CHAPTER II.
_Persons free from the necessities of labour and employments, are to consider themselves as devoted to GOD in a higher degree._
AS it has been proved in the foregoing chapter, that all professors of christianity, do lie under manifold obligations to live a life wholly devoted unto GOD; so those who have no _particular employment_, but have their time and fortune at their own disposal, are under still greater obligations of living wholly unto GOD in all their actions.
They are those, of whom “much will be required, because much is given unto them.”
A _slave_ can only live unto GOD in one particular way; that is, by religious patience and submission in his state of slavery; but all ways of holy living, all instances, and all kinds of virtue lie open to those, who are masters of themselves, of their time, and their fortune.
You are no _labourer_ or _tradesman_; you are neither _merchant_ nor _soldier_; should you not therefore consider yourself, as placed in a state, in some degree like that of good angels, who are sent into the world as ministring spirits, for the general good of mankind, to assist, protect, and minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Had you, _Serena_, been obliged by the necessities of life, to wash cloaths for your maintenance, or to wait upon some mistress, that demanded all your labour, it would then be your duty to serve and glorify GOD, by such humility, obedience, and faithfulness, as might adorn that state, and improve that one talent to its greatest height: but as GOD hath given you five talents; as he hath placed you above the necessities of life; as he hath left you in the hands of yourself, in the happy liberty of chusing the most exalted ways of religion; so it is now your duty and privilege to turn your five talents into five more; to set no bounds to your love and gratitude to the bountiful Author of so many blessings; and to consider how your time, leisure, health, and fortune, may be made so many happy means of improving your fellow-creatures in the ways of GOD, and of advancing yourself, through grace, at last to the greatest heights of eternal glory.
This, _Serena_, is indeed your profession: and the reason of this will appear very plain, if you would only consider, that your estate is as much the gift of GOD, as your eyes or hands; and is therefore no more to be buried or thrown away at pleasure, than you are to put out your eyes, or throw away your limbs as you please.
But besides these considerations, there are several other great and important reasons, why all christians in general, and such as I am now speaking of in particular, should be religiously exact in the use of their fortunes for the glory of GOD.
For the manner of using our money, and spending our estate, enters so far into the business of every day, that our common life must necessarily be much of the same nature as our common way of spending our estate. If we waste it, we do not waste a trifle, that signifies little; but we waste that which might be made as eyes to the blind, as a husband to the widow, as a father to the orphan; and which, if given in faith, and out of love to JESUS CHRIST, would greatly increase our reward in a future state. “Make to yourselves friends (says our Saviour) of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” What still adds weight to these arguments, is this, if we waste our money, and do not improve our fortunes for the glory of GOD, and the good of our fellow-creatures, we are not only guilty of wasting a talent which GOD has given us, and making that useless which might be so powerful a means of doing good, but we turn this useful talent into a powerful means of corrupting ourselves. For so far as it is spent wrong, so far it is spent in the support of some wrong temper, in gratifying some vain and unreasonable desires, in conforming to those fashions, and that pride of the world, which as reasonable men and christians we are obliged to renounce. If therefore, you do not spend your money in doing good to others, you must spend it to the hurt of yourself. And you will act like a man that refuses to give that as a cordial to a sick friend, though he could not drink it himself, without not only inflaming, but corrupting his whole mass of blood.
It may be worth our while to pursue this thought a little further. For as we are now discoursing about people in the polite world, and of good fortunes, who we may suppose do not live in gross sins, but only in the indiscreet and dangerous use of things innocent and lawful in themselves, so it is more difficult to make such people at all sensible of the danger of such a life.
A gentleman that spends great part of 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. Much less will they be easily convinced, that such a turn of mind, however they may live free from debaucheries, and be friends of religion, so far as to praise, speak well of, and admire it in their imaginations, will give a bad turn to their whole way of life. But it is certainly so.
