, by continually trying to use them himself, spoil his own eyes and hands, we might accuse him of still greater madness.Now this is truly the case of riches spent upon ourselves invainandneedlessexpences: in trying to use them where they have no real use, weonly use them to our hurt, in creating unreasonable desires, in nourishing ill tempers, in indulging our passions, and supporting a vain turn of mind. For higheatinganddrinking, finecloaths, and finehouses, state and equipage, gaypleasuresanddiversions, do all of them hurt and disorder our hearts; they are the food and nourishment of all the folly and weakness of our nature, and are certain means to make us vain and worldly in our tempers; they are all of them the support of something that ought not to be supported; they are contrary to that sobriety of heart which relisheth divine things; they are like so many weights upon our mind, that make us less able, and less inclined to raise up our thoughts and affections to the things that are above.So that money, thus spent, is not merelywasted, but spent to bad purposes; to the corruption of our hearts, and make us less able to live up to the doctrines of the gospel. It is like keeping money from the poor, to buy poison for ourselves.For so much as is spent in the vanity ofdress, is so much laid out tofixvanity in our minds. So much as is laid out foridlenessandindulgence, is so much given to render our heartsdullandsensual. So much as is spent instateandequipage, is so much spent todazzleyour own eyes, and render you the idol of your own imagination. And so in every thing, when you go fromreasonablewants, you only support some unreasonabletemper, someturnof mind, which every Christian is called upon torenounce.So that, whether we consider our fortune as a trust from God, or thegreat goodit enables us to do, or the great harm that it does to ourselves, if idly spent; on all these accounts it is absolutely necessary to make reason and religion the strict rule of using all our fortune.15. Every exhortation in scripture to satisfy only such wants as God would have satisfied; every exhortation to be spiritual and heavenly, pressing after a glorious change of our nature; every exhortation to love our neighbours as ourselves, is a command to bestrictly religiousin the use of our money. This use of our worldly goods, is so much the doctrine of the New Testament, that you cannot read a chapter without being taught something of it. I shall only produce one passage of scripture, which is sufficient to justify all that I have said.When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him, then he shall sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right-hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right-hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, andye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked and ye cloathed me: I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall he say unto them on the left-hand, Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye cloathed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. These shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal.16. I have quoted this passage at length, because if one looks at the way of the world, one would hardly think Christians had ever read this scripture.Some people look upon this text only as a general recommendation ofoccasionalworks ofcharity; whereas it shews the necessity, not only of occasional charities, but of such anentire charitable life, as is a continual exercise of all such works of charity as we are able to perform.You own that there is no salvation but in the performance of these good works. Who is it, therefore, that may be said to have performed these good works? Is it he that hassometimeassisted aprisoner, or relieved the poor or sick? This would be as absurd as to say, that he had performed the duties ofdevotion, who had sometime said his prayers. Is it, therefore, he that hasseveral timesdone these works of charity? This can nomore be said, than he can be said to be the trulyjustman, who had done acts of justiceseveral times. What is the rule therefore, or measure, of performing these good works?Now the rule is veryplainandeasy, and such as iscommonto every othervirtue, as well as to charity. Who is the humble, or meek, or just, or faithful man? Is it he that hasseveral timesdone acts of humility, meekness, justice, or fidelity? No; but it is he that lives in thehabitual exerciseof these virtues. In like manner, he only can be said to have performed those works of charity, who lives in thehabitual exerciseof them to the utmost of his power. He only has performed the duty of divine love, who loves God with all his heart, andmind, andstrength. And he only has performed the duty of these good works, who has done them with all his heart, and mind, and strength. For there is no other measure of our doing good, than our power of doing it.17. The apostlePeterputs this question to our blessed Saviour,Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.Not as if after this number of offences, a man might then cease to forgive; but the expression is to shew us, that we are not to bound our forgiveness byany numberof offences, but are tocontinueforgiving the most repeated offencesagainst us. If therefore a man ceases to forgive his brother, because he has forgiven himoftenalready: if he excuses himself from forgiving this man, because he has forgivenseveral others, such a one breaks this law of Christ, concerning the forgiving one’s brother.Now the rule offorgivingis also the rule ofgiving. You are not togive, or do good toseven, but toseventy times seven. You are not to cease from giving, because you have given often to the same person, or to other persons; but must account yourself as much obliged to continue relieving those that continue in want, as you was obliged to relieve them once or twice. Had it not been in your power, you had been excused from relieving any persononce; but if it is in your power to relieve peopleoften, it is as much your duty to do it often as it is the duty of others to do it but seldom, because they are but seldom able.18. And the reason of all this is plain; there is the samenecessityof being charitable at one time as at another. It is as much the best use of our money, to bealwaysdoing good with it, as it is the best use of it at anyparticular time; so that that which is a reason for a charitableaction, is as good a reason for a charitablelife; for charity has nothing to recommend it to-day, but what will be the same recommendation of it to-morrow; and you cannot neglect it at one time, without being guilty of the same sin as ifyou neglected it at another time. As sure, therefore, as these works of charity are necessary to salvation, so sure is it that we are to do them to the utmost of our power; not to-day, or to-morrow, but through the wholecourseof our life. If therefore it be our duty at any time to deny ourselves anyneedlessexpences, that we may have to give to those that want, it is as much our duty to do so at all times, that we may be able to do more good: for if it is at any time a sin to preferneedlessexpence to works of charity, it is so at all times. If it is ever necessary to take care of these works of charity, and to see that we make ourselves in some degree capable of doing them; it is as necessary to take care to make ourselves as capable as we can be, of performing them in all the parts of our life.19. Either therefore you must say, that you need never perform any of these good works; or you must own, that you are to perform all your life in as high a degree as you are able. There is no middle way any more than there is a middle way between temperance and intemperance. If you do not strive to fulfil all charitable works, if you neglect any of them that are in your power, let it be when it will, or where it will, you number yourself amongst those that want Christian charity; because it is as much your duty to do good with all that youhave, as it is your duty to be temperate in all that you eat or drink.20. Hence appears thenecessityof renouncing all thosefoolishandunreasonableexpences, which the folly of mankind has made so common and fashionable in the world. For if it is necessary to do good works as far as you are able, it must be as necessary to renounce those needless ways of spending money, which render you unable to do works of charity.You must therefore no more conform to these ways of the world, than you must conform to the vices of the world. You must no more spend with those that idly waste their money as their own humour leads them, than you must drink with the drunken; because a course of such expences is no more consistent with a life ofcharity, than excess in drinking is consistent with alife of sobriety. When therefore any one tells you of the lawfulness of expensive apparel, or the innocency of pleasing yourself with costly satisfactions, only imagine that the same person was to tell you, that you need not do works of charity, that Christ does not require you to do good to your poor brethren, as unto him, and then you will see the wickedness of such advice; for, to tell you that you may live in such expences, as make it impossible for you to live in the exercise of good works, is the same thing as telling you, that you need not have any care about such good works themselves.
