THE DUTIES OF HUSBANDS and WIVES.
I AM persuaded, it is not possible for me to write any thing so full, so strong, and so clear on this subject, as has been written near an hundred and fifty years ago, by a person of equal sense and piety. I shall therefore only abridge what he has written on the head, with some few alterations and additions. I beseech you all, who are more immediately concerned, to read it with the calmest attention, and with earnest prayer, that what is here written, may be transcribed into your hearts and lives.
CHAP. I.
The first duty of the Married, Chastity.
1.THIS duty is so manifest, that no person whatever can pretend ignorance of it. The law of God, the law of nature, and the laws of all well ordered societies enjoin it. The violation of this unties the marriage-knot, and dissolves the marriage-covenant. For our Lord himself, who utterly disallows of other divorces, yet allows divorce in case of adultery. “But may the person wronged admit the wrongdoer again, after the offence is known?” I answer, they may, provided the offender give full, satisfactory proof of amendment. We read not any command to the contrary. But if the offender persist in sin, then the innocent person, having full proof thereof, is bound to withdraw from the sinner.
2. Let any who find strong temptations to this sin, 1. Constantly and conscientiously perform private duties. The blessing of God hereon will make him conqueror, over what before seemed most unconquerable. 2. Be diligent in your calling, that you may have no leisure for inflaming imaginations. It is certain, an idle person, if occasion and constitution serve, will sooner or later prove adulterous. But diligence joined with hearty prayer, will preserve a man pure and undefiled. 3. Be exactly temperate. It is easy to put out the fiercest fire, by withdrawing the fewel. If therefore you would be chaste in your marriage, be sparing in your food. 4. Carefully shun every temptation and all opportunities of sin: especially, shun as a rock the company of any person apt to tempt, or to be tempted; and consider, that the coldest water will be hot, if it be set near the fire.
3. These directions are such as agree to all, married or unmarried. There remains another help peculiar to the former, the due use of marriage. The ordinances of God will answer their end, if our abuse of them do not hinder. Now God has ordained marriage for this end, among others, to prevent fornication. Wherefore let it be used in the manner it ought, and it will surely answer its end. And in this respect, the wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband. Neither hath the husband power over his own body, but the wife. It is not in the choice of either, whether to live with the other, or not. But they are bound in conscience so to do, and cannot refuse it without grievous sin. There may indeed be a separation for a time, if needful affairs require. But it is not lawful for either the man or the woman to leave the other totally or finally.
4. In this their society two things are to be observed, that it be sanctified and temperate. First, it must be sanctified, that is, made lawful and holy to them by the word of God and prayer. The word of God clearly shews the lawfulness of it. For God has said expresly, Marriage is honourable among all men, and the bed undefiled. But let it also be sanctified or made holy by prayer. Solemnly pray for the blessing of God upon his ordinance, not forgetting to return him particular thanks for his infinite goodness herein. That this is requisite none can deny, that will not deny the authority of St. Paul. For he affirms, that marriage, as well as meat and drink, is sanctified by prayer and thanksgiving. As therefore it is a brutish profaneness, for any man to sit down to his table, as an horse to the manger, without asking the blessing of God first, and to return from it, as a fox from his prey, without praising him that gave him food and appetite; so it is great licentiousness for married persons to come together, as it were brute beasts, without either prayer or thanksgiving. The hope of posterity, the stay of old age, the support of every man’s house, the supply of the church and common-wealth, hang upon the fruit of marriage. Is it then more than needs, to ask the blessing of God in a thing of so great importance? Surely we should bring his curse upon us, were we either to forget it as needless, or despise it as ridiculous. Yea, whereas marriage is instituted in part for the subduing inordinate desires, it cannot answer that end, without God’s blessing; which how can we expect, if we scorn to ask it? Certainly, the men that use marriage in a brutish manner, not seeing God therein, nor sanctifying it to themselves by these means, will thereby become more and more brutish. Wherefore let no man scoff at a duty plainly commanded by God: but let us learn to know the full efficacy of prayer, and to reap the fruit of it in all things.
5. It must, secondly, Be temperate. We are always to remember, God ordained marriage chiefly for the increase of mankind, and not to kindle lustful desires, but to quench them. I confess, we should take great heed of laying snares upon mens consciences, and must be very careful not to bind them, where God has not bound them. But this is a sure rule: the quantity of every thing, must be suited to the end. This being considered, the married are not to provoke desires, but allay them, when they provoke themselves. They must not strive to inflame the passions when they are cool, but when they are moved of themselves, to assuage them. In a word, marriage should be used as sparingly, as consists with the need of the persons married. A temperate use promotes purity: excess inflames lust, and inclines to adultery. Wherefore the foregoing rule should be carefully observed, that the married come no oftener together, than is needful to extinguish natural desires, when they would otherwise become troublesome to them. Now the sanctified use of marriage is also an help to the temperate use of it. But they seldom fail to exceed, who do not take care to make all things holy by prayer and thanksgiving.
6. Perhaps one might add, it should ever be accompanied with chearfulness and willingness. They must neither deny themselves to each other, nor behave with grudging and forwardness; but rather with readiness and all demonstrations of sincere affection. The scripture plainly testifies this, by the very term benevolence or good-will. For no man can call that good-will, which is done churlishly and discontentedly: a behaviour that naturally tends to alienate the heart, and create suspicions of estrangement of affection.
CHAP. II.
Of the Love of married Persons.
1.THE marriage-covenant binds all that enter into it, to several other duties, as well as to chastity: but not under the same forfeiture, failing in these breaks God’s command, but does not break the bond of matrimony. No ill-behaviour dissolves this, while we are not wronged as to the marriage-bed. Thou art still an husband or a wife, though thy yoke-fellow is wanting in many duties. Be careful therefore to do thy own part still, however slenderly thou art requited.
2. The duties common to husbands and wives, partly respect themselves, and partly their families. All the former sort may be reduced to two heads, love and the fruits of love. First, Love: their hearts must be united as well as their hands: else their union will be more troublesome than can be imagined. Love is the life and soul of marriage, without which it differs from itself as a carcase from a living body. This makes all things easy, whereas the absence of it makes all things hard. Love seasons and sweetens every state; love composes all controversies. In whomsoever love prevails, to them only marriage is what it should be, a pleasing combination of two persons into one home, one purse; one heart and one flesh. And this love must have two especial properties, first, It must be spiritual; secondly, matrimonial. It must be spiritual in its ground, and in its working. Its chief ground must be the commandment of God. A Christian must love his wife, not only because she is beautiful or loving, but chiefly because God enjoins it. The wife must love her husband, not only because he is handsome, kind or well-behaved, but because God the sovereign of all souls, has commanded women to be lovers of their own husbands. Not the face, portion or good qualities of the married, must be the chief cause of their loving each other, but the will of God; and that affection which stands on this stable foundation will be lasting: while that which stands on any other consideration, will be subject to change every hour. For how can the building stand fast, if the foundation sink away? Either some storm of contention will overthrow that love, or it will fall down of itself thro’ age. Or else it will degenerate into jealousy, the devouring canker-worm, that eats up the hearts of married persons, and consumes or spoils the sweet fruit they may reap. But he that loves his wife, because she is his wife, and God commands him to love her as such, will love her, so long as she is his wife, whatever she prove beside. Thou lovest thy wife, because she is fair, good-humoured, courteous: but what if all these should fail? Thou lovest thy husband, because he is handsome, sensible, kind: but where will thy love be, if these things should alter? You see there is no firmness in that love, which is procured only by these motives. But if thou love thy wife or husband, because God enjoins it, then thy love will be constant and perpetual.
3. This property of love, that it is spiritual, built on the rock of God’s commandment, answers all the objections which many would make against it in their own cases. “Who, says a man, can love such a wife?” “And what wife, says a woman, can love such an husband?” I answer, a man whose affection is spiritual, can love even such a wife. And the woman who has attained to spiritual love finds it possible to love even such an husband.
4. But as the ground of their love must be spiritual, so must also the working thereof. It must seek the spiritual good of the person beloved, by every possible means. For that love which seeks only their temporal welfare, deserves no better name than carnal love. But surely those who love each other, because God bids them, will love each other as God bids them. They will be careful of each others souls, as well as of their bodies and estates. But alas! How exceedingly does the love of most married people fail herein? Thou art kind to thy wife or husband, and it goes to thy heart, to think any thing should be wanting for their good. It is well; but so may a Turk as well as thou, if by good, thou meanest only that which is temporal. But dost thou seek to help thy yoke-fellow to heavenly, as well as earthly benefits? This is spiritual love: this becomes a Christian husband, and a Christian wife. Be not then carnal in your love, walking as men, but spiritual as the children of God.
5. *But remember farther, that your love must be matrimonial, as well as spiritual. It must be matrimonial, with regard, 1. To the degree, and 2. To the effect of it. For the first, A man should love his wife, a woman her husband, above all the creatures in the world. Next to the living God, the wife is to have the highest place in the husband’s heart, and he in her’s. No neighbour, no friend, no parent, no child, should be so near and dear to either as the other. They are joined in the closest of all unions; therefore their mutual affection should be most abundant. They must do more and suffer more for each other, than for any other in all the world. They must bear with more faults in each other than any besides, and be ready to take more pains for each other.
6. Secondly, As to the effect of this love, it should knit them together, that they may receive full satisfaction in each other. Love should cause a man to account his wife the only woman in the world: and so the wife to account her husband the only man in the world. The persons of each should be to the other the most precious of all persons. Do any object, this cannot be, unless every man and every woman, could find in their own yoke-fellow as amiable qualities as are to be found in others: I answer, not the good qualities of either, but the good pleasure of God is the ground of their mutual dearness. Good qualities make this duty more easy: but it is still a duty, tho’ good qualities be away. A man may lawfully think another woman a better woman than his own wife. But he may not love another woman, tho’ more virtuous, above his own, tho’ less virtuous. This is the effect of matrimonial love, to settle the heart of each upon the other, above all in the world besides. It admits of none equal in affection, but places the yoke-fellow next to our own soul. Nor will it bear the desire of change, but so links their hearts together, that in this respect they are only dear to each other.
7. The means to get and confirm this love, is to have one house, one table, one bed. But besides this natural means of procuring love, there are two spiritual means. The one is, to take special notice, of God’s gracious providence in their match. They must often consider, that God joined them together, for their mutual benefit, as being on the whole fitter for each other, than any person besides could be. We know, that a mean gift is often respected, for the giver’s sake. And he that loveth God, cannot but love all his blessings for his sake. Wherefore remember, that God in great goodness (for crosses also come to God’s children from his goodness) hath bestowed this yoke-fellow, and thou shalt dearly love thy wife or husband, tho’ perhaps not so well-tempered. For the dearness of the giver will countervail the defects of the gift. And then thy yoke-fellow’s distempers will grieve thee indeed, but not alienate thy affection.
8. Another means of uniting your souls is, constantly to join in exercises of piety. Pray together: sing together: confer together, concerning your heavenly country. And this will be found an excellent means of confirming your mutual love. These will nourish the Spirit of holiness in you: and that inkindles love wherever it comes. By these you will soon perceive yourselves to have been spiritually profitable to each other: and to receive a spiritual benefit cannot but beget and nourish spiritual affection. Naturally you would grow weary of each other: but if you season your natural communion, with this communion in spiritual things, it will prevent all satiety. Jars and contentions are the great hindrances of love; but the joining together in these exercises, will cause you to jar far more seldom: nor will any sudden jar fester or rankle, so as to breed hard thoughts of one another, which are the bane of love. Prayer will prevent most contentions and compose all: for when you shall appear before God in prayer, instead of blaming each other, you will each blame yourself, and then all contention will cease.
9. But some may say, “What shall I do, who have such an husband or wife, as neither can nor will join with me, in the service of God?” I answer, pray for that yoke-fellow, who will not pray with thee. The less able or willing they are to intreat for themselves, the more frequently and earnestly intreat God for them. It may be, God will give thee thy desire, and turn their hearts to thee. At least, thy own soul will gain an increase of heavenly love to them. And this is sure, that to love your yoke-fellow spiritually and fervently, tho’ you are not loved again, is far better, than to be loved of them, without so loving.
CHAP. III.
Of the Effects of Love.
1.THE effects of nuptial love are three, Pleasingness, Faithfulness, Helpfulness. The first, which must mix itself with all the rest, is an earnest desire to please each other, so far as it is possible to be done, without sinning against God. Wherefore the husband must do or leave undone, any thing he can, that he may please his wife: and the wife must in any thing cross her own desires that she may satisfy his. In diet, attire, choice of company, and all things else, each must fulfill the other’s desire, as absolutely as can be done, without transgressing the law of God. As difficult as this may seem at first, practice will make it easy. Resolutely begin, and the proceeding will be pleasanter than the beginning. Especially if both labour together, each seeking to oblige the other. For it cannot be difficult to satisfy one, who desires to take as well as to give satisfaction.
2. But some will say, “This suits not me, nothing will satisfy my froward yoke-fellow.” I answer, It may be so: it is not in ones power, to make a froward person take a thing well. But it is in your power, to do your best, to satisfy such an one; and to strive the more, the more averse to peace your companion is. “But it is hard, to be still striving against the stream.” It is; but duties must not be omitted because they are hard. The scholar, who has an hard lesson, must take the more pains to learn it. So the husband or wife, that has a perverse companion, must take the more pains to please them. Let the difficulty therefore make thee more diligent: and encourage thyself in this tedious labour, by thinking, “If after all I cannot please my yoke-fellow, I shall not fail to please God. Yea, and the harder the work is, the better he will take it at my hands. Therefore I will so behave, that they may receive content in all things, if any thing but sin will content them.” This caution indeed we must observe; for we may not, to please anyone, sin against God. If any thing but sin will satisfy, thou must do it, be it ever so contrary to thy own will. But if thou canst not fulfill the desires of a creature, without breaking the law of God, then thou must not fulfill them: better offend a mortal man, than the immortal God.
3. In the next place, husband and wife are to be faithful and helpful to each other. These two must always be united: therefore we speak of them together. This was the principal thing which God designed in the creation of the woman. It is not good, saith he, for man to be alone: I will make him an help meet for him. And undoubtedly man was intended to give, as well as to receive help. This helpful fidelity consists in their mutual care to abstain from and prevent whatever might grieve or hurt either: and to do themselves, and incite others to do, whatever might comfort or benefit either. And this must extend to the soul, the body, the name, and the estate.
4. First, to the souls, by provoking each other on all occasions, to inward and outward holiness. The husband must further the wife in all goodness, and the wife the husband: for she has also liberty to stir up her husband, by intreaty and fair means. And as they have special opportunity, so they should be always ready, with special diligence, to provoke one another to love and to good works. O how sweet is the society when they thus watch all occasions to further each other in godliness! Again; being continually together, they may discover in each other divers corruptions and imperfections. They must not turn these into matter of contempt, but of compassion and care for each others reformation. They should observe each others temper, ’till they perceive what infirmities each is chiefly inclined to, and then diligently abstain from what may provoke that evil, and apply all means that may heal it. If all their labour does not avail, they must not fear to seek the help of some common friend, who possibly may effect that cure, which themselves had endeavoured in vain. And if even this does not succeed, still they must wait and pray, referring the matter to God, the only physician of the soul, who is able in due time to redress all.
5. The same faithful helpfulness they owe, to the bodies of each other. They must shun all things that might cause sickness or pain to each other, and readily undergo any pains or cost, according to their power, to procure whatever is necessary either to keep or recover their health. They must comfort each other, in the days of sorrow, that worldly sorrow work not death. The wife must be health to her husband in his sickness: she must support his weakness, and he her’s. Sickness and weakness are things which of themselves are hard enough to be borne. There needs not the addition of unkindness to make the burden heavier. Let every husband and wife avoid or mend this fault, and be particularly careful of their behaviour, at that time above all, when either is visited with grief, or weakness, or sickness. When your wife is sick or pain’d, then comfort her with loving words, and chear her by a tender countenance. Then see that she want no looking too, no help which thou canst procure. When thy husband is sick or weak, then stay him with comfortable speech, revive him with diligent attendance. Do all thou canst, to ease his pain, and to recover his strength. Let thy love and care be his best physic, and thyself his best physician. This is to be faithful to thy husband’s body, and to “cherish him in sickness as in health.”
6. In the third place, man and wife must be faithfully helpful to each others names, and that in a double respect: in maintaining them both between themselves and also among others. First, they must hold fast a good opinion of each other, so far as it may possibly stand with truth. Yea, it is no blame for them to have somewhat too good an opinion of each other: for a man to think his wife not only more handsome, but more wise and good than she is; (making her virtues carry a greater show to the eye, by looking at them thro’ the glass of love:) and for her to think him not only more proper, but more kind and good than he really is, by taking things with that largeness of good interpretation, which much love naturally puts upon them. Certainly then they should be peremptory to give no place to ungrounded, unwarranted surmises. They must on no account suffer their hearts to grow mistrustful of each other. All rash, ill-built, hasty surmises, must be far from them. Otherwise love will go out at the same door, at which suspicion came in. He or she that has a suspicious head, has not a truly loving heart. Such may be lustful or fond; but an holy, virtuous, spiritual affection they cannot have. So long as they give way to evil surmisings, there is no place for this. *And therefore of all domestic makebates, of all that breeds quarrel between married people, nothing in the world is more pestilently effectual to this bad end than jealousy. Having leavened the heart, it makes the speech tart and sharp, the countenance sour, the whole behaviour distasteful. No good words, no good actions, or [♦]gestures, or looks can proceed from a jealous heart. Jealousy will make one suck mischievous things out of his own fingers ends. Suffer not therefore this evil weed to grow up in the garden of matrimony. For no good herb will prosper by it; no praise-worthy thing will flourish. Let all then that are married, detest any thought of this kind that may arise. Let their hearts disdain to give the least credit, unless the proofs be more than manifest. Away then with this makebate jealousy, this quarreler suspicion, this breeder of brawls, this mother and nurse of contention, this underminer of love and of good husbandry, of all that should be profitable to an houshold. Away with it, I say, out of thy heart: chase it far from thy breast, from thy house. It is better to receive ten wrongs without suspecting, than to suspect one that is not received. Wherefore as thou wouldst stand for the good name of thy companion, against the tongue of a slanderer, so stand for it against the dreams of thy own heart, against thy own slanderous imagination. And if any person will suffer his lips to be so ill employed, as to become Satan’s bellows, by blowing these coals betwixt you, by telling thee this or that, rebuke such a person, reject his words with detestation, flee his company, nor defile thy ears and heart, by giving gentle audience to a whisperer and talebearer. In a word, wouldst thou love or be loved? Wouldst thou live otherwise in marriage, than as in a prison or dungeon? Then strengthen thy heart against all suspicion, and rather be any thing than jealous.
[♦] ‘guestures’ replaced with ‘gestures’
7. Ye must be tender also of each other’s reputation abroad. This requireth two things: First, that each labour to conceal the weaknesses of the other, so far as is possible, from all men. The husband must endeavour, that none may know of his wife’s faults, but himself: and the wife must do her best to keep her husband’s faults from the knowledge of every creature. On the contrary, to publish each others sins, is a monstrous treachery. To backbite an enemy is a sin: how much more to backbite ones yoke-fellow? Whose faults can a man cover if not his wife’s, that is in effect, his own? Or who can be free from reproach, if one so near as his wife, deface his good name? ’Tis impossible but man and wife must sooner or later discover their weaknesses to one another. And for them to be playing the tell-tale against each other, what soul does not loath to think of it? If thou hast been so sinfully talkative before, now for shame lay thy hand upon thy mouth, that thou mayst no more incur the name of fool, by making thy tongue to spread abroad folly.
8. But besides this, you must faithfully keep each others secrets. A man may have occasion to acquaint his wife, with things which he would not reveal to others; so may a woman to acquaint her husband. Now if in such cases a wife find, that her husband has revealed what she intrusted with him alone; or he find, that she has revealed what he spoke to her in the confidence of love, this will breed such a distrust of the offending party, as will not easily be removed. Wherefore let husbands and wives always mind this: If he lay up any thing in her breast, let him find it safe there, as in a chest, which cannot be opened by any pick-lock. If she commit a thing to his safe keeping, let it be imprisoned in his bosom. Otherwise no man can chuse but be strange to one, whom experience has convinced of blabbing. And it is an infallible truth, that there is no comfortable living with one whom you cannot trust.
9. The last part of faithful helpfulness to each other, is that which concerns their estates. And to this end it is requisite, first, that all things be common between them, goods as well as persons: For if they make not a division in the greater, it is absurd to make it in the less. They should have one house and one purse: for they are one, and their estates should be one also. And having thus united their fortunes, let them, secondly, practise good husbandry therein. This implies three things, diligence in getting, prudence in saving, providence in foreseeing. These three, industry, frugality, and forecast, make up good husbandry. And if any of these are wanting, so much is wanting to the perfection of it; and so much also will be wanting, for their comfort and prosperity.
CHAP IV.
Of the duties of the married to their family.
1.A Man and his wife, who before were members of other families, join together that they may become the roots of a new family: Wherein by training up their servants and children, they provide plants for God’s vineyard, the church. In this family the husband is the head; the wife is the next, as subordinate to him. They are both to maintain and govern their family. First, they must join in providing it with all necessaries, imitating herein the father of this great family, the world, who fills every creature with good things fit for it. But they must govern as well as maintain their houshold; the man as God’s immediate officer, the woman as an officer deputed by him, not equal, but subordinate: he, by the authority derived immediately from God, she by authority derived from her husband.
2. The first point, in order to the due government of their family, is to educate their children well; more especially in their tender years. I cannot lay down a better method for this, than is laid down in a letter printed some years since; part of which is here subjoined.
*“According to your desire, I have collected the principal rules I observed in educating my family. The children (she had ten who came to man’s estate, eight of whom were frequently at home together) were put into a regular method of living, in such things as they were capable of, from their birth, as in dressing, undressing, changing their linen, &c. The first quarter commonly passes in sleep. After that, they were, if possible, laid into their cradles awake, and rocked asleep, and so they were kept rocking till it was time for them to awake. This was done to bring them to a regular course of sleeping, which at first was three hours in the morning, and three in the afternoon: afterwards two hours till they needed none at all.
*“When they were turned a year old, they were taught to fear the rod, and cry softly. By this means they escaped abundance of correction which otherwise they must have had, and that odious noise of the crying of children was rarely heard in the house.
*“As soon as they were grown pretty strong, they were confined to three meals a day. They were never suffered to chuse their meat, but always ate such things as were provided for the family. Whatever they had, they were never permitted to eat of more than one thing. Drinking or eating between meals was never allowed, but in case of sickness, which rarely happened.
*“At six they had their supper. At seven their maid washed them, and got them all to bed by eight. Then she left them in their several rooms awake: for we allowed no such thing, as sitting by a child till it fell asleep.
“They were so constantly used to eat and drink what was given them, that when any of them was ill, there was no difficulty in making them take the most unpleasant medicine. This I mention, to shew a person may be taught to take any thing, be it ever so disagreeable.
*“In order to form the minds of children, the first thing to be done, is, to conquer their will. To inform their understanding is a work of time, and must proceed by slow degrees: but the subjecting the will is a thing which must be done at once; and the sooner the better. For by our neglecting timely correction, they contract a stubbornness, which is hardly ever to be conquered, and never without using that severity, which would be as painful to us as to the children. Therefore I call those cruel parents, who pass for kind and indulgent: who permit their children to contract habits, which they know must be afterwards broken.
“Whenever a child is corrected, it must be conquered. And when his will is totally subdued, then a great many childish follies and inadvertencies may be past by. Some should be overlooked and taken no notice of, and others mildly reproved. But no wilful transgression should ever be forgiven, without chastisement, less or more.
“I insist upon conquering the wills of children betimes, because this is the only foundation of a religious education, without which both precept and example will be ineffectual. But when this is throughly done, then a child is capable of being governed by the reason of its parent, till its own understanding comes to maturity, and the principles of religion have taken root.
