That we must _eat_, and _drink_, and _dress_, and _discourse_ according to the sobriety of the Christian spirit; engage in no employments but such as we can truly devote unto God; nor pursue them any farther, than conduces to the reasonable ends of a holy life.
That we must be _honest_, not only on particular occasions, and in _such_ instances as are _applauded_ in the world, easy to be performed, and free from _danger_ or _loss_, but from such a _living principle_ of justice, as makes us love truth and integrity in _all its instances_, follow it thro’ all dangers, and against all opposition; as knowing that the more we pay for any truth, the better is our _bargain_, and that then our integrity becomes a _pearl_, when we have parted with _all_ to keep it.
That we must be _humble_, not only in such instances as are _expected_ in the world, or _suitable_ to our tempers, or confined to particular occasions, but in such a spirit, as renders us meek and holy in the _whole course_ of our lives, as shews itself in our _dress_, our _person_, our _conversation_, our _enjoyment_ of the world, _patience_ under injuries, _submission_ to superiors, and condescension to those that are below us, and in all the outward actions of our lives.
That we must not only devote _times_ and _places_ to prayer, but be every where in the _spirit_ of devotion, with hearts always set towards heaven, looking up to God in all our actions, and doing every thing as servants living in the world, as in an holy temple of God; always worshipping him, tho’ not with our lips, yet with the _thankfulness_ of our hearts, the _holiness_ of our actions, and the pious and charitable use of his gifts. That we must not only send up petitions and thoughts now and then to heaven; but must go thro’ all our worldly business, with an heavenly spirit, as members of Christ’s mystical body, that, with new _hearts_ and new _minds_, we are to turn an earthly life into a preparation for a life of greatness and glory in the kingdom of heaven.
15. Enough, I hope, has been said, to shew you the necessity of thus introducing religion into _all the actions_ of our _common life_, and of living and acting with the same regard to God in all that you do, as in your prayers and alms.
_Eating_ is one of the lowest actions of our lives; it is common to us with mere _animals_: yet we see that the piety of all the ages of the world, has turned this _ordinary_ action of the animal life, into a _piety_ to God, by making every meal to begin and end with devotion.
*We see yet some _remains_ of this custom in most Christian families; some such _little formality_ as shews you, that people used to call upon God at the beginning and end of their meals. But indeed it is generally now so performed, as to look more like a mockery upon devotion, than any solemn application of the mind unto God. In one house you may perhaps see the _head_ of the family just pulling off his hat; in another half getting up from his _seat_; another shall, it may be, proceed so far, as to make as if he said _something_: but however, these _little attempts_ are the remains of some devotion that was formerly used at such times, and are proofs that religion has formerly belonged to this part of _common life_.
But to such a pass are we now come, that tho’ the custom is still preserved, yet we can hardly bear with him, that seems to perform it with any degree of _seriousness_, and look upon it as a sign of a _fanatical_ temper, if a man has not done it as soon as he begins.
I would not be thought to plead for the necessity of _long prayers_ at these times; but thus much I think may be said, that if prayer is proper at these times, we ought to use such _words_ as should shew, that we _solemnly_ appeal to God for such graces and blessings as are proper to the occasion; otherwise the mock-ceremony, instead of blessing our victuals, does but accustom us to trifle with devotion, and give us a habit of being unaffected with our prayers.
♦17. If every _head_ of a family would, at the return of every meal, make a _solemn adoration_ of God, in such a decent manner as becomes a devout mind, it would be very likely to teach him, that _swearing_, _sensuality_, _gluttony_, and _loose_ discourse, were very improper at those meals, which were to begin and end with devotion.
♦ Number 16 omitted in text.
And if in these days of general corruption, this part of devotion is fallen into a _mock-ceremony_, it must be imputed to this, that _sensuality_ and _intemperance_ have got too great power over us, to suffer us to add any devotion to our meals. But thus much must be said, that when we are as pious as _Jews_ and _Heathens_ of all ages have been, we shall think it proper to pray at the beginning and end of our meals.