Persons that are free from the necessity of labour and employments, are to consider themselves as devoted to God in a higher degree.
1.GREAT part of the world are free from the necessities of labour, and have theirtimeandfortunesin their own disposal.
But as no one is to live in hisemploymentaccording to his own humour, or to please his own fancy, but is to do all his business in such a manneras to make it a service unto God; so those who have no particular employment, are so far from being left at liberty to live to themselves, to pursue their own humours, and spend their time and fortune as they please, that they are under greater obligations of living wholly unto God in all their actions.
Thefreedomof their state lays them under a greaternecessityof always chusing and doing the best things.
They are those, of whommuch will be required, becausemuch is given unto them.
Aslavecan only live unto God in one particular way; that is, by religious patience and submission in his state of slavery.
But all ways of holy living, all instances, and all kinds of virtue, lie open to those who are masters of themselves, their time, and their fortune.
It is as much the duty, therefore, of such persons, to make a wise use of their liberty, to devote themselves to all kinds of virtue, to aspire after every thing that is holy and pious, and to please God in the highest and most perfect manner, as it is the duty of aslaveto beresignedunto God in his state of slavery.
2. You are nolabourer, ortradesman; you are neithermerchantnorsoldier; consider yourself therefore as placed in a state, in some degree like that ofgood angels, who are sent into the world asministring spirits, for the general goodof mankind, toassist,protect, andministerfor them who shall be heirs of salvation.
For the more you are free from thecommonnecessities ofmen, the more you are to imitate thehigherperfections ofangels.
Had you,Serena, been obliged to wash cloaths for your maintenance, or to wait upon somemistress, that demanded all yourlabour, it would be your duty to glorify God, by suchhumility,obedience, andfaithfulness, as might adorn that state of life.
It would then be recommended to your care, to improve thatone talentto its greatest height; that when the time came for mankind to be rewarded for their labours by the great Judge of the quick and dead, you might be received with awell done good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
But as God has given youfive talents, as he has placed you above the necessities of life, as he has left you in the happy liberty of chusing the most exalted ways of virtue; as he has left you nothing to do, but to make the best use of variety of blessings, to make the best of a short life, to study your own perfection, the honour of God, and the good of your neighbour; so it is now your duty to enquire how the most eminent saints have lived, to study all theartsandmethodsof perfection, and to set no bounds to your love and gratitude to the bountiful author of so many blessings.
3. It is now your duty to turn yourfive talentsinto five more, and to consider how yourtime, andleisure, andhealth, andfortunemay be made so many happy means of purifying your own soul, improving your fellow-creatures, and of carrying you at last to the greatest heights of eternal glory.
As you have nomistressto serve, so let your own soul be the object of your daily care and attendance.
Nourish it withgood works, give it peace insolitude, get it strength inprayer, make it wise withreading, enlighten it bymeditation, make it tender withlove, sweeten it withhumility, enliven it withpsalmsandhymns, and comfort it with frequentreflectionsupon future glory. Keep it in the presence of God, and teach it to imitate thoseguardian angels; which tho’ they attend on the lowest of mankind, yetalways behold the face of our Father which is in heaven.
This,Serena, is your profession. For as sure as God is one God, so sure it is, that he has but one command to all mankind, whether they be bond or free, rich or poor; and that is, to act up to theexcellencyof their nature, to live byreason, to walk in thelightof religion, to glorify God in all hisgifts, and dedicate every condition of life to his service.
This is theone commoncommand of God to all mankind. If you have an employment, you are to be thus reasonable, and holy in the exerciseof it; if you have time and a fortune in your own power, you are to be thus reasonable, and holy, in the use of all your time and all your fortune.
4. The right use of every talent, is the indispensable duty of every being that is capable of knowing right or wrong.
For the reason why we are to doany thingas unto God, and with regard to our relation to him, is the same reason why we are to doevery thingas unto God, and with regard to this relation.
That which is a reason for our beingwiseandholyin the discharge of all ourbusiness, is the same reason for our being wise and holy in the use of all ourmoney.
*As we have always thesame natures, and are every where the servants of the same God; as every place is equally full of his presence, and every thing is equally his gift; so we must do every thing as the servants of God; we must live in every place, as in his presence; we must use every thing as that ought to be used which belongs to God.
Either this wisdom, and devotion is to go thro’ every way of life, or it is to go through no part of life.
If we might forgetourselves, or forget God; if we might live by humour or fancy in any thing, or at any time, or in any place, it would be aslawful to do the same in every thing, and every time, and every place.
5. If therefore some people, fancy, that they must be grave and solemn atchurch, but may besillyandfranticat home; that they must live by some rule on theSunday, but may spend other days by chance; that they must have some times of prayer, but may waste the rest of their time as they please; that they must give some money incharity, but may squander away the rest as they have a mind; such people have not considered the nature of religion, or the true reasons of piety. For he that, upon principles of reason, can tell why it is good to be wise and heavenly-minded atchurch, can tell that ’tis good to have thesame tempersin all other places. He that knows why he should spend any time well, knows it is never allowable to throw any time away. He that rightly understands the reasonableness ofcharity, will know that it can never be excusable, to waste any of our money in pride and folly, or in any needless expences.
