The _merchant_ is not to leave devotion to the clergyman, nor the _clergyman_ to leave humility to the _labourer_. Women of _fortune_ are not to leave it to the poor of their sex, _to be discreet_, _chaste_, _keepers at home_, _to adorn themselves in modest apparel_, _shame-facedness_, and _sobriety_; nor _poor women_ to leave it to the rich to attend at the worship of God. _Great men_ must be eminent for true _poverty of spirit_, and people of a _low and afflicted_ state must greatly rejoice in God.
The man of _strength_ and _power_ is to forgive and pray for his enemies, and the _innocent sufferer_, that is chained in prison, must, with _Paul_ and _Silas_, at midnight sing praises unto God. For God is to be glorified, holiness is to be practised, and the spirit of religion is to be the common spirit of every Christian in every state and condition of life.
*For the Son of God did not come from above, to add an external form of worship to the several ways of life that are in the world, and so to leave people to live as they did before, in such tempers and enjoyments as the fashion and spirit of the world approves: but as he came down from heaven, altogether divine and heavenly in his own nature; so it was to call mankind to a divine and heavenly life; to the highest change of their whole nature and temper; to be born again of the Holy Spirit; to walk in the wisdom, and light, and love of God, and to be like him to the utmost of their power; to a mortification of their passions; and to live in such wisdom, and holiness, as might fit them to enjoy God to all eternity.
17. Whatever therefore is _foolish_, _vain_, or _earthly_, or _sensual_ in the life of a Christian, is something that ought not to be there. But if any thing of this kind runs through the _course_ of our whole life, if we allow ourselves in things that are either vain, foolish, or sensual, we renounce our profession.
For as sure as Jesus Christ was wisdom and holiness; as sure as he came to make us like himself, so sure is it, that none keep to their Christian profession, but they who, to the utmost of their power, live a wise, and holy, and heavenly life. This, and this alone, is Christianity; universal holiness in every part of life, a heavenly wisdom in all our actions, not conforming to the spirit and temper of the world, but turning all worldly enjoyments into means of piety and devotion.
18. And if it be the happiness and glory of a _bishop_ to live in this Spirit, full of these holy tempers, doing every thing as unto God, it is as much the glory and happiness of all men and women, whether young or old, to live in the same Spirit. And whoever can find any reasons why an _ancient bishop_ should be intent upon divine things, turning all his life into the highest exercises of piety and devotion, will find them so many reasons why he should, to the utmost of his power, do the same himself.
If you say that a _bishop_ must be an eminent example of Christian holiness, because of his high and sacred calling, you say right. But if you say, that it is more to his advantage to be exemplary, than it is yours, you greatly mistake. For there is nothing to make the highest degrees of holiness desirable to a bishop, but what makes them equally desirable to every _young person_ of every family.
For an exalted piety, and the religious use of every thing, is as much the glory and happiness of one state of life as it is of another.
*Do but fancy what a spirit of piety you would have in the _best bishop_ in the world, how you would have him _love_ God, how you would have him _imitate_ the life of our Saviour and his apostles, how you would have him live _above_ the world, _shining_ in all the instances of a _heavenly life_, and then you have found out that Spirit, which you ought to make the spirit of your own life.
I desire every reader to dwell awhile upon this reflection, and perhaps he will find more conviction from it than he imagines. Every one can tell how good and pious he would have some people to be; every one knows how wise and reasonable a thing it is in a _bishop_, to be entirely above the world, and be an eminent example of Christian perfection. As soon as you think of a _wise and ancient bishop_, you fancy some exalted degree of piety, a living example of all those holy tempers which you find described in the gospel.
19. Now if you ask yourself, what is the happiest thing for a _young clergyman_ to do? You must be forced to answer, that nothing can be so happy and glorious for him, as to be like that excellent, holy bishop.