Recommending devotion at twelve o’clock, called, in scripture, the sixth hour of the day. This frequency of devotion, equally desirable by all orders of people. Universal love is recommended to be the subject of prayer at this hour. Of intercession, as an act of universal love.
1.IT will, perhaps, be thought by some, that these hours of prayer come too thick, and are only fit for monasteries, or such people as have no more to do in the world than they have.
To this it is answered, this method of devotion is not pressed upon any as absolutely necessary, but recommended to all people, as the best and the happiest way of life.
And if exemplary devotion is as much the happiness and perfection of a merchant, a soldier, or a man of quality, as it is the happiness and perfection of the most retired, contemplative life, then it is as proper to recommend it without any abatements to one order of men as to another.
Here is therefore no excuse for men of business and figure. First, Because it would be to excuse them from that which is the end of living, to make them less beneficial to themselves, and less serviceable to God and the world.
*Secondly, Because most men of business and figure engage too far in worldly matters; much farther than the reasons of human life, or the necessities of the world require.
*Merchants and tradesmen, for instance, are generally ten times farther engaged in business than they need; which is so far from being a reasonable excuse for their want of time for devotion, that it is their crime, and must be censured as a blameable instance of covetousness and ambition.
Gentry, and people of figure, either give themselves up to state-employments, or to the gratifications of their passions, in a life of gaity and debauchery. And if these things might be admitted as allowable avocations from devotion, devotion must be reckoned a poor circumstance of life.
Unless gentlemen can shew, that they have another God, than the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; another nature, than that which is derived from Adam; another religion than the Christian, it is in vain to plead their state, and dignity, as reasons for not preparing their souls for God, by a strict and regular devotion.
2. If a merchant, having forbore too great business, that he might quietly attend on the service of God, should die worth twenty, instead fifty thousand pounds, could any one say, he had mistaken his calling, or gone a loser out of the world?
If a gentleman should have killed fewer foxes, been less frequent at balls, gaming, and merry meetings, because stated parts of his time had been given to retirement, to meditation, and devotion, could it be thought, that when he left the world, he would regret the loss of those hours that he had given to the improvement of his soul?
If a tradesman, by aspiring after Christian perfection, and retiring often from business, should, instead of leaving his children fortunes to spend in luxury and idleness, leave them to live by their own honest labour; could it be said that he had made a wrong use of the world, because he had more regard to that which is eternal, than to this which is so soon to be at an end?
Since therefore devotion is not only the best and most desirable practice in a cloyster, but in every state of life, they that desire to be excused from it, because they are men of figure, and estates, and business, are no wiser than those that should desire to be excused from health and happiness, because they were men of figure and estates.
3. I can’t see why every gentleman, merchant, or soldier, should not put these questions seriously to himself;
What is the best thing for me to aim at in all my actions? How shall I do to make the most of human life? What ways shall I wish that I had taken, when I am leaving the world?
Now, to be thus wise, seems but a small and necessary piece of wisdom. For how can we pretend to sense and judgment, if we dare not seriously consider, and govern our lives by that which such questions require of us?
Shall a nobleman think his birth too high, to condescend to such questions as these? Or a tradesman think his business too great, to take any care about himself?
Now, here is desired no more devotion in any one’s life, than the answering these few questions requires.
Any devotion that is not to the greater advantage of him that uses it, than any thing he can do in the room of it; any devotion that does not procure an infinitely greater good, than can be got by neglecting it, is yielded up.
But if people will live in so much ignorance, as never to put these questions to themselves, but push on a blind life at all chances, in quest of they don’t know what, or why; without ever considering the worth, or value, or tendency of their actions; without considering what God, reason, eternity, and their own happiness requires of them: it is for the honour of devotion that none can neglect it, but those who are thus inconsiderate, who dare not enquire after that which is the best and most worthy of their choice.
4. *It is true, Claudius, you are a man of figure and estate, and are to act the part of such a station in life; you are not called, as Elijah was, to be a prophet, or as St. Paul, to be an apostle.
But will you therefore not love yourself? Will you not seek and study your own happiness?
