_Concerning the nature and extent of Christian devotion._
1. DEVOTION is neither _private_ nor _public_ prayer; but prayers,
whether private or public, are particular parts or instances of
devotion. Devotion signifies a life _devoted_ to God.
He therefore is the _devout_ man, who lives no longer to his own
_will_, or the _way_ and _spirit_ of the world, but to the sole will
of God; who considers God in every thing, who serves God in every
thing, who makes all the parts of his _common_ life, parts of piety,
by doing every thing in the name of God, and under such rules as are
conformable to his glory.
2. *We readily acknowledge, that God alone is to be the rule and
measure of our _prayers_; that in them we are to look _wholly_ unto
him, and act _wholly_ for him; that we are only to pray in _such a
manner_, for _such things_, and _such ends_, as are suitable to his
glory.
Now let any one but find out the reason why he is to be thus strictly
pious in his prayers, and he will find the same as strong a reason
to be strictly pious in all the other parts of his life. For there is
not the least reason why we should make God the _rule_ and _measure_
of our prayers, why we should then look _wholly_ unto him, and pray
according to his will; but what equally proves it necessary for us
to look _wholly_ unto God, and make him the rule and measure of all
the other actions of our life. Were it not our strict duty to live by
_reason_, to devote all the actions of our lives to God; were it not
absolutely necessary to walk before him in wisdom and holiness, and
all heavenly conversation, doing every thing in his name and for his
glory, there would be no excellency or wisdom in the most _heavenly
prayers_: nay, such prayers would be absurdities; they would be like
prayers for _wings_, when it was no part of our duty to _fly_.
3. As sure therefore as there is any wisdom in praying for the Spirit
of God, so sure is it, that we are to make that Spirit the rule of
_all_ our actions; as sure as it is our duty to look _wholly_ unto God
in our prayers, so sure is it, that it is our duty to live _wholly_
unto God in our lives. But we can no more be said to live unto God,
unless we live unto him in all our _ordinary_ actions, unless he be
the rule and measure of all our ways, than we can be said to pray unto
God, unless our prayers look _wholly_ unto him. So that unreasonable
and absurd ways of life, whether in _labour_ or _diversion_, whether
they consume our _time_ or our _money_, are like unreasonable and
absurd prayers, and are as truly an offence unto God.
4. ’Tis for want of knowing, or at least considering this, that we
see such a _mixture_ of ridicule in the lives of many people. You see
them strict as to some _times_ and _places_ of devotion; but when the
service of the _church_ is over, they are but like those that seldom
or never come there. In their way of life, their manner of spending
their _time_ and _money_, in their _cares_ and _fears_, in their
_pleasures_ and _indulgencies_, in their labour and diversions, they
are like the rest of the world. This makes the world generally make a
jest of those that are _devout_, because they see their devotion goes
no farther than their _prayers_, and that they live no more unto God,
till the time of prayer returns again; but live by the same _humour_
and _fancy_, and in as full an enjoyment of all the follies of life
as other people. This is the reason why they are the jest of worldly
people; not because they are really devoted to God, but because they
appear to have no other devotion, but that of _occasional prayers_.
5. _Julius_ is very fearful of missing prayers; all the parish
supposes _Julius_ to be sick, if he is not at _church_. But if you
was to ask him, why he spends the rest of his time by _humour_ or
_chance_? Why he is a companion of the silliest people in their most
_silly pleasures_? Why he is ready for every impertinent entertainment
and diversion? If you was to ask him why there is no amusement
too trifling to please him? Why he gives himself up to an _idle_,
_gossiping_ conversation? Why he lives in foolish friendships for
particular persons, that neither want nor deserve any particular
kindness? If you ask him why he never puts his _conversation_, his
_time_, and _fortune_ under the rules of religion, _Julius_ has no
more to say for himself than the most disorderly person. For the whole
tenor of scripture lies as directly against such a life, as against
_debauchery_ and _intemperance_. He that lives in such a course, lives
no more according to the religion of Jesus Christ, than he that lives
in gluttony and intemperance.