For every argument that shews the wisdom of charity, proves the wisdom of spending all our fortune well. Every argument that proves the reasonableness of having times of prayer, shews the reasonableness of losing none of our time.
6. *If any one can shew, that we need notalwaysact in the divine presence, that we need not useevery thingas the gift of God, that we need notalwayslive by reason, and make religionthe rule of all our actions, the same arguments would shew, that we needneveract as in the presence of God, nor make religion and reason the measure ofanyof our actions. If therefore we are to live to God at any time, or in any place, we are to live unto him at all times, and in all places. If we are to use any thing as the gift of God, we are to use every thing as his gift. If we are to do any thing by strict rules of reason and piety, we ought to do every thing in the same manner; becausereason, andwisdom, and piety are as much the best things atall times, and inall places, as they are the best things atany time, or inanyplace.
If it is our glory and happiness to have arational nature, that is endued with wisdom and reason, that is capable of imitating the divine nature; then it must be our glory and happiness, to improve our reason and wisdom, to act up to the excellency of our rational nature, and to imitate God in all our actions. They, therefore, who confine their religion totimesandplaces, and some little rules ofretirement, who think that it is being too strict to introduce religion intocommon life, and make it give laws to all their actions and ways of living; they who think thus, not only mistake, but they mistake thewhole natureof religion, who can think any part of their life is more easy, for being free from it. They may well be said to mistake thewhole natureof wisdom, who don’t think it desirable to bealwayswise. He has not learned thenatureof piety,who thinks it too much to be pious in all his actions. He does not sufficiently understand whatreasonis, who does not earnestly desire to live in every thing according to it.
If we had a religion that consisted in absurd superstitions, that had no regard to the perfection of our nature, people might well be glad to have some part of their life excused from it: but as the religion of the gospel is only the refinement of our best faculties, as it only requires a life of the highest reason, as it only requires us to use this world, as in reason it ought to be used, to live in suchtempersas are the glory of intelligent beings, to walk in such wisdom as exalts our nature, and to practise such piety as will raise us to God; who can think it grievous, to livealwaysin thespiritof such a religion, to haveevery partof his life full of it, but he that would think it much more grievous, to be as the angels of God in heaven?
7. Farther, as God is one and the same being, always acting like himself, and suitable to his own nature; so it is the duty of every being that he has created, to live according to the nature that he has given it, andalwaysto act like itself.
It is therefore an immutable law of God, that all rational beings should actreasonablyinalltheir actions; not at thistime, or in thatplace, or upon this occasion, or in the use of some particular thing; but atalltimes, inallplaces, atalloccasions, and in the use ofallthings.
When, therefore, any being that is endued with reason, does anunreasonablething at any time, or in any place, or in the use of any thing, it sins against thegreat lawof its nature, and against God the author of that nature.
They, therefore, who plead for anyfoolishfashions,customsandhumours, for the misuse of ourtimeormoney, plead for a rebellion against our nature, for a rebellion against God, who has given us reason for no other end, than to make it theruleandmeasureof all our ways of life.
8. When, therefore, you are guilty of anyfollyorextravagance, or indulge anyvaintemper, don’t consider it as a small matter; but consider it as it is, actingcontraryto yournature; and then you will see that there is nothingsmallthat isunreasonable, because all unreasonable ways are contrary to the nature of all rational beings.
The infirmities of human life make suchfoodandraimentnecessary for us asangelsdo not want; but it is no more allowable for us to turn these necessities intofollies, and indulge ourselves in the luxury offood, or the vanities ofdress, than it is allowable forangelsto act below the dignity of their proper state. For a reasonable life, is as much the duty of allmen, as it is the duty of allangels. These are notspeculativeflights, but plain andundeniable laws, that are founded in thenatureof rational beings, who,as such, are obliged to live by reason, and glorify God by a continual right use of their several talents. So that tho’ men are notangels; yet they may know by what rules men are to act, by considering the state of angels. Our blessed Saviour has plainly turned our thoughts this way, by making this petition,Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. A plain proof, that the obedience ofmenis to imitate the obedience ofangels; and that rational beings on earth are to live unto God, as rational beings in heaven live unto him.
9. When, therefore, you would represent to your mind how Christians ought to live unto God, and by what degrees of wisdom and holiness they ought to use the things of this life, you must not look at the world; but you must look up to the society of angels, and think what wisdom and holiness is fit to prepare you for such a state of glory. You must look to all thehighest preceptsof the gospel; you must examine yourself by theSpiritof Christ; you must think howdeparted soulswould live, if they were again to act the short part of human life; and what degrees of wisdom and holiness you will wish for when you are leaving the world.
10. And as Christianity consecrates allstatesandemploymentsto God, as it requires us to aspire after universal obedience, doing and using every thing as the servants of God; so are wemore especially obliged to observe this exactness in the use of ourestatesandfortunes.
The reason is plain, if we only consider, that ourestateis as much the gift of God, as oureyes, or ourhands, and is no more to be buried, or thrown away at pleasure, than we are to pull out our eyes, or throw away our limbs.
But besides this consideration, there are several other important reasons why we should be exact in the use of our estates.
11. *First, because the manner of using our money, enters so far into the business of every day, and makes so great a part of our common life, that ourcommon lifemust be much of the same nature, as ourcommon wayof spending our estate. If reason and religion govern us in this, then reason and religion have got great hold of us; but ifhumour,pride, andfancyare the measures of our spending our estate, then humour, pride, and fancy will have the direction of the greatest part of our life.
12. Another reason is, because our money is capable of being used to the most excellent purposes, and is so great a means of doing good. If we waste it, we don’t waste a trifle that signifies little; but we waste that which might be as eyes to theblind, as a husband to thewidow, as a father to theorphan. If a man hadeyes, andhands, andfeet, that he could give to those that wanted them; if he should either lock them up in achest, or please himself with someneedlessorridiculoususe of them, instead of giving them to his brethren that wereblindandlame, should we not justly reckon him an inhuman wretch? If he should rather chuse to amuse himself withfurnishinghis house with those things, than to intitle himself to an eternal reward, by giving them to those that wantedeyesandhands, might we not justly reckon him mad?