You would think it very absurd for a man not to value his own health, because he was not a ♦physician; or the preservation of his limbs, because he was not a bone-setter: yet it is more absurd for you, Claudius, to neglect the improvement of your soul, because you are not an apostle, or a bishop.
♦ ‘physycian’ replaced with ‘physician’
*Consider, we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad, 2 Cor. v. 10. Now, if your estate would excuse you from appearing before this judgment-seat; if your figure could protect you from receiving according to your works, there would be some pretence for your leaving devotion to other people: but if you, who are now thus distinguished, must then appear naked amongst common souls, without any other distinction from others, but such as your virtues or sins give you, does it not as much concern you, as any prophet, or apostle, to make the best provision for that great day?
Consider the words of St. Peter, As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, 1 Pet. i. 15.
If therefore, Claudius, you are one of those here called, you see what it is that you are called to. It is not to have so much religion as suits with your temper, your business, or your pleasures; it is not a particular sort of piety, that may be sufficient for gentlemen of figure and estates; but it is, first, to be holy, as he which hath called you is holy; secondly, it is to be thus holy in all manner of conversation; that is, to carry this spirit and degree of holiness into every part, and through the whole form of your life.
And the reason the apostle immediately gives, why this spirit of holiness must be the common spirit of Christians, as such, is very affecting, and such as equally calls upon all sorts of Christians. Forasmuch as ye know, that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation,—but with the precious blood of Christ.
As if he had said, forasmuch as ye know ye were made capable of this state of holiness, entered into a society with Christ, and made heirs of his glory, not by any human means, but by such a mysterious instance of love, as infinitely exceeds every thing that can be thought of in this world; since God has redeemed you to himself, and your own happiness, at so great a price, how base and shameful must it be, if you don’t henceforth devote yourselves wholly to the glory of God, and become holy as he who hath called you is holy?
5. Again, the apostle saith, Know ye not, that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s, 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20.
How poorly therefore, Claudius, have you read the scripture? How little do you know of Christianity, if you can talk of your estate and condition, as a pretence for a freer kind of life?
Are you any more your own, than he that has no estate or dignity in the world? Must mean and little people preserve their bodies as temples of the Holy Ghost, by watching, fasting, and prayer; but may you indulge yours in idleness, in lust, and sensuality, because you have so much rent, or such a title of distinction?
And you must either think thus, or else acknowledge that the holiness of saints, prophets, and apostles, is the holiness that you are to labour after with all diligence and care.
And if you leave it to others, to live in such piety and devotion, in such self-denial, humility, and temperance, as may render them able to glorify God in their body, and in their spirit; you must leave it to them also, to have the benefit of the blood of Christ.
6. Thus much being said to shew, that great devotion is not to be left to any particular sort of people, but to be the common spirit of all Christians; I now proceed to consider the nature of universal love, which is here recommended to be the subject of your devotion at this hour.
By intercession is meant a praying to God, in behalf of our fellow-creatures.
Our blessed Lord hath recommended his love to us, as the pattern of our love to one another. As therefore he is continually making intercession for us all, so ought we to intercede for one another.
A new commandment, saith he, I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another.
The newness of this precept did not consist in this, that men were commanded to love one another; for this was an old precept, both of the law of Moses, and of nature. But it was new in this respect, that it was to imitate a new, and, till then, unheard-of example of love; it was to love one another, as Christ had loved us.
And if men are to know that we are disciples of Christ, by our loving one another, according to his example; then, if we are void of this love, we make it plainly known we are none of his disciples.
7. There is no principle more acceptable to God, than an universal fervent love to all mankind, wishing and praying for their happiness; because there is no principle that makes us more like God, who is love and goodness itself, and created all beings for the enjoyment of happiness.
The greatest idea that we can frame of God is, a being of infinite love and goodness; using infinite wisdom and power for the common good and happiness of all his creatures.
The highest notion therefore that we can form of man is, when we conceive him as like God in this respect as he can be; using all his finite faculties, whether of wisdom, power, or prayers, for the common good of all his fellow-creatures: heartily desiring they may have all the happiness they are capable of, and as many assistances from him, as his condition in the world will permit him to give them.