*“I cannot yet dismiss this subject. As self-will is the root of all sin and misery, so whatever cherishes this in children, ensures their after wretchedness and irreligion; and whatever checks and mortifies it, promotes their future happiness and piety. This is still more evident, if we consider, that religion is nothing else but the doing the will of God, not our own: and that self-will being the grand impediment to our temporal and eternal happiness, no indulgence of it can be trivial, no denial of it unprofitable. Heaven or hell depends on this alone. So that the parent who studies to subdue it in his children, works together with God in the saving a soul; the parent who indulges it, does the devil’s work, makes religion impracticable, salvation unattainable, and does all that in him lies, to damn his child, soul and body for ever.”
3. This advice, first, to conquer the wills of children, is exactly agreeable to the apostle’s direction to parents, Eph. vi. 4. Train them up, (I do not say, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; for I know not what that odd expression means, but) ἐν παιδεία καὶ νουθεσία Κυρίου, in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ἐν [♦]παιδεία, in the discipline first; then ἐν νουθεσία, in Christian knowledge; because they may be inured to discipline, before they are capable of instruction. *This therefore I cannot but earnestly repeat, break their wills betimes: begin this great work before they can run alone, before they can speak plain, perhaps before they can speak at all. Whatever pains it costs, conquer their stubbornness: break the will, if you would not damn the child. I conjure you, not to neglect, not to delay this. Therefore, 1. Let a child, from a year old, be taught to fear the rod, and to cry softly. It cannot be exprest, how much pains this will save both to the parent and the child. In order to this, 2. Let him have nothing he cries for; absolutely nothing, great or small. Let this be an unvariable rule; else you undo all your own work. 3. At all events, from that age, make him do as he is bid, if you whip him ten times running to effect it. Let none persuade you it is cruelty to do this: it is real cruelty, not to do it. If you spare the rod, you spoil the child; if you do not conquer, you ruin him. Break his will now, and his soul shall live, and he will probably bless you to all eternity.
[♦] ‘παιθεία’ replaced with ‘παιδεία’
4. *But we are by nature not only full of self-will, but likewise of pride, atheism, anger, falshood and idolatry. Now the end of education is to counteract and remove all the corruption of nature; of Christian education in particular, termed by St. Paul, the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Set yourselves, therefore, ye Christian parents, to the work. Indeed it is not a little one. In order to accomplish it, you will need both the wisdom and the power of God: in order to root up, instead of strengthening, as most do, all these roots of bitterness. Self-will has been spoken of already. The next evil you are to oppose in children is pride. In order to guard against this, 1. Never commend them to their face, either for their goodness, sense or beauty. It is deadly poison. It is the direct way to plunge their souls in everlasting perdition. 2. Suffer no other to do it, if you can possibly prevent it: and if any should commend them, in their hearing, regard not [♦]complaisance, or good-breeding so called, but check them immediately. 3. Lovingly shew them their faults, especially their wrong tempers, as soon as ever their understanding dawns. 4. In particular, labour to convince them of atheism: shew them, that they are without God in the world: that they do not know God; that they do not love, delight in, or enjoy him, any more than do the beasts that perish. 5. Do not teach them revenge: never say, “Who hurts my child? Give me a blow for him.” Do not encourage them in anger, by laughing at, or seeming pleased with their little froward tricks. Rather check them for the least appearance of it, much more for an angry word or action. 6. Let property be inviolably maintained among your little ones. Let none of them dare to take the very least thing, not an apple or a pin, without, much less, against the consent of the owner. 7. Do not teach them lying. Never say, “It was not my child that did so.” On the contrary, inure them to confess their faults, and to tell the truth at all hazards. 8. Begin early to guard them against idolatry, against the love of the world in all its branches. Do nothing to feed in them the desire of the flesh; that is, of the pleasures of sense. Keep them (on this account, as well as on account of health) to the plainest, simplest diet. If they do not want it as physic, let them taste no liquid till ten or twelve years old, but water or milk. Above all, let no tea come within their lips, no strong drink of any kind. If they never have it, they will never desire it. It is wholly your fault if they do. Do nothing to feed in them the desire of the eye. Let their dress also be plain and simple. Let them always (so far as your circumstances will allow) be clean, but never fine. Let them never wear any thing that is [♠]showy, any thing that is gay or glittering. Put nothing upon them that attracts the eye, either their own, or that of others. Give them nothing, nor suffer others to give them any thing that is purely ornamental. Dress your children just as you dress yourself, that when they are grown up, they may have nothing to unlearn. More full directions on these heads, and many others, you have in the “Instructions for Children,” which I advise every parent to read again and again, and to put it in practice with all his power.
[♦] ‘complisance’ replaced with ‘complaisance’
[♠] ‘showey’ replaced with ‘showy’
5. The government of your family in general respects matters of God, and matters of the world. Your first care must be, that the living God be duly worshipped by all in your house. To this end, you must read the scriptures, call upon the name of God among them, and catechise them in the principles of religion, that none under your roof may be ignorant of the great truths of the gospel. To this end also you must see, that they sanctify the sabbath: you must carefully and constantly bring them to the public assemblies, and examine them afterwards, how they profit thereby. If this care be wanting, you will want the blessing of God on all your other cares. Wherefore, let man and wife be principally helpful to each other in this business. When the husband is present, let him read and pray with the family, and teach them the fear of the Lord. In his absence, let his wife do these duties, or at least take care to see them done. And let both of them provide and allow convenient time and leisure for the same: and let each quicken the slackness of the other, if either begin to grow weary. If he is worse than an infidel, who provideth not food and cloathing for his family, what is he that lets their souls go naked, for want of that which is both food and cloathing to them; I mean, instruction in the things that pertain to life and godliness? Herein, then, let all husbands and wives be of one mind in the Lord, using all good means to plant and water piety in the hearts of all that are under their care.
6. As to matters of the world, first, They must appoint their inferiors such works and services, as they are severally fit for, and then follow and look after them, that they may perform those services. Had not the Lord seen, that inferiors would need this, he would not have made this difference in the family. But God saw, that the best servants need this help, and therefore ordained governors; generally two, that the absence of the one might be supplied by the presence of the other. Secondly, You must mark the carriage of your inferiors, and see what disorders do, or are ready to break in, whether openly or secretly, that they may be either prevented or resisted speedily. Idleness, tatling, discord, and many more evils, are apt to steal even on good servants and children, which the Lord well knowing, made rulers in the house, to keep all in good order: and if this care be some trouble, yet the mischiefs which arise from the want of it are much more troublesome: whereas, if the eyes of the master and mistress be always open, much peace will follow in the house. Thirdly, You must join in admonishing, encouraging, reproving, and, if need be, correcting your inferiors. Both must discountenance what is evil, and encourage what is good. And in so doing you must take care to maintain each other’s authority to the full. If one encourage, the other must not oppose; if one reprove, the other must not defend. If he see cause to correct the children, she must not grow angry or hinder: neither, when she would correct, must he save them out of her hands. Nay, suppose either should exceed, correcting either without cause, or above measure, the other must not find fault, in hearing of the inferiors; but they must debate the matter between themselves, and keep their disagreements from appearing in the family. So therefore join hands, that your dissention may not blast the fruit of all your endeavours. So shall you preserve your authority, [♦]increase your love to each other, and procure amendment in your inferiors.
[♦] ‘encrease’ replaced with ‘increase’
CHAP. V.
Of a Man’s keeping his Authority.
1.IT is the duty of an husband, to govern his wife, and to maintain her. The former implies, that he keep his authority, and that he use it. And, first, every man is bound to keep himself in that place wherein his Maker hath set him, and to hold fast that precedency which God hath assigned him. The Lord hath intitled him your head, and he may not take a lower place. The contempt redounds upon God, which a man takes upon himself, by making his wife his master. But perhaps some will say, “All this is reasonable, if it were practicable. But there are some wives so proud, headstrong, and stubborn, that their husbands cannot govern them.” I answer, most men blame their wives, when the real fault is in themselves. Man cannot hinder a violent woman from assaulting his authority, but he may from winning it: not indeed by violence, but by skill; not by main force, but by a [♦]steady and wise proceeding. And, first, let him endeavour to exceed his wife in goodness as he does in place. Let him walk uprightly and religiously in his family, and give a good example to all in the house. Then any reasonable woman will give him the better place, whom she sees to be the better person. Take pains then to make thyself good, and that is the most compendious way to make thyself reverenced.
[♦] ‘steddy’ replaced with ‘steady’
2. This in general. But in particular, shun those evils, that make a man seem vile in the eyes of those that are round about him. The first of these is bitterness: sharp, tart carriage, reviling, passionate, provoking language, are fitly so called; being as offensive to the mind, as gall and worm-wood to the palate. This bitterness shews folly, and works hatred, and therefore must needs be a great underminer of authority. For wherever want of wisdom is, there will ensue want of reverence. He that would retain his pre-eminence, must, secondly, avoid unthriftiness, another great enemy to reverence. Drunkenness, gaming, and ill company, are the three parts of unthriftiness. And whoever gives way to any of these, must expect to be despised. Thirdly, lightness must be avoided by husbands, all foolish, childish behaviour, that wears no stamp of gravity or discretion, but savours of a kind of boyishness. If the husband puts a fool’s coat upon his back, can he blame his wife for laughing at him? Cast therefore all those base evils from you, and strive for holiness and gravity of conversation, that your superiority, supported by such pillars, may stand upright and unshaken.
3. But how is a man to use this authority, so that it may answer the end for which it is given? The end of it is, That he may present her to God, holy and without blemish; that he may so govern her, as to weaken every corruption, and strengthen every grace in her soul. In order to do this, he must temper the exercise of his authority, by justice, wisdom and mildness. Justice is the life and soul of government, without which it is no better than a dead carcase: wisdom is the eye of government, without which it is like a strong man stark blind. Mildness is the health and good constitution of government: and when these are all joined together, then the husband is, as it were, God in the family, a resemblance of his sovereignty and goodness.
4. Justice is to be practised in directing and recompensing. For the first, a man must not so abuse his authority, as to enjoin any thing sinful: what God commands, he must not forbid; what God forbids, he must not command. Let no husband forget, that the Lord in heaven, and the magistrate on earth, are above him. He and his wife are equally subject to these. Therefore let him never set his private authority against theirs, nor make his wife undutiful to either of these, by a false claim of duty to himself. For instance: let no husband command his wife to lie for his advantage, to break the sabbath for his gain; to partake of his fraud, or sin of any kind. Neither let any man forbid his wife to pray unto God, to attend his word and sacraments; to use any of the means which God hath made the ordinary channels of his grace. See then, all ye husbands that your directions to your wives agree with the laws of God. Otherwise to disobey you is the better obedience, and to reject your evil directions, is not to deny subjection to your persons but to your sins, yea to the devil himself, who rules in you.
5. But this rule of justice must extend a little farther. The husband must not urge his authority, not only in things unlawful, but even in those that seem unlawful to his wife’s mistaken confidence. He ought not to force her to what she thinks a sin. Conscience is God’s immediate officer, and tho’ it is mistaken, must be obeyed, ’till it be better informed. Wherefore, when a woman thro’ weakness fancies a thing indifferent to be sinful, a man must not compel her to act against her conscience, but with pity and gentleness try to remove that mistake. “But what if she pretend conscience, when it is but willfulness?” Then he must wait awhile, and if persuasions avail not, at length use his authority, and enjoin her to change her obstinacy into subjection. “But how shall I know, whether she be scrupulous or stubborn?” I answer, scruple of conscience is grounded on the word of God, on some text which carries an appearance at least of condemning the thing in question. But obstinacy is backed with no part of God’s word. Therefore, if a woman produce some scripture, tho’ perhaps misinterpreted, for her scruple, she must be tenderly dealt with. But if she plead conscience, without God’s word, it is probably a mere pretence. Again, it may be a mistaken conscience, when things indifferent are deemed either necessary or sinful. But if conscience be pleaded against doing what God hath plainly commanded, this is willfulness in error, not weakness of conscience.
[♦]6. Justice is likewise to be exercised in requiring either the bad or good carriage of the wife. Bad behaviour may be requited with reproof or correction. But be sure, not to reprove without a fault. Find not a fault where no fault is, for fear of making one where there was none. And observe; a fault reformed is to be accounted no fault. Therefore it must never be mentioned more. And when a real fault requires punishment, still the husband must come exceeding slowly to it, and be very seldom in it, never until he is compelled, because all other means are ineffectual. For a man to look and behave cooly towards his wife, to withdraw the testimonies of his love, to cease to trust and to speak familiarly and chearfully to her, these things I call punishments. And all things of this kind must be more or less sharp, as the fault is greater or less, being suited, not to the passion, or loss, or hurt of the reprover, but to the offence of the reproved. On the other hand, rewards and commendations should be proportioned to the nature and degree of her good behaviour: the husband being careful to feed her virtues, nourish her obedience, and confirm all her amiable qualities.
[♦] ‘9’ replaced with ‘6’
7. The next virtue of the husband is wisdom, which gives rules for the right ordering his authority. It is a main part of this wisdom, to conform the use of his authority to the disposition of his wife. There is a great difference in tempers: some are more stiff, some more pliant; some are easy to be ruled, some the contrary. Some require more sharpness; others will be better wrought upon by gentleness; and wisdom teaches to frame all commands, reproofs, rewards, according to the condition of the person. A soft, tender woman must be dealt with tenderly; a rough, high-spirited one, with more sternness and severity. And herein an husband must not follow his own inclinations, but bow himself to the temper of his wife. As she is more apt to grieve or rage, to be dejected or careless, so ought a man to shape his words and behaviour, that he may most heal and least provoke those passions to which she is most liable. St. Peter points all men to this part of discretion, when he terms women, the weaker vessel; meaning, subject to more natural infirmities than the man. So much the more should the husband shew himself a man of knowledge toward her. Our Saviour’s government may be our example. He well considers the particular nature of all his members, sees the tempers and infirmities of each, and deals with them accordingly. And his wisdom appears in mixing a fit cup of consolation or affliction for every soul. Every husband must carefully imitate this: for if some women were reproved so frequently and so sharply as others; they would be quite disheartened: and if some were to receive so great kindness and such commendations as others need, they would be utterly destroyed by pride. Now the art of government must moderate all these things, according to the nature of the governed. And this art the giver of wisdom will not deny, to them that earnestly crave it at his hands.
8. Another part of wisdom is, to chuse a fit time and place for every act of authority. Two rules may be observed with regard to time, particularly in reproving, that being a thing wherein most caution should be used, because it is most apt to be taken ill, and because if it speed well, it does much good, if not, it does much hurt. But in all other parts of government, the same rules are so needful, that much mischief will grow by not observing them. Now, as in this case there are two persons concerned, so a time of reproving or commanding must be chosen, suitable to both. It must be then used, when he is fit to use it well, and she to take it well. First then, when a man himself is quiet, in tune, and free from perturbation, then probably he will reprove or command well. But when anger boils within, let him forbear exercising any part of his authority, till he recover his due temper. Authority cannot be well managed, but by the hand of wisdom. Therefore undertake not to exercise it, at a time when wisdom is banished. Go not about such a work, but when thou art thyself, when thy mind is settled, thy judgment clear. Then shew thy wife her duty, then tell her of her faults; else she will never mend her faults or see her duty. Chuse, secondly, the time wherein she is most capable of receiving information or reproof: when she is chearfully quiet, well-pleased, free from excessive grief, anger, pain, sickness, which often untunes the soul, then is a good time to advise or tell her of a fault. Else her passions will make her as unable to take any thing well, as his will make him unable to do it well.
9. As to place, commendations or easy commands may be given before others. But for reproofs, the most secret place is generally the most convenient. Or if you would have her do or forbear any thing, which you think will be displeasing to her to hear, tell your mind in private, and then persuade where you may freely speak all that is fit to be spoken. “But what if women offend in public, before servants and children, and strangers?” I answer, in this case, a man may shew his dislike, that others may not be hurt by the bad example. But he should delay the proper, home reproof, ’till his wife and he be together alone.
10. Next to wisdom is mildness, a very necessary virtue in this society. No woman can endure her husband’s government with comfort, if gentleness do not temper it. The Lord Jesus is the most gentle and meek governor in the world: and when he requireth us to take his yoke upon us, he commends himself as meek and lowly, his yoke as easy and his burden as light. This is the best precedent for husbands to follow, the most worthy copy for them to write after. The apostle teaches us to be gentle, not only to the good, but also to them that are froward. Surely then the husband must be gentle toward his wife, tho’ she be of a froward disposition. Yea, we are commanded to shew all meekness to all men: much more should each man shew it to his wife. And that in both the parts of authority, in directing and recompensing.
11. As to the former, the husband should beware of extending the use of his commanding power too far. Let him use it as seldom, and as little as possible. It may suffice him to know, that God has given him the right of directing, in every thing which is not sinful. But in the exercise of it, he must shew himself of a kind and free nature, not rigorously taking upon him, to command all he may, but willingly gratifying his wife, in some, in many, in most things, that she may with the more chearfulness, be subject to him in others. Let him also shew mildness, in forbearing hard commandments, as much as possibly he can. Beware of crossing your wife, without cause, and forcing her to things against her natural disposition. Enjoin nothing of this kind, unless there be an absolute necessity. And as to the manner of commanding, let nothing be imperiously prescribed, but with sweet kindness and familiar requests. Indeed, if the wife will try for mastery, and strive to cast off the yoke of obedience, then it is needful for the husband, with good words, to stand for his authority, even somewhat stifly and peremptorily professing, that he will have his will in things lawful. But this course should be rarely taken, and that only in matters of importance. In other cases it is better mildly to wish this or that, than haughtily to enjoin it.
12. But mildness is never so needful as in reproving, both with regard to the matter and the manner of it. For the matter; find not fault with every foible; chide not for every infirmity. What is not of a gross nature, or done wilfully, may be passed over either with none, or half a word. The love which passes by weaknesses is necessary toward strangers; much more with those who are so nearly united. *Be not therefore extreme or rigorous, but be affected toward thy wife, as a tender mother toward her child. Pray to God against all her faults; see and commend all her virtues: but petty wants and little ordinary weaknesses, seldom take notice of, or reprove. Let her perceive, that thou dost, but wilt not know them. And thy unwillingness to see and reprove, will make her, if she has any spark of generosity, more willing to see and reform. But an ever-lowering and ever-chiding husband will make his wife worse than she would otherwise be. For the manner of reproving, even when it is most needful, it should be very gentle. The words and gestures used to press the fault, should be mild and amiable, breathing out love and pity at once. No patient is so desirous of health, that he will drink a potion scalding hot. So it is with reproof: if it, as it were, scald the ear with bitter upbraiding, with railing words, and a fiery look, it will never gain passage to the heart. Compassion, kindness, declaring your sorrow for her fault, desire of her good, and care for her amendment, these incline the will to accept of an admonition, and help the effect of it. I am not against the wholesome earnestness of reproving; but this may be without bitterness or fierceness. An admonition is then healthfully sharp and earnest, when a man with much plainness of speech and strength of reason lays open the greatness and danger of the sin, and vehemently enforces them on the sinner’s conscience: but compassionately still, with a declaration of more sorrow than anger, of more grief for her fault and danger, than displeasure against her person.
CHAP. VI.
Of the Wife’s peculiar Duties.
1.THE special duties of a wife may be reduced to two heads, To know herself the inferior, and to behave as such. First, She must know herself the inferior; she must be thoroughly convinced, that she is not her husband’s equal, without which there can be no content, either in her heart, or in her house. Where the woman counts herself equal with her husband, (much more, if she count herself better) the root of all good carriage is withered, the fountain thereof dried up. Whoever therefore would be a good wife, let this sink into her inmost soul, “My husband is my superior, my better: he has the right to rule over me. God has given it him, and I will not strive against God. He is my superior, my better.” Unless she has learnt this lesson perfectly, unless she has it at her fingers ends, if her very heart does not thoroughly agree thereto, there will be nothing between them but wrangling, repining, striving: so that their life will be little else than a continual battle, a trying for masteries. Let us grant, you have more wit and understanding than him, more readiness of speech, more skill in business. Yet consider; your servant may exceed you in all these, as much as you do him. And yet you would be loath that your servant should claim an equality either with him or you. Know then, a man may be superior in place to him, who is his superior in gifts: and know likewise, thou dost abuse the gifts of God, if thence thou infringest thy husband’s superiority. Wherefore, with all thy understanding, understand this, that God has made him thy governor and ruler, and thee his inferior, to be ruled by him, and to submit to him in all things. Though he be of meaner birth and smaller capacity, tho’ he had no wealth or name before thou didst marry him, yet from that hour the case is changed, and he is no longer beneath thee, but above thee. Set it down therefore as a conclusion never to be called in question. “My husband is my superior.”
2. The wife knowing herself the inferior, must, secondly, behave as such, by reverence and subjection to her husband. First, By reverence. She owes this to her husband, as much as the children or servants do to her: yea, as they do to him; only hers is sweetened with more love and familiarity. She is no less bound to reverence her husband, than are the rest of the family. This alone is the difference; she may be more familiar, not more rude, as being more dear, not less subject than they.
3. And this reverence must be both inward and outward. First, she must have an inward, dutiful respect for her husband. She must regard him as God’s deputy, not looking to his person but his place, not thinking so much, what he is, as whose officer. So the apostle, Let the wife see that she reverence her husband. Of all things, let her not fail in this. He here prescribes such a loving, not slavish, fear, as stands with the closest union of heart. And from this fear, she abhors and shuns, as the greatest evil which can befal her, next to the breaking the commandments of God, to displease or offend her husband. We stand in due awe of God, when we loath the breach of his commandments, as the greatest of all evils. And the wife duly stands in awe of her husband, when next to that evil, she shuns the disobeying or grieving him, who is above her, next to God. I know many [♦]women care as little for their husbands, as their husbands do for them. But if thou wilt ever please God, take much pains with thy heart, to make it stand in awe of thy husband. As a wife grows in this, so may she look to get the better of all her other infirmities: as she is careless herein, so shall she be pestered with various other evils. “But how shall she bring her heart to this?” By looking thro’ her husband to God the author of marriage, and putting herself often in mind, not of his deserts, but of God’s ordinance. The husband is to the wife the image and glory of God: the power that is given to him is God’s originally, and his by God’s appointment. Look not therefore on the qualities of thy husband, but upon his place. If thou despisest him, the contempt redounds upon God, who hath ordained him to be thy head. If therefore thy heart be seasoned with the fear of God, thou wilt fear thy husband also.
[♦] ‘woman’ replaced with ‘women’
4. And this inward will produce outward reverence, both in her words and actions. Her words are either to himself, of him behind his back, or to others before him. And, 1. Her words to himself should neither be sharp, sullen, passionate, not rude, careless or contemptuous: such as shew neither anger, nor neglect, but all lowliness and quietness of affection. What kind of words would you dislike from a servant or child? Those must you not give your husband. For the same duty of fear is in the same words, and with the same plainness enjoined to thee that is to them. Indeed a wife, as I observed before, may be more familiar: yet there is an excess of familiarity which is blame-worthy. Why should a woman be so over-bold as to call her husband, Tom, Dick, Ned? Could she speak otherwise to her child or servant? Certainly those speeches of hers which are most familiar should still have a print of reverence upon them.
5. Her words also to others in his presence should be such as witness a due reverence to him: In his company she should be more cautious of her behaviour to any, than otherwise she need to be. Her words to children and servants in his sight, ought not to be loud or snappish. If she perceive a fault in them, she should remember her better stands by, and therefore not speak, but upon necessity, and then utter the reproof in a more still and mild manner, than she might have done in his absence. You allow not your children or servants to be loud before you. And will you be so before your husband!
6. A wife’s words likewise concerning her husband behind his back, should be dutiful and respectful. She must not talk of him with a kind of carelessness, much less with reproachful terms. Hence the apostle recommends the example of Sarah: who when she but thought of her husband, in the absence of all company, (Gen. xviii. 12.) reverently intitled him, My Lord. Who would bear a child speaking against his father behind his back? And shall it be thought sufferable in a wife? He that allows not an evil thought of the prince, will not allow evil speeches of the husband.
