But to return. The same Apostle, in his epistle to the _Ephesians_, commands servants “to be obedient to their masters in singleness of heart, as unto CHRIST; not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as the servants of CHRIST, doing the will of GOD from the heart: with good-will doing service as unto the LORD, and not unto men.” This passage sufficiently shews, that all christians are to live wholly unto GOD, in every state and condition of life, doing the work of their common calling in such a manner, and for such ends, as to make it a part of their devotion or service to GOD. For if _poor slaves_ are not to comply with their business as men-pleasers; if they are to look wholly unto GOD in all their actions, and serve in singleness of heart, as unto the LORD; surely men of other employments and conditions, must be as much obliged to go through their business with the same singleness of heart, not as pleasing the vanity of their own minds, nor as gratifying their own selfish, worldly passions, but as the servants of GOD in all that they have to do. To deny this, would be as absurd, as to make it necessary for one man to be more just or faithful than another.
To close these arguments founded on reason and scripture. Our being indispensably obliged to devote our lives to GOD, is very evident from that glorious passage of the Apostle, wherein he declares that “CHRIST died and rose again, that we should henceforth not live unto ourselves, but unto him that died for us; that we are not our own, but bought with a price,” emphatically so called, and that we should “therefore glorify GOD in our souls and bodies which are his.”
If then we desire to live as rational creatures, if we would not add _heathen lives_ to christian prayers, if we would perform our baptismal vow, and do GOD’s will on earth as it is done in heaven; if we would comply with the whole will of GOD, and answer the end of our blessed LORD’s birth, death, resurrection, and ascension, we must live wholly to GOD, and make his glory the sole rule and measure of our acting in every employment of life.
For want of knowing, or at least of considering this, we see such a mixture of ridicule in the lives of many people. You see them strict as to some times and places of devotion; but when the service of the church is over, they are like those who seldom or never come there. In their way of life, their manner of spending both time and money, in their cares and fears, in their pleasures and indulgences, in their labours and diversions, they are like the rest of the world. This makes the loose part of the world generally make a jest of those that are thus seemingly devout; not altogether it may be because they are really devoted to GOD, but because they appear to have no other devotion, but that of occasional prayers.
_Julius_ is very fearful of missing prayers; all the parish suppose _Julius_ to be sick, if he is not at church. But if you ask him, why he spends the rest of his time by humour or _chance_? Why he is busy at all balls and assemblies? Why he gives himself up to an idle gossipping conversation? If you ask him, why he never puts his conversation, his time, and fortune, under the rules of religion? _Julius_ has no more to say for himself, than the most disorderly person. For he that lives in such a course of idleness and folly, lives no more according to the religion of JESUS CHRIST, than he who lives in gluttony and intemperance.
Our blessed Saviour and his Apostles did not spend their whole ministry in recommending the duties of public and private prayers; though by their example and precepts they recommended and enforced both; but it is worthy our observation, that after they had laid down a lively faith in GOD’s mercy through JESUS CHRIST, as the foundation, they were chiefly taken up in delivering doctrines which relate to common life. For they call upon us “to renounce the world, so as not to be conformed to it: To fear none of its evils, to reject its joys, and have no value for its happiness: To be as _new-born babes_, that are born into a new state of things; to live as _pilgrims_, in spiritual watching, in holy fear, and heavenly aspirations after another life: To take up our daily cross, to deny ourselves, to profess the blessedness of holy mourning, and poverty of spirit: To reject the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, so as not to follow or be led by them: To take no anxious thought for the morrow; to live in the profoundest state of humility; to rejoice in worldly sufferings and injuries, when it pleases GOD to bring them upon us; to forgive and bless our enemies, and to love mankind in the same manner, though not degree, as GOD loves them. In short, to give up our whole hearts and affections to GOD, even a GOD in CHRIST, and to strive to enter through the strait gate of a sound conversion into a life of eternal glory.”