And, on the other hand, what a baseness and iniquity is there in all instances of hatred, envy, spite and ill will; if we consider, that every instance of them, is so far acting in opposition to God, and intending mischief and harm to those creatures, which God favours, and protects, and preserves, in order to their happiness? An ill-natured man amongst God’s creatures, is the most perverse creature in the world, acting contrary to that love, by which himself subsists, and which alone gives subsistence to all that variety of beings, that enjoy life in any part of the creation.
8. Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do unto them.
Now, though this is a doctrine of strict justice, yet it is only an universal love that can comply with it.
As we have no degrees of spite or ill-will to ourselves, so we cannot be disposed towards others as we are towards ourselves, till we universally renounce all instances of spite and ill-will, even in the smallest degrees.
If we had any imperfection in our eyes, that made us see any one thing wrong, for the same reason they would shew us an hundred things wrong.
So if we have any temper of our hearts, that makes us spiteful, or ill-natured towards any one man, the same temper will make us envious, and spiteful, and ill-natured towards a great many more.
If therefore we desire this love, we must exercise our hearts in the love of all, because it is not Christian love, till it is the love of all.
If a man could keep this whole law of love, and yet offend in one point, he would be guilty of all. For as one allowed instance of injustice destroys the justice of all our other actions; so one allowed instance of envy, spite, or ill-will, renders all our other acts of affection nothing worth.
Acts of love, that proceed not from a principle of universal love, are but like acts of justice, that proceed from a heart not disposed to universal justice.
9. Now, the noblest motive to universal tenderness is this, God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God.
Who therefore, whose heart has any tendency towards God, would not aspire after this divine temper.
How should we rejoice in the exercise of this love, which, is an assurance to us, that we act according to his Spirit, who is love itself?
God willeth the happiness of all beings, though it is no happiness to himself; therefore we must desire the happiness of all beings, tho’ no happiness cometh to us from it.
God equally delighteth in the perfections of all his creatures; therefore we should rejoice in those perfections wherever we see them, and be as glad to have other people perfect as ourselves.
10. *God, besides his own great example of love, which ought to draw all his creatures after it, has so provided for us, and made our happiness so common to us all, that we have no occasion to envy or hate one another.
For we cannot stand in one another’s way; or by enjoying our true good, keep another from his full share of it.
As we cannot be happy, but in the enjoyment of God; so we cannot rob one another of this happiness.
And as to other things, the enjoyments of this life, they are so little in themselves, so foreign to our happiness; and generally speaking, so contrary to that which they appear to be, that they are no foundation for envy, or hatred.
How silly would it be to envy a man, that was drinking poison out of a golden cup? And yet who can say, that he is acting wiser than thus, when he is envying any instance of worldly greatness?
11. *How many saints has adversity sent to heaven? And how many sinners has prosperity plunged into everlasting misery? A man seems to be in the most glorious state, when he has conquered, disgraced, and humbled his enemy; though it may be, that same conquest has saved his adversary, and undone himself.
This man had perhaps never been debauched, but for his fortune and advancement; that had never been pious, but thro’ his poverty and disgrace.
She that is envied for her beauty, may, perchance, owe all her misery to it; and another may be for ever happy, for having had no admirers of her person.
One man succeeds in every thing, and so loses all: another meets with nothing but crosses and disappointments, and thereby gains more than all the world is worth.
This clergyman may be undone by his being made a bishop; and that may save both himself and others by being fixed to his poor vicarage.
How envied was Alexander, when conquering the world, he built towns, set up his statues, and left marks of his glory in so many kingdoms!
And how despised was the poor preacher St. Paul when he was beaten with rods! And yet how strangely was the world mistaken in their judgment! How much to be envied was St. Paul! How much to be pitied was Alexander!
These few reflections shew, that the different conditions of this life have nothing in them to excite our uneasy passions, nothing that can reasonably interrupt our love and affection to one another.
12. To proceed now to another motive to this universal love.
Our power of doing external acts of love, is often very narrow and restrained. There are, it may be, but few people to whom we can contribute any worldly relief.
But tho’ our outward means of doing good are often thus limited, yet, if our hearts are full of love, we get, as it were, an infinite power; because God will attribute to us those good works, which we would have performed, had it been in our power.
