VIII. Suppose a person had _lame_ feet, and _bad_ eyes, and that he had an _oil_, that was an infallible cure for them both, when applied to both; if you saw him only using it for his _eyes_, you would not wonder that it had not cured his _feet_; you would know that his anointing his _eyes_ could only cure his _eyes_; and that there was no ground to expect that his _feet_ should be any better, till he anointed his _feet_: and all this for this plain reason, because things, however good in themselves, can have no farther effect than as they are applied. Now it is just thus in religion. If a man places it only in _public worship_, he attends public worship; it operates so far. But why must you wonder, that he is not of a _wise, virtuous_, and _religious_ temper, in all the actions of his ordinary life? Is not this wondering why the _oil_ has not cured a man’s _feet_, when he has never applied it to them, but only to his _eyes_?
IX. *When the regular churchman as plainly makes religion the _measure_ of his ordinary life, as he makes it the _rule_ of his going to _church_; when he as directly uses it to this purpose, as a man anoints his eyes, who would be cured by anointing them; then you will see him as different in his _ordinary life_ from other people, as different in his pleasures and griefs, in his cares and concerns, as he is different from them in _forms_ and regularity of worship. But till men do this; till they apply the principles of religion to all the actions of _ordinary life_; till they make it the _measure_ of all their daily tempers, their joys and fears; till they think there is as much piety in being _wise_ and _holy_ in their common tempers, as in being _devout_ at church; as much sin in being vainly pleased and foolishly vexed, as in neglecting the divine service; till they thus directly apply religion to common life, as a man applies a remedy to the part he would have cured; it is no more to be expected that it should make them religious in common life, than that an _oil_ applied to our _eyes_ should cure our _feet_.
It is our ordinary life, which we think is thus left to ourselves, that makes religion so insignificant in the world: it lies by like a _remedy_ that is _unapplied_; it has no effect because it is used only as a _formal thing_ that has its duties at _set times_ and occasions: whereas it should be used and considered as the _rule_ and _reason_ of all our judgments and actions; as the _measure_ of all our cares and pleasures; as the _life_ of our life, the spirit of our spirit, and the very form and essence of all our tempers. It is to be in us, like a _new reason_ and judgment of our minds; that is to reason and judge of every thing we do, and to preside over and govern all the motions of our hearts. _Is any one merry_, saith the apostle, _let him sing psalms: Is any afflicted, let him pray_. This is religion in the apostle’s account; it is not only an attendance at the public worship, but it is the _ruling habit_ of our minds; something that devotes us wholly to God, that allows of no mirth in our common life, but a mirth proper for the brethren of Christ, a mirth that can express itself in praise and thanksgiving, that allows of no other cure for grief or vexation than what is to be had from recourse to God. And indeed what can be more absurd, than for a Christian ever to act in any other consideration than as a Christian? He is senseless to a degree of madness when he indulges a thought, or a motion of his heart; when he either takes a pleasure, or relieves a grief; where he cannot say I do this as a Christian, as suitable to that state in which Christianity has placed me.