_An enquiry into the reason why the generality of |Christians|
fall so short of the holiness of Christianity._
1. IT may now be reasonably enquired, how it is, that the lives,
even of the better sort of people, are thus strangely contrary to
the principles of Christianity?
Before I give a direct answer, I desire it may be enquired, how it is,
that _swearing_ is so common amongst Christians? It is indeed yet not
so common amongst _women_, as amongst _men_; but among men this sin
is so common, that perhaps there are more than two in three that are
guilty of it through the whole course of their lives; swearing _more_
or _less_, just as it happens; some constantly, others only now and
then. Now I ask how comes it, that two in three of men are guilty
of so gross a sin as this is? There is neither ignorance nor human
infirmity to plead for it: it is against an express commandment, and
the most plain doctrine of our blessed Saviour.
Do but find the reason why the generality of men live in this
notorious vice, and you will have found the reason, why the generality
even of the better sort of people, live so contrary to Christianity.
2. *Now the reason of common swearing is this; it is because men have
not so much as the _intention to please God in all their actions_. For,
let a man but have so much piety as to _intend to please God in all
the actions of his life, as the happiest and best thing in the world_,
and then he will never swear more. It will be as impossible for him
to swear, whilst he feels _this intention_ within himself, as it is
impossible for a man that intends to please his prince, to go up and
abuse him to his face.
3. It is but a small part of piety to have such an _intention_ as this;
and he has no reason to look upon himself as a disciple of Christ, who
is not this far advanced. And yet it is purely for want of this degree
of piety, that you see such a mixture of sin and folly in the lives
even of the better sort of people. It is for want of this _intention_,
that you see men that profess religion, yet live in _swearing_ and
_sensuality_; that you see _clergymen_ given to pride and covetousness,
and worldly enjoyments. It is for want of this _intention_, that you
see _women_ that profess devotion yet living in all the vanity and
folly of _dress_, and wasting their time in _idleness_ and _pleasures_,
in all such instances as their estates will reach. For, let but a
woman feel her heart full of _this intention_, and she will find it
as impossible to _patch_ or _paint_, as to curse or swear; she will
no more desire to shine at _balls_ and _assemblies_, or make a figure
amongst those that are most finely dressed, than she will desire to
dance upon a _rope_ to please spectators: she will know, that the one
is as far from the _wisdom_ and _excellency_ of the Christian spirit
as the other.
4. It was this _general intention_ that made the _primitive
Christians_ such eminent instances of piety. And if you will here stop,
and ask yourself, why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians
were, your own heart will tell you, it is neither through _ignorance_
or _inability_, but purely because you never _thoroughly intended_
it. You observe the same _Sunday-worship_ that they did; and you are
_strict_ in it, because it is your full intention to be so. And when
you as fully intend to be like them in their _common_ life; when
you intend to please God in _all your actions_, you will find it as
possible, as to be strictly exact in the service of the church. And
when you have this _intention to please God in all your actions, as
the happiest and best thing in the world_, you will find in you as
great an aversion to any thing that is _vain_ and _impertinent_ in
common life, whether of business or pleasure, as you now have to any
thing that is _prophane_. You will be as fearful of living in any
foolish way, either of spending your time, or your _fortune_, as you
are now fearful of neglecting the public worship.
5. Now, who that wants this general _intention_, can be reckoned a
Christian? And yet if it was among Christians, it would change the
whole face of the world; exemplary holiness, would be as common and
visible, as _buying_ and _selling_, or any trade in life.
*Let a _clergyman_ but be thus _pious_, and he will _converse_ as if
he had been brought up by an _apostle_. He will no more think and talk
of _noble preferment_, than of _noble eating_, or a glorious _chariot_.
He will no more complain of the _frowns_ of the _world_, or a _small
cure_, or the want of a _patron_, than he will complain of a _laced
coat_ or a _running horse_. Let him but _intend to please God in all
his actions, as the happiest and best thing in the world_, and then he
will know, that there is nothing _noble_ in a clergyman, but burning
zeal for the salvation of souls; nor any thing poor in his profession,
but _idleness_ and a _worldly spirit_. Again, let a _tradesman_ but
have this _intention_, and it will make him a saint in his _shop_; his
every day business will be a course of wise and reasonable actions,
made holy to God, by being done in obedience to his will and pleasure.
He will _buy_ and _sell_, and _labour_ and travel, because by so
doing he can do some good to himself and others; but then, as nothing
can please God but what is wise, and reasonable, and holy; so he
will neither buy nor sell, nor labour in any _manner_, but such as
is _wise_, and _reasonable_, and _holy_. He will therefore consider,
not what arts, or methods, will make him richer and greater than
his brethren, or remove him from a _shop_ to a life of _state_ and
_pleasure_; but he will consider what arts, what methods, can make
worldly business most acceptable to God, and make a life of trade a
life of holiness, devotion, and piety. This will be the temper and
spirit of every tradesman; he cannot stop short of these degrees of
piety, whenever it is his _intention to please God in all his actions,
as the best and happiest thing in the world_.
6. Again, let the _gentleman_ of fortune but have this _intention_,
and it will carry him from every appearance of evil, to every instance
of piety and goodness.
He cannot live by _chance_, or as _humour_ or fancy carries him,
because he knows that nothing can please God but a wise and regular
course of life. He cannot live in _idleness_ and _indulgence_, in
_sports_ and _gaming_, in vain expences and high living, because these
things cannot be turned into means of holiness, or made so many parts
of a wise and religious life.
