_How the imprudent use of an estate corrupts all the tempers,
and fills the heart with poor and ridiculous passions;
represented in the character of |Flavia|._
1. IT has already been observed, that a religious care is to be used
in the manner ♦of spending our _money_ or _estate_; because the manner
of spending our estate makes so great a part of our common life, and
is so much the business of every day, that, according as we are wise
or imprudent in this, the _whole course_ of our _lives_ will be wise,
or full of folly.
♦ duplicate word ‘of’ removed
Persons that receive instructions of piety with _pleasure_, often
wonder that they make no farther progress in that religion which they
so much _admire_.
Now the reason is this: religion lives only in their _head_, but
something else has possession of their hearts; and therefore, they
continue from _year_ to _year_ mere _admirers_ and _praisers_ of piety,
without ever coming up to its precepts.
2. If it be asked, why religion does not get possession of their
hearts? It is not because they live in _gross sins_ or _debaucheries_;
but because their _hearts_ are constantly _employed_, _perverted_, and
kept in a wrong state, by the _indiscreet use_ of such things as are
_lawful_.
The use and enjoyment of their estates is _lawful_, and therefore it
never comes into their heads to imagine any danger from that quarter.
They never reflect that there is a _vain_ and _imprudent_ use of their
estates: which, though it does nor destroy like _gross sins_, yet
so _disorders_ the heart, and supports it in such _sensuality_ and
_dullness_, as makes it incapable of receiving the life and spirit of
piety.
For our souls may be rendered incapable of all virtue, merely by the
use of _innocent_ and _lawful_ things.
3. What is more innocent than _rest_? And yet what more dangerous than
sloth and idleness? What is more lawful than _eating_ and _drinking_?
And yet what more destructive of all virtue, and fruitful of all vice,
than _sensuality_.
Now, it is for want of exactness in the use of these _innocent_ and
_lawful things_, that religion cannot get possession of our hearts:
and it is in the right management of ourselves, as to these things,
that the _art_ of holy living chiefly consists.
4. _Gross sins_ are plainly seen, and easily avoided by persons that
profess religion: but the _indiscreet_ use of innocent and lawful
things, as it does not _shock_ our consciences, so it is difficult to
make people at all sensible of the danger of it.
A _gentleman_ that expends all his estate in _sports_, and a _woman_
that lays out all her fortune upon herself, can hardly be persuaded
that the spirit of religion cannot subsist in such a way of life.
These persons may live free from debaucheries; they may be friends of
religion, so far as to _praise_ and _speak_ well of it: but it cannot
govern their hearts, and be the spirit of their actions, till they
change their way of life.
For a _woman_ that loves _dress_, that thinks no expence too great to
bestow upon the _adorning_ of her person, cannot stop there; for that
temper draws a _thousand_ other follies along with it, and will render
the whole course of her life, her _business_, her _conversation_, her
_hopes_, her _fears_, her _taste_, her _pleasures_ and _diversions_,
all suitable to it.
5. *_Flavia_ and _Miranda_ are two maiden sisters, that have each of
them _two hundred pounds_ a year: they buried their parents twenty
years ago, and have since that time spent their estate as they pleased.
*_Flavia_ has been the wonder of all her friends, for her excellent
management, in making so surprizing a figure in so moderate a fortune.
Several _ladies_ that have twice her fortune, are not able to be
always so _genteel_, and so constant at all places of _pleasure_
and _expence_. She has every thing that is in the _fashion_, and
is in every place where there is any _diversion_. _Flavia_ is very
_orthodox_; she talks warmly against _heretics_ and _schismatics_,
is generally at _church_, and often at the _sacrament_. She once
commended a _sermon_ that was against the _vanity_ of dress, and
thought it was very just against _Lucinda_, whom she takes to be a
great deal finer than she need be. If any one asks _Flavia_ to do some
thing in charity, if she likes the person that makes the proposal, or
happens to be in a right _temper_, she will toss him _half a crown_,
or a _crown_; and tell him, if he knew what a _long millener’s bill_
she had just received, he would think it a great deal for her to
give. A _quarter_ of a year after this, she hears a _sermon_ upon the
_necessity_ of charity; she thinks the man preaches well; that it is
a very _proper_ subject; that people want much to be put in mind of
it; but she applies nothing to herself, because she remembers that she
gave a _crown_ some time ago when she could so ill spare it.