You cannot heal all the sick, relieve all the poor; you cannot comfort all in distress, nor be a father to all the fatherless. You cannot, it may be, deliver many from their misfortunes, or teach them to find comfort in God.
*But if there is a love in your heart, that excites you to do all that you can; if your love has no bounds, but continually wishes and prays for the relief of all that are in distress, you will be received by God as a benefactor to those, who had nothing from you but your good-will, and tender affections.
You cannot build hospitals for the incurable; but if you join in your heart with those that do; if you are a friend to these great friends to mankind, and rejoice in their eminent virtues, you will be received by God as a sharer of such good works, as tho’ they had none of your hands, yet had all your heart.
This consideration surely is sufficient to make us watch over our hearts with all diligence: and aspire after the height of a loving, charitable, and benevolent mind.
13. And, on the other hand, we may hence learn the great evil of envy, spite, hatred, and ill-will. For if the goodness of our hearts will intitle us to the reward of good actions, which we never performed; it is certain that the badness of our hearts, will bring us under the guilt of actions that we have never committed.
*As he that lusteth after a woman shall be reckoned an adulterer, tho’ he has only committed the crime in his heart; so the malicious, spiteful, ill-natured man, that only secretly rejoices at evil, shall be reckoned a murderer, tho’ he has shed no blood.
*Since therefore our hearts, which are always naked and open to the eyes of God, give such an exceeding extent and increase, either to our virtues or vices, it is our greatest business to govern the motions of our hearts, to correct and improve the inward state of our souls.
14. Now there is nothing that so much exalts our souls, as this heavenly love; it cleanses and purifies like a holy fire, and all ill tempers fall away before it. By love, I don’t mean any natural tenderness, which is more or less in people, according to their constitutions; but a larger principle of the soul, which makes us kind to all our fellow-creatures, as creatures of God, and for his sake.
It is this love that loves all things in God, as his creatures, as the images of his power, as the creatures of his goodness, as parts of his family, as members of his society, that becomes a holy principle of all great and good actions.
These reasons sufficiently shew, that no love is holy, or religious, till it becomes universal.
For if religion requires me to love all persons, as God’s creatures, that belong to him, that bear his image, enjoy his protection, and make parts of his family and houshold; if these are the great reasons why I should live in love with any one man in the world, they are the same great reasons why I should live in love with every man in the world; and consequently, I offend against all these reasons, whenever I want love towards any one man. The sin therefore of hating or despising any one man, is like the sin of hating all God’s creation; and the necessity of loving any one man, is the same necessity of loving every man in the world. And tho’ many people may appear to us ever so sinful, odious, or extravagant in their conduct, we must never look upon that as the least motive for any contempt or disregard of them; but look upon them with the greater compassion, as being in the most pitiable condition that can be.
15. *As it was the sins of the world, that made the Son of God become a compassionate suffering Advocate for all mankind; so no one is of the Spirit of Christ, but he that has the utmost compassion for sinners. And you have never less reason to be pleased with yourself, than when you find yourself most offended at the behaviour of others. All sin is certainly to be hated; but then, we must set ourselves against sin, as we do against sickness and diseases, by shewing ourselves tender and compassionate to the sick and diseased.
*All other hatred of sin, which does not fill the heart with the softest, tenderest affections towards persons miserable in it, it is the servant of sin at the same time that it seems to be hating it.
And there is no temper which even good men ought more carefully to guard against than this. For it is a temper that lurks under the cover of many virtues, and by being unsuspected does the more mischief.
A man naturally fancies, that it is his own love of virtue that makes him not able to bear with those that want it; and when he abhors one man, despises another, and can’t bear the name of a third, he supposes it all to be a proof of his own high sense of virtue, and just hatred of sin.
And yet one would think that a man needed no other cure for this temper, than this one reflection:
That if this had been the spirit of the Son of God, if he had hated sin in this manner, there had been no redemption of the world: if God had hated sinners in this manner, the world itself had ceased long ago.
This therefore we may take for a certain rule, that the more we partake of the divine nature, and the higher our sense of virtue is, the more we shall compassionate those that want it. The sight of such people will then, instead of raising in us a haughty contempt, or peevish indignation towards them, fill us with such bowels of compassion, as when we see the miseries of an hospital.
