William Law: Selections From A Serious Call To A Devout And Holy Life

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Chapter One

Concerning the Nature and Extent of Christian Devotion

Devotion is neither private nor public prayer, but prayers whether private or public are particular parts or instances of devotion. Devotion signifies a life given or devoted to God.

He therefore is the devout man who lives no longer to his ownwill, or to the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will ofGod, who considers God in everything, who serves God in everything,who makes all the parts of his common life parts of pietyby doing everything in the name of God and under such rules asare conformable to his glory.

We readily acknowledge that God alone is to be the rule andmeasure of our prayers, that in them we are to look wholly untohim and act wholly for him, that we are to pray only in such amanner for such things and such ends as are suitable to his glory.

Now let anyone but find out the reason why he is to be thusstrictly pious in his prayers and he will find just as strong a reasonto be as strictly pious in all the other parts of his life. For there isnot the least shadow of a reason why we should make God therule and measure of our prayers, why we should then lookwholly unto him and pray according to his will, but what equallyproves it necessary for us to look wholly unto God, and makehim the rule and measure of all the other actions of our life. Forany ways of life -- any employment of our talents, whether of ourparts, our time, or money, that is not strictly according to the will of God, that is not for such ends as are suitable to his glory -- areas great absurdities and failings as prayers that are not accordingto the will of God. For there is no other reason why our prayersshould be according to the will of God, why they should havenothing in them but what is wise and holy and heavenly, there isno other reason for this but that our lives may be of the samenature, full of the same wisdom, holiness, and heavenly tempersthat we may live unto God in the same spirit that we pray untohim.Were it not our strict duty to live by reason, to devote all theactions of our lives to God, were it not absolutely necessary towalk before him in wisdom and holiness and all heavenly conversation,doing everything in his name and for his glory, therewould be no excellency or wisdom in the most heavenly prayers.Nay, such prayers would be absurdities; they would be likeprayers for wings when it was no part of our duty to fly.

As sure therefore as there is any wisdom in praying for theSpirit of God, so sure is it that we are to make that Spirit the ruleof all our actions; as sure as it is our duty to look wholly untoGod in our prayers, so sure is it that it is our duty to live whollyunto God in our lives. But we can no more be said to live untoGod unless we live unto him in all the ordinary actions of ourlife, unless he be the rule and measure of all our ways, than wecan be said to pray unto God unless our prayer look wholly untohim. So that unreasonable and absurd ways of life, whether inlabor or diversion, whether they consume our time or ourmoney, are like unreasonable and absurd prayers and are as trulyan offense unto God.

'Tis for want of knowing, or at least considering this, that wesee such a mixture of ridicule in the lives of many people.You seethem strict as to some times and places of devotion, but when theservice of the church is over, they are but like those that seldomor never come there. In their way of life, their manner of spendingtheir time and money, in their cares and fears, in their pleasuresand indulgences, in their labor and diversions, they are likethe rest of the world.This makes the loose part of the world generallymake a jest of those that are devout, because they see thattheir devotion goes no further than their prayers, and that whenthey are over they live no more unto God till the time of prayerreturns again, but live by the same humor and fancy and in as fullan enjoyment of all the follies of life as other people. This is thereason why they are the jest and scorn of careless and worldlypeople -- not because they are really devoted to God, but becausethey appear to have no other devotion but that of occasionalprayers.

Julius is very fearful of missing prayers; all the parish supposesJulius to be sick if he is not at church. But if you were to ask himwhy he spends the rest of his time by humor and chance? Why heis a companion of the silliest people in their most silly pleasures?Why he is ready for every impertinent entertainment and diversion?If you were to ask him why there is no amusement too tri-fling to please him? Why he is busy at all balls and assemblies?Why he gives himself up to an idle gossiping conversation? Whyhe lives in foolish friendships and fondness for particular personsthat neither want nor deserve any particular kindness? Why he allows himself foolish hatreds and resentments against particularpersons without considering that he is to love everybody as himself?

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Excerpted from William Law: Selections from a Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, and the Spirit of Love by HarperCollins Spiritual Classics Staff, Emilie Griffin
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