7. Yea, the very gestures and countenance of a wife, as well as her words, should be mixt with reverence. Both good and bad tempers have more ways of uttering themselves than by the tongue. Solomon speaks of an eye that despiseth his mother: so the eye of a wife may be a despising eye and her gestures may proclaim contempt, tho’ her tongue be altogether silent. But rude and contemptuous behaviour are no less uncomely than disrespectful words. Wherefore, if you condemn these in your children toward yourself, allow them not in yourself toward your husband.
8. The second duty, subjection, implies obedience to his commands, and submission to his reproofs. The former is expresly enjoined in those words, Let the wife be subject to her husband in all things. And indeed, if she refuse it to him, how can she require it of the children and servants? For it is due to her only as his deputy, and a substitute under him. “But how far must she be subject to him?” The apostle tells us, In all things, in the Lord. Obedience, you see, must be universal: only so that it may be in the Lord. In every thing wherein obedience to him would not prove rebellion against her Maker, she is bound to obey, without any farther question. An English subject is not bound to obey the King in any thing but what some law enjoins. His will is no law, neither does it bind the conscience of his subject. But the husband’s will is a law to his wife, and binds her conscience in all things indifferent. Nor does even this suffice, unless she obey readily, quietly, chearfully, without brawling, contending, sourness.
9. The latter, submission to his reproofs, is also plainly required in these words, As the church is subject to Christ, so must the wives to their own husbands in every thing. Now, bearing his reproofs is doubtless a necessary part of the church’s subjection to Christ. Of consequence it is a necessary part of the wife’s subjection to her husband.
CHAP. VII.
Some Application of the Whole.
1. *AND first, this yields a good instruction to young, unmarried people; not to rush unadvisedly into this state. A thing of so difficult a nature, should not be hastily undertaken. If they get not first their hearts full of grace, and their heads full of wisdom, they will find their hands full of work, an house full of trouble, and a life full of woe. Dost thou desire to be married? Unless thou wouldst meet with gall instead of honey, see what wisdom, what patience, what grace fit to govern, or fit to obey, thou findest in thyself. Get these against thou comest to use them, or marriage will yield thee small contentment. Vain youths will marry, before they have any power to practise, any understanding to know their duties. But he that leaps over a broad ditch with a short staff, will fall into the midst: and he that enters into marriage without great grace, shall fall into disquietude and vexation. Let unmarried people think of this, and be wise before pain teaches them wisdom.
2. Secondly, I advise all married persons to be well acquainted with these duties, and to mark their own failings therein. Let the wife know her’s, the husband his, and both, the common duties. I desire they would each observe their own, and not each the other’s failings. Indeed it may be feared, many will be the worse for what has been said, because they heard amiss. The husband may perhaps ring his wife a peal concerning her duty, and tell her, how her faults were ript up; and yet never consider his own. The wife may tell him of his faults, when she has little or nothing to say of herself. Thus both will be worse, while they seek to upbraid each other, and not each to amend one. Unwise man! Unwise woman! Why hast thou not the greatest care, to save thy own soul? Couldst thou mark what was good for another’s disease, and not what was good for thy own? Brethren, sisters, let this be altered in us. If thou be an husband, have more care to know that, for which thy own soul must answer, than what lies to the account of another. So thou that art a wife; and woe to that man or woman, who sees not more failings in him or herself than in the yoke-fellow. If thy heart were right, thy own sins would be more grievous, and thy yoke-fellows less. Learn, therefore, to pass by their failings more easily, and be more censorious toward thy own. Learn to judge thyself. *He never yet learned to work well at any work, that would cast his eyes more upon his neighbour’s fingers, than upon his own. But oh! how common is this? Every man would be a good husband, if his wife, were not so bad! And she would be a good wife, if her husband were tolerable. All the accusations, all the judgings are darted at each other: but what folly is this? Idle man or woman, it is not the requiring duty from another, but the performing what belongs to thyself, that will make thee a Christian; that will comfort thee in temptation, rejoice thee in death, and stand for thee in judgment.
3. In a word. Know thy own duty, mark thy own failings, and thou wilt not quarrel with thy yoke-fellow. There is no better means of peace, than for every one to learn his own work, and labour to mend his own faults. Have you then both been to blame? Repent both, and strain not courtesy which shall begin. Hast thou been a foolish, passionate, or an unkind husband? Not regarding thy wife’s good? Cry not, “She has been thus and thus;” but repent of thy own sin. Seriously confess it to God. Beseech him to make thee a better husband, that she may be a better wife. Hast thou been a brawling, disobedient, or discontented wife? Ask thy heart before God, and dissemble not. If so, clamour not against thy husband, exclaim not against his passion or unkindness; but condemn thyself, and call upon God, to make thee reverence and obey thy husband, as a commander under him. Intreat him to make thee a better wife, that he may be a better husband. Let each mend one, I mean himself, and contention will cease. Pray each for yourself first, then for the other: labour to see wherein you yourself have offended: and be not skilful to cast the fault upon another, but to cast it out of yourself. So shall your loves be sure, your lives comfortable, your deaths happy, and your memories blessed for ever.
4. Before I conclude, it may not be improper to sum up the duty of married persons, as parents, and as masters. Their duty as parents respects either the temporal or the spiritual good of their children. With regard to the former, you owe them protection and provision of necessaries, according to that rank and degree, wherein the wisdom of God has placed you. You are carefully to protect your children, from all the evils and dangers, to which infancy, childhood and youth are exposed. You are also to nourish and sustain them; not only to provide for them for the present, but to take care for their future subsistence. If you have not a patrimony to leave them, it behoves you to leave them an art or calling, whereby thro’ diligence, with the blessing of God, they may procure food convenient for them. *In the choice of this calling, you should chiefly have an eye to their general Christian calling, and consider not so much what will conduce most to their temporal profit or honour, as what will most effectually advance their spiritual and eternal interest. This is a weighty point: it were well if all parents would deeply lay it to heart. It should next be considered, whether the calling proposed be suitable to their genius and inclination: which are to be consulted on this head, only not as much as their eternal welfare.
5. With regard to their spiritual good, your first labour of love is, to present them to God in baptism. You are then to inure them to good, to instruct and admonish them, to educate them in the knowledge and fear of God, to season their minds as early as possible with the fundamental truths of religion, and in such a manner as is best suited to their capacity, to train them up in all holiness. Every instruction should be seconded by example. Let them continually see, as well as hear, how they ought to walk acceptably, and to please God. Be peculiarly careful to set before your children the copies and patterns of the virtues which you teach. And let them neither see nor hear any thing from you, which you would not desire to have copied by them. Even an Heathen, and none of the most virtuous, could say,
Maxima debetur pueris reverentia.
We ought to reverence and stand in awe of children that nothing may be spoken or done in their sight, which may taint their tender minds. They are prone to imitate any; but more especially those who are so nearly related to them. Which undoubtedly they will be most ready to do, when example strikes in with their natural propensity to evil.
6. If neither good examples nor instructions will prevail, then correction becomes a duty. And this should first be given in words, before you proceed to severer methods: yet not in railing, or foul or bitter language, but in calm and sober reproof. If that fail too, then use the rod. But whenever this correction is given, let it be with all the expressions of love and concern, which the nature of the thing will admit. Let it be timely, before ill habits are contracted, at least, before they have time to take root. And let it be moderate, not exceeding the quality of the fault, or the tenderness of the child. Immoderate, or ill-natured and passionate correction, is so far from profiting children, that it very frequently frets and sharpens their spirits, and makes them more stubborn and untractable. If they are of a softer temper, it frights and dispirits them. This is also the natural effect, of a sour, harsh, unkind behaviour. Hence those solemn cautions of the apostle, Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, (Eph. vi. 4.) Avoid whatever tends thereto. Use no demeanor, no actions or words, or way of speaking, which has such a tendency. And again, Fathers provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged, Col. iii. 21. It is a different word from that used in the former text, Μὴ ἐρεθιζετε Do not purposely fret or teize them: lest you should dishearten them too much, lest you should destroy their courage and vigour of mind, and make them of a faint, fearful, dastardly spirit. The direction doubtless belongs to both the parents, but is more immediately addrest to fathers, as they are generally of rougher and harsher spirits than the mothers, and not so much restrained by natural fondness. Lastly, correction must not be given in anger: if it be, it will lose its effect on the child, who will think he is corrected, not because he has done a fault, but because the parent is angry.
7. These directions chiefly relate to young children. But even after they are grown up, you are still engaged, to watch over their souls, to observe how they practise the precepts, which have been inculcated upon them from time to time, and to exhort, encourage, and reprove them accordingly. You are also to bless them, first by your prayers. Parents are under a peculiar obligation, by daily and earnest prayer to commend their children to God’s protection and blessing. You are, secondly, to bless them by your piety. See that you be such persons in all holiness of conversation, that from you the blessing of God may descend upon your posterity.
8. As masters, you are, 1. To be just to your servants, whether apprentices, journeymen, or houshold servants, in faithfully and exactly performing the conditions on which they engaged to serve you: particularly with regard to food, and the other necessaries or conveniences of life. You are, 2. To admonish and reprove them for their faults, more especially faults against God. But let this be done with all tenderness and mildness; forbearing not only bitter and opprobious language, but even threatening, knowing that your master is in heaven, and that there is no respect of persons with him. You are, 3. To set a good example to your servants; otherwise reproving will be but lost labour. It is your duty, 4. To provide them with all means of necessary instruction, and to allow them sufficient time to worship God, in private as well as in public. You are, 5. To beware that you give them only reasonable and moderate commands, that you do not make their service toilsome to them, by laying on them greater burdens than they can bear, or greater than you would impose, or they would bear, if they were not of the houshold of faith. Lastly, You are to encourage them in well-doing, by using them with that kindness, which their faithfulness, diligence, and piety deserve: in all your dealings with them remembring, you are to give an account to your master of the usage of your meanest servant.
Directions to Children.
1.CHILDREN, says the apostle writing to the Ephesians, (chap. vi. ver. 1.) Obey your parents in the Lord. To which he adds, Honour thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise, (with a particular promise annexed; for the promise annexed to the second commandment, does not belong to the keeping that command in particular, but the whole law:) that it may be well with thee, and thou mayst live long upon the earth. And this promise is by no means to be confined to the time of the Jewish dispensation. On the contrary, there are not wanting many instances, even in later times, of persons eminently dutiful to their parents, who have been rewarded with eminent health and prosperity. Tho’ still it is acknowledged, that this promise, as most others, may be understood under the Christian dispensation, in a spiritual and more exalted sense.
2. But how are children to honour their fathers and mothers? First, by reverencing them. This is an unquestionable duty, manifestly contained in the very term honour. And this inward reverence is to appear, in the whole outward behaviour. It is to be expressed both in their speeches and gestures, in their words and actions. Their speech should always testify honour, giving them the most respectful titles which their condition will bear. Likewise (unless on some peculiar occasions) your words before them should be few. For talkativeness before any person, has the appearance of disrespect. You should also carry yourself with all lowliness and modesty, while in the presence of your parents: so that your whole carriage may be the natural expression of the respect lodged in your hearts.
3. This reverence is not to be with-held, on account of either their supposed or real infirmities. For be the faults of the parents ever so great, this gives the children no authority to despise them: seeing whatever their tempers or their behaviour be, they are your parents still. Neither are you to take any step which might cause others to despise them. You cannot therefore mention their faults to others, without bringing guilt upon your own soul. You cannot mention them behind their back, and be guiltless. It is your part to conceal all their faults and infirmities, to the uttermost of your power. Be not like Ham, who bewrayed his father’s nakedness, and was cursed of God to his latest posterity. Rather imitate the piety of Japhet and Shem: cover with all care whatever you disapprove of in a parent. Hide it from every one else, and, if it were possible, even from yourself.
4. A second duty which children owe to their parents is love. We are to bear them a deep, real kindness, an earnest, tender good-will, heartily desiring all manner of good to them, and abhorring to speak or do any thing, which might give them uneasiness. This will appear no more than common gratitude, if we remember, what our parents have done for us. That they were the instruments not only of bringing us into the world, but also of sustaining us after: and certainly they that weigh the cares and fears which attend the bringing up of a child, will judge the love of the child to be but a moderate return for them. This love is to be exprest several ways. First, in all kindness of behaviour, carrying ourselves, not barely with awe and respect, but with tenderness and affection. It is to be exprest, secondly, in praying for them. The debt which a child owes to a parent, is so inconceivably great, that he can never hope, fully to discharge it himself. He is therefore to seek the assistance of God, and continually to beg him that has all power in heaven and earth, to return whatever good his parents have done him, seven-fold into their own bosom.
5. A third duty which children owe to their parents is obedience. As this is plainly implied in the fifth commandment, so it is expresly enjoined by the apostle: Children, obey your parents in the Lord. (Eph. vi. 1.) And again, Children, obey your parents in all things; for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. (Col. iii. 20.) We owe them obedience in all things, unless where their commands are contrary to the commands of God. In every thing of an indifferent nature, whatever they enjoin, we are to do. The case is the same with regard to the authority of parents over their children, as with regard to that of husbands over their wives. The will of your parent is a law to you, as soon as it is signified to you. You are to comply with it immediately, not for wrath, not only to avoid this, but also for conscience sake. Such is the will of God concerning you: so high is the authority which he hath entrusted them with.
6. And yet we are to obey them only in the Lord: only so far as consists with his authority over us. Therefore, if any of their commands are contrary to the commands of God, in that case our duty to God must be preferred. If therefore any parent should be so wicked as to require his child to steal, to lie, or to do any thing unlawful, the child offends not against his duty, tho’ he disobey that command. Nay, he must disobey; otherwise he offends against an higher duty, even that which every child of man owes to his Father which is in heaven. Yet when it is necessary to refuse obedience, it should be done in so modest and respectful a manner, that it may plainly appear, not stubbornness but conscience is the ground of that refusal. Let this appear likewise by your ready and chearful compliance with all their lawful commands: as well knowing, that wherever the command of a parent is not contrary to any command of God, there the child is in conscience bound to obey, whether in a weightier or lighter matter.
7. *Nothing therefore but the unlawfulness of their command, can excuse the disobeying our parents. If any instance of disobedience is more inexcusable than others, it is the marrying against, or even without their consent. Indeed, parents have so peculiar a right to their children, that to give themselves away without their allowance, is not only an high act of disobedience, but of flagrant injustice. And hence we see, that among God’s antient people, if a young woman had even made a vow, she was not suffered to perform it, without the consent of the parent, (Numb. xxx. 5.) Indeed children ought to have a negative voice, and not be compelled to marry without their own consent. But if they marry without the consent of their parents, let them expect no blessing from God.
8. A fourth duty which children owe to their parents, is the assisting them in their wants, of what kind soever they be, whether sickness or weakness of body, decay of understanding, or lowness of estate. In all these the child is bound to assist them, according to his ability. For the two former, weakness of body and infirmity of mind, none can doubt of the duty, when they remember how every child did in his infancy receive the same benefits from his parents. The child had then no strength to support, no understanding to guide itself. But the care of the parent supplied both these: and therefore in common gratitude, when either of these becomes the parent’s case, the child is to perform the same office again. Likewise, as to the relieving their poverty, it is but just to sustain thy parents, who formerly sustained thee. And that this is also implied in honouring our father and mother, our Lord himself teaches. For when he accuses the Pharisees of rejecting the commandment of God, that they might cleave to their own traditions, he instances in this particular, concerning the relieving of parents. Hence it is manifest, this is a part of the duty, which is enjoined in the fifth commandment. And such a duty it is, that no pretence whatever can release us from the performance of it. This should be carefully observed. No fault of the parent can acquit a child of this duty. For as St. Peter tells servants, that they must be subject, out of conscience toward God, not only to good and gentle masters, but also to the froward: so certainly it concerns children, to perform every instance of filial duty, not only to kind and virtuous parents, but to the harshest and wickedest. For tho’ gratitude to a kind and tender parent, be a forcible motive to make a child pay his duty, yet that is not the principal, and much less the only ground for it. This is laid in the authority of God, who commands us to honour our parents. And therefore, were we to suppose a parent to have been so unnatural, as never to have done any thing to oblige a child, yet notwithstanding this, the commandment of God would remain in its full force: and what is prescribed therein we are bound to perform, whether the tie of gratitude be added or no.
Directions to Servants.
1.ST. Paul confirms his directions to masters by that consideration, that they also have a master in heaven, and there is no respect of persons with him. He regards no man’s outward condition: the poor and the rich are the same to him, and the servant is as his master. And the apostle, it seems, had learned of him, to be without respect of persons. For he has the same care for servants as for their masters, and is as large in his advices to them: nay, much more so; probably considering, that they had fewer advantages of education, and fewer opportunities of instruction. He is therefore remarkably particular in his directions to these, which are given at large in the epistle to the Ephesians, and to the Colossians. He gives them farther directions in the first epistle to Timothy, and again in the epistle to Titus. If we add hereto the advices given them by St. Peter, we shall have a full account of the duties of Christian servants.
2. The great duty required of all servants is subjection or obedience to their masters. So St. Peter (1 Pet. ii. 18.) Servants be subject to your masters; St. Paul, exhort servants to be subject to their own masters: and again, both to the Ephesians and Colossians, (Eph. vi. 5. Col. iii. 22.) Servants, obey your masters after the flesh. Allowing that these are your masters only in a qualified sense, and only during this state of flesh and blood; allowing you have but one proper, absolute master, to whom you owe unlimited subjection: yet to these also, as being invested with a part of his power, you owe a limited obedience and subjection.
3. Indeed this obedience varies according to the various kinds of service wherein servants are connected with their masters. The sorts of servants most common among us are, 1. Labourers, or workmen, with whom we agree by the day, to do such work at such a price, and who accordingly serve us during that time: 2. Journeymen, whom we agree with for a longer space, to assist us in our calling, on such conditions: 3. Houshold servants, who usually contract by the year, to perform, on the considerations specified, either some particular branch of houshold work, or (if there be only one servant) all manner of work whatever from time to time is needful to be done in the family. 4. Apprentices, who are engaged for several years, chiefly to serve their masters in their particular trade or calling. Now, how far are all or any of these obliged in conscience, to obey and be subject to their own masters?
4. The apostle answers. During the time agreed, obey your masters after the flesh in all things: that is, in all things specified in that agreement which was made when you entered into service. So a labourer or workman is, during his short service, to follow the direction of him that hired him. A journeyman is to do the same, with regard to that work which he agreed to perform. Domestic servants (to whom particularly St. Peter speaks; for this is the proper meaning of οἱ οἰκέται) are obliged to obey their master or mistress, either in one branch of houshold-business, if they contracted for this, or otherways with respect to the whole work of the house: doing every thing at such times and in such a manner, as is appointed by their superior. And an apprentice is to obey, according to the terms of his indenture, wherein it is usually agreed, by his parents or friends, in what kind of service he shall be employed, according to the discretion of his master.
5. To sum up this. This first[¹] part of a servant’s obedience, is, to forbear doing things of his own head, without or against the consent of his master: the reason whereof is plain. During the time of his service, he is not his own; neither ought the things he does, to be for himself. Both his person and his actions are all his masters; and the will of his master is his rule. In particular, servants, 1. may not go whither they will, but only where they are ordered, or at least, permitted to go. 2. They ought not to do their own business. When Jacob was Laban’s servant, tho’ he had flocks of his own, yet he fed his master’s flocks, and committed his own to his sons, Gen. xxx. 35, 36. 3. They are not to do what business they please themselves, but what is allotted them by their master. 4. They ought not to marry, while the time of their service lasts, without the consent of their master. 5. They may not before their covenanted time expires, go away from their master.
[¹] Several of the following paragraphs are partly extracted from Mr. Gouge on domestic duties.
6. The second part of a servant’s obedience is, to do whatever his master commands. To look to the hand of his master, (as David speaks) ready to execute any thing he would have done. He is also to obey, by hearkening to his instructions, not only in matters of his secular calling, but likewise in the things of God, in whatever concerns his Christian calling.
7. The manner wherein this obedience is to be performed, is largely declared by both the apostles. Obey your masters, saith St. Paul, with fear and trembling. This indeed is not to be taken literally: it is a proverbial expression, denoting the utmost care, watchfulness, and diligence. Do it fearing God; from a principle of loving fear, a fear of offending your master who is in heaven. Be subject to your masters with all fear, saith St. Peter, with earnest, tender reverence. With a constant fear, either of injuring, grieving or displeasing them, by any part of your behaviour.
8. So proper is this fear of his master in a servant, that the want of it is a denial of his master’s place and power. This God intimates in that expostulation (Mal. i. 6.) If I be a master, where is my fear? That is, you plainly shew, you do not account me your master, because there is no fear of me in your heart. But wherever it is, it will draw servants on to perform all duty. And the more it abounds, the more desire and endeavour there will be to do all things well.
9. An especial means to create and preserve this fear is, a due consideration of the ground of their master’s place and power: which is, the appointment of God: God has placed them in his stead, and in part given them his power. They are the deputies and ministers of God. And therefore in scripture, the title lord, is after a peculiar manner, given them. There can therefore be no excuse for despising them, tho’ they should be poor, mean, weak, or aged. The poorest and weakest have the same place and authority, which the richest and strongest have. All bear the image of God: therefore, to despise them shews, that you regard not God’s image at all.
10. This fear may be shewn either in speech or behaviour: in the former, 1. By sparing to speak in the presence of their master, without some necessary cause: 2. By forbearing to reply, when they observe their masters unwilling they should speak any more: 3. By attending to what their masters speak: shewing such a respect to them, as Samuel did to God, when he said, speak; for thy servant heareth. When they have just occasion to speak, this fear may be shewn, 1. By giving proper titles to their masters, 2. By not talking more than the occasion requires, 3. By speaking in a meek and humble manner, 4. By chusing a fit season, both when he is at leisure to hear, and when his mind is calm, not troubled with any passion, and lastly, by giving a present and ready answer, to whatever their master says to them.
11. Servants should shew a due fear of their masters in their behaviour, 1. By such dutiful and submissive obeisance, as becomes their sex and place, according to the custom of the country and place where they are, when they have occasion to come to them, to go from them, or to receive any charge of them. 2. By standing in his master’s presence. 3. By uncovering their heads before him, and 4. Sobriety and modesty both in countenance and in the whole carriage. And from the same principle you should endeavour to please them well in all things, (Tit. ii. 9.) Do every thing in the most obliging manner. If it be possible, please them in every thing: study to give them satisfaction in whatever you do. Do it in the way which they like best: labour that your whole service, your whole behaviour may be acceptable to them. And do all this with good will, (Eph. vi. 7.) with cordial benevolence, with love to them, springing from love to God: with an earnest desire to make their lives as easy and happy and comfortable as you can.
12. Yet all this time, beware that you do not act as men-pleasers, as having no further design than to please men, to gain their approbation or esteem, to be well-thought of and well-spoken of; or to acquire any temporal advantage which may result from their favour or good-will. Serve not with eye-service, (a certain consequence of serving as men-pleasers) but to do just the same in the absence of your master, as you do when under his eye. Let his absence or presence make no difference in your industry and activity. You may examine yourself by this rule: there is no surer guard against self-deceit. Do I labour in the very same manner at other times, as when my master is looking on? If I do not, I am no better than a man-pleaser, I am a vile eye-servant in the sight of God.
13. An infallible way of avoiding this, is to obey them with singleness of heart, that is, without any temporal motive, with a single eye, with the one view of pleasing God. The apostle insists upon this over and over, and that in the strongest manner. Obey your masters in the singleness of your heart as unto Christ, not with eye-service, but as the servants of Christ, doing service unto the Lord, not unto men. And again, servants obey your masters in all things, with singleness of heart; and whatsoever ye do, do it as unto the Lord, not unto men. For in whatsoever you do with a single eye, ye serve the Lord, Christ. Whatsoever is thus done to any earthly master, he accounts done unto himself. And for all this he will say to you in that day, Well done, good and faithful servants: inasmuch as ye have done it to one of these, for my sake, ye have done it unto me.