A woman, for instance, that loves dress, who thinks no expence too great to bestow upon the adorning of her person, cannot stop there. For that single 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. On the contrary, a lady who is habitually dead to the things of the world, and has devoted her time and fortune to GOD; such a one will let her whole life be a continued series of good actions, as may benefit her own and others souls, and consequently adorn the gospel of her LORD and Saviour JESUS CHRIST.
_Flavia_, and _Miranda_, are two maiden sisters, that have each of them two hundred pounds a year. They buried their father 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 with 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 what she calls innocent pleasure and expence. She has every thing 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 pride and vanity of dress, and thought it was very just against _Lucinda_, whom she takes to be a great deal finer than she need to be. Should any one ask _Flavia_ to do something in charity; if she likes the person who makes the proposal, or happens to be in a right temper, she will toss him half a crown or a crown, and tell him, that 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, and 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.
As for poor people, 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 that _Flavia_ had the tenderest conscience in the world, if you was to see how scrupulous and apprehensive she is of the guilt and danger of giving amiss.
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 very conversant with all.
She will sometimes read a book of piety, if it is a short one, and 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 very often sit working in bed until noon, and will be told many a long story before she is up; so that I need not tell you, that 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, or the sting of a gnat, will make her keep her room two or three days; and she thinks they are very rash people, that do not 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 never can 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.
If you visit _Flavia_ on the LORD’s day, you will always meet good company; you will know what is doing in the world, and who is meant by every name that is in it. You will hear what plays were acted that week, and 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_ who 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, and what ill-natured things he says to her, when no body 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 _Sunday_, 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; and she will have worn about two hundred different suits of cloaths. Out of these _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, and attending at operas, assemblies, balls and diversions. For you may reckon all the time she is up, to be thus spent, except about an hour and a 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 _six_ thousand pounds upon herself, except some few shillings, crowns or half crowns, that have gone from her in accidental charities.
I shall not take upon me to say, that it is impossible for Flavia _ever_ to be saved; but thus much must be said, that she has no grounds from scripture to think she is at present in the way of salvation. For 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 strait gate,” or making any one doctrine or precept 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 hath as much reason to think, that she has been a _centinel_ in an army, as that she has lived in watching and self-denial. And it may as fairly be said, that she had lived by the labour of her hands, as that she had given all diligence to make her calling and election sure.
Now though the irregular trifling spirit of this character, belongs I hope but to few people, yet many may here learn some instruction from it, and perhaps see something of their own spirit in it.
But not so _Miranda_ (the sister of _Flavia_); she is a sober reasonable christian. As soon as she was mistress of her time and fortune, it was her first thought, how she might best fulfil every thing that GOD required of her in the use of them, and how she might make the best and happiest use of this short life. She depends upon the truth of what our blessed LORD hath said, “that there is but one thing needful,” and therefore makes her whole life but one continual labour after it. She has but one reason for doing or not doing, for liking or not liking any thing, and that is the will of GOD. She is not so weak, as to pretend to add, what is frequently falsely called the _fine lady_, to the _true christian_; _Miranda_ thinks too well, to be taken with the sound of such silly words; she has renounced the world, to follow CHRIST in the exercise of humility, charity, devotion, abstinence, and heavenly affections; and that is _Miranda_’s fine breeding.
Whilst she was under her mother, she was forced to live in ceremony, to sit up late at night, to be in the folly of every fashion, and always visiting on _Sundays_; to go patched, and loaded with a burden of _finery_, to the holy sacrament; to be in every polite conversation; to hear prophaneness at the play-house, and wanton songs and love intrigues at the opera; to dance at public places, that fops and rakes might admire the fineness of her shape, and the beauty of her motions. The remembrance of this way of life is very grievous to her, and makes her exceeding careful to give evidences of her unfeigned repentance, by a contrary behaviour.
_Miranda_ does not divide her duty between GOD, her neighbour, and herself; but she considers all as due to GOD, and so does every thing in his name and for his sake. This makes her consider her fortune as the gift of GOD, that is to be used as is every thing that belongs to GOD, for the wise and reasonable ends of a christian and holy life: her fortune therefore is divided between herself and the poor, and she has only her reasonable part of relief from it. For she thinks it the same folly to indulge herself in needless, vain expences, as to give to other people to spend in the same way.
