CHAP. II.

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.