14. Therefore in all things which ye do for your masters, consider yourselves as doing the will of God. The will of your master is the will of God to you. His voice is, as it were, the voice of God. His work is to you the work of God, whom you obey in obeying him. But in all this, there is one restriction to be observed: masters, as well as parents, are to be obeyed only in the Lord: only so far as their commands are not contrary to the commands of God. If ever this should be the case, you cannot obey them: you must obey God rather than man. You must humbly and respectfully declare, that in all things else you are ready to obey: but that this you apprehend to be contrary to the plain word of God, and therefore you dare not do it. Neither may you refrain from obeying a plain command of God, because your master forbids you so to do. You must at some times, (if not so often as you otherwise would) hear the word of God, join in public prayer, attend the table of the Lord, and call upon him in private. And if any master violently hinder you from so doing, you should at all hazards quit his service as soon as possible. Let no gain, no temporal consideration whatever, induce you to continue therein. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
15. *But whatsoever ye do, that is not contrary to the commands of God, do it heartily, ἐκ ψυχῆς from your soul, your whole soul, from the bottom of your heart. This naturally results from the doing it, as unto the Lord, and is therefore twice mentioned in the same sentence with it. Whatsoever you do, do it with your might, do it as quick as you can, and as well as you can. Do it at least as well as you would do, if it were for yourself. If you are hired by the day, do as much work in each day as you can. The custom of the trade is nothing to you, nor the example of those that work with you. Do as much to-day as you can without hurting yourself, or disabling you from doing the same to-morrow: and just as much as you would, if it were your own work, or if you were to be paid by the piece. Do the same thing, if you are an houshold-servant; putting forth all your strength, ridding away all the business that you can, and using therein all the understanding which God has given you, in order to do every thing in the most excellent manner, whereof you are capable.
16. These general directions, all servants are to observe, of conscience toward God, and that whether their masters be good or bad, Heathens, (in fact, if not in name) or Christians. For the character of the master, while he is such, does not vacate the duty of the servant. Suppose they are mere Heathens, men that neither love nor fear, nor serve God, (a very possible case even in what we call a Christian country) still let as many servants as are under the yoke (for the service of these is a yoke indeed) count their own masters worthy of all honour[¹]. Tho’ they are unbelieving and unholy, yet in consideration of the place which God has assigned them, for his sake, and in obedience to his appointment, count them worthy of all the honour above described. Pay them all the reverence in your heart, and shew them all that outward respect, both in word and action, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed by those ungodly men, who would not fail to lay the blame of your neglect, on the religion which you profess. On the other hand, as many as have faithful masters, real believers in Christ, let not this administer any pretence, for less exactness in their duty. Let them not despise them, because they are brethren. Let them not on this account abate any thing of the inward reverence they owe, or of their outward respect and obedience. But rather do them service, observe the preceding directions with regard to them, more earnestly and exactly, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit: enjoying the same communion with God on earth, and looking for the same inheritance in heaven.
[¹] 1 Tim. vi. 1.
17. But besides these general ones, there are several particular directions given by the apostle to all Christian servants. As 1. Be honest, not purloining, (Tit. ii. 10.) not secreting, or privately keeping back any thing for yourself: not taking, using, disposing, or giving away the least thing belonging to thy master, without his leave, without his knowledge and consent first asked and obtained. To do otherwise is no better than plain theft, and cuts off all the pretensions to honesty. Equally dishonest it is to hurt or waste any thing, or to let it be lost thro’ their carelessness or negligence. Whatever therefore your fellow-servants do, keep yourself pure: and let not the custom of the world, but the word of God be the rule of all your actions.
18. Secondly, Be true, not barely, tell no willful lie, either to your master or your fellow-servants, but let all your conversation be in simplicity, and godly sincerity. Even if you are overtaken in a fault, use no deceit, no equivocating or prevarication to hide it, or to excuse either yourself or any of your fellow-servants, or prevent anger that may ensue. Herein also St. Peter observes, Christ left you an example, that you might tread in his steps. He not only did, committed, no sin, but there was no guile found in his mouth. Let there be none found in yours: in spite of all temptations to the contrary, speak the truth from your heart, and whatever inconveniences spring herefrom, God will turn them all into blessings.
[♦]19. Thirdly, Be faithful: as St. Paul expresses it, shew all good fidelity, Tit. ii. 10. This is good, beautiful, honourable in all men. It ennobles the lowest station, and causes it to shine in the eyes of God and man. Be faithful, 1. With regard to your master’s goods. Preserving, yea, and increasing them to the uttermost of your power. Whatever is committed to your trust, whether within doors or without, so carefully preserve, that it be not lost, spoiled, or impaired under your hands. If you see any damage done to your goods, redress it yourself, if you can: if you can’t immediately make it known to your master, that he may find means of redressing it. And not only preserve, but do all that in you lies, to increase your master’s goods. The talents which were committed to the faithful servants, were by their industry increased to as many more. So that it is not sufficient, not to lessen your master’s substance, but you should labour to better it. Study his interest as you would your own, and promote it by all possible means. Regard not your pleasure, your ease, nor any thing but your conscience, in comparison of it. Be faithful, 2. With regard to his reputation. Conceal his faults and infirmities as far as possible. Some of these you can hardly avoid observing, being continually under his roof. But whatever you observe of this kind, keep it in your own breast. Let it go no farther; reveal it not to strangers, no, nor even to your fellow-servants. Never make either his supposed or real failings, the subject of your discourse. Beware you do not wound him behind his back, nor suffer others to do it in your presence. Endure no tatling or tale-bearing concerning him in the family, but prevent or stop it with all diligence. Whenever you can do it consistently with truth, and so far as you can, defend him. And in every point, be just as tender of his character as of your own. To this head may be referred faithfulness in keeping the secrets of your master. Many of these you cannot but know, by reason of the close connexion which is between you, your continually abiding so near together, and the many employments he has for you. All these therefore you are carefully to conceal, provided they tend not to the dishonour of God, or to the danger of the church or common-wealth, or indeed of any private person. For Jonathan is commended for discovering the mischief which Saul had secretly intended against David, 1 Sam. xx. 12. Be faithful, 3. with regard to his soul. With all plainness which your station allows, and yet with all respect and humility rebuke, and suffer not sin upon him. The time, the manner, and the other circumstances relating to this difficult task, God will give you to chuse aright, if your eye be single, and you seek his direction by earnest prayer.
[♦] ‘19.’ omitted from text
20. Fourthly, Be patient. In your patience possessing your souls, [♦]steadily follow the preceding directions, and be thus subject, not only to the good and gentle masters, but also to the froward: to those who are neither good nor gentle, who have neither religion nor good-nature, that it may appear you do your service unto the Lord, and not unto men. But it may be proper in the mean time to observe, that the state of English servants, is widely different from the state of those to whom St. Paul and St. Peter wrote. Many of those, perhaps the greater part were slaves, who by the miserable constitution of their country, were the absolute property of their master, as much as were his sheep and oxen. Therefore it was not in their power to leave or change their master, but they were constrained to stay with them till death. Consequently, those directions were peculiarly necessary for those who were in such a situation: This is thank-worthy, if a man for conscience toward God, endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God, 1 Pet. ii. 19, 20. But to those who are born under an happier constitution, undoubtedly the first advice should be, If thou mayst be free, from a froward, ill-natured man, then use it rather. Do not bind yourself at all, if you can honestly avoid it (as you generally may) to any, who you have reason to believe is an unjust or an unmerciful man. And if you are bound to such an one already, yet if you should suffer wrongfully from him, if you do well, and suffer notwithstanding, it is by no means your duty to endure it. Rather it is your duty to appeal to the magistrate, who is the minister of God to thee for good, and to desire of him such a remedy, as the laws of your country allow. In this manner commit yourself and your cause to him that judgeth righteously. But even in this case, till you are free from the unrighteous man, remember the example Christ has left: Who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not. How much more should you tread in these his steps, with regard to things of smaller moment, with regard to those inconsiderable instances either of injustice or unkindness, which are to be expected almost in every family, and for which even our laws provide no remedy? Here undoubtedly you are called to suffer: and see that you do so with all meekness and gentleness. Not only when you are reviled, revile not again, but answer not again, Tit. ii. 10. Open not your mouth, unless silence might have the appearance of sullenness or disrespect: and then do it in as few words, as the matter will bear, and with all the softness you are master of.
[♦] ‘steddily’ replaced with ‘steadily’
21. Before he closes the subject, St. Paul does not fail to remind you, what great encouragement you have, to persevere in all these duties of your station, whatever difficulties you meet with therein. For hereby you may adorn the gospel of God our Saviour in all things. So strong an expression is scarce to be found in all the writings of the apostle; when he speaks to persons of the highest rank, as he here uses to men of low degree. You therefore are peculiarly called of God, to be an honour to your profession, your general profession of Christians; to shew what manner of men they are who serve the Lord Christ: see then that you in particular walk circumspectly, accurately, exactly: that either your unbelieving masters may be won by your conversation, or at least believers confirmed and comforted.
22. Still further encouragement you have in knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: that inheritance reserved for you in heaven, which is of infinitely greater value, than any which your master now enjoys, or any which you can receive on earth. You know that the day is coming when your common Master will descend in the clouds of heaven: and you are assured, in that day, Whatsoever good thing a man hath done, while he was serving God in his generation, the same shall he receive from the Lord, whether he be bond or free: The same—That is, a reward proportionable thereto, in an additional degree of glory. Therefore, let nothing be wanting now. Work your work betimes, and in his time he will give you your reward. Now be honest, be true, be faithful, be patient. Now obey your masters with fear, yea, with fear and trembling. Do them service with singleness of heart, with good-will, with your whole soul. Do this for the honour of the gospel, for the glory of God your Saviour, for the present good of your own soul, and for the increase of your eternal inheritance.
An Extract from Mr. Law’s
TREATISE
On CHRISTIAN PERFECTION.
Chap. I.
THE wisdom of mankind has, for several ages, been enquiring into the nature of man, and the nature of the world in which he is placed.
The wants and miseries of human nature, and the vanity of worldly enjoyments, have made it difficult for the wisest men to tell, what human happiness was, or wherein it consisted.
It has pleased the infinite goodness of God to satisfy our enquiries, by a revelation made to the world by his Son Jesus Christ.
This revelation has laid open the great secrets of providence from the creation of the world. It has explained the present state of things, and given man all the information that is necessary, both to give him rest here, and to lead him safely to everlasting happiness.
It is now only necessary that the poor wisdom of man do not exalt itself against God, that we suffer our eyes to be opened by him that made them, and our lives to be conducted by him, in whom we live, move and have our being.
II. As happiness is the sole end of all our labours, so this revelation aims at nothing else.
It gives us right notions of ourselves, of our true good and real evil; it shews us our true condition, both our greatness and meanness, our happiness and misery.
*Before this, man was a mere riddle to himself, and his condition full of darkness and perplexity; a restless inhabitant of a miserable disordered world, walking in a vain shadow and disquieting himself in vain.
*But this light has dispersed the anxiety of his vain conjectures. It has, by adding heaven to earth, and eternity to time, opened such a glorious view of things, as leads men, even in this world, to a peace of God which passeth all understanding.
III. *This revelation acquaints us, that we have a spirit within us, which was created after the divine image; that this spirit is now in a fallen condition; that the body in which it is placed is its sepulchre, where it is enslaved to fleshly thoughts, blinded with false notions of good and evil, and dead to all taste of its true happiness.
It teaches us, that the world in which we live, is also in a disordered, irregular state, and cursed for the sake of man; that it is no longer the paradise that God made it, but the remains of a drowned world, full of marks of God’s displeasure, and the sin of its inhabitants.
That it is a mere wilderness, a state of darkness, a vale of misery, where vice and madness, dreams and shadows, variously please and torment the short, miserable lives of men.
Devils also, and evil spirits have here their residence, promoting the works of darkness, and wandering up and down, seeking whom they may devour.
So that man, in his natural state, is like a person sick of variety of diseases, knowing neither his distemper nor his cure, and inclosed in a place where he can hear or see, or feel, or taste of nothing but what tends to enflame his disorders.
IV. *But Christianity puts an end to this state of things, blots out all the ideas of worldly wisdom, brings the world itself to ashes, and creates all anew. It calls man from an animal life and earthly societies, to be born again of the Holy Ghost, and be made a member of the kingdom of God.
It crushes into nothing the concerns of this life, condemns it as a state of vanity and darkness, and leads man to a happiness with God in the realms of light.
It proposes the purifying of our souls, enlivened with the divine spirit: it sets before us new goods and evils, and forms us to a glorious participation of the divine nature.
This is the one end of Christianity. It does not leave us to grovel on in the desires of the flesh, to cast about for worldly happiness, and wander in darkness and exile from God: but the sole design of it is, to lead us from all thoughts of rest here, to separate us from worldly tempers, to deliver us from the folly of our passions, the slavery of our own natures, the power of evil spirits, and unite us to God, the true fountain of real good. This is the mighty change which Christianity aims at, to reform our whole natures, renew our souls in the image of God, and make them the inhabitants of heavenly and immortal bodies.
V. The manner by which it changes our whole state is equally great and wonderful.
I am the way, the truth, and the life, saith our blessed Lord, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.
As all things were created by the Son of God, and without him was not any thing made that was made, so are all things redeemed and restored by the same divine person.
As nothing could come into being without him, so nothing can enter into a state of happiness but by him.
The dignity of this redemption at once confounds the pride, and relieves the misery of man. How fallen must he be from God, that should need so great a mediator! And, on the other hand, how full of comfort is the thought that so high a method, so stupendous a means should be taken to restore him to a state of peace and favour with God!
VI. *This is the true point of view, in which every Christian is to behold himself. He is to overlook the poor projects of this life, and consider himself as a creature, thro’ his natural corruption, falling into a state of endless misery; but by the mercy of God, redeemed to a condition of everlasting happiness.
All the precepts and doctrines of the gospel are founded on these two great truths, the deplorable corruption of human nature, and its new birth in Christ Jesus.
The one includes all the misery, the other all the happiness of man.
It is on these that the whole frame of Christianity is built, forbidding only such things as fasten us to the disorders of sin, and commanding only those duties which lead us into the liberty of the Sons of God.
So that if we think and act as Christians, we act suitably to these terms of our condition, fearing and avoiding all the motions of our corrupted nature, cherishing the secret inspirations of the Holy Spirit, opening our minds for the reception of the divine light, and pressing after all the perfections of our new birth.
All Christians are continually to behave themselves conformable to this double capacity. We are to fear and watch and pray, like men that are always on the brink of eternal death; and to believe and hope, labour and aspire, like Christians that are called to fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life.
VII. This knowledge of ourselves makes human life a state of infinite importance, placed upon so dreadful a point betwixt two such eternities.
Well might our Saviour say to one that begged first to go and bury his father, Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.
For what is all the bustle and hurry of the world but dead shew, and its greatest actors but dead men, when compared with that real life to which the followers of Christ are redeemed?
Had we been made only for this world, worldly wisdom had been our highest wisdom; but seeing we are redeemed to an intirely contrary state, worldly wisdom is now our greatest foolishness.
It is now our only wisdom, to understand our new state, and conduct ourselves by the principles of our redemption.
VIII. The nature of our Christian calling is of that concern, as to deserve all our thoughts, and is indeed only to be perceived by great seriousness and attention of mind.
The Christian state is an invisible life, supported, not by sensible goods, but the spiritual graces of faith and hope: so that a man busied in earthly cares and enjoyments, perceives nothing of this great and heavenly calling.
The changes which Christianity make in the present state of things, are all invisible: its goods and evils, which are the only true standards of our actions, are not subject to the knowledge of our senses.
In God we live and move and have our being; but how unseen, how unfelt is all this!
Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all things. The whole creation subsists in him and by him. No person is in any favour with God, but by this great Mediator. But how invisible, how unknown to all our senses is this state of things!
Christians are temples of the Holy Ghost, consecrated to God, members of Christ’s mystical body, of his flesh and his bones, receiving life, spirit and motion, from him their head.
But our senses see no farther than our parents and kindred according to the flesh, and fix our hearts to earthly friendships and relations. Well then may this life be deemed a state of darkness, since it thus clouds and covers all the true appearances of things, and keeps our minds insensible and unaffected with matters of such infinite moment.
IX. *Would we therefore know our true condition, we must search after a life that is hid with Christ in God. We must consider ourselves as parts of Christ’s mystical body, and as members of the kingdom of heaven. In vain do we consider the beauty and strength of our bodies, our alliances with men, and the distinctions of this world; for these things no more constitute the state of human life, than rich coffins or beautiful monuments constitute the state of the dead.
We justly pity the last poor efforts of human greatness, when we see a breathless carcase lying in state. It appears so far from any real honour, that it rather looks like ridiculing the misery of our nature. But were religion to form our judgments, the life of a proud, voluptuous, sensual man, tho’ shining in all the splendour of the world, would give us no higher an idea of human dignity, than a poor corpse laid in state.
For a sinner, when glorying in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, is a more shocking sight of misery ridiculed, than any pageantry that can expose the dead.
X. We have an apostle’s authority to say, that he who liveth in pleasure is dead whilst he liveth.
This shews us, that when we enquire what our life is, we must think of something higher than the vigour of our blood, the gaiety of our spirits, or the enjoyment of sensual pleasures: since these, tho’ the allowed signs of living men, are often undeniable proofs of dead Christians.
When therefore we would truly know what our life or happiness is, we must look at nothing that is sensible or temporal. We may as well dig in the earth for wisdom as look at flesh and blood to see what we are, or at worldly enjoyments to find what we want, or at temporal evils to see what we have to fear.
We must therefore, if we would conceive our true state, our real good and evil, look farther than these dim eyes of flesh can carry our views. We must, with the eyes of faith, penetrate into the invisible world, the world of spirits, and consider our order and condition among them; a world which, as St. John speaks, hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. For it is there, among eternal beings, that we must take an eternal fellowship, or fall into a kingdom of darkness and everlasting misery.
XI. *Christianity is so noble in its ends, so extensive in its views, that it has no less subjects than these to entertain our thoughts.
It buries our bodies, burns the present world, triumphs over death by a general resurrection, and opens all into an eternal state.
It never considers us in any other respect than as fallen spirits, it disregards worldly distinctions, and proposes nothing to our fears but eternal misery, nothing to our hopes but an endless enjoyment of God.
This is the great, the important condition, in which Christianity has placed us, above our bodies, above the world, above death, to be present at the dissolution of all things, to see the earth in flames, and the heavens wrapt up like a scroll, to stand at the general resurrection, to appear at the universal judgment, and to live for ever, when all that our eyes have seen is passed away and gone.
XII. *Take therefore upon thee a temper suitable to this greatness of thy condition. Remember that thou art an eternal spirit; that thou art but for a few months or years in a state of flesh and blood, only to try whether thou shalt be for ever happy with God, or for ever miserable with the devil.
Thou wilt hear of other concerns and other greatness in this world. Thou wilt see every order of men, every family, every person pursuing some fancied happiness, as if the world had not only happiness, but a particular kind of happiness for all its inhabitants.
But when thou seest this, fancy thou sawest all the world asleep: the prince no longer a prince: the beggar no longer begging, but every man sleeping out of his proper state; some happy, others tormented, and all changing their condition, as fast as one foolish dream could succeed another.
When thou hast seen this, if thou wilt, thou mayst go to sleep too, thou mayst lie down and dream. And this is all; for be as happy as the world can make thee, all is but sleeping and dreaming: and what is still worse, it [♦]is like sleeping in a ship, when thou shouldst be pumping for life, or dreaming thou art a prince, when thou shouldst be redeeming thyself from slavery.
[♦] ‘it’ replaced with ‘is’
XIII. This is no imaginary flight of a melancholy fancy, but the real nature of things.
*For if thou art that immortal nature, that fallen spirit which religion teaches us; if thou art to meet death, resurrection, and judgment, as the forerunners of an eternal state, what are all the little flashes of pleasure, the changing appearances of worldly happiness, but so many sorts of dreams?
*How canst thou talk of the advantage of fortune, the pleasures of food or apparel, without being in a dream?
Is the beggar asleep, when he fancies he is building himself fine houses? Is the prisoner in a dream, when he imagines himself in open fields and fine groves? And canst thou think thy immortal spirit is awake, while it is delighting itself in the shadows and bubbles of worldly happiness?
For if it be true, that man is upon his trial, if the trial is for eternity, if life is but a vapour, what is there that deserves a serious thought, but how to get well out of the world, and make it a right passage to our eternal state?
XIV. *It is the manner of some countries, in the burial of their dead, to put a staff and shoes and money in the sepulchre along with the corpse.
We see the folly and ignorance of such a poor contrivance to assist the dead: but if we did but understand what is life, we should see as much folly in the poor contrivances to assist the living.
For how many things do people labour after, break their rest and peace to get, which yet when gotten are of just as much real use to them, as a staff and shoes to a corpse under ground? They are always adding something to their life, which is only like adding another pair of shoes to a body in the grave.
Thou mayst hire more servants, new paint thy rooms, and put on richer apparel: and these will help thee to be happy, as golden staffs or painted shoes will help a dead man to walk.
XV. *If thou rememberest, that the whole race of mankind are a race of fallen spirits, that pass thro’ this world, as an arrow passeth thro’ the air, thou wilt soon perceive, that there is no wisdom or happiness, but in getting away to the best advantage.
If thou rememberest, that this life is but a vapour, that thou art in the body, only to be holy, humble, and heavenly-minded; that thou standest upon the brink of death, resurrection, and judgment, and that these great things will suddenly come upon thee like a thief in the night, thou wilt see a vanity in the things of this world, greater than any words can express.
Do but therefore know thyself as religion hath made thee known; do but see thyself in the light which Christ has brought into the world, and then thou wilt see that nothing concerns thee, but what concerns an everlasting spirit that is going to God; and that there are no enjoyments here that are worth a thought, but such as may adorn thee with that holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
XVI. *This is the end of Christianity. It is not a school for the teaching of moral virtue. It is deeper and more divine in its designs: it implies an entire change of heart, a full dedication of ourselves, our souls and bodies unto God.
Our blessed Saviour came into the world, not to make any composition with it, but to put an end to the designs of flesh and blood, and to shew us, we must either renounce this world to become Sons of God, or by enjoying it, take our portion among damned spirits.
Christianity is a state of things that wholly regards eternity: it knows of no other goods and evils, but such as relate to another life.
It is a kingdom of heaven that has no other interests in this world, than as it takes its members out of it; and when the number of the elect is compleat, this world will be consumed with fire, as having no other reason for its existence, than the furnishing members for that blessed society, which is to last for ever.
I cannot here omit observing the folly of human wisdom, which, full of imaginary projects, pleases itself with its lasting establishments in a world doomed to destruction, and which is to last no longer than till a sufficient number is redeemed out of it.
Did we see a number of animals hastening to take up their apartments, and contending for the best places in a building that was to be beat down as soon as its old inhabitants were got safe out, we should see a contention full as wise as the wisdom of worldly ambition.
XVII. That Christianity implies a change of nature, is plain from the whole tenor of the gospel.
The Saviour of the world saith, That except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. We are told, that to as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the Sons of God; which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
These words plainly teach us, that Christianity implies an entire change of nature: that as our birth was to us the beginning of a new life, and brought us into a society of earthly enjoyments, so Christianity is another birth, that brings us into a condition as new as when we first saw the light.
We begin again to be, when we enter upon fresh terms of life, have new tempers, new hopes and fears, and an entire change of every thing that can be called good or evil.
This new birth is the very essence and soul of Christianity; it is the seal of the promises, the mark of our sonship, the earnest of our inheritance, and the sure proof of our acceptance with God.
XVIII. If we would know what a change our new life in Christ implies, let us consider what it is to be born of God.
Whosoever is born of God, saith the apostle, doth not commit sin. For his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. And again, We know, that whosoever is born of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and the wicked one toucheth him not. 1 John iii. 10, v. 18.
The same apostle tells us, Whosoever is born of God overcometh the world. He overcometh all worldly desires and worldly fears. He is crucified unto the world and the world crucified unto him. He is dead to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. And he feareth not them that can kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.
