Nourish it with good works, give it peace in solitude, get it strength in prayer, make it wise with reading, enlighten it by meditation, make it tender with love, sweeten it with humility, enliven it with psalms and hymns, and comfort it with frequent reflections upon future glory. Keep it in the presence of God, and teach it to imitate those guardian angels; which tho’ they attend on the lowest of mankind, yet always behold the face of our Father which is in heaven.
This, Serena, is your profession. For as sure as God is one God, so sure it is, that he has but one command to all mankind, whether they be bond or free, rich or poor; and that is, to act up to the excellency of their nature, to live by reason, to walk in the light of religion, to glorify God in all his gifts, and dedicate every condition of life to his service.
This is the one common command of God to all mankind. If you have an employment, you are to be thus reasonable, and holy in the exercise of it; if you have time and a fortune in your own power, you are to be thus reasonable, and holy, in the use of all your time and all your fortune.
4. The right use of every talent, is the indispensable duty of every being that is capable of knowing right or wrong.
For the reason why we are to do any thing as unto God, and with regard to our relation to him, is the same reason why we are to do every thing as unto God, and with regard to this relation.
That which is a reason for our being wise and holy in the discharge of all our business, is the same reason for our being wise and holy in the use of all our money.
*As we have always the same natures, and are every where the servants of the same God; as every place is equally full of his presence, and every thing is equally his gift; so we must do every thing as the servants of God; we must live in every place, as in his presence; we must use every thing as that ought to be used which belongs to God.
Either this wisdom, and devotion is to go thro’ every way of life, or it is to go through no part of life.
If we might forget ourselves, or forget God; if we might live by humour or fancy in any thing, or at any time, or in any place, it would be as lawful to do the same in every thing, and every time, and every place.
5. If therefore some people, fancy, that they must be grave and solemn at church, but may be silly and frantic at home; that they must live by some rule on the Sunday, but may spend other days by chance; that they must have some times of prayer, but may waste the rest of their time as they please; that they must give some money in charity, but may squander away the rest as they have a mind; such people have not considered the nature of religion, or the true reasons of piety. For he that, upon principles of reason, can tell why it is good to be wise and heavenly-minded at church, can tell that ’tis good to have the same tempers in all other places. He that knows why he should spend any time well, knows it is never allowable to throw any time away. He that rightly understands the reasonableness of charity, will know that it can never be excusable, to waste any of our money in pride and folly, or in any needless expences.