A Holy Life
Most of the employments of life are in themselves lawful; and all those that are so may be made substantial part of our duty to God if we engage in them only so far, and for such ends, as is suitable to being who are to live above the world all the time that they live in the world. This is the only measure of our application to any worldly business—let it be what it will, where it will, it must have no more of our hands, our hearts, or our time than is consistent with a hearty, daily, careful preparation of ourselves for another life.
Now he who does not look at things of this life in this degree of littleness cannot be said either to feel or believe the greatest truths of Christianity. For if he thinks anything great or important in human business, can he be said to feel or believe those Scriptures which represent this life, and the greatest things of life, as bubbles, vapors, dreams, and shadows?
A tradesman may justly think that it is agreeable to the will of God for him to sell such things as are innocent and useful in life, such as help both himself and others and enable them to assist those who want to be assisted. But if, instead of this, he trades only with regard to himself, if it be his chief end to grow rich that he may live in fame and indulgence and to be able to retire from business to idleness and luxury, his trade, as to him, loses all its innocence and is so far from being acceptable service to God that it is only a more plausible source of covetousness, self-love, and ambition.
Enough, I hope, has been said to show you the necessity of thus introducing religion into all the actions of your common life, and of living and acting with the same regard to God in all you do as in your prayers and alms.
—William Law