This is the spirit of _Miranda_, and thus she uses the gifts of GOD. If you was to see her, you would wonder who it was that was so surprizing and unaffectedly neat and clean; for every thing about her resembles the purity of her soul, and she is always clean without, because she always studies to be pure within.
Every morning sees her early at her prayers; she rejoices in the beginning of every day, because it begins all her pious rules of holy living, and brings the fresh pleasure of repeating them. She seems to be as a guardian angel to those that dwell about her, with her watchings and prayers blessing the place where she dwells, and making intercession with GOD for those that are asleep.
Her devotions have had some intervals, and she has had reason to think that GOD hath answered several of her private prayers, before the light hath entered into her sister’s room. _Miranda_ does not know what it is to have a dull half-day; the returns of her hours of prayer, and her religious exercises, come too often to let any considerable part of time lie heavy upon her hands.
When you see her at work, you see the same wisdom that governs all her other actions; she is either doing something that is necessary for herself, or necessary for others, who want to be assisted. Her wise and pious mind neither wants the amusement, nor can bear with the folly of idle and impertinent work; she can admit of no such folly as this in the day, because she is to call herself to an account for all her actions in her secret retirement at night.
At her _table_ she lives strictly by this rule of holy scripture, “whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of GOD.” This makes her begin and end every meal, as she begins and ends every day, with acts of devotion: she does not indeed weigh her meat in a pair of scales, but she weighs it in a much better balance; so much as gives a proper strength to her body, and renders it able and willing to obey the soul, is _Miranda’s meal._
The holy scriptures, especially of the New Testament, are her daily study. When she has this in her hand, she supposes herself at the feet of our Saviour and his apostles, and receives their sacred words with as much attention and reverence, as if she saw their persons, and knew that they were just come from heaven, on purpose to teach her the way that leads to it. Nor does she content herself barely with reading the scriptures; but in reading, constantly casts her eye upon herself, and tries herself by every doctrine that is there, because she thinks this is the only possible way to be ready for her trial at the last day.
Books also of devotion, and especially such as enter into the heart of religion, and describe the _inward holiness_ of the christian life, have such a large place in her closet, that she is sometimes afraid that she lays out too much money in them, because she cannot forbear buying all the practical books of any note. But of all human writings, the _lives of pious persons_, and eminent saints, are her greatest delight. In these she searches as for hidden treasure, hoping to find some secret of holy living, some uncommon degree of piety, which she may make her own. By this means, _Miranda_ has her head and heart stored with all the principles of wisdom and holiness, and if you are in her company, when she thinks proper to talk, you must be made wiser and better, whether you will or not.
To relate her charity, would be to relate the history of every day for twenty years past. She has set up near twenty poor tradesmen who had failed in their business, and saved as many from failing. She has educated several poor children, that were picked up in the streets, and put them in a way of honest employment. As soon as any labourer is confined at home with sickness, she sends to him, till he recovers, twice the value of his wages, that he may have one part to give to his family as usual, and the other to provide things convenient for his sickness.
If a family seems too large to be supported by the labour of those in it that can work, she pays their rent, and gives them something yearly towards their cloathing. By this means there are many poor families which live in a comfortable manner, and are from year to year blessing her in their prayers.
If there is any poor man or woman, that is more than ordinarily wicked and reprobate, _Miranda_ has her eye upon them, and if she can discover that they are in any great streights or affliction, she gives them speedy relief. She has this care for this sort of people, not only because she once saved a very profligate person from being carried to prison, who immediately became a true penitent, but because she believes that a tenderness of affection towards the most abandoned sinners, is every where represented in the gospel as the highest instance of a divine and godlike soul.
