What then? Cannot sin be avoided? Cannot a Christian mortify the deeds of the body? Cannot Christ redeem us, and cleanse us from all our sins? Cannot the works of the devil be destroyed? That is the question to be asked: Whether or not it is necessary, and therefore very possible, for a servant of God to pass from this evil state of things, and not only hate evil but avoid it also?
Some cannot
choose but sin; “for the carnal mind is not subject to God, neither indeed can
be,” says
And this is
agreeable to the words of our blessed Savior: “A good tree cannot bear bad
fruit, nor can a bad three bear good fruit.” That is as the child of hell does
not check at sin, but does it, and is not troubled; so, on the other side, a
child of God is as fully convinced of righteousness; and that which is
unrighteous is as hateful to him a colocynths to the taste, or the sharpest
punctures to the pupil of the eye. We may see something of this in common
experience. What person of ordinary prudence and reputation can be tempted to
steal? Or for what price would that person be tempted to murder a friend? Does
not every good person overcome all the power of great sins? Can we, by the
Spirit of God and right reason, by fear and hope, conquer the giant Goliath,
and yet not overcome the little children of
To sum up all: every good person is a new creature, and Christianity is not so much a divine institution, as a divine frame and temper of spirit; which if we heartily pray for, and endeavor to obtain, we shall find it as hard and as uneasy to sin against God, as now we think it impossible to abstain from our most pleasing sins. For the Holy Sprit of God, and the word of God, and the grace of God changes dullness into zeal, and fear into love, and sinful habits into innocence, and passes on from grace to grace, till we arrive at the full measure of the stature of Christ, and into the perfect liberty of the children of God; so that we shall hate what God hates; and the evil that is forbidden, we shall not do; no because we are strong of ourselves, but because Christ is our strength, and he is in us; and Christ’s strength shall be perfected in our weakness, and his grace will be sufficient for us; and he will of his own good pleasure work in us, not only to will, but also to do, says the apostle, “to will and to work for his good pleasure” and fully, being sanctified throughout, to the glory of his holy name, and the eternal salvation of our souls, through Jesus Christ.[1]
[For example, consider Christ’s work of sanctification in Flavia and Miranda.] Flavia and Miranda are two maiden sisters that have each of them an income of two hundred pounds a year. They buried their parents twenty years ago, and have since that time spent their estates as they pleased.
Flavia has been the wonder of all her friends, for her excellent management, in making s surprising a figure on 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 expense. She has everything 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, in generally at Church, and often at the Sacrament. She once commended a sermon that was against the pride and vanity of dress, and thought is 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 something in charity, if she likes the person who makes the proposal, or happens to be n the right temper, she will toss him half-a-crown, or a crown, and tell him if he knew what a long milliner’s bill she had just received, he would think it a great deal for her to give. When she hears a sermon upon the necessity of charity; she thinks the man preaches well, that it is a very proper subject, that people need very much to be reminded 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 themselves, she will admit of no complaints from them; she is very positive they are all cheats and liars, and will say anything to get relief; and therefore it must be a sin to encourage them in their evil ways.
Thus lives Flavia; and if she lives ten years longer she will have worn about two hundred different suits of cloths. Out of these thirty years of her life, fifteen will have been disposed of in bed; and, of the remaining fifteen, about fourteen will have been consumed in eating, drinking, dressing, visiting, conversation, reading and hearing playing and romances, at operas, assemblies, balls and diversions. For you may reckon all the time that she is up thus spent, expect about and hour and a half that is disposed of at Church most Sundays in the year. With great management, and under mighty rules of economy, she will have spent six thousand pounds on herself, leaving only some shillings, crowns, or half-crowns, that have gone from her in accidental charities.
I shall not take it upon me to say that it is impossible for Flavia to be saved; but thus much must be said, that she has no grounds from Scripture to think she is in the way of salvation. For her whole life is in direct opposition to all those practices which the Gospel commends for salvation.
And here it should be noticed well, that the poor, vain turn of mind, the irreligion, the folly, and vanity of this whole life of Flavia, is entirely 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, her only thought about her two hundred pounds a year was 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 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 everything else.