Nowmoneyhas much the nature ofeyesandfeet: if we either lock it up inchests, or waste it inneedlessandridiculousexpences whilst the poor and the distressed want it for their necessary uses; if we consume it in theridiculous ornamentsof apparel, whilst others are starving innakedness, we are not far from the cruelty of him that chuses rather to adorn his house with thehandsandeyes, than to give them to those that want them. If we indulge ourselves in such expensive enjoyments, to satisfy noreal want, rather than to entitle ourselves to an eternal reward, by disposing of our money well, we are guilty of his madness, that rather chuses to lock upeyesandhands, than to make himself for ever blessed, by giving them to those that want them.
13. *Thirdly, if we waste our money, we are not only guilty of making that useless, which is so powerful a means of doing good, but we turn this useful talent into a powerful means of corrupting ourselves; because so far as it is spentwrong, so far it is spent in the support of somewrong temper, in gratifying some vain and unreasonable desires.
*Aswitandfine partscannot be only lost, but expose those that have them to greater follies, if they are not strictly devoted to piety; somoney, if it is not used strictly according to reason and religion, cannot only be trifled away, but it will betray people intogreaterfollies, and make them live a more silly and extravagant life, than they would have done without it. If therefore you don’t spend your money in doing good to others, you spend it to the hurt of yourself. You will act like a man that should refuse to give acordialto a sick friend, tho’ he could not drink it himself withoutinflaminghis blood. For this is the case ofsuperfluousmoney; if you give it to those that want it, it is acordial; if you spend it upon yourself, in something that you do not want, it onlyinflamesand disorders your mind, and makes you worse than you would be without it.
14. Consider again the fore-mentioned comparison; if the man that would not make a right use of spareeyesandhands, should, by continually trying to use them himself, spoil his own eyes and hands, we might accuse him of still greater madness.
Now this is truly the case of riches spent upon ourselves invainandneedlessexpences: in trying to use them where they have no real use, weonly use them to our hurt, in creating unreasonable desires, in nourishing ill tempers, in indulging our passions, and supporting a vain turn of mind. For higheatinganddrinking, finecloaths, and finehouses, state and equipage, gaypleasuresanddiversions, do all of them hurt and disorder our hearts; they are the food and nourishment of all the folly and weakness of our nature, and are certain means to make us vain and worldly in our tempers; they are all of them the support of something that ought not to be supported; they are contrary to that sobriety of heart which relisheth divine things; they are like so many weights upon our mind, that make us less able, and less inclined to raise up our thoughts and affections to the things that are above.
So that money, thus spent, is not merelywasted, but spent to bad purposes; to the corruption of our hearts, and make us less able to live up to the doctrines of the gospel. It is like keeping money from the poor, to buy poison for ourselves.
For so much as is spent in the vanity ofdress, is so much laid out tofixvanity in our minds. So much as is laid out foridlenessandindulgence, is so much given to render our heartsdullandsensual. So much as is spent instateandequipage, is so much spent todazzleyour own eyes, and render you the idol of your own imagination. And so in every thing, when you go fromreasonablewants, you only support some unreasonabletemper, someturnof mind, which every Christian is called upon torenounce.
So that, whether we consider our fortune as a trust from God, or thegreat goodit enables us to do, or the great harm that it does to ourselves, if idly spent; on all these accounts it is absolutely necessary to make reason and religion the strict rule of using all our fortune.
15. Every exhortation in scripture to satisfy only such wants as God would have satisfied; every exhortation to be spiritual and heavenly, pressing after a glorious change of our nature; every exhortation to love our neighbours as ourselves, is a command to bestrictly religiousin the use of our money. This use of our worldly goods, is so much the doctrine of the New Testament, that you cannot read a chapter without being taught something of it. I shall only produce one passage of scripture, which is sufficient to justify all that I have said.
When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him, then he shall sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right-hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right-hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, andye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked and ye cloathed me: I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall he say unto them on the left-hand, Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye cloathed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. These shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal.
16. I have quoted this passage at length, because if one looks at the way of the world, one would hardly think Christians had ever read this scripture.
Some people look upon this text only as a general recommendation ofoccasionalworks ofcharity; whereas it shews the necessity, not only of occasional charities, but of such anentire charitable life, as is a continual exercise of all such works of charity as we are able to perform.
You own that there is no salvation but in the performance of these good works. Who is it, therefore, that may be said to have performed these good works? Is it he that hassometimeassisted aprisoner, or relieved the poor or sick? This would be as absurd as to say, that he had performed the duties ofdevotion, who had sometime said his prayers. Is it, therefore, he that hasseveral timesdone these works of charity? This can nomore be said, than he can be said to be the trulyjustman, who had done acts of justiceseveral times. What is the rule therefore, or measure, of performing these good works?
Now the rule is veryplainandeasy, and such as iscommonto every othervirtue, as well as to charity. Who is the humble, or meek, or just, or faithful man? Is it he that hasseveral timesdone acts of humility, meekness, justice, or fidelity? No; but it is he that lives in thehabitual exerciseof these virtues. In like manner, he only can be said to have performed those works of charity, who lives in thehabitual exerciseof them to the utmost of his power. He only has performed the duty of divine love, who loves God with all his heart, andmind, andstrength. And he only has performed the duty of these good works, who has done them with all his heart, and mind, and strength. For there is no other measure of our doing good, than our power of doing it.
17. The apostlePeterputs this question to our blessed Saviour,Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.Not as if after this number of offences, a man might then cease to forgive; but the expression is to shew us, that we are not to bound our forgiveness byany numberof offences, but are tocontinueforgiving the most repeated offencesagainst us. If therefore a man ceases to forgive his brother, because he has forgiven himoftenalready: if he excuses himself from forgiving this man, because he has forgivenseveral others, such a one breaks this law of Christ, concerning the forgiving one’s brother.