_Miranda_ once passed by a house, where the man and his wife were cursing and swearing at one another in a most dreadful manner, and three children crying about them; this sight so much affected her compassionate mind, that she went the next day, and even bought the three children, that they might not be ruined by living with such wicked parents. They now live with _Miranda_, are blessed with her care and prayers, and all the good works that she can do for them. They hear her talk, they see her live, and join with her in psalms and prayers. The eldest of them has already been an instrument of converting his parents from their wicked life, and shews a turn of mind so remarkably pious, that _Miranda_ intends him for holy orders; that being thus saved himself, he may be zealous in the salvation of souls, and do to other miserable objects, as she has done to him.
_Miranda_ is a constant relief to poor people in their misfortunes and accidents; for there are sometimes little misfortunes that happen to them, which of themselves they could never be able to overcome: the death of a cow, or a horse, or some little robbery, would keep them in distress all their lives. She does not suffer them to lie grieving under such accidents as these. She immediately gives them the full value of their loss, and makes use of it as a means of raising their minds towards GOD.
She has a great tenderness for _old people_ that are grown past their labour. The parish allowance (_Miranda_ says) to such people, is very seldom a comfortable maintenance. For this reason, they are the constant objects of her care; she adds so much to their allowance, as somewhat exceeds the wages they got when they were young. This she does to comfort them under the infirmities of their age, that being free from trouble and distress they may serve GOD in peace and tranquillity of mind. She has generally a large number of this kind, who by her charities, and exhortations to holiness, spend their last days in great piety and devotion.
_Miranda_ never wants compassion even to _common beggars_; especially those that are old or sick, or full of sores, and that want eyes or limbs. _Miranda_ considers that _Lazarus_ was a common beggar, that notwithstanding he was the care of angels, and carried into _Abraham_’s bosom. She considers that our blessed Saviour and his apostles, were kind to beggars; that they spoke comfortably to them, healed their diseases, and restored eyes and limbs to the lame and blind. She therefore hears their complaints with tenderness, and never bids them go to the place from whence they came, or tells them that she cannot relieve them because they may be cheats, or that they are strangers; but she relieves them for that very reason because they are strangers; and though she cannot, like our Saviour and his Apostles, work miracles for their relief, yet she remembers the words of our LORD, “I was a stranger and ye took me in,” and can say with St. _Peter_, “such as I have, give I unto you, in the name of JESUS of _Nazareth_.”
It may be, says _Miranda_, that I may sometimes give to those who do not deserve it. But where, says she, has the scripture made merit to be the rule or measure of my charity? On the contrary, does not the scripture speak on this wise, “if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink.” And if I am to love and do good to my worst enemies, surely I am not to deny alms to poor beggars, whom I neither know to be bad people, nor any way my enemies? Does not GOD make his sun to rise on the evil and on the good? Is not this the very goodness that is recommended to us in scripture? that by imitating it, “we may be children of our father who is in heaven, who sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.”
Perhaps you will reply, “By this means I encourage people to be beggars.” But may not the same objection be made against all kinds of charities, for they may encourage people to depend upon them? May not the same be said against forgiving our enemies, cloathing the naked, or giving medicines to the sick? for in so doing we may encourage people to do us hurt or neglect themselves, and be careless of their health. Such thoughtless objections, says _Miranda_, I once urged myself, when in a state of unregeneracy: but since the love of GOD has dwelt in me, and enlarged my heart, I have been filled with bowels of compassion; and as I daily pray for all, so far as I can, I give to all. And I cannot refuse an alms to those, whom I pray GOD to bless, and whom I wish to be partakers of eternal glory. I look on those who come to ask my alms, as so many friends and benefactors, that come to do me a greater good than they can receive from me; that come to _exalt_ my graces, and be witnesses of my charity; to be monuments of my love, and put it in my power of proving the truth of that glorious declaration “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
This is the spirit, and this is the life of the devout _Miranda_; and if she lives ten years longer, she will have spent six-thousand pounds in charity; for that which she allows herself, may fairly be reckoned amongst her alms.
When she dies, she must shine amongst Apostles, saints and martyrs, she must stand amongst the first servants of GOD, and be glorious amongst those that have fought the good fight, and finished their course with joy.
“He that hath ears to hear let him hear.”