16. That the follies therefore, and ill-behaviour of our fellow creatures, may not lessen that love which we are to have for all mankind, we should often consider the reasons on which this duty of love is founded.
Now we are to love our neighbour, that is, all mankind, not because they are wise, holy or virtuous; for all mankind never was, nor ever will be so.
Again, if their goodness were the reason of our being obliged to love people, we should have no rule to proceed by; because tho’ some people’s virtues or vices are notorious, yet, generally speaking, we are but ill judges of the virtue of other people.
Thirdly, We are sure that the virtue of persons, is not the reason of our being obliged to love them, because we are commanded to pay the highest instances of love to our worst enemies; we are to love, and bless, and pray for those that most injuriously treat us. This therefore is demonstration, that the merit of persons is not the reason on which our obligation to love them is founded.
Let us farther consider what that love is which we owe to our neighbour; it is to love him as ourselves, that is, to wish him every thing that we may lawfully wish to ourselves; to be glad of every good, and sorry for every evil that happens to him: and to be ready to do him all such acts of kindness, as we are always ready to do ourselves.
This love therefore, you see, is nothing but a love of benevolence; it requires nothing of us, but good wishes, tender affections, and such acts of kindness, as we shew to ourselves.
17. Now we are obliged to this love, in imitation of God’s goodness, that we may be children of our Father which is in heaven, who willeth the happiness of all his creatures, and maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good.
Again, our redemption, by Jesus Christ, calleth us to the exercise of this love, who came from heaven, and laid down his life, out of love, to the whole sinful world.
Lastly, Our Lord and Saviour has required us to love one another, as he loved us.
These are the great, perpetual reasons, on which our obligation to love all mankind as ourselves is founded.
These reasons never vary; they always continue in their full force; and therefore equally oblige at all times, and in regard to all persons.
God loves us, not because we are wise, and good, and holy, but in pity to us, because we want this happiness. He loves us, in order to make us good. Our love therefore must take this course; not looking for, or requiring the merit of our brethren, but pitying their disorders, and wishing them all the good that they want, and are capable of receiving.
18. You will perhaps ask, if you are not to have a particular esteem for good men? Yes; but this esteem is very different from that love of benevolence which we owe to our neighbour.
The distinction betwixt love of benevolence, and esteem, is plain and obvious.
No man is to have a high esteem for his own accomplishments or behaviour; yet every man is to love himself, that is, to wish well to himself; therefore this distinction betwixt love and esteem, is not only plain, but very necessary to be observed.
Again, if you think it hardly possible to dislike the actions of unreasonable men, and yet have a true love for them, consider this with relation to yourself.
It is very possible, for you not only to dislike, but to detest and abhor a great many of your own past actions. But do you then lose any of those tender sentiments towards yourself, which you used to have? Do you then cease to wish well to yourself? Is not the love of yourself as strong then as at any other time?
Now what is thus possible with relation to ourselves, is possible with relation to others. We may have the highest good wishes towards them, desiring for them every good that we desire for ourselves, and yet at the same time dislike their way of life.
19. To conclude, all that love which we may justly have for ourselves, we are in strict justice obliged to exercise towards all other men; and we offend against the great law of our nature, when our tempers towards others are different from those which we have towards ourselves.
Now that self-love which is just and reasonable, keeps us constantly tender, compassionate, and well-affected towards ourselves. If therefore you don’t feel these kind dispositions towards all other people, you may be assured, that you are not in that state of charity, which is the very life and soul of Christian piety.
You know how it hurts you, to be made the jest and ridicule of other people; how it grieves you to be robbed of your reputation: if therefore you expose others to scorn and contempt in any degree; if it pleases you to see or hear of their frailties and infirmities; or if you are only loth to conceal their faults, you are so far from loving such people as yourself, that you may be justly supposed to have as much hatred for them, as you have love for yourself. For such tempers are as truly the proper fruits of hatred, as the contrary tempers are the proper fruits of love.
And as it is a certain sign that you love yourself, because you are tender of every thing that concerns you; so it is as certain a sign that you hate your neighbour, when you are pleased with any thing that hurts him.