Now the rule offorgivingis also the rule ofgiving. You are not togive, or do good toseven, but toseventy times seven. You are not to cease from giving, because you have given often to the same person, or to other persons; but must account yourself as much obliged to continue relieving those that continue in want, as you was obliged to relieve them once or twice. Had it not been in your power, you had been excused from relieving any persononce; but if it is in your power to relieve peopleoften, it is as much your duty to do it often as it is the duty of others to do it but seldom, because they are but seldom able.
18. And the reason of all this is plain; there is the samenecessityof being charitable at one time as at another. It is as much the best use of our money, to bealwaysdoing good with it, as it is the best use of it at anyparticular time; so that that which is a reason for a charitableaction, is as good a reason for a charitablelife; for charity has nothing to recommend it to-day, but what will be the same recommendation of it to-morrow; and you cannot neglect it at one time, without being guilty of the same sin as ifyou neglected it at another time. As sure, therefore, as these works of charity are necessary to salvation, so sure is it that we are to do them to the utmost of our power; not to-day, or to-morrow, but through the wholecourseof our life. If therefore it be our duty at any time to deny ourselves anyneedlessexpences, that we may have to give to those that want, it is as much our duty to do so at all times, that we may be able to do more good: for if it is at any time a sin to preferneedlessexpence to works of charity, it is so at all times. If it is ever necessary to take care of these works of charity, and to see that we make ourselves in some degree capable of doing them; it is as necessary to take care to make ourselves as capable as we can be, of performing them in all the parts of our life.
19. Either therefore you must say, that you need never perform any of these good works; or you must own, that you are to perform all your life in as high a degree as you are able. There is no middle way any more than there is a middle way between temperance and intemperance. If you do not strive to fulfil all charitable works, if you neglect any of them that are in your power, let it be when it will, or where it will, you number yourself amongst those that want Christian charity; because it is as much your duty to do good with all that youhave, as it is your duty to be temperate in all that you eat or drink.
20. Hence appears thenecessityof renouncing all thosefoolishandunreasonableexpences, which the folly of mankind has made so common and fashionable in the world. For if it is necessary to do good works as far as you are able, it must be as necessary to renounce those needless ways of spending money, which render you unable to do works of charity.
You must therefore no more conform to these ways of the world, than you must conform to the vices of the world. You must no more spend with those that idly waste their money as their own humour leads them, than you must drink with the drunken; because a course of such expences is no more consistent with a life ofcharity, than excess in drinking is consistent with alife of sobriety. When therefore any one tells you of the lawfulness of expensive apparel, or the innocency of pleasing yourself with costly satisfactions, only imagine that the same person was to tell you, that you need not do works of charity, that Christ does not require you to do good to your poor brethren, as unto him, and then you will see the wickedness of such advice; for, to tell you that you may live in such expences, as make it impossible for you to live in the exercise of good works, is the same thing as telling you, that you need not have any care about such good works themselves.
CHAP. VI.How the imprudent use of an estate corrupts all the tempers, and fills the heart with poor and ridiculous passions; represented in the character ofFlavia.1.IT has already been observed, that a religious care is to be used in the manner♦of spending ourmoneyorestate; because the manner of spending our estate makes so great a part of our common life, and is so much the business of every day, that, according as we are wise or imprudent in this, thewhole courseof ourliveswill be wise, or full of folly.♦duplicate word ‘of’ removedPersons that receive instructions of piety withpleasure, often wonder that they make no farther progress in that religion which they so muchadmire.Now the reason is this: religion lives only in theirhead, but something else has possession of their hearts; and therefore, they continue fromyeartoyearmereadmirersandpraisersof piety, without ever coming up to its precepts.2. If it be asked, why religion does not get possession of their hearts? It is not because they live ingross sinsordebaucheries; but because theirheartsare constantlyemployed,perverted, and kept in a wrong state, by theindiscreet useof such things as arelawful.The use and enjoyment of their estates islawful, and therefore it never comes into their heads to imagine any danger from that quarter. They never reflect that there is avainandimprudentuse of their estates: which, though it does nor destroy likegross sins, yet sodisordersthe heart, and supports it in suchsensualityanddullness, as makes it incapable of receiving the life and spirit of piety.For our souls may be rendered incapable of all virtue, merely by the use ofinnocentandlawfulthings.3. What is more innocent thanrest? And yet what more dangerous than sloth and idleness? What is more lawful thaneatinganddrinking? And yet what more destructive of all virtue, and fruitful of all vice, thansensuality.Now, it is for want of exactness in the use of theseinnocentandlawful things, that religion cannot get possession of our hearts: and it is in the right management of ourselves, as to these things, that theartof holy living chiefly consists.4.Gross sinsare plainly seen, and easily avoided by persons that profess religion: but theindiscreetuse of innocent and lawful things, as it does notshockour consciences, so it is difficult to make people at all sensible of the danger of it.Agentlemanthat expends all his estate insports, and awomanthat lays out all her fortune uponherself, can hardly be persuaded that the spirit of religion cannot subsist in such a way of life.These persons may live free from debaucheries; they may be friends of religion, so far as topraiseandspeakwell of it: but it cannot govern their hearts, and be the spirit of their actions, till they change their way of life.For awomanthat lovesdress, that thinks no expence too great to bestow upon theadorningof her person, cannot stop there; for that temper draws athousandother follies along with it, and will render the whole course of her life, herbusiness, herconversation, herhopes, herfears, hertaste, herpleasuresanddiversions, all suitable to it.5. *FlaviaandMirandaare two maiden sisters, that have each of themtwo hundred poundsa year: they buried their parents twenty years ago, and have since that time spent their estate as they pleased.