DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3689#0061
a Devout and Holy Life. 59
Thus lives Flavia ; and if she lives ten years longer, she will
have spent about fifteen hundred and sixty Sundays after this
manner. She will have worn about two hundred different suits
of clothes. Out of this thirty years of her life, fifteen of them
will have been disposed of in bed; and of the remaining fifteen,
about fourteen of them will have been consumed in eating, drink-
ing, dressing, visiting, conversation, reading and hearing Plays
and Romances, at Operas, Assemblies, Balls and Diversions.
For you may reckon all the time that she is up, thus spent,,
except about an hour and half, that is disposed of at Church,
most Sundays in the year. With great management, and under
mighty rules of economy, she will have spent sixty hundred
pounds upon herself, bating only some shillings, crowns, or half-
crowns, that have gone from her in accidental charities.
I shall not take upon me to say, that it is impossible for Flavia
to be saved ; but thus much must be said, that she has no
grounds from Scripture to think she is in the way of salvation.
For her whole life is in direct opposition to all those tempers and
practices, which the Gospel has made necessary to salvation.
If you were to hear her say, that she had lived all her life like
Anna the Prophetess, who departed not from the temple, but served
God with fastings and prayers, night and day, you would look
upon her as very extravagant; and yet this would be no greater
an extravagance, than for her to say, that she has been striving
to enter in at the strait gate, or making any one doctrine of the
Gospel, a rule of her life.
She may as well say, that she lived with our Saviour when he
was upon earth, as that she has lived in imitation of him, or
made it any part of her care to live in such tempers, as he
required of all those that would be his disciples. She may as
truly say, that she has every day washed the saints' feet, as that
she has lived in Christian humility and poverty of spirit; and as
reasonably think, that she has taught a Charity-school, as that
she has lived in works of charity. She has as much reason to
think, that she has been a sentinel in an army, as that she has
lived in watching, and self-denial. And it may as fairly be said,
that she lived by the labour of her hands, as that she had given
all diligence to make her calling and election sure.
And here it is to be well observed, that the poor, vain turn of
mind, the irreligion, the folly and vanity of this whole life of
Flavia, is all owing to the manner of using her estate. It is this
that has formed her spirit, that has given life to every idle temper,
that has supported every trifling passion, and kept her from all
thoughts of a prudent, useful, and devout life.
When her parents died, she had no thought about her two-
Thus lives Flavia ; and if she lives ten years longer, she will
have spent about fifteen hundred and sixty Sundays after this
manner. She will have worn about two hundred different suits
of clothes. Out of this thirty years of her life, fifteen of them
will have been disposed of in bed; and of the remaining fifteen,
about fourteen of them will have been consumed in eating, drink-
ing, dressing, visiting, conversation, reading and hearing Plays
and Romances, at Operas, Assemblies, Balls and Diversions.
For you may reckon all the time that she is up, thus spent,,
except about an hour and half, that is disposed of at Church,
most Sundays in the year. With great management, and under
mighty rules of economy, she will have spent sixty hundred
pounds upon herself, bating only some shillings, crowns, or half-
crowns, that have gone from her in accidental charities.
I shall not take upon me to say, that it is impossible for Flavia
to be saved ; but thus much must be said, that she has no
grounds from Scripture to think she is in the way of salvation.
For her whole life is in direct opposition to all those tempers and
practices, which the Gospel has made necessary to salvation.
If you were to hear her say, that she had lived all her life like
Anna the Prophetess, who departed not from the temple, but served
God with fastings and prayers, night and day, you would look
upon her as very extravagant; and yet this would be no greater
an extravagance, than for her to say, that she has been striving
to enter in at the strait gate, or making any one doctrine of the
Gospel, a rule of her life.
She may as well say, that she lived with our Saviour when he
was upon earth, as that she has lived in imitation of him, or
made it any part of her care to live in such tempers, as he
required of all those that would be his disciples. She may as
truly say, that she has every day washed the saints' feet, as that
she has lived in Christian humility and poverty of spirit; and as
reasonably think, that she has taught a Charity-school, as that
she has lived in works of charity. She has as much reason to
think, that she has been a sentinel in an army, as that she has
lived in watching, and self-denial. And it may as fairly be said,
that she lived by the labour of her hands, as that she had given
all diligence to make her calling and election sure.
And here it is to be well observed, that the poor, vain turn of
mind, the irreligion, the folly and vanity of this whole life of
Flavia, is all owing to the manner of using her estate. It is this
that has formed her spirit, that has given life to every idle temper,
that has supported every trifling passion, and kept her from all
thoughts of a prudent, useful, and devout life.
When her parents died, she had no thought about her two-