We must therefore examine into the state of our minds, and see whether we are thus changed in our natures, thus born again: whether we are so spiritual, as to have overcome the world: so holy, as that we cannot commit sin; since it is the undeniable doctrine of scripture, that this new birth is as necessary to salvation, as the believing in Jesus Christ.
[♦]XX. There is perhaps no duty more contrary to flesh and blood than the loving our enemies. But this is easy to those that are born of God.
[♦] Number ‘XIX’ skipped
For take but away earthly goods and evils, and you take away all hatred and malice. For they are the only causes of those base tempers.
He therefore that hath overcome the world, hath overcome all the occasions of envy and ill nature, and can pity, pray for and forgive all his enemies, who want less forgiveness from him than he hath received from his heavenly Father.
Let us here awhile contemplate the height and depth of Christian holiness, and that godlike spirit which it implies! And this alone might convince us, that to be Christians, we must be born again: we must so change our very natures, as to have no desire in our souls, but that of being like God.
And till we rejoice and delight only in God, we cannot have this love to our fellow-creatures.
We may therefore learn from this, as well as from what was observed before, that Christianity does not consist in doing no harm, nor in doing good, (as it is called) nor yet in any particular moral virtues, as some idly suppose; but in an entire change of our hearts, of all our natural tempers, and a life wholly devoted to God.
XXI. The same doctrine is farther taught by our blessed Saviour, when speaking of little children, he saith, Suffer them to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke xviii. 16.
Now the peculiar condition of infants is such, that they have every thing to learn; they are to be taught by others what they are to hope and fear, and wherein their proper happiness consists.
And in this sense first we are to become as little children, to be as tho’ we had every thing to learn, and suffer ourselves to be taught, what we are to chuse, and what we are to avoid; to pretend to no wisdom of our own, but be ready to be taught of God, the only way of pursuing that happiness, which God in Christ proposes to us; and to accept it with such simplicity of mind as little children, who have nothing of their own to oppose to it.
XXII. But is this infant temper essential to Christianity? Does the kingdom of God consist only of those that have it? This is another undeniable proof that Christianity implies a new nature; such as having renounced the prejudices of life, the maxims of human wisdom, gives itself with a child-like submission and simplicity, to be entirely governed by the doctrines and Spirit of Christ.
Craft and policy, selfish cunning, proud abilities and vain endowments, have no admittance into this holy state of society with Christ in God.
The wisdom of this world, the intrigues of life, the designs of greatness and ambition, lead to another kingdom. He that follows Christ must be emptied of this vain furniture, and put on the meek ornament of infant and undesigning simplicity.
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
If we will partake of the wisdom of God, we must judge of this world and its most boasted gifts, as the wisdom of God judgeth of them; we must deem them foolishness, and with undivided hearts labour after one wisdom, one happiness, in being entirely devoted to God.
XXIII. This comparison of Christians to little children, may also remind us of a certain simplicity of behaviour, which is always the effect of a heart truly and entirely devoted to God.
As worldly men are therefore reserved, artful and deceitful, because they have many and secret ends to bring about; so they whose heart is wholly devoted to God, being wholly taken up with one great design, and having no little successes that they labour after, have no need of artifice or disguise; and so are naturally open, simple and undesigning in all the affairs of life.
XXIV. From all these considerations it appears, that Christianity implies a new nature, and a life entirely devoted to God.
Now if this be Christianity, it may serve to instruct two sorts of people:
First, Those who are content with an outward religion; whose Christianity lies in outward decency and regularity of life.
I don’t mean those that are insincere or hypocritical: but all those who are content with outward religion, with any thing short of that inward holiness, that newness of spirit which the gospel describes.
They should consider that charity, chastity, sobriety and justice may be practised without Christianity. A Jew, a Heathen may be (what you call) charitable and temperate: but to make these parts of Christianity, they must proceed from a heart truly turned to God, that is full of an infant simplicity, that is crucified with Christ, that is born again of the Spirit, that has overcome the world. Temperance or justice without this, may be the temperance of a Jew or a Heathen: but it is not Christian temperance or justice, till it proceeds from a Christian spirit. Could we do and suffer all that Christ himself did or suffered, yet if it was not all done in the same temper, in the Spirit of Christ, it would profit us nothing.
XXV. A Christian is sober, charitable and just, upon the same principles and with the same spirit that he receives the Holy communion; as acts of obedience to God, and as so many instances of a heart truly devoted to God.
A Christian is sober, not only so far as suits with a regular life, but so as becomes one who is born of the Holy Spirit, who dwelleth in God and God in him.
He is charitable, not only so far as suits with his natural temper, and with good esteem among men; but in such a measure as is suitable to the doctrines and spirit of the gospel.
For indeed, neither charity, nor temperance, nor justice, nor any other virtues (as they are called) are parts of Christian holiness, till they spring from holiness of heart, from the mind that was in Christ.
This is what cannot be too much considered by those whose religion has made no change in their hearts; who fancy themselves Christians, only because of the regularity of their lives, altho’ they have never experienced a renewal in the spirit of their minds, who pray without devotion, give alms without charity, and are Christians without the Spirit of Christianity.
XXVI. Secondly, This doctrine may serve to instruct those who are convinced, they have been hitherto strangers to religion.
Some people who begin to look toward religion, think they have done enough, when they have reformed the outward course of their lives; when they have left off their gross vices and follies, or are grown careful of some particular duties.
Thus a man who has been a drunkard many years, thinks he has made a sufficient change by becoming temperate: another imagines, he is in a very good and safe state, because he does not neglect the public worship, as he used to do: a lady fancies she lives enough to God because she has left off plays, and lives more at home than formerly.
But such people should consider, that Christianity does not consist in the fewness of our vices; no nor in any one particular virtue, nor yet in the outward amendment of our lives: but in such a thorough change of heart, as makes the love of God the spring and measure and rule of all our tempers and actions.
XXVII. It is a miserable error, to think we are Christians, because we are less vain or covetous, more sober and decent in our behaviour than we used to be. Yet this is the case with many, who think they are well, because they are not so bad as they were, because they are reformed from outward wickedness; not considering how entire a reformation of heart, as well as life, Christianity implies.
But let such people remember, that they who thus measure themselves by themselves are not wise. Let them remember that they are not disciples of Christ, till they have, like him, offered their whole soul and body as a reasonable living sacrifice to God; that they are not members of Christ’s mystical body, till they are united unto him by a new spirit; that they have not entered into the kingdom of God, till they have entered into an infant simplicity of heart, till they are so born of God as not to commit sin, so full of an heavenly Spirit as to have overcome the world.
Let them remember, He that is in Christ is a new creature, and that nothing short of this will avail before God, nothing less than the entire renewal of the soul in righteousness and all true holiness. Let them remember, that there is no religion that will stand us in any stead, but that which is the conversion of the heart to God, when all our tempers are holy, heavenly, divine, springing from a soul that is born again of the Spirit, and tends with one full bent to a perfection and happiness in the enjoyment of God.
XXVIII. Let us therefore look carefully to ourselves, and consider what manner of spirit we are of: let us not think our condition safe, because we are of this or that church or persuasion, or because we are strict observers of the outward offices of religion. For we can’t but see, these are marks that belong to more than belong to Christ. All are not his that prophesy, or even cast out devils, and work miracles in his name. Much less those who, with corrupt minds and worldly hearts, are only baptized in his name.
*If religion has raised us into a new world; if it has filled us with new ends of life; if it has taken possession of our hearts, altered the whole turn of our minds, and changed the whole stream of our affections: if it has given us new joys and griefs, new hopes and fears; if all things in us are become new: if the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost given unto us, and this Spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God: then are we Christians, not in name only, but in truth; then we do believe in the Holy Jesus, and we shall rejoice in the day of Christ, that we have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
CHAP. II.
CHRISTIANITY requires a renouncing of the world, and all worldly tempers.
I. The Christian religion being to raise a new, spiritual, and, as yet, invisible world, and to place man among thrones, principalities and spiritual beings, is at entire enmity with this present corrupt state of flesh and blood.
It ranks the world, with the flesh and the devil, as an equal enemy to those glorious ends which it proposes.
Accordingly the gospel lays its foundation, in utterly renouncing those false goods and enjoyments, which feed the vanity and corruption of our nature, fill our hearts with foolish and wicked passions, and keep us separate from God, the only happiness of all spirits.
II. For not only the vices, the wickedness, and vanity of this world, but even its most lawful concerns, if unduly pursued, make men unable to enter into the true state of Christianity.
He who is busied in an honest calling, may, on that account, be finally rejected of God.
*For it is no more pardonable to be less affected to the things of God, for the sake of any worldly business, than for the indulgence of our pride, or any other sinful passion: every business of life being equally trifling, when compared with the one thing needful.
III. Men of serious business indeed generally censure those, who trifle away their time in vain and impertinent pleasures.
But they don’t consider that their own employments also are as vain as vanity itself: they don’t consider that any business or employment, if it has got hold of the heart, renders men as vain and odious in the sight of God, as any sensual gratification.
They may call it an honest care, a wise industry, or by any other plausible name. But it is a wisdom which can no more recommend itself to the eyes of God than the wisdom of an epicure.
*For it shews as wrong a turn of mind, and as great a contempt of the true good, to neglect any degrees of piety for the sake of business, as for any the most trifling pleasures of life.
IV. *The wisdom of this world indeed gives an importance and air of greatness to several ways of life, and ridicules others as vain and contemptible, which differ only in their kind of vanity. But the wisdom from above condemns all labour as equally fruitless, which hinders our labouring after everlasting life. For what can it signify whether a man forgets God in his farm, or in a shop, or at a gaming table? The world is full as important in its pleasures as in its cares; there is no more wisdom in the one than in the other. And the man who, by the cares and business of the world is made less affected to the things of God, is no wiser than he who takes his delight in running foxes and hares out of breath.
For there is no wisdom in any thing but religion. Nor is any way of life less vain than another, but as it is made serviceable to piety, and conspires with the designs of religion, to raise mankind to a participation and enjoyment of the divine nature.
V. Let those who are not at all ashamed to be devoted to the cares and business of the world, consider those states of life, which they own to be vain and foolish, and contrary to religion.
Some people have no other care, than how to give their palate fresh pleasure, and enlarge the happiness of tasting.
Others live to no other purpose, than to breed dogs, and attend the sports of the field.
Men of sober business, who seem to act the grave part of life, generally condemn these ways of life.
But why are they to be condemned? Produce but the true reason why any of these are vain and sinful, and the same reason will conclude against every way of life which is not wholly devoted to God.
VI. Let the man who is deep in worldly business, but shew the vanity and shame of a life devoted to pleasures, and the same reasons will shew the vanity and shame of a life filled with worldly cares. So that whosoever can condemn sensuality, ambition, or any way of life upon the principles of reason and religion, carries his own condemnation within his own breast, unless his life be entirely devoted to God.
VII. It is granted that some cares are made necessary by the necessities of nature. And the same also may be observed of some pleasures, as the pleasures of eating, drinking and rest. But if reason and religion do not limit these pleasures by the necessities of nature, we fall from rational creatures into drones, sots, gluttons, and epicures.
*In like manner our care after some worldly things is necessary. But if this care is not bounded by the just wants of nature, if it wanders into unnecessary pursuits, and fills the mind with false desires and cravings; if it wants to add an imaginary splendour to the plain demands of nature, it is vain and irregular; it is the care of an epicure, a longing for sauces and ragous, and corrupts the soul like any other sensual indulgence.
For this reason our Lord points so many of his doctrines at the common allowed employments of life, to teach us, that they may employ our minds as falsely and dangerously as any trifles whatever.
He teaches us, that even the necessaries of life should be sought with a kind of indifference, that so our souls may be truly sensible of greater wants, and disposed to hunger and thirst after enjoyments that will make us happy for ever.
VIII. But how unlike are Christians to Christianity! It commands us to take no thought, saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink? Yet Christians are restless and laborious, till they can eat in plate.
It commands us to be indifferent about raiment. But Christians are full of care and concern, to be cloathed in purple and fine linen. It enjoins us to take no thought for the morrow. Yet Christians think they have lived in vain, if they don’t leave estates at their death. And these call themselves disciples of that Lord, who saith, He that forsaketh not all that he hath, cannot be my disciple.
IX. It must not be said that these doctrines are not plainly enough taught in scripture, because the lives and behaviour of Christians are so contrary to them. For if the lives of Christians might be alledged against the doctrines of scripture, none of them would have lasted to this day.
It is one of the ten commandments, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. And our Saviour has forbid swearing, yea, in the most solemn manner. Yet where more swearing than among Christians, and among such Christians as would think it hard to be reckoned a reproach to the Christian name?
The scripture says of Christians, that they are born of God, and have overcome the world. Can they then be reckoned of that number, who have not so much as overcome that flagrant sin, to which they have no temptation in nature?
Well therefore may the doctrines of heavenly-mindedness, and contempt of the world be disregarded, since they run counter to all the corruptions of flesh and blood, to all the pride and vanity of our nature.
X. But let those who are startled at these doctrines, deal faithfully with their own hearts, and ask themselves whether they should not have had the same dislike to them, had they lived in our Saviour’s days? Or whether they can find any one reason, why they should have been so spiritual and heavenly then, which is not as good and as strong a reason for their being as spiritual and heavenly now?
*Hath heaven or earth suffered any change since that time? Is the world become now more worth our notice, or heavenly treasure of less value than it was then? Or have we had another Saviour since, that has compounded things with this world, and helped us to an easier way to the next?
Yet, if an apostle was to raise from the dead, calling rich and great men to these doctrines, they would drive their coaches from such a preacher, rather than be saved at such a price.
XI. To set this great truth in a still clearer light, I will appeal a little even to the imagination of the reader.
Let it be supposed, that rich men are now enjoying their riches, and taking all the usual delights of plenty; that they are labouring for the meat that perisheth, contriving scenes of pleasure, and spending their estates in proud expences.
After this supposition let it be imagined, that we saw the Holy Jesus, who had not where to lay his head, with his twelve apostles, that had left all to follow him. Let us imagine, that we heard him call all the world, to take up the cross and follow him, promising, a treasure in heaven to such as would quit all for his sake, and rejecting all that would not comply therewith: denouncing woe and eternal death to all that lived in fulness, pomp and worldly delights. Let it be imagined, that we heard him commanding his disciples, to take no thought, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be cloathed? And giving this reason for it, After all these things do the Gentiles seek.
Let it be imagined, that we saw the first Christians taking up the cross, renouncing the world, and counting all things but dung that they might win Christ.
I do not now so immediately appeal to the judgment or reason of the reader. I leave it even with his imagination, that wild faculty, to determine, whether it be possible for these two different sorts of men, to be true disciples of the same Lord?
XII. *To proceed; Let us suppose that a rich man was to put up such a prayer as this to God:
“O Lord, I thy sinful creature, whom thou hast called to a lively hope of glory in Christ Jesus, beg of thee to grant me a thousand times more riches than I need, that I may be able to gratify myself and family in the delights of eating and drinking, state and grandeur. Grant that as the little span of life wears out, I may abound more and more in wealth; and that I may see and perceive all the best and surest ways of growing richer than any of my neighbours. This I humbly and fervently beg, in the name, &c.”
Such a prayer as this should have had no place in this treatise; but in hope that proportionably as it offends the ear, it may amend the heart.
XIII. There is no one, I believe, but would be ashamed to put up such a prayer as this to God. Yet let it be well observed, that all are of the temper of this prayer, but those who have renounced the world.
We need not go among villains, and people of scandalous characters, to find those who desire a thousand times more than they want, who have an eagerness to be every day richer and richer, who catch at still new ways of gain; and scarce think any thing enough, except it equals or exceeds the estate of their neighbours.
I beg of such that they would heartily condemn the profane and unchristian spirit of the foregoing prayer, and that they would satisfy themselves, nothing can be more odious and contrary to religion.
But let them be assured also of this, that the same things which make an unchristian prayer, make an unchristian life.
For the reason why these things appear so odious in a prayer, is because they are so contrary to the spirit of religion. But is it not as bad to live contrary to the spirit of religion, as to pray contrary to it?
At least, must not that way of life be highly blameable, which is so shocking when put into the form of a prayer?
XIV. Need we any other conviction, that this manner of life is contrary to the spirit of Christianity, than this, that the praying according to it in Christ’s name, comes near to blasphemy?
Let it be considered how we should abominate a person, whom we knew to use such a prayer: and let that teach us, how abominable such a life must appear in the eyes of God! And with this addition of folly, that we call the prayer profane, but think the life that answers to it to be Christian.
From all this it is plain, that the present followers of Jesus Christ, have no more to do with worldly enjoyments, than those he chose while he himself was on earth; and that we are to have the same heavenly devotion to God, the same affection, as any of those he conversed with in the days of his flesh.
XV. Yet notwithstanding the scriptures are so express, men will not give up their pre-conceived opinions.
It will still be asked, Where can be the harm of getting or enjoying an estate?
Whether it be not a commendable thing, to provide an estate for one’s family?
And what people of birth and fortune are to do with themselves, if they are not to live up to their estates and qualities?
To the first question let it be answered, Take no thought, saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be cloathed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek.
Now, if to be careful and thoughtful, even about the necessaries of life, be a care that is here forbidden, and that because it is such a care as only becomes Heathens; surely to be careful and thoughtful how to raise an estate, and enrich one’s family, is a care that is sufficiently forbidden in Christians. And he that can yet think it lawful, to make this the care and design of his life, is too blind to be convinced by arguments. Our Saviour saith, Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life. He commands us not to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth; he assures us that we cannot serve God and mammon.
Now these places have no meaning, if it is still lawful for Christians to heap up treasures, to labour for estates, and pursue designs of enriching their families.
XVI. I know it is easy to evade the force of these texts, and to make plausible harangues, upon the innocency of labouring to be rich, and the consistency of serving God and mammon.
I don’t question but the rich young man in the gospel could have made a very good apology for himself, and have shewn how reasonable and innocent a thing it was, for so good and so young a man to enjoy an estate.
The rich man in torments could have alledged how much good he did with his fortune; how many trades he encouraged with his purple and fine linen, and faring sumptuously every day; and how he conformed to the ends of society, by so spending his estate.
XVII. *But still the word of God shall not pass away. Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. For they who will be rich fall into a temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 1 Tim. vi. 8.
We may, perhaps, by some acuteness of reasoning, find out, that this still leaves us at our liberty, whether we will labour to be rich or not: that notwithstanding what the apostle says, of a snare, a temptation, and foolish lusts, yet we can pursue the means and desire the happiness of riches, without any danger to our virtue.
But if so, we are as prudent as those Christians, who think they can secure their virtue without watching and prayer, tho’ our Saviour has said, Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation.
And he that neglects watching and prayer, tho’ the appointed means of avoiding temptation, lives as much according to scripture, as he that is careful and desirous of riches, tho’ the declared occasions of sin, snares and destruction.
XVIII. If we could submit to the plain doctrines of scripture, it would never be asked what people of fortune are to do with themselves, if they are not to live up to the splendour and plenty of their estates?
The rich man in the gospel was a ruler, a young man, and a good man: if therefore there are any of his rank who are neither young nor good, it can hardly be thought, they have less to do to inherit eternal life.
And as for those who, like him, have kept the commandments of God from their youth, I dare not tell them, that they are not under a necessity of offering all their wealth to God, and of making their estates, however acquired, not the support of vain indulgences, but the relief of their brethren.
XIX. Suppose great people, by means of their wealth, could throw themselves into a deep sleep of pleasant dreams, which would last till death awaked them, would any one think it lawful for them to make such use of their riches?
And yet he that had done nothing but sleep and dream to the time of his death, might as well say, that he had been working out his salvation with fear and trembling, as he that has been living in luxury, splendour, and sensual gratifications.
The gospel has made no exception for dignity of birth, or difference in fortune; but has appointed the same straight gate, the common passage for all persons to enter into glory.
The distinctions of civil life have their use; but if any one thinks he may be less devoted to God, less afraid of the corruptions of pleasure and pride, because he is born of a rich family, he is as much mistaken as he that fancies he has a privilege to steal, because he was born of a Father that was poor.
XX. If the rich or great man can find out a course of pleasures, that support no wrong turn of mind, an indulgence which does not gratify sensuality, entertainments which feed no vain passions: if they can find out such instances of splendour and greatness, as shew they love God with all their hearts, and as gratify neither the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, nor the pride of life, religion has no command against such enjoyments.
But if this cannot be done, then the rich have no more permission to live in vain indulgences than the poor have to steal.
*And let it be always remembered, that if any distinction of life makes men forget that sin is their only baseness, and holiness their only honour; if any condition makes them less disposed to imitate the low, humble estate of their suffering Master; instead of being any real advantage, it is their curse, their snare and destruction.
XXI. I know it will still be objected, that a man is not necessarily proud, because he lives in shew and figure, any more than another is necessarily humble, because he lives in a low estate.
It is granted, that men may be of a temper contrary to the estate in which they live. But this is only true, of such as are in any state by force, and contrary to their desires and endeavours.
A man in a low estate may be proud, because he is in such a state by force; and is uneasy till he can raise himself out of it. If the same is true of him that lives in figure and pomp, that he is in this state by force, and is restless till he can lay it all aside, then we grant he may be humble.
But nothing is weaker than to say, because a man may be in a low estate per force, without lowliness of mind, therefore another may chuse to live in all the height of grandeur and vanity, without any height or vanity of mind.
A man may be an epicure in his temper, tho’ he is forced to live upon bread and water. But will you therefore say, another who lives on all sorts of dainties, and that by choice, may be no epicure?
If therefore they that live in pomp and shew, live therein out of choice, and are not willing to live otherwise, we must talk nonsense if we do not say their minds are as vain as the vanity of their state.
XXII. The necessity of renouncing the world, in whatever state of life we are, may be yet farther proved from those divine tempers which Christianity requires.
Christians are to love God with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their mind, and with all their strength.
Now it is absolutely impossible we should do this, unless we have renounced the world.
A man that has his head and his heart full of worldly concerns, can no more love God with all his strength, than a man, who has his eyes on the ground, can be looking towards heaven with all the strength of his sight.
XXIII. It is certain, that we unavoidably love every thing in proportion as it appears to be our happiness: if it appears to be half our happiness, it will necessarily have half the strength of our love: and if it appears to be all our happiness, we shall love it with all our strength.
The Christian religion therefore, which requires the whole strength of our nature to love God, lays a just foundation in requiring us absolutely to renounce the happiness of the world; seeing it is impossible to have two happinesses, and but one love.
And indeed what can be more ridiculous than to fancy, that a man who is taken up with the enjoyments of the world, is at the same time loving God with all his soul and with all his strength?
Is it not as absurd as to suppose that a man, who is devoted to, and taken up with the sports of the field, is at the same time contemplating mathematical speculations, with the whole ardour of his mind?
XXIV. Another duty which proves the absolute necessity of thus renouncing the world, is, The love of our neighbour.
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: if a man would know what this implies, let him look impartially into his own heart, and see what it is that he wishes to himself. Then let him turn all the same wishes to his neighbour, and he will feel the just measure of his duty.
This will also teach him, that the true love of his neighbour is as inconsistent with the love of the world, as duelling is inconsistent with meekness and the forgiveness of injuries.
XXV. *This love is a temper that suits only such beings as have one common undivided happiness, wherein they cannot be rivals to one another. Now this is the state of all Christians, who have as truly one common happiness as they have one common God. But if we put ourselves out of this state, and seek for happiness in the enjoyments of this life, we are as incapable of this love, as wolves and bears that live upon prey.
One common undivided happiness, being the only possible foundation for this love, if we seek any other happiness, if we don’t renounce all other pretensions, we cannot keep clear of such tempers as are utterly inconsistent with the loving our neighbour as ourselves.
But when we are governed by a happiness wherein none can make himself our rival, it will be no harder to love all men as ourselves, than to wish them the enjoyment of the same light, or the common air: which being goods that may be equally enjoyed by all, are not the occasions of envy.