6. As for _poor_ people themselves, she will admit of no complaints
from them: she is very positive they are all _cheats_ and _liars_, and
will say any thing to get relief; and therefore, it must be a sin to
encourage them in their evil ways.
You would think _Flavia_ had the tenderest conscience in the world,
if you was to see how _scrupulous_ she is of the guilt and danger of
_giving_ amiss.
7. She buys all books of _wit_ and _humour_, and has made an expensive
collection of all our _English poets_. For she says, one cannot have a
_true taste_ of any of them, without being conversant with them all.
She will sometimes read a _book_ of _piety_, if it is a short one,
if it is much commended for _stile_ and _language_, and she can tell
where to _borrow_ it.
_Flavia_ is very _idle_, and yet very fond of _fine work_. This makes
her often _sit_ working in _bed_ until _noon_, and be told many a
_long story_ before she is up; so that I need not tell you her morning
devotions are not _always_ rightly performed.
_Flavia_ would be a _miracle_ of piety, if she was but half so careful
of her soul as she is of her body. The rising of a _pimple_ in her
face, the sting of a _gnat_, will make her keep her room two or three
days; and she thinks they are very _rash_ people, that don’t take care
of things in time. This makes her so over-careful of her _health_,
that she never thinks she is well enough; and so _over-indulgent_,
that she can never be really well. So that it costs her a great deal
in _sleeping-draughts_ and _waking-draughts_, in _spirits_ for the
head, in _drops_ for the nerves, in _cordials_ for the stomach, and
in _saffron_ for her _tea_.
8. If you visit _Flavia_ on the _Sunday_ you will always meet _good
company_: you will know what is doing in the world; you will hear the
last _lampoon_, be told who wrote it, and who is meant by every name
that is in it. You will hear what _plays_ were acted that week, which
is the finest song in the _opera_, who was intolerable at the last
assembly, and what games are most in fashion. _Flavia_ thinks they are
_Atheists_ that play at _cards_ on the _Sunday_; but she will tell you
the _nicety_ of all the games, what cards she held, how she _played_
them, and the _history_ of all that happened at _play_, as soon as she
comes from _church_. If you would know who is _rude_ and _ill-natured_,
who is _vain_ and _foppish_, who lives too _high_, and who is in
_debt_; if you would know what is the quarrel at a _certain house_,
or who and who are in _love_; if you would know how late _Belinda_
comes home at night, what _cloaths_ she has bought, how she loves
_compliments_, and what a long story she told at such a place; if you
would know how cross _Lucius_ is to his _wife_, what ill-natured
things he says to her when _nobody_ hears him; if you would know how
they hate one another in their _hearts_, though they appear so kind in
public, you must visit _Flavia_ on the _Sunday_. But still she has so
great a regard for the holiness of the day, that she has turned a poor
old widow out of her house, as a _prophane wretch_, for having been
found once _mending her cloaths_ on the _Sunday_ night.
Thus lives _Flavia_; and if she lives ten years longer, she will have
spent about _fifteen hundred and sixty Sundays_ after this manner.
She will have wore about _two hundred_ different suits of cloaths.
Out of this _thirty years_ of her life, fifteen of them will have been
disposed of in _bed_; and of the remaining fifteen, about _fourteen_
of them will have been consumed in eating, drinking, dressing,
visiting, conversation, reading and hearing plays and romances; at
operas, assemblies, balls, and diversions. For you may reckon all
the time she is _up_, thus spent, except about an _hour_ and half
that is disposed of at church, most _Sundays_ in the year. With great
management, and under mighty rules of œconomy, she will have spent
_sixty hundred_ pounds upon herself, bating only some _shillings_,
_crowns_, or _half crowns_, that have gone from her in _accidental_
charities.