She might have been humble, serious, devout, a lover of good books, an admirer of prayer and careful of her time, diligent in good works, full of charity and the love of God, but 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 as her fortune. It is owning to her being wrong in so great an article of life, that you can see nothing wise, or reasonable, or pious, in any other part of it.[2]
Miranda (the sister of Flavia) 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 fulfill everything 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 has said, that there is but “One thing needful,” and therefore makes her whole life but one continual labor after it. She has but one reason for doing or not doing, for liking or not liking anything, and that is, the will of God. She is not so weak as to pretend to add what is 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.
Miranda does not divide her duty between God, her neighbor, and herself; but she considers all as due to God, and so does everything in God’s Name, and for God’s sake. This makes her consider her fortune as the gift of God, that is to be used, as everything is that belongs to God, for the wise and reasonable ends of a Christian and holy life. Her fortune therefore is divided between herself and several other poor people, and she has only the part of relief from it. She thinks it the same folly to indulge herself in needless, vain expenses, as to give to other people to spend in the same way. Therefore as she will not give a poor man money to go see a puppet-show, neither will she allow herself any to spend in the same manner; thinking it very proper to be as wise herself as she expects poor men should be. For it is a folly and a crime in a poor man, says Miranda, to waste what is given him on foolish trifles, while he wants meat, drink and clothes.
It may be, says Miranda, that I may often give to those that do not deserve it, or that will make an ill use of my alms. But what then? Is not this the very method of Divine goodness? 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 of it, we may be children of our Father in Heaven, who “sends rain on the just and on the unjust?” And shall I withhold a little money, or food, from my fellow-creatures, for fear they should not be good enough to receive it of me? Do I beg of God to deal with me, not according to my merit, but according to God’s own great goodness; and shall I be so absurd as to withhold my charity from a poor brother or sister, because they may perhaps not deserve it? Shall I use a measure towards them, which I pray God never to use towards me?
You will perhaps say, that by this means I encourage people to be beggars. But the same thoughtless objection may be made against all kinds of charities, for they may encourage people to depend upon them. The same may be said against clothing the naked, or giving medicines to the sick; for that may encourage people to neglect themselves, and be careless of their health. But when the love of God dwells in you, when it has enlarged your heart, and filled you with bowels of mercy and compassion, you will make no more such objections as these.
This is the spirit and this is the life, of the devout Miranda; and if she lives then years longer, she will have spent sixty hundred pounds in charity, for that which she allows herself, may fairly be reckoned amongst her alms.
When she dies, she must shine among the Apostles, saints, and martyrs; she must stand among the first servants of God, and be glorious among those that have fought the good fight, and finished their course with joy.[3]
See therefore that you live upon God's approval as that which you chiefly seek, and will suffice you: which you may discover by these signs.
1. You will be most careful to understand the Scripture, to
know what doth please and displease God.
2. You will be more careful in the doing of every duty, to fit it to the
pleasing of God than men.
3. You will look to your hearts, and not only to your actions; to your ends,
and thoughts, and the inward manner and degree.
4. You will look to secret duties as well as public and to that which men see
not, as well as unto that which they see.
5. You will reverence your consciences, and have much to do with them, and will
not slight them: when they tell you of God's displeasure, it will disquiet you;
when they tell you of his approval, it will comfort you.
6. Your pleasing men will be charitable for their good, and pious in order to
the pleasing of God, and not proud and ambitious for your honour with them, nor
impious against the pleasing of God.
7. Whether men be pleased or displeased, or how they judge of you, or what they
call you, will seem a small matter to you, as their own interest, in comparison
to God's judgment. You live not on them. You can bear their displeasure,
censures, and reproaches, if God be but pleased. These will be your evidences.[4]
[1] Jeremy Taylor, expert from “The Christian Conquest over the Body of Sin,” from A Time to Turn: Anglican Readings for Lent and Easter Week by Christopher L. Webber. Pg 7, 8.
[2] William
Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy
Life, in A Time to Turn: Anglican
[3] William
Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy
Life, in A Time to Turn: Anglican
[4] Richard
Baxter, Signs of Living to Please God.