XXVI. *It is plain our Saviour intended this brotherly love, to be the governing principle of our lives. But it cannot be so, unless we are content to make no more of this world, than a supply of our necessities, and to look for one only happiness in the enjoyment of God.
I don’t appeal to niggards and worldlings, to the proud and ambitious: let those who think themselves moderate in their worldly desires and enjoyments, deal faithfully with themselves and see whether their prosecution of their worldly affairs, permits them to love all men as themselves.
Perhaps they have not those bitter envyings and hatreds to which ambitious worldlings are subject. But still they have as certainly, in their degree, and in proportion to their love of the world, their envyings and hatreds, and want of sincere love, as other men.
XXVII. For a further proof of this, we need only look into the world, and see the spirit that appears among almost all Christians.
We need not go to wicked and loose people. Let us go into any virtuous family, and we shall find it has its particular friendships and hatreds, its envyings and evil speakings, and all founded in the interests of the world.
And this necessarily springs from hence, that all Christians are busy in attending to their worldly interests, intending only to keep clear of dishonest practices: that is, they use the world as far as honest Heathens or Jews would do, and consequently have such tempers as Jews and Heathens have.
For it is not only cheating and dishonesty, but the bare desire of worldly things, and the placing happiness in them, that lays the foundation of all these unchristian tempers; and divides Christians into more parties than there are families among them.
So that it is purely the engaging so far in the world as sober Christians do: it is their false satisfaction in so many things that they ought to renounce; it is their being too much alive to the world, that makes all, even those who are called religious, subject to tempers so contrary to the love of their neighbour.
Let this therefore teach us that we must renounce the world, if we would live and love like Christians.
XXVIII. By renouncing the world, I do not mean, retiring into a cloister. This would be like laying aside all use of cloaths, to avoid the vanity of dress.
There is a reasonable use of the world, which is as lawful as it is to eat and drink.
We may buy and sell; we may labour; we may provide for ourselves and our families; that is, so far as is needful for life and godliness. But farther we may not go.
The first step our desires take beyond things of necessity, ranks us among worldlings, and raises in our minds all those tempers, which disturb the minds of worldly men.
XXIX. You think yourself conformable to Christianity, because you are moderate in your desires. You don’t desire a large estate; you desire only a little finery, a little state, and to have things genteel about you.
Imagine now, that what you say, of moderate desires, and little fineries, had been said to our blessed Saviour when he was upon earth, calling men to renounce the world and deny themselves.
Your own conscience tells you, he would have rebuked the author of such a pretence with as much indignation as he rebuked Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, for thou savourest not the things that be of God.
Now the spirit of Christianity is the same spirit that was in Christ when he was upon earth. And if we have reason to think that such a pretence would have been severely condemned by Christ, we have the same reason to be sure, it is as severely condemned by Christianity.
XXX. Had our blessed Saviour a little before he left the world, given estates to his apostles, with a permission for them to enjoy little fineries, and a moderate state in a genteel manner, he had undone all that he had said of the contempt of the world, and heavenly-mindedness. Such a permission had been a contradiction to the main doctrines which he had taught.
Had the apostles lived in a little state, and in moderate worldly delights, how could they have said, the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world?
And how blind and weak must we be, if we can think that we may live in a spirit and temper, which could not possibly be the spirit and temper of Christ and his apostles?
XXXI. *Another pretence for worldly care and labour after riches, is to provide for our families.
You want to leave fortunes to your children, that they may have their share in the figure and shew of the world. Now consider, do you do this on principles of religion, as the best thing you can do, either for yourself or them?
Can you then be said, to have chosen the one thing needful for yourself, or the one thing needful for them, who take such care to put them in a state of life, that is a snare and a temptation, and the most likely of all others, to fill their minds with foolish and hurtful lusts?
Is it your kindness toward them that puts you upon this labour? Consider therefore what this kindness is founded upon? Perhaps it is such a kindness as when tender mothers carry their daughters to plays and balls: such a kindness as when indulgent fathers support their sons in all the expence of their follies. Such kind parents may more properly be called the betrayers and murderers of their children.
You love your children, and therefore you would have them rich. It is said of our blessed Saviour, that he loved the young rich man that came unto him, and therefore he bid him sell all that he had. What a contrariety is here? The love which dwelleth in you, is as contrary to the love which dwelt in Christ as darkness is to light.
We have our Saviour’s express command, to love one another, as he loved us. And can you think you are following this love, when you are giving those things to your children, which he took away from his friends, and which he could not possibly have given them without contradicting the greatest part of his doctrines?
XXXII. *But suppose you succeed in your designs, and leave your children rich, what must you say to them when you are dying? Will you then tell them that you have the same opinion of the value of riches you ever had; that you feel the pleasure of remembring how much thought and care you have taken to acquire them? Will you tell them that you have provided for their ease and softness, their pleasure and indulgence and figure in the world; and that they cannot do better than to eat and drink and take their fill of such enjoyments as riches afford? This would be dying like an Atheist.
If you would die like a Christian, must you not endeavour to fill their minds with your dying thoughts? Must you not tell them that very soon the world will signify no more to them than it does to you? And that there is a vanity, a littleness in the things of this life, which only dying men feel as they ought?
Will you not tell them, that all your own failings, the irregularity of your life, the folly of your tempers, and your failure of Christian perfection, has been owing to wrong opinions of the value of worldly things? And that if you had always seen the world in the same light that you see it now, your life had been devoted to God, and you would have lived in all those holy tempers and heavenly affections in which you now desire to die?
Will you not tell them, that riches spent upon ourselves, either in the pleasures of ease and indulgence, in the vanity of dress, or in state and grandeur, are the bane and destruction of our souls, making us blindly content with dreams of happiness, till death awakes us into real misery?
From all this therefore it appears, that your kindness for your children is so far from being a good reason why you should so carefully labour to leave them rich, and in the enjoyment of the state and shew of the world; that if you die in a spirit of piety, if you love them as Christ loved his disciples, your kindness will oblige you to exhort them to renounce all such enjoyment of riches, as is contrary to those holy tempers and that heavenly affection which you now find to be the only good and happiness of human nature.
CHAP. III.
CHRISTIANITY calleth all men to a state of self-denial and mortification.
I. It would be strange to suppose, that mankind were redeemed by the sufferings of the Son of God, to live in ease and softness themselves, without any suffering or cross at all!
Are we not all to die? Does God then unmake and dash our very form into pieces; and can we think that a life of pleasure and self-indulgence can become us under such a sentence?
II. *If any man will come after me, saith Christ, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.
To shew that this belongs to all Christians, St. Luke saith, He said unto them All: St. Mark hath it thus; and when he had called the people unto him, with his disciples also, he said unto them.
Let us now suppose that Christian churches are full of fine, gay people, who spend their time in all the pleasures and indulgences which the spirit of the world can invent.
Can it be said of such, that they are denying themselves, and taking up their cross daily? May they not with as much regard to truth be said, to live in sackcloth and ashes? Or can they who live in all the scenes of pleasure be said, to be working out their salvation with fear and trembling? May they not as justly be said, to be walking bare-foot to Jerusalem?
III. Several instances of this self-denial and daily cross, are to be seen in the following words.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, that you resist not evil; but whosoever will smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also: and whosoever shall compell thee to go with him a mile, go with him twain.
We are to deny ourselves then in not demanding an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth. We are to take up our daily cross, by turning our cheek to the smiter, and suffering such ill usage as we could prevent by resistance.
We are to take up the cross of one injury after another, rather than revenge ourselves.
The words that deliver this doctrine are so plain and express, that they need no illustration: And it is as plain, that they equally belong to all Christians of all ages. The manner of our Saviour’s delivering them, puts it out of all question, that these were to be the perpetual marks of his followers.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, &c. But I say unto you that ye resist not evil.
It was not possible for our Lord to express himself in a more authoritative manner, or to shew us more plainly, that he was here acting as the great lawgiver of Christians, and delivering perpetual laws to all his disciples. Nor is it possible for any one to evade the literal meaning of these doctrines, but by such a way as must destroy the sense of any other part of scripture.
IV. If it could be shewn that we are not obliged by the plain doctrine of these passages, it might as well be shewn that the next doctrine, But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, does not oblige us in the plain and literal sense of the words.
For both the passages are supported by the same authority expressed in the same manner, I say unto you. These virtues are likewise necessary to one another: we cannot thus love and do good to our enemy, unless we are thus patient under sufferings, and deny ourselves all instances of anger and resentment at them.
V. If these doctrines seem grievous, they can only seem so to such as have wrong notions of human life.
Too many imagine this life to be something that is valuable for its own goods; and look upon religion as something that is added to it, to make a worldly life more easy, regular and happy: And so embrace religion only as it complies with the ease and order of that way of life in which they live.
Our Saviour has fully confuted this opinion, by teaching us, that there is but one thing needful. If then we can take his word, the grievousness of self-denial is struck off at once.
For what though meekness and patience may make us sufferers; yet if by such sufferings we lose only such things as are not needful for us, where is any ground for complaint?
VI. But farther, such sufferings not only do us no real hurt, but they are blessings and matter of solid joy.
Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil of you [♦]falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven.
[♦] ‘falsly’ replaced with ‘falsely’
Christ does not comfort us in this, as if it were an hard or melancholy state, which we must bear, because it is made easier by patience. But he looks at it in quite another view, not as needing comfort, but affording matter of congratulation.
What Christians then are they, who reckon those things among the hardships of religion, which Christ recommends to us as reasons of rejoicing, yea of being exceeding glad?
VII. The whole of the matter is this: if our sufferings, our injuries or hardships be such as we undergo, because we dare not depart from that meekness and patience, and charity, which Christ hath taught; because we had rather love our enemies than be revenged on them; rather suffer like Christ, and be full of his Spirit, than avoid sufferings by a contrary temper; such sufferings are our greatest gains.
Now, be these sufferings what they will, if they make us more like Christ, they have done more for us than all the prosperity in the world can do. And he that defends himself at the expence of any temper, that was the temper of Christ, has done himself an injury greater than the most powerful of his enemies can bring upon him.
And all this turns on one point, that there is but one thing needful, the salvation of our souls. It is this that changes the nature of all human things, and makes every thing good or evil, only so far as it promotes or hinders this one end of life. The salvation of the world is the only happiness of the world: and he that has secured his share in that, has secured to himself all the joy and gladness that can befal human nature.
A Christian therefore that is not content with salvation, that would add a worldly joy to the great things of religion, is more senseless than a man that would not be content to be saved from a shipwreck, unless he was carried off upon a cedar plank.
VIII. Before I proceed to other instances of self-denial, it may be proper to shew the reasonableness of it.
God is reason and wisdom itself. As sure therefore as there is a God, so sure it is that a religion from God has only reasonable commands. God can only will that reasonable creatures should be more reasonable, more perfect and like himself: and consequently can enjoin no duties but such as have this tendency; all his commands are founded on the necessities of our natures, and are only so many instructions to become more happy than we could be without them.
IX. *Now let us apply this. If a person were to walk upon a rope across some great river, and he was bid to deny himself the pleasure of walking in silver shoes, or looking about at the beauty of the waves, or listening to the noise of sailors: if he was commanded to deny himself the advantage of fishing by the way, would there be any thing unreasonable in such self-denial?
Straight is the gate, saith our Lord, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life. Now, if Christians are to walk in a narrow way that leadeth to eternal life, it must be the part of a Christian to deny himself all those things which may stop him in, or lead him out of this narrow way. And if they think that pleasing their senses, and worldly indulgences, are consistent with their keeping in this narrow way, they think as reasonably as if the man upon the rope should think that he might safely use silver shoes, or stop in his way to catch fish.
X. The plain case is this: Christians are called from a state of sin and disorder, to a state of holiness and resemblance of the divine nature. If therefore there are any things or ways of life, that corrupt our minds, support our vanity, increase the disorder of our souls, or nourish sinful affections; all these are as necessarily to be avoided, as it is necessary to be holy.
If indeed (to instance in one point only) there are no indulgences in eating, that do us harm, then it might be said, fasting is of no use: But if there are, if all indulgences of this sort, inslave the soul, and give it a sensual taste, then we are as much obliged to abstain from what does us this harm, as we are obliged to pray for any thing which can do us good.
XI. Eating and drinking are the common supports of life. But as they are the supports of a corrupt life, the nourishment of a disordered body that weighs down the soul; whose appetites are in a state of enmity with the life and purity of the soul; it is necessary that we take care so to support the life of the body, as not to occasion the sickness and death of the soul.
The difference between the same man full and fasting, is often almost the difference of two persons; a man that in the morning finds himself fit for any meditation, is after a full meal changed into another creature, fit only for idle amusements or the yawnings of an animal.
He has not only created a dulness in his soul, but has perverted its taste: for he can be pleased with a romance, or impertinent history, while he has no relish for a book of devotion.
This shews, that fasting has a nearer relation to all religious tempers than is generally thought; and that full feeding not only dulls the mind, but more particularly gives it a dulness towards the things of religion.
XII. *Indeed every indulgence of the body in eating and drinking, is adding to its power over the soul.
A man that makes every day a day of full and chearful meals, will by degrees make the happiness of every day depend upon it, and consider every thing with regard to it.
He will go to church or stay at home, as it suits with his dinner, and not scruple to tell you, that he generally eats too heartily to go to afternoon service.
Now such people are under a worse disorder than the jaundice, and have their sight more perverted than he that sees all things yellow.
For what discernment have they, who have more taste for the preparations of the kitchen, than for the comforts of the house of God: who chuse rather to make themselves unfit for divine service, than to baulk the pleasure of a full meal?
Can they think they have the Spirit of Christ who are thus enslaved to gluttony? Or can they be said, to have forsaken all to follow him, who will not so much as forsake half a meal for the worship of God?
XIII. I know it will be thought too severe to call that gluttony, because it is the practice of numbers of people of worth and reputation. But I hope they will turn their dislike of the name into a dislike of the thing: for ’tis as certainly gluttony as picking of pockets is stealing.
The sin of gluttony is the sin of over-eating. Now this may be difficult to state exactly in some cases. But he that owns he eats so much as renders him indisposed for the public worship of God, has determined against himself, and put his own case out of all question.
Men may fancy, they are only guilty of gluttony, who eat till they surfeit their bodies. They may think those only guilty of drunkenness, who drink till they have lost their senses. But there is a much surer rule to go by; whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. All therefore in eating and drinking that is not to the glory of God, is offered to something that is not the glory of God; it is offered to the corruption and sensuality of our natures. It is the sin of intemperance; and is indevotion too, when indulged at a time that keeps us from the public worship of God.
XIV. *Indeed a constant course of full feeding is the death of the soul, and every day that is a day of such happiness, is a day lost to religion.
When a man has rejoiced himself with full eating and drinking, he is like any other animal, disposed only to play or idleness. He has no more feeling of sin than he has of hunger, and can no more perceive himself to be a miserable fallen creature, than he can perceive himself to be a beggar.
For this course of sensual enjoyments, is as contrary to a true sense of sin, as it is contrary to a state of beggary and want; and a man in such happiness, can no more feel the weight of sin, than he can feel himself in the misery of poverty.
XV. I know some object, that fasting is not an universal duty; but fit for some particular cases, and particular constitutions.
To this I answer, if by fasting you mean an entire abstinence from food, for such a space of time, in this sense it is not an universal duty.
But this is quite a wrong notion of it. For the fasting whereof I speak is not any fixed degree of abstinence from all food: but, such an exercise of abstinence and self-denial as is proper to every one’s particular state.
Now in this sense fasting is as constant and universal a duty as repentance.
For as repentance is an universal duty, because the reason of it is common to all men; so is fasting, because sensuality, and fleshly lusts, is the universal corruption of all men.
It is no fixed degree of sorrow that is the common repentance of all men. It is no fixed form or length or hour of prayer, that is the common devotion of all men. Yet are these constant and universal duties.
In like manner, though fasting be subject to all the same variations, yet is it a constant and universal duty.
XVI. *Justus is a grave, sober man. He is very angry at those who neglect fasting. He thinks they know nothing of religion.
But presently after, Justus will tell you, that he never fasts but on Good Friday, and the 30th of January.
If Justus had lived before the murder of King Charles, he had had but one fast in the year. Yet in all likelihood he would then have stood up for the doctrine of fasting.
If a man was to be angry at those who neglect the service of the church, as people that know nothing of religion, and then tell you, that he himself never goes thither but on Good Friday, and the 30th of January, you would say, that he knew nothing of the nature of church service.
Now Justus shews the same ignorance of the nature of fasting.
If prayer and repentance and the service of the church, were not common acts of devotion, and necessary ways of worshipping God, they would not be necessary on Good Friday.
In like manner, unless fasting was a common and necessary part of religion, it would neither be necessary nor acceptable on those particular days.
For it is not the day that makes the duty to be necessary. But the day happens to be a proper occasion of exercising a necessary duty.
XVII. If Justus was to say, that he never repents but on those public days, he might as easily defend himself as when he says, he only fasts but at those times.
For, is there any benefit in fasting at those times? Does it add any thing to your piety and devotion? Does it calm your mind and put you into a better state for prayer, than when you take your usual meals? If it has not something of this effect, where is the use of it at any time? And if it has this effect, how comes it that you will have but one or two such days in the year? Why will you not thus assist your devotions, thus calm your mind, thus raise your heart, ’till the day comes on which King Charles was murdered? Is not this like staying till then before you repent?
XVIII. Farther; when the disciples of our Lord could not cast the evil spirit out of a man that was a lunatic, he not only tells them, it was for want of faith, but also gives them a very important instruction in those words, Howbeit this kind goeth not out, but by prayer and fasting. Matt. xvii. 21.
Now, does this look as if fasting were designed only for a day or two in the year? Is it ranked with prayer, as being equally prevalent with God? And is not this sufficient to teach us, that we must think of fasting as we think of prayer; that it is a proper way of devotion, a right method of applying to God? And if that prayer is most prevailing which is attended with fasting, it is proof enough surely, that fasting is to be a common part of our devotion.
Is it powerful enough, by the blessing of God, to cast out devils, and cure lunatics? And shall we neglect it, when we pray against the evil tempers which possess our hearts? Shall we not then pray to God in the most powerful prevailing manner that we can?
*If we were to fast without praying, would not this be a way of worship of our own invention? And if we pray and neglect fasting, is it not equally chusing a worship of our own? For he that has taught us the use and advantage of prayer, has also taught us the use and advantage of fasting. And has likewise joined them together, as having the same power with God.
XIX. *We may also observe, that the reason of self-denial and abstinence is perpetual, because we are perpetually united to a body, that is more or less fit to join with the soul in acts of holiness, according to the state it is in.
It is therefore absolutely necessary that we avoid every degree of indulgence, every kind of irregularity, that may make our bodies less active or less fit for the purpose of a holy life.
Christian temperance is no more that which passes for temperance in the sight of men, than Christian charity is that which passes for charity in the world.
A worldly man may think himself temperate, when he only abstains from such excesses as may make him fitter to enjoy a healthful sensuality.
But Christian temperance is of quite another kind, and for other ends. It is to keep the body in a state of purity and submission, and to preserve in the soul a divine and heavenly taste.
XX. It is out of all question, that there are some states of body fitter for virtue than others.
This is as certain as that gluttony and drunkenness dispose men to all sorts of sins, and give them a disrelish for all sorts of holiness. For as these vices have the utmost contrariety to religion, so every approach towards them is, in a certain degree, partaking of them.
A man that lives so as not to be called either a glutton or a drunkard, may yet be so near them, as to partake of those tempers which are the effects of gluttony and drunkenness.
*As a man may be vain and uncharitable, yet not so as to be remarkable for his vanity and uncharitableness, so he may be under the guilt and evil effects of eating and drinking, though not so as to be esteemed either a glutton or intemperate.
*So that a wise Christian will constantly practise such abstinence, as may not only secure him from sensuality in the sight of the world, but as best suits with a body which is the holy habitation of a soul devoted to God.
XXI. St. Paul saith, I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Cor. ix.
Let it be observed, that the apostle practised this self-denial, not only as a good and advisable thing, but as of the last necessity. It was not, as he was an apostle, and that he might be fitter for the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost: but it was, to secure his salvation, and lest when he had preached to others, he should himself be a castaway.
*Let it be considered, that this apostle, who lived in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake, who was also full of signs and wonders, and mighty deeds, and who had been caught up into the third heavens; yet reckons all his virtues as insecure, and his salvation in danger, without this constantly continued course of universal self-denial. Nay he thought all his advancements in piety, without this, to be as vain a labour as beating the air.
So run I, says he, not as uncertainly; by which he plainly teacheth us, that he who does not thus run, who does not thus continually keep the body under, does run uncertainly, and fighteth to as little purpose as he that beateth the air.
An apostle preaching the gospel with signs and wonders, in the midst of distress and persecution, thought his own salvation in danger, without this subjection of his body. And shall we think it safe to feed to the full, and indulge our bodies in ease and plenty?
XXII. *There are no truths more plainly delivered in scripture than these two, the general corruption of human nature, and the absolute necessity of divine grace. Now these make the necessity of a continual self-denial plain and obvious to the meanest capacity; and extend it to all those things and enjoyments which either strengthen the corruption of our nature, or grieve the Holy Spirit of God, and cause him to depart from us.
Whoever reflects on these, will soon be convinced, that all those enjoyments are to be abstained from, which either support our natural corruption, or hinder the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.
He will find also, that this self-denial must extend itself to every day of our lives, unless he can find a day, which offers nothing suitable to the corruption of his nature, or nothing contrary to the good motions of the Holy Ghost.
XXIII. Most people acknowledge this in general: that we ought to avoid what strengthens our corruptions and grieves the Spirit of God: but then they think to abstain from gross sin is sufficient for this.
But let such consider, that a dropsy or a gangrene, is not only increased by drunkenness, but by every little indulgence that suits with it.
Now the corruption of our nature is an inbred distemper that possesses us in the manner of a dropsy or gangrene. If we give into notorious sins, it quite overcomes us, and we are straightway dead in sin.
*But tho’ we keep clear of great offences, yet if we indulge ourselves in little things that suit with the corruption of our nature, we certainly nourish a slow death, and destroy ourselves by degrees.
Our self-denial therefore must be as universal as the means of our corruption. It is to last as long as our disorder, and to extend itself to every thing that might increase it. And this for as plain a reason as a man in a dropsy is not only to abstain from drunkenness, but from every indulgence that increases his disorder.
XXIV. *Let it be farther considered, that the corruption of our nature is but faintly represented by comparing it to these distempers. For one in these distempers may have only some part affected; but the corruption of our nature is as extensive as our nature. It is the corruption of every faculty and every power. It is blindness in our understandings; it is self-love and perverseness in our wills, intemperance in our [♦]appetites. It is anger, lust, pride and revenge in our passions; it is falseness, hypocrisy, malice and hatred in our hearts. Now all this, and far more than this, makes the miserable corruption of human nature.
[♦] ‘appeties’ replaced with ‘appetites’
So that it is as necessary that our lives be a state of regimen, contrary to this variety of disorders, as it is necessary for a man under a complication of distempers, to observe a course of regularity.
For seeing all ill tempers are increased by indulgence, and the more we yield to any, the stronger it grows, ’tis plain we must practise as many sorts of self-denial as we have ill tempers to contend with.
XXV. *When we speak of self-denial, we are apt to confine it to eating and drinking: but we ought to consider, that these are the easiest and smallest instances of it. Pride, vanity, self-love, covetousness, envy, and other inclinations of the like nature, call for a more constant and watchful self-denial, than the appetites of hunger and thirst.
*’Till therefore our self-denial is as universal as our corruption; ’till we deny ourselves all degrees of vanity and folly, as earnestly as we deny ourselves all degrees of drunkenness; till we reject all sorts of pride and envy, as we abhor all kinds of gluttony; till we watch and deny all irregular tempers, as we avoid all sorts of sensuality, we can no more be said to practise self-denial, that he can be said to be just, who only denies himself the liberty of stealing.
