DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3689#0135
a Devout and Holy Life. 133
there is the same spirit in us, that there was in the Apostles and
primitive Christians, when we feel the weight of Religion, as they
did, when we have their faith and hope, we shall take up our
cross, and deny ourselves, and live in such methods of mortifica-
tion as they did.
Had St. Paul lived in a cold country, had he had a constitu-
tion made weak with a sickly stomach, and often infirmities, he
would have done as he advised Timothy, he would have mixed a
little wine with his water.
But still he would have lived in a state of self-denial and
mortification. He would have given this same account of him-
self : ' I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one
' that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it unto
' subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to
' others, I myself should be a castaway.'
After all, let it now be supposed, that you imagine there is no
necessity for you to be so sober and vigilant, so fearful of your-
self, so watchful over your passions, so apprehensive of danger,
so careful of your salvation, as the Apostles were. Let it be
supposed, that you imagine that you want less self-denial and
mortification, to subdue your bodies, and purify your souls,
than they wanted ; that you need not have your loins girt, and
your lamps burning as they had, will you therefore live in a
quite contrary state ? Will you make your life as constant a
course of softness and indulgence, as theirs was of strictness and
self-denial.
If therefore, you should think that you have time sufficient,
both for prayer and other duties, though you rise late ; yet let
me persuade you to rise early, as an instance of self-denial. It
is so small a one, that if you cannot comply with it, you have no
reason to think yourself capable of any other.
If I were to desire you, not to study the gratifications of your
palate, 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 essen-
tial doctrines of Religion.
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 that
lively, 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
there is the same spirit in us, that there was in the Apostles and
primitive Christians, when we feel the weight of Religion, as they
did, when we have their faith and hope, we shall take up our
cross, and deny ourselves, and live in such methods of mortifica-
tion as they did.
Had St. Paul lived in a cold country, had he had a constitu-
tion made weak with a sickly stomach, and often infirmities, he
would have done as he advised Timothy, he would have mixed a
little wine with his water.
But still he would have lived in a state of self-denial and
mortification. He would have given this same account of him-
self : ' I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one
' that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it unto
' subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to
' others, I myself should be a castaway.'
After all, let it now be supposed, that you imagine there is no
necessity for you to be so sober and vigilant, so fearful of your-
self, so watchful over your passions, so apprehensive of danger,
so careful of your salvation, as the Apostles were. Let it be
supposed, that you imagine that you want less self-denial and
mortification, to subdue your bodies, and purify your souls,
than they wanted ; that you need not have your loins girt, and
your lamps burning as they had, will you therefore live in a
quite contrary state ? Will you make your life as constant a
course of softness and indulgence, as theirs was of strictness and
self-denial.
If therefore, you should think that you have time sufficient,
both for prayer and other duties, though you rise late ; yet let
me persuade you to rise early, as an instance of self-denial. It
is so small a one, that if you cannot comply with it, you have no
reason to think yourself capable of any other.
If I were to desire you, not to study the gratifications of your
palate, 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 essen-
tial doctrines of Religion.
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 that
lively, 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