16 - /
If a woman seeks for happiness from fine colours or spots upon her face, from jewels and rich clothes, this is as merely an invention of happiness, as contrary to nature and reason, as if she should propose to make herself happy, by painting a post, and a Devout and Holy Life. putting the same finery upon it. It is in this respect that I call these joys and happiness of the world, mere inventions of happiness, because neither God, nor nature, nor reason, hath appointed them as such; but whatever appears joyful, or great, or happy in them, is entirely created or invented by the blindness and vanity of our own minds.
17 - /
And it is on these inventions of happiness, that I desire you to cast your eye, that you may thence learn, how great a good Religion is, which delivers you from such a multitude of follies, and vain pursuits, as are the torment and vexation of minds, that wander from their true happiness in God.
18 - /
I have been thus circumstantial, in so many foolish particulars of this kind of life, because I hope, that every particular folly that you here see, will naturally turn itself into an argument, for the wisdom and happiness of a religious life.
19 - /
I shall therefore continue this method a little further, and endeavour to recommend the happiness of piety to you; by showing you in some other instances, how miserably and poorly they live, who live without it.
20 - /
But you will perhaps say, that the ridiculous, restless life ofFlatus, is not the common state of those who resign themselves up to live by their own humours, and neglect the strict rules of religion; and that therefore it is not so great an argument of the happiness of a religious life, as I would make it.
22 - /
This is the reason, that I have laid before you so many characters of the vanity of a worldly life, to teach you to make a benefit of the corruption of the age, and that you may be made A Serious Call to wise, though not by the sight of what piety is, yet by seeing what misery and folly reigns, where piety is not.
23 - /
It is this right use of the world, that I would lead you into, by directing you to turn your eyes upon every shape of human folly, that you may thence draw fresh arguments and motives, of living to the best and greatest purposes of your creation.
24 - /
And if you would but carry this intention about you, of profiting by the follies of the world, and of learning the greatness of Religion, from the littleness and vanity of every other way of life; if, I say, you would but carry this intention in your mind, you would find, every day, every place, and every person, a fresh proof of their wisdom, who choose to live wholly unto God. You would then often return home, the wiser, the better, and the more strengthened in Religion, by everything that has fallen in your way.
25 - /
I shall now therefore leave it to your own meditation, to carry this way of thinking further, hoping that you are enough directed by what is here said, to convince yourself, that a true and exalted piety is so far from rendering any life dull and tiresome, that it is the only joy and happiness of every condition in the world.
26 - /
If I were to desire you, not to study the gratifications of yourpalate, in the niceties of meats and drinks, I would not insist much upon the crime of wasting your money in such a way, though it be a great one; but I would desire you to renounce such a way of life, because it supports you in such a state of sensuality and indulgence, as renders you incapable of relishing the most essential doctrines of Religion.
27 - /
For the same reason, I do not insist much on the crime of wasting so much of your time in sleep, though it be a great one, but I desire you to renounce this indulgence, because it gives a softness and idleness to your soul; and is so contrary to thatlively, zealous, watchful, self-denying spirit, which was not only the spirit of Christ and his Apostles, the spirit of all the saints and martyrs which have ever been amongst men, but must be the A Serious Call tospirit of all those, who would not sink in the common corruption of the world.
28 - /
I do not take upon me to prescribe to you the use of anyparticular forms of prayer, but only to show you the necessity of praying at such times, and in such a manner.
29 - /
I do not mean, that you should read over a Psalm, but that you should chant or sing one of those Psalms, which we commonly call the reading Psalms. For singing is as much the proper use of a Psalm, as devout supplication is the proper use of a form of Prayer. And a Psalm only read, is very much like a Prayer that is only looked over.
30 - /
I have been the longer upon this head, because of its great A Serious Call to importance to true religion. For there is no state of mind so holy, so excellent, and so truly perfect, as that of thankfulness to God, and consequently nothing is of more importance in Religion, than that which exercises and improves this habit of mind.