*As he thus removes from all appearance of evil, so he aspires after
every instance of goodness. He does not ask what is _allowable_
and _pardonable_, but what is _commendable_ and _praise-worthy_. He
does not ask whether God will forgive the _folly_ of our lives, the
_madness_ of our pleasures, the _vanity_ of our expences, and the
careless consumption of our _time_; but he asks whether God is pleased
with these things; or whether these are the appointed ways of gaining
his favour. He does not enquire, whether it be pardonable to hoard up
money, to adorn ourselves with diamonds, and gild our chariots, whilst
the _widow_ and the _orphan_, the _sick_ and the _prisoner_ want to
be relieved; but he asks whether God has required these things at our
hands; whether we shall be called to account at the last day for the
neglect of them? Because it is not his intent to live in such ways as
God may _perhaps_ pardon, but in such as we know God will _infallibly_
reward.
He will not therefore look at the lives of Christians, to learn how
he ought to spend his estate, but he will look into the scripture,
and make every _doctrine_, _parable_, or _instruction_ that relates
to rich men, a _law_ to himself in the use of it.
He will have but _one rule_ for charity, and that will be, to spend
all that he can that way; because the Judge of quick and dead hath
said, all that is so given, is given to him.
7. Let not any one look upon this as an imaginary description, that
looks fine in the notion, but cannot be put in practice. For it is
so far from being impracticable, that it has been practised by great
numbers of Christians in former ages, who were glad to turn their
whole estates into a constant course of charity. And it is so far
from being impossible now, that if we can find any Christians that
sincerely _intend to please God in all their actions, as the best and
happiest thing in the world_, whether they be young or old, single or
married, men or women, it will be impossible for them to do otherwise.
This one principle will infallibly carry them to this, and they will
find themselves unable to stop short of it.
For how is it possible for a man that _intends_ to please God in
the use of his _money_, because he judges it to be his _greatest
happiness_; to bury his money in _needless_, _impertinent_ finery, in
covering himself or his horses with gold, whilst there are any works
of piety or charity to be done with it, or any ways of spending it
well?
8. I have chose to explain this matter, by appealing to this
_intention_, because it makes the case so plain, and because every one
may see it in the clearest light, and feel it in the strongest manner,
only by looking into his own heart. For it is as easy for every person
to know, whether he _intends_ to please God in all his actions, as
for any _servant_ to know, whether this be his intention towards his
_master_. Every one also can easily tell how he lays out his money,
and whether he considers how to please God in it, as he can tell where
his estate is, and whether it be in _money_ or in _land_. So that here
is no plea left for _ignorance_ or _frailty_, as to this matter; every
body is in the _light_, and every body has _power_. And no one can
fail, but he that is not so much a Christian, as to _intend_ to please
God in the use of his estate.
9. You see two persons, one is regular in _public_ and _private_
prayer, the other is not. Now the reason of this difference is not
this, that one has _strength_ to observe prayer, and the other has not;
but the reason is this, that one intends to please God in the duties
of devotion, and the other has no intention about it. The case is the
same in the right or wrong use of our _time_ and _money_. You see one
person throwing away his time in _sleep_ and _idleness_, in _visiting_
and _diversions_, and his money in the most vain and unreasonable
expences. You see another careful of every day, dividing his hours
by rules of reason and religion, and spending all his money in works
of charity. Now the difference is not owing to this, that one has
strength to do thus, and the other has not; but to this, that one
_intends to please_ God in the right use of all his _time_ and all
his _money_, and the other has no intention about it.
10. Here therefore let us judge ourselves sincerely; let us not vainly
content ourselves with the common disorders of our lives, the _vanity_
of our expences, the _folly_ of our diversions, the _idleness_ of our
lives, and the _wasting_ of our time, fancying that these are _such
imperfections_ as we fall into thro’ the unavoidable _weakness_ of our
natures; but let us be assured that these disorders of our _common_
life are owing to this, that we have not so much Christianity as to
intend to please God in all our actions, as the best and happiest
thing in the world. So that we must not look upon ourselves in a state
of common imperfection, but in such a state as wants the _first_ and
_most fundamental_ principle of Christianity, _viz. an intention to
please God in all our actions_.
11. And if any one was to ask himself how it comes to pass, that
there are any _degrees_ of sobriety which he neglects, any _method_ of
charity which he does not follow, any _rules_ of redeeming time which
he does not observe, his own heart will tell him, that it is because
he never _intended_ to be so exact in those duties. For whenever we
fully intend it, it is as possible to conform to all this _regularity_
of life, as it is possible for a man to observe _times_ of prayer.
So that the fault does not lie here, that we desire to be good and
perfect, but thro’ the weakness of our nature fall short of it; but
we have not piety enough to _intend_ to be as good as we can, or to
please God in _all our actions_. This we see is plainly the case of
him that spends his time in _sports_, when he should be at _church_;
it is not his want of power, but his want of _intention_, or desire to
be there.
12. And the case is plainly the same in every other folly of human
life. She that spends her time and _money_ in the unreasonable ways
and fashions of the world, does not do so, because she wants power
to be wise and religious in the management of her time and money, but
because she has no _intention_ or desire of being so. When she feels
this intention, she will find it as possible to act up to it, as to be
strictly _sober_ and _chaste_ because it is her care and desire to be
so.
13. This doctrine does not suppose, that we have no need of divine
grace, or that it is in our own power to make ourselves perfect.
It only supposes, that through the want of a _sincere_ intention of
pleasing God in _all our actions_, we fall into such irregularities
of life, as by the _ordinary_ means of grace, we should have power to
avoid.
And that we have not that perfection, which our present state of grace
makes us capable of, because we don’t so much as intend to have it.
It only teaches us, that the reason why you see no _real_ self-denial,
no _eminent_ charity, no _profound_ humility, no _heavenly_ affection,
no _true_ contempt of the world, no _Christian_ meekness, no _sincere_
zeal, no _eminent_ piety in the _common lives_ of Christians, is this,
because they don’t so much as _intend to be exact and exemplary_ in
these virtues.