*Flaviahas been the wonder of all her friends, for her excellent management, in making so surprizing a figure in so moderate a fortune. Severalladiesthat have twice her fortune, are not able to be always sogenteel, and so constant at all places ofpleasureandexpence. She has every thing that is in thefashion, and is in every place where there is anydiversion.Flaviais veryorthodox; she talks warmly againsthereticsandschismatics, is generally atchurch, and often at thesacrament. She once commended asermonthat was against thevanityof dress, and thought it was very just againstLucinda, whom she takes to be a great deal finer than she need be. If any one asksFlaviato do some thing in charity, if she likes the person that makes the proposal, or happens to be in a righttemper, she will toss himhalf a crown, or acrown; and tell him, if he knew what along millener’s billshe had just received, he would think it a great deal for her to give. Aquarterof a year after this, she hears asermonupon thenecessityof charity; she thinks the man preaches well; that it is a verypropersubject; that people want much to be put in mind of it; but she applies nothing to herself, because she remembers that she gave acrownsome time ago when she could so ill spare it.6. As forpoorpeople themselves, she will admit of no complaints from them: she is very positive they are allcheatsandliars, and will say any thing to get relief; and therefore, it must be a sin to encourage them in their evil ways.You would thinkFlaviahad the tenderest conscience in the world, if you was to see howscrupulousshe is of the guilt and danger ofgivingamiss.7. She buys all books ofwitandhumour, and has made an expensive collection of all ourEnglish poets. For she says, one cannot have atrue tasteof any of them, without being conversant with them all.She will sometimes read abookofpiety, if it is a short one, if it is much commended forstileandlanguage, and she can tell where toborrowit.Flaviais veryidle, and yet very fond offine work. This makes her oftensitworking inbeduntilnoon, and be told many along storybefore she is up; so that I need not tell you her morning devotions are notalwaysrightly performed.Flaviawould be amiracleof piety, if she was but half so careful of her soul as she is of her body. The rising of apimplein her face, the sting of agnat, will make her keep her room two or three days; and she thinks they are veryrashpeople, that don’t take care of things in time. This makes her so over-careful of herhealth, that she never thinks she is well enough; and soover-indulgent, that she can never be really well. So that it costs her a great deal insleeping-draughtsandwaking-draughts, inspiritsfor the head, indropsfor the nerves, incordialsfor the stomach, and insaffronfor hertea.8. If you visitFlaviaon theSundayyou will always meetgood company: you will know what is doing in the world; you will hear the lastlampoon, be told who wrote it, and who is meant by every name that is in it. You will hear whatplayswere acted that week, which is the finest song in theopera, who was intolerable at the last assembly, and what games are most in fashion.Flaviathinks they areAtheiststhat play atcardson theSunday; but she will tell you thenicetyof all the games, what cards she held, how sheplayedthem, and thehistoryof all that happened atplay, as soon as she comes fromchurch. If you would know who isrudeandill-natured, who isvainandfoppish, who lives toohigh, and who is indebt; if you would know what is the quarrel at acertain house, or who and who are inlove; if you would know how lateBelindacomes home at night, whatcloathsshe has bought, how she lovescompliments, and what a long story she told at such a place; if you would know how crossLuciusis to hiswife, what ill-natured things he says to her whennobodyhears him; if you would know how they hate one another in theirhearts, though they appear so kind in public, you must visitFlaviaon theSunday. But still she has so great a regard for the holiness of the day, that she has turned a poor old widow out of her house, as aprophane wretch, for having been found oncemending her cloathson theSundaynight.Thus livesFlavia; and if she lives ten years longer, she will have spent aboutfifteen hundred and sixty Sundaysafter this manner. She will have wore abouttwo hundreddifferent suits of cloaths. Out of thisthirty yearsof her life, fifteen of them will have been disposed of inbed; and of the remaining fifteen, aboutfourteenof them will have been consumed in eating, drinking, dressing, visiting, conversation, reading and hearing plays and romances; at operas, assemblies,balls, and diversions. For you may reckon all the time she isup, thus spent, except about anhourand half that is disposed of at church, mostSundaysin the year. With great management, and under mighty rules of œconomy, she will have spentsixty hundredpounds upon herself, bating only someshillings,crowns, orhalf crowns, that have gone from her inaccidentalcharities.9. I shall not take upon me to say, that it is impossible forFlaviato be saved; but thus much must be said, that her whole life is in direct opposition to all thosetempersandpracticeswhich the gospel has made necessary to salvation.*If you was to hear her say, that she had lived all her life likeAnnathe prophetess,who departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day, you would look upon her as very extravagant; and yet this would be no greater an extravagance, than for her to say, that she had beenstriving to enter in at the straight gate, or making any one doctrine of the gospel a rule of her life.*She may as well say, that she lived with our Saviour when he was upon earth, as that she has lived in imitation of him, or made it any part of her care to live in such tempers, as he required of all those that would be his disciples. She may as truly say, that she has every daywashed the saints feet, as that she has lived in Christianhumilityandpovertyof Spirit; and as reasonably think, that she has taught acharity-school,as that she has lived inworks of charity. She has as much reason to think, that she has been asentinelin an army, as that she has lived inwatching and self-denial. And it may as fairly be said, that she lived by the labour of her hands, as that she hadgiven all diligence to make her calling and election sure.10. And here it is to be well observed, that thepoor,vainturn of mind, thefollyandvanityof this whole life ofFlavia, is all owing to the manner of using her estate. It is this that has formed herspirit, that has given life to everyidle temper, that has supported everytrifling passion, and kept her from all thoughts of a prudent, useful, and devout life.When her parents died, she had no thoughts about her two hundred pounds a year; but that she had so much money to do what she would with, to spend upon herself, and purchase the pleasures and gratifications of all her passions.And it is this setting out, this false judgment, and indiscreet use of her fortune, that has filled her whole life with the same indiscretion, and kept her from thinking of what isright, andwise, and pious in every thing else.If you have seen her delighted inplaysandromances, inscandalandbackbiting, easilyflattered, and soonaffronted; if you have seen her devoted topleasuresanddiversions, a slave to everypassionin its turn, nice in every thing that concerned herbodyordress, careless of every thingthat might benefit hersoul, always wanting some new entertainment, and ready for everyhappyinvention inshewordress, it was because she hadpurchasedall these tempers with her yearly revenue.11. She might have beenhumble,serious,devout, a lover ofgood books, an admirer ofprayerand retirement, careful of her time, diligent ingood works, full ofcharityand the love of God; but that the imprudent use of her estate forced all the contrary tempers upon her.And it was no wonder that she should turn hertime, hermind, herhealthand strength to the same uses that she turned her fortune. It is owing to her being wrong in so great anarticleof life, that you can see nothing wise, or pious, in any other part of it.12. And asFlaviais undone by the unreasonable use of her fortune; so thelownessof most peoples virtue, theimperfectionsof their piety, and the disorders of theirpassions, are generally owing to their imprudent use of lawful things.More people are kept from a true sense of religion, by aregular kindof sensuality than by grossdrunkenness. More men live regardless of the great duties of piety, through toogreat a concernfor worldly goods, than throughdirect injustice.13. This man would perhaps be devout, if he was not avirtuoso. Another is deaf to all the motives to piety, by indulging anidle,slothfultemper.Could you cure this man of hiscuriosityandinquisitivetemper, or that of hisfalsesatisfaction and thirst afterlearning, you need do no more to make them both become men of great piety.If thiswomanwould makefewer visits, or that not bealways talking, they would neither of them find it hard to be affected with religion.Would we therefore make a real progress in religion, we must not only abhorgrossandnotorioussins; but regulate theinnocentandlawfulparts of our behaviour, and put the common actions of life under the rules of discretion and piety.