If a man was to tell _Julius_, that there was no occasion for so much
constancy at prayers, and that he might neglect the service of the
church, as the generality of people do, _Julius_ would think such a
one to be no Christian, and that he ought to avoid his company: but
if a person only tell him, that he may live as the generality of the
world does, that he may enjoy himself as others do, that he may spend
his _time_ and _money_ as people of fashion do, that he may conform to
the follies of the generality, and gratify his temper and passions as
most people do, _Julius_ never suspects that man to want a Christian
spirit, or that he is doing the devil’s work.
6. The short of the matter is this. Either reason and religion
prescribe _rules_ and _ends_ to all the ordinary actions of our lives,
or they do not: if they do, then it is as necessary to govern all
our actions by those rules as it is necessary to worship God. For if
religion teaches us any thing concerning _eating_ and _drinking_, or
spending our _time_ and _money_; if it teaches us how we are to _use_
the world; if it tells us what tempers we are to have in _common_ life,
how we are to be disposed towards all people, how we are to behave
towards the _sick_, the _poor_, the _old_ and _destitute_; if it tells
us whom we are to treat with a particular love, whom we are to regard
with a particular esteem; if it tells us how we are to treat our
enemies, and how we are to deny ourselves, he must be very weak that
can think these parts of religion are not to be observed with as much
_exactness_ as any doctrines that relate to prayers.
7. Our blessed Saviour and his apostles are wholly taken up in
doctrines that relate to _common life_. They call us to differ in
every _temper_ and _way_ of life from the spirit and way of the world:
to renounce all its goods, to fear none of its evils, to reject its
joys, and have no value for its happiness: to be as _new-born babes_,
that are born into a new state of things; to live as pilgrims, in
spiritual watching, in holy fear, aspiring after another life; to take
up our daily cross; to deny ourselves; to profess the blessedness of
mourning; to seek the blessedness of poverty of spirit; to forsake the
pride and vanity of riches; to take no thought for the morrow; to live
in the profoundest humility; to rejoice in sufferings; to reject the
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; to
bear injuries; to forgive and bless our enemies, and to love mankind
as God loveth them; to give up our whole hearts and affections to God;
and strive to enter thro’ the strait gate into a life of eternal glory.
8. Thus it is in all virtues and holy tempers; they are not _ours_,
unless they be the virtues and tempers of our _ordinary life_. So that
Christianity is so far from leaving us to live in the common ways of
life, conforming to the folly of customs, and gratifying the passions
and tempers which the spirit of the world delights in: it is so far
from indulging us in any of these things, that all its virtues, which
it makes necessary to salvation, are only so many ways of living,
contrary to the world in all the common actions of our life.
If our common life is not a course of _humility_, _self-denial_,
_renunciation_ of the world, _poverty_ of spirit, and _heavenly_
affection, we don’t live the life of Christians.
9. But yet, tho’ it is thus plain, that this, and this alone, is
Christianity, an uniform, open and visible practice of all these
virtues; yet it is as plain, that there is little or nothing of this
to be found, even among the better sort of people. You see them often
at church; but look into their lives, and you see them just the same
sort of people as others are. The difference that you find betwixt
them is only the difference of their natural tempers. They have
the same _taste_ of the world, the same worldly cares, fears, and
joys; they have the same _turn_ of mind, are equally _vain_ in their
desires. You see the same vanity of _dress_, the same _self-love_ and
indulgence, the same foolish _friendships_ and groundless _hatreds_,
the same _levity_ of mind and _trifling_ spirits, the same idle
dispositions, and vain ways of spending their time in visiting and
conversation, as in the rest of the world, that make no pretences to
devotion.