And till we do thus universally deny ourselves, our lives will be a ridiculous mixture of I know not what; sober and covetous, proud and devout, temperate and vain, regular in our forms of prayer, and irregular in our passions, circumspect in little modes of behaviour, and careless of tempers the most essential to piety.
XXVI. A little attention to that great principle of reason and religion, that God is our only good, will convince us still farther of the necessity of universal self-denial.
For what can be a greater self-denial, or more contradictory to all our natural sentiments, than to live and govern ourselves by a happiness that is to be had in God alone? A happiness which our senses, our old guides, neither see, nor feel, nor taste, nor perceive: a happiness which gives us neither figure, nor dignity, nor power, nor glory, among one another?
Look at man in his natural state, acting by the judgment of his senses, following the motions of his nature; and you will see him acting as if the world was full of infinite sorts of happiness.
He has not only a thousand imaginary pleasures, but has found out as many vexations; all which shew, that he thinks happiness is every where to be found. For no one is vexed at any thing, unless he thinks he is disappointed of some possible happiness.
A happiness therefore in God alone, is the greatest contradiction to all our natural tempers. Not only as it proposes a good which our senses cannot relish, but as it leads us from all those imaginary enjoyments on which our senses have fixed our hearts.
XXVII. If then we think of religion, without self-denial, we know nothing at all of it. For its whole nature is, to direct us by a light and knowledge and wisdom from God, which is all contrary to the darkness, ignorance and folly of our natures.
It is therefore altogether impossible for any man to enter into the spirit of religion, but by denying himself, by being divested of all his natural tempers and judgments, which have been formed by the blind motions of flesh and blood, and strengthened by the example and authority of the world. He cannot walk in the light of God, unless he reject the dreams of his senses, and the darkness of worldly wisdom.
*We may let our senses tell us, what we are to eat and drink, or when we are to sleep. We may let them teach us, how near we may draw to a fire, how great a burden we may carry, or into how deep a water we may go. In these things they are our proper guides.
But if we appeal to them to know the true good of man, or the proper happiness of our rational nature; if we ask them what guilt there is in sin, or what excellence there is in piety; if we consult them as guides in these matters, we act full as absurdly as if we were to try to hear with our eyes, or to see with our ears.
XXVIII. *While we forget this, all our judgments of things are corrupted by the grossness and errors of our senses.
We judge of every thing in the same manner as the child judges of his play things. It is by our senses alone we pass the judgment, tho’ we think we act with the reason of man.
The world is made up of fine sights, sports, shew and pageantry, which please and captivate the minds of men, because men have still the minds of children, and are just the same slaves to their senses that children are.
As children and men see the same colours in things, so children and men feel the same sensible pleasures, and are affected with external objects in the same manner.
But the misfortune is, that we laugh at the little pleasures, poor designs, and trifling satisfactions of children; while at the same time the wisdom and greatness of men, is visibly taken up with the same trifles.
A coach and six and an embroidered suit, shall make a great statesman as happy, as ever a go-cart and feather made a child.
Ask a child, what he thinks he would do with a great sum of money? Why, he would buy twenty little horses, he would have twenty fine coats, see all fine sights, and the like.
Now promise but a man a great estate, and you will raise all these same thoughts and designs in his mind.
And whence is this, but from hence, that men act with the same vanity of mind, are under the same poor guidance of their senses, are as ignorant of their true happiness, as great strangers to their own nature, as when they first set out in life.
And is not this a plain reason for self-denial? For to indulge ourselves in our natural tempers, is to grow old in the follies of childhood.
XXIX. *Let us take another view of the disorder of our nature, that we may see a still greater necessity of not walking according to it.
When we see people drunk, or in a violent passion, we own they are so long in a state of delusion, thinking, saying, and doing irregular things, by the mere force of their blood and spirits. Here we all see the power of our bodies over our reason; and never suppose a man capable of judging or acting wisely, so long as he is under the violence of passion, or heated by drink.
Now this is more or less the constant, natural state of all mankind; who are by bodily impressions, and the agitations of the blood and spirits, in the same kind of delusion, as men that are drunk, or in a passion, tho’ not always in the same degree.
Sometimes the disorder is more violent than at others. But it never ceases. Men are always in some passion or other; and this, even when it is not to that degree, as to be visible to others, yet occasions the same weakness of mind, the same disordered imagination, and the same wrong apprehension of the nature of things.
A silent envy, a secret vanity, which no body sees, disorders our judgments in the same manner as more violent passions.
You may increase the vanity or envy, till it end in distraction, as it sometimes happens. But then you may be sure, it disordered our understanding in some degree, long before it came to madness. All men therefore while, in a natural state, resemble those who are drunk, or in a violent passion; having some passion or other that affects their spirits and disorders their judgment, in the same manner tho’ not in the same degree.
XXX. *Another circumstance of drunkenness is this, that it gives us a taste peculiar to it, so as to leave a dulness and indisposition towards any thing else. An habitual drunkard has no pleasure like that confused heat of thoughts that arises from inflamed blood. The repeating this so often has given him a turn of mind that relishes nothing but what relates to intemperance.
Now this is naturally the state of all people, in some respect or other. There is something has got hold of them, and given them a taste for it, in the same manner that drinking has formed the taste of a drunkard. All people are not intemperate; but all are under some habit that affects the mind in the same manner as intemperance.
Some people have indulged themselves so long in dressing, others in play, others in sports of the field, others only in little gossiping stories, that they are as much slaves to these, as the intemperate man to liquor.
Now we readily own, that a man who has enslaved himself to drinking, has thereby rendered himself incapable of being a reasonable judge of other happiness; but then we do not enough consider, that we are hurt in the same manner by any thing else that has taken hold of us, and given us a temper and turn of mind peculiar to it.
It is to as little purpose to talk of the happiness of religion, to one that is fond of dress, or play or sports, as to a drunkard; for the pleasures of these particular kinds, make him as deaf to all either proposals of happiness, and as incapable of judging of them.
*A lady abominates a sot, as a creature that has only the shape of a man: but then she does not consider, that perhaps, drunken as he is, he can be more content with the want of liquor, than she can with the want of fine cloaths. And if this be her case, she only differs from him, as one intemperate man differs from another.
Thus it appears, whether we consider the nature, circumstances or effects of drunkenness, that all mankind are more or less in the same state of weakness and disorder.
Hence also appears the absolute necessity of denying our natural tempers and inclinations, and giving ourselves up without reserve to the light and wisdom of God; since by our natural corruption and slavery to the body, we are always under the power of its blind motions, and since all our inclinations and judgments, are only the judgments of heated blood, drunken spirits and disordered passions.
XXXI. Every one sees people in the world, whom he takes to be incapable of sober judgments and wise reflections, because he sees they are full of themselves, blinded with prejudices, violent in their passions, wild and extravagant in their imaginations.
Now when we see these, we should reflect that we see ourselves; for we as certainly see a true representation of ourselves, when we look at such people, as we see a true picture of our state when we see a man in the agonies of death.
You are not dying as this man is; but still he shews you your own true picture. He shews you that your life is in the midst of death, that you have in you the seeds of sickness and mortality, and that you are only at a little uncertain distance from those who are lying upon their last beds.
In like manner, you are not, it may be, in the same height of passion that another man is. You are at some uncertain distance from his state. But if you fancy you are not corrupted with self-love, not weakened by prejudices, not vain in your imaginations, not disordered in your tempers, because you are not in that extremity of disorder wherein some other people are; you think as absurdly, as if you imagined yourself to be immortal, because you are not in the agonies of death.
When therefore you see the violence of other mens passions, the folly of their tempers, and vanity of their minds, remember that you see so many plain reasons for denying yourself, and resisting your own nature, which has in it the seeds of all the same evil tempers.
XXXII. From all this we may learn, (as was observed above) that abstinence as to eating and drinking, is but a small part of Christian self-denial: it being full as dangerous to indulge any evil temper, as to live in gluttony and intemperance.
*You think it shameful to be an epicure, or to be fond of liquor. You are very right: but then proceed a step further, and think it as shameful to be fond of dress, or delighted with yourself, or to be fond of dainties: and that it is as great a sin, to please any corrupt temper, as to please your palate. Remember, that blood heated with any passion, is like blood heated with liquor, and that the grossness of gluttony is no greater a contrariety to religion, than the politeness of pride or vanity.
I have been the longer on this subject, trying to represent the weakness and corruption of our nature, because so far only as we see this, can we see the necessity of denying ourselves. This would be needless, if we were wise and good; but if we see that our whole nature is in a disorder, that our light is darkness, our wisdom foolishness, our judgments as gross and blind as our appetites; that our senses govern us as they govern children; that our hearts are taken up with gewgaws and trifles; that the state of our souls is a state of error and delusion, like that of drunkenness and passion.
If we see ourselves in this true light, we shall see the great reason of Christian self-denial, of renouncing our whole selves, that we may see all things in God; that our hearts may be moved by a motion from him, and our wills and inclinations wholly directed by the light and wisdom of his Spirit.
CHAP. IV.
THE necessity of divine grace, another general ground of self-denial.
I. I come now to another great doctrine of our religion, namely, the absolute necessity of divine grace: which is another constant reason for universal self-denial.
The invisible assistance of God’s Spirit, by which we are disposed to that which is good, and made able to perform it, is a confessed doctrine of Christianity.
Our natural life is preserved by some union with God, who is the fountain of life to all the creation; to which union we are altogether strangers. We find that we are alive; but how or by what influence from God our life is supported, is a secret into which we cannot enter. It is the same thing with relation to our spiritual life; it arises from some invisible union with God, or divine influence, which in this state we cannot comprehend. Our blessed Saviour saith: The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.[¹] This shews us how ignorant we are of the manner of the operations of the Holy Spirit. We may feel its effects, as we may perceive the effects of the wind, but are as much strangers to the manner of its coming upon us, as we are to that exact point, from whence the wind begins to blow, or where it will cease.
[¹] John iii. 8.
II. The Spirit of God is like the nature of God, too high for our conceptions, whilst we are in these dark houses of clay. But our blessed Saviour has in some degree helped our conceptions by the manner of his giving the Holy Spirit to the disciples; and he breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. By this we are taught to conceive of the communications of the Holy Spirit, with some likeness to breath, or wind; that its influences come upon us in some manner, like to a gentle breathing of the air. Representations of this kind are only made in compliance with the weakness of our apprehensions; which, not being able to conceive things as they are in their own nature, must be instructed, by comparing them to such things as our senses are acquainted with. Thus the wisdom and knowledge, that is revealed from God, is compared to light; not because light is a true representation of the wisdom of God; but because it serves best to represent it to our low capacities. In like manner, the influences of the Holy Spirit, are set forth by breathing upon us; not because breath, or air, or wind, are true representations of the gifts of the Spirit, but because they are the properest representations that as yet fall within our knowledge.
III. But that which is most necessary for us to know, and of which we are sufficiently informed in scripture, is the absolute necessity of this divine assistance.
We are used to consider those only as inspired persons, who are called by God to some extraordinary designs. In this sense there have been but few inspired persons; but inspiration, as it signifies an invisible operation, or assistance of God’s Holy Spirit, is the privilege of all Christians: in this sense they are all inspired persons. Know ye not, saith St. Paul, that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you? St. John likewise, Hereby know we that he dwelleth in us, by the Spirit, which he hath given us. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the Sons of God, and if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.[¹] From these, and many other passages it is plain, that the life which we now live, is a life in and by the Spirit of God; and that they are only Sons of God, who are led by this Spirit. Now this doctrine plainly proves the necessity of a constant self-denial; for it must be necessary that we deny ourselves all those tempers, and ways of life, which may make God withhold his grace from us; and likewise all those enjoyments and indulgences, which may make us less able and less disposed to improve and co-operate with those degrees of divine grace that are communicated to us.
[¹] Rom. viii. 11.
IV. And seeing we are none of Christ’s, if the Spirit of Christ be not in us; seeing we are only so far Christians, as we are renewed by the Holy Ghost; nothing can be more necessary than that we consider all our tempers, pleasures, cares, designs and ways of life, whether they be such as suit with the wisdom and heavenly guidance of the Holy Spirit. This doctrine shews us to ourselves in a new point of view, and may serve to teach us several truths, which we should otherwise not so readily apprehend.
When we are left to consider our duty with relation to the express commandments of God, there are many ways of life, which we think ourselves at liberty to follow, because they seem to be no plain breach of any express commandment. But we are to look to a farther rule, and to consider our pleasures and cares, our designs and endeavours, not only whether they are contrary to the letter of the law, but whether they are according to the Spirit of God; for if they are contrary to the Spirit of God, they are as truly to be avoided, as if they were contrary to some express commandment. For we are assured by scripture, that they only are the Sons of God, who are led by the Spirit of God; and none can be said to be led by the Spirit of God, but they whose lives are according to it, whose actions, cares, and pleasures, hopes and fears, are such as may be said to be guided by the Holy Ghost.
V. We are therefore to consider ourselves as inspired persons, that have no knowledge or wisdom, but what comes from God; and this wisdom will no longer dwell with us, than we act conformably thereto. So that we must not deceive ourselves in saying, where is the harm of such indulgences, or such vanities and idle amusements? But must consider, whether they are such as are conformable to a life that is to be directed by the Holy Ghost. In this manner must we examine all our ways of life, as well our cares as our pleasures. For unreasonable cares, and unreasonable pleasures, are equally contrary to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and equally separate us from him. People often think their designs and diversions innocent, because they are not sinful in their nature. But they should also consider, whether they are not vain and foolish, and unsuitable to the condition of a Christian. For a life of folly and vanity, and trifling designs, is no more living by the Spirit of God, than a life of gross sins is keeping the commandments. So that the safest rule to judge of our actions by, is to consider them with relation to that Spirit, by which we are to be guided. Is this design or this diversion according to the wisdom of the Spirit of God? Am I in these things improving the secret inspiration of the Holy Ghost? Am I here governed by a wisdom from above? Are these ways such as I can truly say, that I am led into them by the Spirit of God? Do I allow myself in them, because they serve to set forth the glory of God? Are they good proofs that the Spirit of God dwelleth in me; and that by thus sowing to the Spirit, I shall of the Spirit reap everlasting life? This is the rule by which Christians are to regulate their thoughts, words, and actions; for we are called by God to act by the motions of his Holy Spirit, and to make no other use of ourselves, or the world we are in, than such as is conformable to that dignity of life and state of glory to which we are called. The Spirit of our religion is to be the spirit of our lives, the constant principle of all our tempers and inclinations, which is to render us reasonable, and wise and holy in all our progress through the world.
VI. *’Tis acknowledged by all, that a life of intemperance and debauchery, makes us dead and senseless of religion: but then it is not enough considered that the vanity of the mind, an understanding busied in trifles, an impertinent course of life, will as certainly produce the same effect. If our understanding is full of foolish imaginations, if we are devoted to trifles, religion can gain no entrance. A man may be so earnest in picking straws, as to have no leisure to think of his salvation; nor any more inclination to it, than one that is constantly in drink.
Thus poor amusements, vain arts, useless sciences, impertinent learning, false satisfaction, a wrong turn of mind, a state of idleness, or any the vainest trifles of life, may keep men at as great a distance from true religion, as the debaucheries of intemperance.
VII. *Titius is temperate and regular: but then he is so great a mathematician, that he does not know when Sunday comes: he sees people going to church as he sees others going to market; he goes on studying, measuring, and calculating, and may as well be called a merchant as a Christian.
All doctrines of religion are disagreeable to Philo; he avoids them as he avoids party: now what is the reason of it? It is not because he is debauched and intemperate. But he is a virtuoso, devoted to polite literature. His soul is extended to all the curiosities in the world, and thinks all time to be lost that is not spent in the search of shells, urns, inscriptions, and broken pieces of pavements. This makes the concerns of eternity seem small things in his eyes, fit only for the enquiry of narrow, little, and unpolite souls.
Eusebius would read prayers twice a day in his parish; he would be often with the poor and sick, and spend much time in charitable visits; he would be wholly taken up with the care of souls, but that he is busy in studying the old grammarians, and would fain reconcile some differences amongst them before he dies.
VIII. Lycia might be pious; but that she is too easy, gay, and chearful, to admit of care of any kind. She can no more repent, than she can be out of temper, and must be the same sparkling, chearful creature in the church, as in the play-house. She might be capable of understanding the misery of human nature, and the necessity of the comforts of religion; but that she is so happy every time she is dressed.
Matrona is old, and has been these fifty years eating and drinking, sleeping and waking, dressing and undressing, paying and receiving visits. She has no prophaneness; and, if she has no piety, it is owing to this, that she never had a spare half-hour to think about it. She envies her daughters, because they will dress and visit when she is dead.
*Publius goes to church sometimes, and reads the scripture; but he knows not what he reads or prays, his head is so full of politics. He is so angry at Kings and Ministers of State, that he has no time or disposition to call himself to account. He has the history of all parliaments, elections, prosecutions, and impeachments, and dies with little or no religion, through a constant fear of popery.
Siccus has been all his life long building and pulling down, making canals and ditches, raising walls and fences. People call him a good man, because he employs the poor: Siccus might have been a religious man, but that he thought building was the chief happiness of a rational creature. He is all the week amongst dirt and mortar, and stays at home on Sundays to view his contrivances. He will die more contentedly, if his death does not happen whilst some wall is in building.
IX. I have mentioned these several characters to shew, that it is not only prophaneness, debauchery, and open vices, that keep men from the impressions of true religion; but that the mere play-things of life, impertinent studies, vain amusements, false satisfactions, idle dispositions, will produce the same effect. A wrong turn of mind, impertinent cares, a succession of the poorest trifles, if they take up our thoughts, leave no more room for true piety than gross sensuality.
X. We see even in worldly matters, that if we propose any thing to a man, when he is in the pursuit of something else, he hardly hears or understands us; we must stay for a season of more leisure and indifference, till his thoughts and passions are at rest.
Now this holds much stronger in matters of religion. Its doctrines are neither heard nor understood, because it always finds us in the pursuit of something else. It matters not what this something else is; the mind is equally employed wrong, and so not in a condition to like, or at leisure to listen to any other happiness. If you were to propose the same truths to a man in another state, when weariness or disappointment has made him give up all designs, or when sickness or the approach of death shews him that he must act no longer in them, they would have quite another effect upon him; then the great things of religion appear great indeed. He feels their whole weight, and is amazed he did not see them always in the same manner. Now it is the great end and design of self-denial to put a stop to the follies of life, that our souls may quietly consider, and fully comprehend the truths which come from God; that our hearts being at liberty from a croud of foolish thoughts, may be ready to obey and co-operate with the inspirations of that Spirit, which is to lead and quicken us in all holiness; that death and judgment, heaven and hell, may make as deep impressions upon our minds in the middle of our lives, as at our last hour; that we may be as wise and prudent as sick and dying men, and live with such apprehensions as most people die with; that we may see the vanity of the world, the misery of sin, the greatness of eternity, and the want of God, as they see it who stand upon the brink of another world.
XI. This is the great and happy work of self-denial, to awaken us into a true knowledge of ourselves, and shew us who, and where, and what we are. Till then our life is but a sleep, a dream, a mere succession of shadows; and we act with as little reason as a child that is pleased with blowing about a feather. We must therefore not only deny our wicked inclinations, but also all our follies, impertinences, and vain satisfactions: for, as plain and known sins harden and corrupt, so impertinences and vain satisfactions delude and blind our hearts, and render them insensible of our real misery, or true happiness.
XII. We are true members of the kingdom of God; when the kingdom of God is within us; when the spirit of religion is the spirit of our lives; when seated in our hearts, it diffuses itself into all our motions; when it is the principle of all our thoughts and desires, the spring of all our hopes and fears; when we like and dislike, seek and avoid, mourn and rejoice, as becomes those who are born again of God. And this is the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, to give us a new understanding, a new judgment, temper, taste, and relish, new desires, and new hopes and fears. But so far as we nourish any foolish passion, indulge any vanity of mind or corruption of heart; so far we resist the graces of God’s Holy Spirit, and render ourselves indisposed to relish and improve his secret inspiration.
XIII. Christians are therefore not only to consider themselves, as men that are to act by a principle of reason, but as spiritual beings who have a higher principle of life within them, and are to live by the wisdom and instructions of the Spirit of God.
As reasonable men would do every thing that tended to strengthen or improve their reason, so Christians ought to practise every thing that can strengthen or preserve their union with the Spirit of God. For as a man without reason has but the figure of a man; so a Christian without the Spirit of God, has but the form of a Christian. Here therefore we must fix all our care, and concern, that we may remove all hindrances of divine grace; that we may be truly spiritual in all our ways and designs, and indulge no tempers that may lessen our union with the Spirit of God.
XIV. Some persons will perhaps refrain from grief, when they find that it hurts their eyes; they will avoid passion and anger if it ends in pains of the head; but they would do well to consider that these tempers are to be abstained from, upon much greater accounts. Passion may disorder our bodies, waste our spirits, and leave pains in our heads; but it leaves greater marks of injury in our better parts, as it throws us into a state of madness, and banishes the Holy Spirit of peace, and gentleness, and prepares us for the suggestions of the spirit of darkness. Grief may hurt our eyes, but it much more hurts our souls, as it sinks them into a state of gloom and darkness, which expels and quenches the Spirit of God; for light may as well unite with darkness, as the Spirit of God dwell with the gloomy dulness and horror of stupid grief. What I have observed of these two passions, ought to be concluded of every other passion and temper; we are to consider it as it suits with, or resists that new Spirit, by whose motions we are to be preserved in a state of holiness.
XV. Now seeing this newness of spirit is the whole of religion; we must fear and avoid all irregularity of spirit, every unreasonable temper, because it hurts us in our principal part, and makes us less capable of the graces, and less obedient to the motions of God’s Holy Spirit. We must labour after a state of peace, and thankfulness, free from the folly of vain hopes, idle fears, and false anxieties, that our souls may be disposed to rejoice in the comforts, and advance in the graces of the Holy Ghost.
XVI. And with what care and exactness we are at all times to conduct ourselves, is fully set forth in the following words: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers; and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption.[¹] That we may not here mistake what is meant by corrupt communication, the apostle adds; but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. So that it is a conversation that does not edify, and profit the hearers, that the apostle condemns as corrupt. And let it be observed that the apostle does not prohibit this kind of conversation because it is useless, and impertinent; but for a reason of the utmost consequence, that we may not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. This shews us that we Christians are to govern ourselves by no less a rule, than a conformity to the Spirit of God; that we are not only to deny ourselves vain and foolish actions, but also idle and unedifying discourse, and conduct ourselves in all our behaviour, with such a spirit of wisdom and purity as may make the Holy Ghost delight to dwell in us. Such a wisdom as is not occasionally exercised in this or that place, or at set times; but is always in being, and constantly disposing us to thoughts, words and actions suitable to it.
[¹] Ephes. iv. 29.
XVII. A man may be said to have some regard for religion, who is regular at places of divine worship; but he cannot be reckoned of a religious spirit, till it is his Spirit in every place and on every occasion, till he lives and breathes by it, and thinks, and speaks, and acts according to its motions.
A man may frequent meetings for mirth; but yet, if when he is out of them, he gives himself to peevishness, chagrin and dulness, no one will say such a man is of a chearful spirit. It is easy to make the application: if we are only attendants at places of religion; if when we are out of those places, we are of another spirit, I don’t say proud or covetous, but vain and foolish: if our actions are silly, and our conversation trifling and impertinent, our tempers vain and worldly, we are no more of a religious spirit, than a dull peevish man is of a chearful spirit, because he is regular at some set meetings for mirth.
XVIII. *Religion is not ours till we live by it; till it is the religion of our thoughts, words and actions; till it goes with us into every place; sits uppermost on every occasion; and forms and governs our hopes and fears, our cares and pleasures. He is the religious man who watches and guards his Spirit, and endeavours to be always in the temper of religion; who worships God in every place: who is as fearful of foolish thoughts, irregular tempers, and vain imaginations at one time as at another; who is as wise and heavenly at home, or in the field, as in the house of God. For when once religion has got possession of a man’s heart, and is become as it ought to be, his ruling temper; it is as agreeable to such a one in all places, and at all times, to speak and act according to its directions, as ’tis agreeable to the ambitious man, to act according to the motions of ambition. We must therefore take it for granted, that if we are not religious in our conversation, or common temper, we are not religious in our hearts; we may have a formality of religion at certain times and places, but we are not of a religious spirit.