How the imprudent use of an estate corrupts all the tempers, and fills the heart with poor and ridiculous passions; represented in the character ofFlavia.
1.IT has already been observed, that a religious care is to be used in the manner♦of spending ourmoneyorestate; because the manner of spending our estate makes so great a part of our common life, and is so much the business of every day, that, according as we are wise or imprudent in this, thewhole courseof ourliveswill be wise, or full of folly.
♦duplicate word ‘of’ removed
Persons that receive instructions of piety withpleasure, often wonder that they make no farther progress in that religion which they so muchadmire.
Now the reason is this: religion lives only in theirhead, but something else has possession of their hearts; and therefore, they continue fromyeartoyearmereadmirersandpraisersof piety, without ever coming up to its precepts.
2. If it be asked, why religion does not get possession of their hearts? It is not because they live ingross sinsordebaucheries; but because theirheartsare constantlyemployed,perverted, and kept in a wrong state, by theindiscreet useof such things as arelawful.
The use and enjoyment of their estates islawful, and therefore it never comes into their heads to imagine any danger from that quarter. They never reflect that there is avainandimprudentuse of their estates: which, though it does nor destroy likegross sins, yet sodisordersthe heart, and supports it in suchsensualityanddullness, as makes it incapable of receiving the life and spirit of piety.
For our souls may be rendered incapable of all virtue, merely by the use ofinnocentandlawfulthings.
3. What is more innocent thanrest? And yet what more dangerous than sloth and idleness? What is more lawful thaneatinganddrinking? And yet what more destructive of all virtue, and fruitful of all vice, thansensuality.
Now, it is for want of exactness in the use of theseinnocentandlawful things, that religion cannot get possession of our hearts: and it is in the right management of ourselves, as to these things, that theartof holy living chiefly consists.
4.Gross sinsare plainly seen, and easily avoided by persons that profess religion: but theindiscreetuse of innocent and lawful things, as it does notshockour consciences, so it is difficult to make people at all sensible of the danger of it.
Agentlemanthat expends all his estate insports, and awomanthat lays out all her fortune uponherself, can hardly be persuaded that the spirit of religion cannot subsist in such a way of life.
These persons may live free from debaucheries; they may be friends of religion, so far as topraiseandspeakwell of it: but it cannot govern their hearts, and be the spirit of their actions, till they change their way of life.
For awomanthat lovesdress, that thinks no expence too great to bestow upon theadorningof her person, cannot stop there; for that temper draws athousandother follies along with it, and will render the whole course of her life, herbusiness, herconversation, herhopes, herfears, hertaste, herpleasuresanddiversions, all suitable to it.
5. *FlaviaandMirandaare two maiden sisters, that have each of themtwo hundred poundsa year: they buried their parents twenty years ago, and have since that time spent their estate as they pleased.
*Flaviahas been the wonder of all her friends, for her excellent management, in making so surprizing a figure in so moderate a fortune. Severalladiesthat have twice her fortune, are not able to be always sogenteel, and so constant at all places ofpleasureandexpence. She has every thing that is in thefashion, and is in every place where there is anydiversion.Flaviais veryorthodox; she talks warmly againsthereticsandschismatics, is generally atchurch, and often at thesacrament. She once commended asermonthat was against thevanityof dress, and thought it was very just againstLucinda, whom she takes to be a great deal finer than she need be. If any one asksFlaviato do some thing in charity, if she likes the person that makes the proposal, or happens to be in a righttemper, she will toss himhalf a crown, or acrown; and tell him, if he knew what along millener’s billshe had just received, he would think it a great deal for her to give. Aquarterof a year after this, she hears asermonupon thenecessityof charity; she thinks the man preaches well; that it is a verypropersubject; that people want much to be put in mind of it; but she applies nothing to herself, because she remembers that she gave acrownsome time ago when she could so ill spare it.
6. As forpoorpeople themselves, she will admit of no complaints from them: she is very positive they are allcheatsandliars, and will say any thing to get relief; and therefore, it must be a sin to encourage them in their evil ways.
You would thinkFlaviahad the tenderest conscience in the world, if you was to see howscrupulousshe is of the guilt and danger ofgivingamiss.
7. She buys all books ofwitandhumour, and has made an expensive collection of all ourEnglish poets. For she says, one cannot have atrue tasteof any of them, without being conversant with them all.
She will sometimes read abookofpiety, if it is a short one, if it is much commended forstileandlanguage, and she can tell where toborrowit.
Flaviais veryidle, and yet very fond offine work. This makes her oftensitworking inbeduntilnoon, and be told many along storybefore she is up; so that I need not tell you her morning devotions are notalwaysrightly performed.