9. I shall not take upon me to say, that it is impossible for _Flavia_
to be saved; but thus much must be said, that her whole life is in
direct opposition to all those _tempers_ and _practices_ which the
gospel has made necessary to salvation.
*If you was to hear her say, that she had lived all her life like
_Anna_ the prophetess, _who departed not from the temple, but served
God with fastings and prayers night and day_, you would look upon her
as very extravagant; and yet this would be no greater an extravagance,
than for her to say, that she had been _striving to enter in at the
straight gate_, or making any one doctrine of the gospel a rule of her
life.
*She may as well say, that she lived with our Saviour when he was
upon earth, as that she has lived in imitation of him, or made it
any part of her care to live in such tempers, as he required of all
those that would be his disciples. She may as truly say, that she has
every day _washed the saints feet_, as that she has lived in Christian
_humility_ and _poverty_ of Spirit; and as reasonably think, that
she has taught a _charity-school_, as that she has lived in _works
of charity_. She has as much reason to think, that she has been
a _sentinel_ in an army, as that she has lived in _watching and
self-denial_. And it may as fairly be said, that she lived by the
labour of her hands, as that she had _given all diligence to make her
calling and election sure_.
10. And here it is to be well observed, that the _poor_, _vain_ turn
of mind, the _folly_ and _vanity_ of this whole life of _Flavia_,
is all owing to the manner of using her estate. It is this that has
formed her _spirit_, that has given life to every _idle temper_, that
has supported every _trifling passion_, and kept her from all thoughts
of a prudent, useful, and devout life.
When her parents died, she had no thoughts about her two hundred
pounds a year; but that she had so much money to do what she
would with, to spend upon herself, and purchase the pleasures and
gratifications of all her passions.
And it is this setting out, this false judgment, and indiscreet use of
her fortune, that has filled her whole life with the same indiscretion,
and kept her from thinking of what is _right_, and _wise_, and pious
in every thing else.
If you have seen her delighted in _plays_ and _romances_, in _scandal_
and _backbiting_, easily _flattered_, and soon _affronted_; if you
have seen her devoted to _pleasures_ and _diversions_, a slave to
every _passion_ in its turn, nice in every thing that concerned
her _body_ or _dress_, careless of every thing that might benefit
her _soul_, always wanting some new entertainment, and ready for
every _happy_ invention in _shew_ or _dress_, it was because she had
_purchased_ all these tempers with her yearly revenue.
11. She might have been _humble_, _serious_, _devout_, a lover of
_good books_, an admirer of _prayer_ and retirement, careful of her
time, diligent in _good works_, full of _charity_ and the love of
God; but that the imprudent use of her estate forced all the contrary
tempers upon her.
And it was no wonder that she should turn her _time_, her _mind_, her
_health_ and strength to the same uses that she turned her fortune. It
is owing to her being wrong in so great an _article_ of life, that you
can see nothing wise, or pious, in any other part of it.
12. And as _Flavia_ is undone by the unreasonable use of her fortune;
so the _lowness_ of most peoples virtue, the _imperfections_ of their
piety, and the disorders of their _passions_, are generally owing to
their imprudent use of lawful things.
More people are kept from a true sense of religion, by a _regular
kind_ of sensuality than by gross _drunkenness_. More men live
regardless of the great duties of piety, through too _great a concern_
for worldly goods, than through _direct injustice_.
13. This man would perhaps be devout, if he was not a _virtuoso_.
Another is deaf to all the motives to piety, by indulging an _idle_,
_slothful_ temper.
Could you cure this man of his _curiosity_ and _inquisitive_ temper,
or that of his _false_ satisfaction and thirst after _learning_, you
need do no more to make them both become men of great piety.
If this _woman_ would make _fewer visits_, or that not be _always
talking_, they would neither of them find it hard to be affected with
religion.
Would we therefore make a real progress in religion, we must not only
abhor _gross_ and _notorious_ sins; but regulate the _innocent_ and
_lawful_ parts of our behaviour, and put the common actions of life
under the rules of discretion and piety.