XIX. We see every body speaking and conversing according to their spirit and temper: the covetous, the ambitious, the vain and self-conceited, have each of them their proper language suitable to their spirit and temper; they are the same persons in all places, and always talk like themselves. If therefore we could meet with persons of a truly religious spirit, we should find them like men of other tempers, the same persons in all places, and always talking and acting like themselves. We should find them living by one temper, and conversing with men with the same spirit that they converse with God; not one thing in one place, and another in another; not formal and grave at a funeral, and mad and frantic at a feast; not listening to wisdom at church, and delighting in folly at home; not angry with one foolish thing, and as much pleased at another; but steady and uniform in the same wise and religious temper.
XX. Farther, as we are not of a religious spirit, till it orders all our conversation; so it is to be observed, that if our conversation is vain and foolish, it keeps us in a state incapable of religion, by grieving the Holy Spirit. And as we can do nothing without the Spirit of God, as he is our breath, our life, our light, and our strength; so, if we live in such a way as grieves and removes this Holy Spirit from us, we are as branches that are broke off from the tree, and must perish in the deadness and corruption of our nature. Let this therefore teach us to judge rightly of the sin and danger of vain, unedifying and corrupt communication; it is not the sin of idleness or negligence only; it is not a pardonable infirmity; it is not a little mistake in spiritual wisdom; but it is a sin that stands between us and the tree of life; that opposes our whole happiness, as it grieves and separates the Holy Spirit from us. Let this also teach some people the reason why they are so dead and senseless of religion: they are not guilty of gross sins; they have an aversion to cheating and falseness; but at the same time have no more feeling or sense of religion than mere reprobates. Now the reason of it is this; they live in such an impertinence of conversation; their communication is so constantly upon silly and vain subjects; and they are so fond of those who have the talent of conversing in the same manner, that they render themselves unfit for the residence of the Holy Spirit. We don’t seem to apprehend, either how much good or how much evil there is in conversation; I believe it may be affirmed that the greatest instructions, and the greatest corruptions proceed from it. For mens common conversation and ordinary life teach much more effectually than any thing they say or do at set times or occasions.
When a clergyman preaches, he is for the most part considered as doing that which all clergymen do, whether good or bad. But if he is the same wise and virtuous man in his communication, that he is in the pulpit; if his speech be always seasoned with salt, that it may minister grace unto the hearers; if the common actions of his life be visibly governed by a spirit of piety: such a one will be heard with reverence on the Sunday for what he says and does all the week. And on the contrary, if a clergyman, when he comes out of the pulpit, is but like other men; as irregular in his tempers; as trifling in his conversation; as eager in his diversions; and as vain in his designs; he will mightily lessen his power over the hearts of his hearers.
A father now and then gives his son virtuous advice, and the son perhaps would be much the better for it; but that he never hears him talk virtuously, but when he is giving him advice; this makes him think, that he is then only acting the part of a father; as when he is buying him cloaths, or putting him out to an employment. Whereas if he saw his father’s ordinary life and conversation to be under the rules of religion; and his every day temper, a temper of piety; ’tis very likely that he would be won into an imitation of it.
XXI. It is our communication, our ordinary temper and common life, that affects other people, that either hardens them in sin, or awakens them to a sense of piety. Let therefore all clergymen, and masters and mistresses of families look carefully to themselves; let them consider, that if their ordinary life, their communication be vain, impertinent, and unedifying, they are not only in a corrupt state of heart, but are guilty of corrupting and perverting the hearts of those that belong to them. Let them not think that they have sufficiently discharged their duty, by seeing that those who relate to them, have their proper instructions; for it is next to impossible for such instructions to have their proper effect against the example of those we converse with. If a clergyman plays, and drinks, and sports with his flock in the week days: let him not wonder if he preaches them asleep on Sundays. If a father is intemperate; if he swears, and converses foolishly with his friends; let him not wonder that his children cannot be made virtuous. It is therefore the necessary duty of all Christians, in all states of life, to look carefully to their ordinary behaviour, that it be not the means of poisoning and corrupting the hearts of those they converse with. They must consider, that all the follies and impertinences of their ordinary life and conversation have the guilt of destroying souls; and that the blood of those whom their follies have destroyed, will be required at their hands.
XXII. A mistress whose conversation is a daily proof to her maids, that she is governed by a spirit of piety in all she says and does: whose life is a continual visible labour to work out her salvation with fear and trembling, is a blessing to all that stand about her. She communicates happiness even to those who are born of her servants; they will be educated in piety, because their parents learnt what piety was in waiting on such a mistress.
XXIII. A good-natured, drinking, sleeping, playing, swearing master, is a curse to those who tend upon him; they are led into all irregularities, by following his steps, and are sent into the world hardened in follies, and insensible of religion, by having lived with such a master. This ought carefully to be considered by all Christians, as a mighty encouragement to strictness of behaviour; that as a holy conversation intitles us to a reward for other peoples virtues; so an evil communication makes us liable to a punishment for other mens sins. For we can neither live well nor ill to ourselves alone; but must of necessity do either good or harm to others by our manner of conversation. This is one great reason why a vain corrupt communication does so grieve the Holy Spirit; because it is so infecting an evil, and does so corrupt the manners of those we converse with.
CHAP. V.
THE necessity of divine grace, obligeth all Christians to a constant purity and holiness of conversation; wherein is shewn the great danger and impiety of reading vain and impertinent books.
I. I have shewn that the necessity of divine grace is a mighty argument for an universal exactness of life and conversation. I come now to speak farther to that remarkable branch of it: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers; and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption. Now if we are to let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouth, that we may not grieve the holy Spirit of God; it follows that we are to deny ourselves the entertainment of corrupt, impertinent, and unedifying books. For if vain and idle words are not to proceed out of our mouths, we must be under the same necessity of not letting them come into our hearts.
II. If we would know what books are to be avoided as corrupt and grieving the Holy Spirit, we must look back to the rule of our communication; for as that communication is there said to be corrupt that does not edify and minister grace to the hearers; so must we look upon all those books as corrupt, which do not edify and minister grace to the readers. Now this book-entertainment is as certainly forbidden by the apostle, as cheating is forbidden by the eighth commandment: for if I am not to say foolish and impertinent things myself, because such a communication grieves the Holy Spirit of God; I am as certainly forbid the reading the corrupt and impertinent sayings of other people.
The books which mostly corrupt our hearts, and fill us with a spirit of folly, are such as almost all the world allow themselves to read; I mean books of wit and humour, romances, plays, and other productions of the poets. Thus a grave orthodox old gentleman, if he hears that his niece is very good, and delights in reading, will fill her closet with volumes of plays and poems on several occasions, on purpose to encourage her to spend her time well. There is not perhaps a more surprising infatuation in the conduct of Christians, than this.
III. There is a proper time for every thing that is lawful to be done: now, can you tell when it is proper for a Christian to meditate upon these books?
There is a time when our hearts are more than ordinarily raised towards God; when we feel the joys and comforts of religion, and enjoy a peace that passes all understanding. Now I suppose reason will not allot this time for the diversion of such books.
There is a time, when either thro’ the neglect of duty, remorse of mind, worldly vexations, bodily tempers, or the absence of God’s Spirit, we sink into dejection and dulness, grow burthensome to ourselves, and can hardly think of any thing with satisfaction. Now if reason is to judge, this is of all times the most improper for such entertainment. For if there is any time more proper than another to think upon God, ’tis when we are in heaviness.
When we are sick it is time to fly to the physician; when we are weary, it is a proper time to rest: now there is the same fitness in having recourse to God and religion, when we are under any dejection of mind. For it is not more the sole property of light to dispel darkness, than it is the sole property of religion to relieve all uneasiness. Is any one afflicted, says the apostle, let him pray. Now this we are to look upon, not only as a wise advice of something that is very good to be done; but as a strict command that leaves no choice of doing any thing in the stead of it.
It is as absolute a command as if he had said, Hath any one sinned, let him repent. For an application to God is as much the one thing to be done in the hour of trouble, as repentance is the one thing to be done in time of sin.
IV. You seem to make times of dulness the occasion of reading those books, by saying that you only read them to divert your spirits. But that which you take to be a reason for reading them, is a strong objection against it. For it is never so improper to read those books, as when you want to have your spirits raised, or your mind made easy to itself. For it is the highest abuse you can put upon yourself, to look for ease and quiet in any thing, but in right apprehensions of God’s providence. And it is a sin against the whole nature of religion, not to make it the whole measure and reason of all your peace and enjoyment in every occurrence of life.
If you must amuse yourself with a volume of plays, because you are laid up with a broken leg, or have lost a friend, you are as far from wisdom as a child that is to be made quiet with a rattle, and as far from religion as those who worship idols; nay, to seek to such things for relief and refreshment, is like applying to the devil in distress. A man that drinks drams every time he is dull or uneasy, is a wise, prudent, and sober man, if compared to the Christian that in seasons of dejection has recourse to wanton wit, and prophane rant: he destroys the purity of his mind much more effectually, than the other destroys the health of his body.
Do you think that in great distresses, it is proper to seek comfort in God; but that in little troubles, any thing that can divert is as well? Nay, surely if God is our sufficient comfort in great distresses, he must be our best relief in those that are smaller. Unless it can be said, that the truths of religion are able to make us bear martyrdom with content, but not great enough to make us easy in little trials.
V. Besides, to seek for relief in foolish books, is not only applying to a false remedy, but is also destroying the chief power of religion. For as religion has no power over us but as it is our happiness; so far as we neglect, or refuse to make use of its comforts, so far we destroy its power over us. For it can no otherwise be the ordinary care of our lives, than by being our ordinary happiness and consolation in all the changes of life. A Christian therefore is to make his Christianity his comfort, not only in times of great trial and sufferings, but in all the lesser vexations of life, that by this means every little occasion of grief or disquiet may be an occasion of his being more affected with religion, and more sensible of its true comforts.
VI. On the contrary, if men will make themselves happy as children are made happy, not by considering the nature of things, but by a change of amusements, they must also expect to have the vexations of children, and be, like them, laughing and crying at they know not what, all the days of their life: for children are only easily vexed because they are easily pleased; and it is certain that they who can be pleased with things of no value must in the same degree be liable to be displeased at them. And as this is the true state of childhood: so whosoever is in this state, whatever his age may be, his office, or his dignity in life, is yet as truly in the state and folly of childhood, as he that is but four years old. Take an instance or two: a child whose heart is half broken at some misfortune, may perhaps be made easy with a picture of a huntsman and a pack of hounds; but if you would comfort the father that grieves for his eldest son, the hounds must all be alive; they must cry, and run, and follow a hare; and this will make the father as easy as the picture did the child.
A mother comforts her little girl with a pack of cards that are finely painted: by and by she wants to be comforted herself: some great calamity has happened to her. Now you must not think to comfort her with painted cards, or building houses with them; her grief is too great, and she has been too long a mother to be pleased with such things. It is only serious ombre that can dry her eyes, and remove sorrow from her heart.
VII. I might easily multiply instances of this kind; but these are sufficient to shew us, that persons of age and authority often differ only from children, as one child may differ from another. This is the true reason why human life is so full of complaint; why it is such a mixture of ridiculous pleasures, and vain disquiets, namely, because we live in an entire ignorance of the nature of things, never considering why we are pleased with this, or displeased with that, nor any more appeal to religion to direct our judgments, than children appeal to reason to form their tempers. For if we will only play, or lull ourselves into repose, as children are rocked to sleep, it is not to be wondered at, if like them we cry as soon as we are awake: and the reason why people, seemingly religious, are subject to the same dulness and peevishness, to the same vexations and variety of griefs that other people are, is this, because they make no more use of their religion on those occasions, than other people: they don’t so much as intend to keep themselves easy, thankful and chearful, by making religion the measure and standard of all their thoughts and judgments, in all the common chances of life, any more than those do, who have no thoughts about religion.
VIII. Suppose a person had lame feet, and bad eyes, and that he had an oil, that was an infallible cure for them both, when applied to both; if you saw him only using it for his eyes, you would not wonder that it had not cured his feet; you would know that his anointing his eyes could only cure his eyes; and that there was no ground to expect that his feet should be any better, till he anointed his feet: and all this for this plain reason, because things, however good in themselves, can have no farther effect than as they are applied. Now it is just thus in religion. If a man places it only in public worship, he attends public worship; it operates so far. But why must you wonder, that he is not of a wise, virtuous, and religious temper, in all the actions of his ordinary life? Is not this wondering why the oil has not cured a man’s feet, when he has never applied it to them, but only to his eyes?
IX. *When the regular churchman as plainly makes religion the measure of his ordinary life, as he makes it the rule of his going to church; when he as directly uses it to this purpose, as a man anoints his eyes, who would be cured by anointing them; then you will see him as different in his ordinary life from other people, as different in his pleasures and griefs, in his cares and concerns, as he is different from them in forms and regularity of worship. But till men do this; till they apply the principles of religion to all the actions of ordinary life; till they make it the measure of all their daily tempers, their joys and fears; till they think there is as much piety in being wise and holy in their common tempers, as in being devout at church; as much sin in being vainly pleased and foolishly vexed, as in neglecting the divine service; till they thus directly apply religion to common life, as a man applies a remedy to the part he would have cured; it is no more to be expected that it should make them religious in common life, than that an oil applied to our eyes should cure our feet.
It is our ordinary life, which we think is thus left to ourselves, that makes religion so insignificant in the world: it lies by like a remedy that is unapplied; it has no effect because it is used only as a formal thing that has its duties at set times and occasions: whereas it should be used and considered as the rule and reason of all our judgments and actions; as the measure of all our cares and pleasures; as the life of our life, the spirit of our spirit, and the very form and essence of all our tempers. It is to be in us, like a new reason and judgment of our minds; that is to reason and judge of every thing we do, and to preside over and govern all the motions of our hearts. Is any one merry, saith the apostle, let him sing psalms: Is any afflicted, let him pray. This is religion in the apostle’s account; it is not only an attendance at the public worship, but it is the ruling habit of our minds; something that devotes us wholly to God, that allows of no mirth in our common life, but a mirth proper for the brethren of Christ, a mirth that can express itself in praise and thanksgiving, that allows of no other cure for grief or vexation than what is to be had from recourse to God. And indeed what can be more absurd, than for a Christian ever to act in any other consideration than as a Christian? He is senseless to a degree of madness when he indulges a thought, or a motion of his heart; when he either takes a pleasure, or relieves a grief; where he cannot say I do this as a Christian, as suitable to that state in which Christianity has placed me.
X. *We reckon a man sufficiently mad that fancies himself a king, and governing his subjects, at the same time that he is tied on a bed of straw: now a Christian repeats every day, I believe the forgiveness of sin, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting; he thanks God for the redemption of Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. Yet at the same time, in this state of greatness, he fancies himself in a thousand wants and miseries: he cries and labours, and toils for a happiness, that has no existence but in his own imagination; he fancies himself a being that is to be made happy with sauces and ragous, with painted cloaths and shining diamonds, he is grieved and fretted like a child at the loss of a feather; and must be diverted, as they are, with shows and plays, and imaginary scenes of rant and nonsense. Now is not such a one mad? Does he not know as little of his state, as the man in straw who fancies himself a king? But for a Christian, in times of dulness or vexation, to seek relief in foolish amusements, in the loose, wild discourses of plays, when he should acquaint himself with God, and be at peace, is a degree of madness that exceeds all others; it is acting as contrary to the nature of things, as if a man that had lost the use of his limbs, should chuse to comfort his lameness with painted shoes, when he might have the use of his feet restored. For the consolations of religion relieve uneasiness and trouble, as a lame man is relieved when his limbs are restored; they conquer grief, not by cheating and deluding the weakness of our minds, but as the resurrection conquers death, by restoring us to a new and glorious life.
XI. From these reflections I hope it sufficiently appears, that the reading vain and impertinent books is no matter of indifferency; but that it is justly to be reckoned amongst our greatest corruptions; that it is as unlawful as malice and evil speaking; and is no more to be allowed in any part of our life.
Reading, when it is an exercise of the mind, upon wise and pious subjects, is, next to prayer, the best improvement of our hearts; it enlightens our minds, collects our thoughts, calms and allays our passions, and begets in us wise and pious resolutions; it is a labour that does so much good to our minds, that it ought never to be employed amiss; it enters so far into our souls that it cannot have a little effect upon us. Reading and meditation is that to our souls, which food and nourishment is to our bodies; so that we cannot do ourselves either a little good, or little harm, by the books that we read.
XII. But perhaps you think it is a dull task to read only religious and moral books: but when God is your happiness; when you are not afraid of the joys of eternity, you will think it a dull task to read any other books. Don’t fancy therefore that your heart is right, tho’ you had rather read books upon other subjects; for it is there that you are to charge your dullness: religion has no hold of you; the things of eternity are not the concerns of your mind; it is dull and tiresome to you to be wise and pious; and that makes it a dull task to read only books that treat upon such subjects. When it is the care of your soul to be humble, holy, pious, and heavenly minded; when you know any thing of the guilt and misery of sin, or feel a real desire of salvation, you will find religious books to be the greatest feast and joy of your mind.
XIII. You perhaps will say that you have so much spare time for reading, that you think you need not employ it at all in reading good books. It may be so; you may have also more time than you need devote to offices of charity; but will you thence conclude, that you may then do things contrary to charity, and indulge yourself in spight and mischief?
*If you have every day more time than you can employ in reading, meditation and prayer; if this time hangs upon your hands, and cannot be turned to any advantage; let me desire you to go to sleep or pick straws; for it is much better to do this, than to have recourse to corrupt and impertinent books. Time lost in sleep, or in picking straws, is better lost than in such exercises of the mind. Consider farther, that idle and spare time calls for the greatest care and watchfulness; so that to have recourse then to evil and impertinent books, is like inviting the devil because you are alone. If you could read ill books when you are in haste, or in a hurry of other matters, it would do you much less harm than to read them because your time hangs upon your hands. That very season which you take to be an excuse for such reading, is the strongest argument against it, because evil thoughts and vain subjects have twice the effect, and make double impressions when they are admitted at times of leisure and idleness.
XIV. Consider again to what a miserable state you are reduced, when you are forced to have recourse to foolish books to get rid of your time. Your fortune perhaps has removed you from the necessity of labouring for your bread; you have been politely educated in softness; you have no trade or employment to take up your time; and so are left to be devoured by corrupt passions and pleasures. Whilst poor people are at hard labour; whilst your servants are drudging in the meanest offices of life; you, oppressed with idleness and indulgence, are relieving yourself with foolish and impertinent books; feeding and delighting a disordered mind with romantic nonsense, and poetic follies. If this be the effect of riches and fortune, only to expose people to the power of disordered passions, and give them time to corrupt their hearts with madness and folly, well might our Lord say, Woe unto you that are rich!
*When you see a poor creature drudging in the meanest offices of life, and glad of the dirtiest work to get his bread, you are apt to look upon him as a miserable wretch; it raises a mixture of pity and contempt in you; but remember, that every time you see such a person, you see a more reasonable creature than yourself, and one that is much more nobly employed than you are. He is acting conformably to the state of human life, and bearing a hard part with patience; he is doing a work which, mean as it is, will be looked upon as done unto the Lord; whilst you, idling in softness and pleasures, are unable to bear your time, unless it be stolen away from you by folly and impertinence. Fancy that you saw a patient Christian, old, broken and crooked, with carrying burthens all his life; fancy that you saw another Christian lolling in state and softness, and making every day a day of vanity and foolish reading; which of them do you think is most likely to die in the hands of good angels, and be carried into Abraham’s bosom?
XV. *But, after all, what a vain imagination is it to think that you have any such thing as spare time? Is there any time for which you are not accountable to God? Is there any time which God has so left to your own disposal that you may sacrifice it to the indulgence of vain tempers, and the corruption of your heart? You can no more shew this than you can shew, that all your time is your own. To talk, therefore of spare time, is to talk of something that never did nor ever will belong to any Christian. You may have a spare time from this or that labour, or necessity, you may abate or change any particular exercise, you may take this or that refreshment; you have all these spare times from particular actions, but you have no spare time that releases you from the laws of Christianity, or that leaves you at liberty not to act by the principles of religion and piety.
*You have spare time to refresh yourself: but this is to be governed by the same wisdom, as the time that is spent in cares and labours. For your recreations and pleasures are only lawful as far as they are directed by the same wisdom with your cares and labours. If therefore the providence of God has placed you above the necessity of labouring for your livelihood, you must not think that you have so much spare time to spend, as you please, but that you are certainly called to some other labour. Great part of the world is doomed to toil and slavery; they have it not in their power to chuse any other way of life, and their labour is therefore an acceptable service to God, because it is such as their state requires. Happy are you therefore, if you knew your happiness, who have it in your power to be always doing the best things; who, free from labour and hardships, are at liberty to chuse the best ways of life, to study all the arts of self-improvement, to practise all the ways of doing good, and to spend your time in all the noblest instances of piety, humility, charity and devotion! Bless God then, not because you have spare time, for that you have none, but that you have time to employ in the best ways that you can find; that whilst others are oppressed with burdens, and worn out with slavery, you have time to think upon the greatest and best of things; to enlighten your mind, to correct the disorder of your heart, to study the laws of God, to contemplate the wonders of his providence, to convince yourself of the vanity of the world, and to delight your soul with the great and glorious things which God has prepared for those that love him. This is the happiness of being free from labour and want, not to have spare time to squander away in vanity and impertinence, but to have spare time to spend in the study of wisdom, in the exercise of devotion, in the practice of piety, in all the ways and means of doing good and exalting our souls to a state of Christian perfection.
XVI. *It is a doctrine of scripture, and highly agreeable to reason, That unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required. Consider therefore that a life of leisure and freedom from want and hardships is as much as can well be given you in this world, as it is giving you an opportunity of living wholly to God, and making all the parts of your life useful to the best purposes. As sure therefore as it is a state, that has so many advantages that furnishes you with so many means of being eminent in piety, so sure it is, that it is a state from which God expects fruits that are worthy of it. Had it been your lot to labour in a mine, or serve under some cruel master, you must have served as unto God; and in so doing you had finished the work which God had given you. But as you are free from all this, you must look upon yourself as God’s servant, as called to chuse that way of labouring and spending your time, which may most promote that which God desires to be promoted. God has given you liberty to chuse, but it is only that you may have the blessedness of chusing the best ways of spending your time. Though therefore you are at liberty from servile and mean labour, yet you are under a necessity of labouring in all good works, and making all your time, and fortune, and abilities serviceable to the best ends of life. You have no more time that is your own, than he has that is to live by constant labour; the only difference betwixt you and him is this, that he is to be diligent in a poor, slavish labour, that oppresses the body, and dejects the mind; but you in a service that is perfect freedom, that renders your body a fit temple for the Holy Ghost, and fills your soul with such light, and peace, and joy, as is not to be found in any other way of life.
XVII. Do you think that a poor slave would displease God by refusing to act in that painful drudgery that is fallen to his share? And do you think that God will not be more displeased with you, if you refuse to act your full part in the best of labours, or neglect that happy business of doing good, which your state of life has called you to? [♦]Is it expected that poor people should make a right use of their condition, and turn all their labour into a service unto God? And do you think you are not obliged to make a proper improvement of your condition, and turn all your rest, and ease, and freedom from labour, into service unto God? Tell me therefore no more that you indulge yourself in idle amusements, in vain, corrupt, and unedifying books, because you have spare time? For it is absolutely false to say that you have any such thing; it is saying, that because God has given you spare time from servile labour, time for all the instances of a holy and heavenly life; therefore you presume to throw it away in idleness and impertinence.
[♦] ‘It is’ replaced with ‘Is it’
The End of the Fourth Volume.