X. Here therefore I place my argument for _Christian perfection_. I exhort thee to labour after it, because there is nothing else for thee to labour after; there is nothing else that the reason of man can exhort thee to. The whole world has nothing to offer thee in its stead; chuse what other way thou wilt, thou hast chosen nothing but vanity and misery; for all the different ways of the world are only different ways of deluding thyself: this only excells that as one vanity can excel another. If thou wilt make thyself more happy than those who pursue their own destruction, if thou wilt shew thyself wiser than _fops_, more reasonable than _sordid misers_, thou must pursue that happiness, and study that wisdom which leads to God; for every other pursuit, every other way of life, however _polite_ or _plausible_ in the opinion of the world, has a folly and stupidity in it that is equal to the folly and stupidity of _fops_ and _misers_.
For awhile shut thine eyes, and think of the _silliest creature_ in human life; imagine to thyself something that thou thinkest the most _poor_ and _vain_ in the way of the world. Now thou art thyself that poor and vain creature, unless thou art devoted to God, and labouring after Christian perfection; unless this be thy difference from the world, thou canst not think of any creature more silly than thyself. For it is not any _post_, or condition, or figure in life, that makes one man wiser or better than another; if thou art a proud _scholar_, a worldly _priest_, an indevout _philosopher_, a crafty _politician_, an ambitious _statesman_, thy imagination cannot invent a way of life that has more of vanity or folly than thine own.
XI. Every one has wisdom enough to see what variety of fools and madmen there are in the world.
Now perhaps we cannot do better, than to find out the true reason of the folly and madness of any sort of life. Ask thyself therefore wherein consists the folly of any sort of life, which is most condemned in thy judgment.
*Is a drunken _fox-hunter_ leading a foolish life? Wherein consists the folly of it? Is it because he is not getting money upon the _exchange_? Or because he is not wrangling at the _bar_? Or not waiting at _court_? No; the folly of it consists in this, that he is not living like a _reasonable creature_; that he is not acting like a being that has a salvation to work out with _fear and trembling_; that he is throwing away his time amongst _dogs_, and noise, and intemperance, which he should devote to watching and prayer, and the improvement of his soul in all holy tempers. Now, if this is the folly (as it most certainly is) of an intemperate _fox-hunter_, it shews us an equal folly in every other way of life, where the same great ends of living are neglected. Tho’ we are shining at the _bar_, making a figure at _court_, great at the _exchange_, or famous in the _schools_ of _philosophy_, we are yet the same despicable creatures as the intemperate _fox-hunter_, if these things keep us as far from holiness and heavenly affections. There is nothing greater in any way of life than _fox-hunting_: it is all the same folly, unless religion be the beginning and ending, the rule and measure of it all. For it is as _noble_ a _wisdom_, and shews as _great_ a _soul_, to die less holy and heavenly for the sake of _hunting_ and _noise_, as for the sake of any thing that the world can give us.
XII. Another motive to induce you to aspire after _Christian perfection_, may be taken from the double advantage of it in this life, and that which is to come.
The apostle thus exhorts the _Corinthians_, _Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; for as much as ye know that your labour will not be in vain in the Lord_¹.
¹ 1 Cor. xv. 58.
This is an exhortation founded upon solid reason: for what can be so reasonable, as to be always abounding in _that work_ which will never be _in vain_? Whilst we are pleased with ourselves, or pleased with the world, we are pleased with vanity: and our most prosperous labours of this kind are but _vanity of vanities_: but whilst we are labouring after Christian perfection, we are labouring for eternity, and building to ourselves higher stations in the joys of heaven. _As one star differeth from another star in glory, so also is the resurrection of the dead._ We shall surely rise to different degrees of glory, of joy and happiness in God, according to our different advancements in holiness, and good works.
No degrees of mortification and self-denial, no private prayers, no secret mournings, no instances of charity, no labour of love, will ever be forgotten, but all treasured up to our everlasting comfort. For though the rewards of the other life are free gifts of God; yet since he has assured us, that every man shall be rewarded according to his works, it is certain that our rewards will be as different as our works have been.