10. I don’t mean this comparison betwixt people seemingly good and
professed _rakes_ but betwixt people of sober lives. Let us take an
instance in two modest women: let it be supposed that one of them
is careful of times of devotion, thro’ a sense of duty; and that the
other is at church seldom or often, just as it happens. Now it is a
very easy thing to see this difference betwixt these persons. But,
can you find any farther difference betwixt them? Can you find that
their _common life_ is of a different kind? Are not the _tempers_,
and _customs_, and _manners_, of the one, of the same kind as of
the other? Do they live as if they belonged to different worlds, had
different views in their heads, and different rules and measures of
all their actions? Have not they the same _goods_ and _evils_? Are
they not pleased and displeased in the _same manner_, and for the same
things? Do they not live in the same course of life? Does one seem
to be of this world, looking at the things that are temporal, and
the other to be of another world, looking wholly at the things that
are eternal? Does the one live in pleasure, delighting herself in
_shew_ or _dress_, and the other live in _self-denial_, renouncing
every thing that looks like vanity, either of _person_, _dress_, or
_carriage_? Does the one trifle away her time? And does the other
study all the arts of improving it, living in prayer and watching, and
such good works as may make all her time turn to her advantage, and be
placed to her account at the last day? Is the one careless of expence,
and glad to adorn herself with every costly ornament of dress? And
does the other consider her fortune as a talent given her by God,
which is to be improved religiously, and no more to be spent in vain
and needless ornaments than it is to be buried in the earth?
Where must you look, to find one person of religion differing in
this manner from another that has none? And yet if they do not differ
in these things, can it with any sense be said, the one is a _good_
Christian, and the other not?
11. Take another instance among the men. _Leo_ has a great deal of
good nature, has kept what they call _good_ company, hates every thing
that is _false_ and _base_, is very generous to his friends; but has
concerned himself so little with religion, that he hardly knows the
difference betwixt a _Jew_ and a _Christian_.
_Eusebius_, on the other hand, has had early impressions of religion,
and buys books of devotion. He can talk of all the _feasts_ and
_fasts_ of the church, and knows the _names_ of most men that have
been eminent for piety. You never hear him swear, and when he talks
of religion, he talks of it as a matter of great concern.
Here you see, that one person has religion enough, to be reckoned
a _pious Christian_; and the other is so far from all appearance of
religion, that he may fairly be reckoned a _Heathen_. And yet, if you
look into their _common life_, if you examine their _ruling_ tempers
in the greatest _articles_ of life, you will find the least difference
imaginable. Consider them with regard to the use of the world, because
that is what every body can see. Now, to have right _notions_ and
_tempers_, with regard to the world, is as essential to religion,
as to have right notions of God. And it is as possible for a man
to worship a _Crocodile_, and yet be a _pious man_, as to have his
affections set upon this world, and yet be a _good Christian_.
But now, if you consider _Leo_ and _Eusebius_ in this respect, you
will find them exactly alike; seeking, using, and enjoying all that
can be got in this world, in the same manner. You will find, _riches_,
_prosperity_, _pleasures_, and _honour_, are just as much the
happiness of _Eusebius_ as they are of _Leo_. And yet, if Christianity
has not changed a man’s temper, with relation to these things, what
has it done for him?
12. Every one capable of reflection, must have observed, that this is
generally the state, even of devout people, whether _men_ or _women_.
You may see them different from other people, as to _times_ and
_places_ of prayer, but like the rest of the world in all the other
parts of their lives; that is, adding _Christian_ devotion to an
_Heathen_ life. I have the authority of our blessed Saviour for this
remark, where he says, _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._ But if to be thus affected
even with the necessary things of this life, shews that we are not of
a _Christian spirit_, but an _Heathen_; surely, to enjoy the vanity
of the world as they did, to be like them in the main tempers of our
lives, in sensual pleasures and diversions, in the vanity of dress,
the love of shew and greatness, or any other gaudy distinctions of
fortune, is a much greater sign of an Heathen temper; and consequently,
they who add devotion to such a life, must be said to _pray_ as
_Christians_, but live as _Heathens_.