Flaviawould be amiracleof piety, if she was but half so careful of her soul as she is of her body. The rising of apimplein her face, the sting of agnat, will make her keep her room two or three days; and she thinks they are veryrashpeople, that don’t take care of things in time. This makes her so over-careful of herhealth, that she never thinks she is well enough; and soover-indulgent, that she can never be really well. So that it costs her a great deal insleeping-draughtsandwaking-draughts, inspiritsfor the head, indropsfor the nerves, incordialsfor the stomach, and insaffronfor hertea.
8. If you visitFlaviaon theSundayyou will always meetgood company: you will know what is doing in the world; you will hear the lastlampoon, be told who wrote it, and who is meant by every name that is in it. You will hear whatplayswere acted that week, which is the finest song in theopera, who was intolerable at the last assembly, and what games are most in fashion.Flaviathinks they areAtheiststhat play atcardson theSunday; but she will tell you thenicetyof all the games, what cards she held, how sheplayedthem, and thehistoryof all that happened atplay, as soon as she comes fromchurch. If you would know who isrudeandill-natured, who isvainandfoppish, who lives toohigh, and who is indebt; if you would know what is the quarrel at acertain house, or who and who are inlove; if you would know how lateBelindacomes home at night, whatcloathsshe has bought, how she lovescompliments, and what a long story she told at such a place; if you would know how crossLuciusis to hiswife, what ill-natured things he says to her whennobodyhears him; if you would know how they hate one another in theirhearts, though they appear so kind in public, you must visitFlaviaon theSunday. But still she has so great a regard for the holiness of the day, that she has turned a poor old widow out of her house, as aprophane wretch, for having been found oncemending her cloathson theSundaynight.
Thus livesFlavia; and if she lives ten years longer, she will have spent aboutfifteen hundred and sixty Sundaysafter this manner. She will have wore abouttwo hundreddifferent suits of cloaths. Out of thisthirty yearsof her life, fifteen of them will have been disposed of inbed; and of the remaining fifteen, aboutfourteenof them will have been consumed in eating, drinking, dressing, visiting, conversation, reading and hearing plays and romances; at operas, assemblies,balls, and diversions. For you may reckon all the time she isup, thus spent, except about anhourand half that is disposed of at church, mostSundaysin the year. With great management, and under mighty rules of œconomy, she will have spentsixty hundredpounds upon herself, bating only someshillings,crowns, orhalf crowns, that have gone from her inaccidentalcharities.
9. I shall not take upon me to say, that it is impossible forFlaviato be saved; but thus much must be said, that her whole life is in direct opposition to all thosetempersandpracticeswhich the gospel has made necessary to salvation.
*If you was to hear her say, that she had lived all her life likeAnnathe prophetess,who departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day, you would look upon her as very extravagant; and yet this would be no greater an extravagance, than for her to say, that she had beenstriving to enter in at the straight gate, or making any one doctrine of the gospel a rule of her life.
*She may as well say, that she lived with our Saviour when he was upon earth, as that she has lived in imitation of him, or made it any part of her care to live in such tempers, as he required of all those that would be his disciples. She may as truly say, that she has every daywashed the saints feet, as that she has lived in Christianhumilityandpovertyof Spirit; and as reasonably think, that she has taught acharity-school,as that she has lived inworks of charity. She has as much reason to think, that she has been asentinelin an army, as that she has lived inwatching and self-denial. And it may as fairly be said, that she lived by the labour of her hands, as that she hadgiven all diligence to make her calling and election sure.
10. And here it is to be well observed, that thepoor,vainturn of mind, thefollyandvanityof this whole life ofFlavia, is all owing to the manner of using her estate. It is this that has formed herspirit, that has given life to everyidle temper, that has supported everytrifling passion, and kept her from all thoughts of a prudent, useful, and devout life.
When her parents died, she had no thoughts about her two hundred pounds a year; but that she had so much money to do what she would with, to spend upon herself, and purchase the pleasures and gratifications of all her passions.
And it is this setting out, this false judgment, and indiscreet use of her fortune, that has filled her whole life with the same indiscretion, and kept her from thinking of what isright, andwise, and pious in every thing else.
If you have seen her delighted inplaysandromances, inscandalandbackbiting, easilyflattered, and soonaffronted; if you have seen her devoted topleasuresanddiversions, a slave to everypassionin its turn, nice in every thing that concerned herbodyordress, careless of every thingthat might benefit hersoul, always wanting some new entertainment, and ready for everyhappyinvention inshewordress, it was because she hadpurchasedall these tempers with her yearly revenue.
11. She might have beenhumble,serious,devout, a lover ofgood books, an admirer ofprayerand retirement, careful of her time, diligent ingood works, full ofcharityand the love of God; but that the imprudent use of her estate forced all the contrary tempers upon her.
And it was no wonder that she should turn hertime, hermind, herhealthand strength to the same uses that she turned her fortune. It is owing to her being wrong in so great anarticleof life, that you can see nothing wise, or pious, in any other part of it.
12. And asFlaviais undone by the unreasonable use of her fortune; so thelownessof most peoples virtue, theimperfectionsof their piety, and the disorders of theirpassions, are generally owing to their imprudent use of lawful things.
More people are kept from a true sense of religion, by aregular kindof sensuality than by grossdrunkenness. More men live regardless of the great duties of piety, through toogreat a concernfor worldly goods, than throughdirect injustice.
13. This man would perhaps be devout, if he was not avirtuoso. Another is deaf to all the motives to piety, by indulging anidle,slothfultemper.
Could you cure this man of hiscuriosityandinquisitivetemper, or that of hisfalsesatisfaction and thirst afterlearning, you need do no more to make them both become men of great piety.
If thiswomanwould makefewer visits, or that not bealways talking, they would neither of them find it hard to be affected with religion.
Would we therefore make a real progress in religion, we must not only abhorgrossandnotorioussins; but regulate theinnocentandlawfulparts of our behaviour, and put the common actions of life under the rules of discretion and piety.