Sound Doctrine Church » William Law http://www.sdoctrine.org Keeping the traditions of the cross (2 Thessalonians 3:6) Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:52:47 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 A Holy Life http://www.sdoctrine.org/2010/01/a-holy-life/ http://www.sdoctrine.org/2010/01/a-holy-life/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:38:29 +0000 thomas http://www.sdoctrine.org/2010/01/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

]]> http://www.sdoctrine.org/2010/01/a-holy-life/feed/ 0 The Necessity of Humility http://www.sdoctrine.org/2009/08/the-necessity-of-humility/ http://www.sdoctrine.org/2009/08/the-necessity-of-humility/#comments Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:33:00 +0000 admin http://www.sdoctrine.org/2009/08/the-necessity-of-humility/ Because a humble state of soul is the very state of religion, because humility is the life and soul of piety, the foundation and support of every virtue and good work, the best guard and security of all holy affections; I shall recommend humility to you, as highly proper to be made the constant subject of your devotions, at this third hour of the day; earnestly desiring you to think no day safe, or likely to end well, in which you have not thus early put yourself in this posture of humility, and called upon God to carry you through the day, in the exercise of a meek and lowly spirit.

This virtue is so essential to the right state of our souls, that there is no pretending to a reasonable or pious life without it. We may as well think to see without eyes, or live without breath, as to live in the spirit of religion without the spirit of humility.

And although it is thus the soul and essence of all religious duties, yet is it, generally speaking, the least understood, the least regarded, the least intended, the least desired and sought after, of all other virtues, amongst all sorts of Christians.

No people have more occasion to be afraid of the approaches of pride, than those, who have made some advances in a pious life: for pride can grow as well upon our virtues as our vices, and steals upon us on all occasions.

Every good thought that we have, every good action that we do, lays us open to pride, and exposes us to the assaults of vanity and self-satisfaction.

It is not only the beauty of our persons, the gifts of fortune, our natural talents, and the distinctions of life; but even our devotions and alms, our fastings and humiliations, expose us to fresh and strong temptations of this evil.

And it is for this reason that I so earnestly advise every devout person to begin every day in this exercise of humility, that he may go on in safety under the protection of this good guide, and not fall a sacrifice to his own progress in those virtues which are to save mankind from destruction.

–William Law

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