DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3689#0213
a Devout and Holy Life. 211
are to act the part of such a station in human life ; you are not
called, as Elijah was, to be a Prophet, or as St. Paul, to be an
Apostle.
But will you therefore not love yourself? Will you not seek
and study your own happiness, because you are not called to
preach up the same things to other people ?
You would think it very absurd, for a man not to value his
own health, because he was not a Physician ; or the preservation
of his limbs, because he was not a Bone-setter. Yet it is more
absurd for you Claudius, to neglect the improvement of your
soul in piety, because you are not an Apostle, or a Bishop.
Consider this text of Scripture, ' If ye live after the flesh, ye
' shall die ; but if through the spirit, ye do mortify the deeds of
' the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit
' of God, they are the Sons of God.'* Do you think that this
Scripture does not equally relate to all mankind ? Can you find
any exception here for men of figure and estates ? Is not a
spiritual and devout life here made the common condition, on
which all men are to become sons of God ? Will you leave
hours of prayer, and rules of devotion, to particular states of life,
when nothing but the same spirit of devotion can save you, or
any man, from eternal death ?
Consider again this text: ' For we must all appear before the
'judgment-seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things
' done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be
' good or bad.'-f- Now if your estate would excuse you from ap-
pearing before this judgment-seat ; if your figure could protect
you from receiving according to your works, there would be
some pretence for your leaving devotion to other people. But
if you, who are now thus distinguished, must then appear naked
amongst common souls, without any other distinction from others,
but such as your virtues or sins give you ; does it not as much
concern you, as any Prophet, or Apostle, to make the best provi-
sion for the best rewards at that great day ?
Again, consider this doctrine of the Apostle: 'For none of us,'
that is, of us Christians,' liveth to himself, and no man dieth to
'himself: For whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and
' whether we die, we die unto the Lord. For to this end Christ
' both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both
' of the dead and the living.'^:
Now are you, Claudius, excepted out of the doctrine of this
text ? Will you, because of your condition, leave it to any par-
ticular sort of people, to live and die unto Christ ? If so, you
* Rom. viii. 13, 14. \ 2 Cor. v. 10. + Rom. xiv. 7, 8.
14—2
are to act the part of such a station in human life ; you are not
called, as Elijah was, to be a Prophet, or as St. Paul, to be an
Apostle.
But will you therefore not love yourself? Will you not seek
and study your own happiness, because you are not called to
preach up the same things to other people ?
You would think it very absurd, for a man not to value his
own health, because he was not a Physician ; or the preservation
of his limbs, because he was not a Bone-setter. Yet it is more
absurd for you Claudius, to neglect the improvement of your
soul in piety, because you are not an Apostle, or a Bishop.
Consider this text of Scripture, ' If ye live after the flesh, ye
' shall die ; but if through the spirit, ye do mortify the deeds of
' the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit
' of God, they are the Sons of God.'* Do you think that this
Scripture does not equally relate to all mankind ? Can you find
any exception here for men of figure and estates ? Is not a
spiritual and devout life here made the common condition, on
which all men are to become sons of God ? Will you leave
hours of prayer, and rules of devotion, to particular states of life,
when nothing but the same spirit of devotion can save you, or
any man, from eternal death ?
Consider again this text: ' For we must all appear before the
'judgment-seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things
' done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be
' good or bad.'-f- Now if your estate would excuse you from ap-
pearing before this judgment-seat ; if your figure could protect
you from receiving according to your works, there would be
some pretence for your leaving devotion to other people. But
if you, who are now thus distinguished, must then appear naked
amongst common souls, without any other distinction from others,
but such as your virtues or sins give you ; does it not as much
concern you, as any Prophet, or Apostle, to make the best provi-
sion for the best rewards at that great day ?
Again, consider this doctrine of the Apostle: 'For none of us,'
that is, of us Christians,' liveth to himself, and no man dieth to
'himself: For whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and
' whether we die, we die unto the Lord. For to this end Christ
' both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both
' of the dead and the living.'^:
Now are you, Claudius, excepted out of the doctrine of this
text ? Will you, because of your condition, leave it to any par-
ticular sort of people, to live and die unto Christ ? If so, you
* Rom. viii. 13, 14. \ 2 Cor. v. 10. + Rom. xiv. 7, 8.
14—2