Chapter 15

Chapter 15 Constant contact with the WORLD unfavorable to pious joy, continued The lamentation of Demas, with which the last chapter concludes, implies a fault too common among professing Christians—especially those whose business and engagements lead them into frequent contact with the world. This obstruction to their piety, and of course to their true felicity, is great in proportion to the time consumed, and the interest felt in earthly pleasures and connections.

We do not admit the impossibility of mingling with the world, and still retaining our peace of mind, our Christian influence, and our pious joy. Many might be named, who keep "the garment unspotted," and the soul unclogged, amid the cares of earth, and under the pressure of its daily toil. It would be an argument against our piety, if it disqualified its possessor for the performance of any social or civil duty; if it did not, in fact, fit him the better to discharge these obligations. It is in accordance with the spirit of Christianity to meet cheerfully every occasion which Providence furnishes for the promotion of the general good. It is the duty of her professors to shrink from no burden which may lawfully be borne, and to retreat from no station, if personally qualified, in which they may serve their country without dishonoring their piety. "Faith overcomes the world." This is the testimony of Heaven. But this victory implies not a retreat from, but a conflict with, the foe. We are to pray, not to be "taken out of the world; but to be kept from the evil." But while all this is true; it is nevertheless equally true, that mingling constantly with the world, is a perilous experiment, upon which few can venture without detriment to their piety. The danger arises from not fully understanding the tendency of worldly influences upon the soul; and also from not taking the proper precautions to counteract it. One of these precautions is, to allot a sufficient portion of time for the daily habitual improvement of the pious affections. If this were done, there would be much less danger from the subtle foe. The Christian is represented as a warrior, clothed in a panoply, which he is to use both for attack and for defense. Now, this armor is to be on him continually. It is also requisite that every day he examine it, to see if it be well-fitted, and properly polished; since not a day passes in which his enemy is not watching to plant an arrow between the joints of the armor. But how can this be done, if the soldier is always on the field, and never in his tent? By mingling constantly with his foes, he may be overpowered through weariness, and have his armor stripped from him before he is aware of it.

It must be confessed that there is great negligence in many, as to the manner in which their closet duties are performed; and a niggardly appropriation of time to God and to the soul. They live too constantly in the world, to allow of their living in it without great detriment to their piety. To walk unharmed this dangerous path, the Christian must duly contemplate his temptations, and so proportion his time, between his business engagements and the claims of devotion, as that the latter shall neutralize completely the injurious tendency of the former. There must be daily retirement, and enough of it, or the soul will lose its joys, if not its piety, amid the bustling scenes of earth.

It is a fixed law of our nature, that whatever most constantly appeals to the thoughts, acts powerfully upon the moral affections, and thus gives the impress of itself upon the soul. All experience testifies to this. Let, then, the Christian plunge into the agitated sea of earthly cares, and, from day to day, fix his thoughts upon the business, the plans, the politics, and the pleasures of the world—let him give his mind intensely and habitually to these things—and what will become of his piety? What judgment will men form of it? But suppose, in the mean time, but a very small portion of each day is allotted to prayer and other devotional duties; or—what perhaps is possible—that these duties are irregularly and superficially performed; where will be the expression of his piety, and who in his case would suppose that it was the main-spring of the soul’s felicity? Is it not easy to see that the world must, under such circumstances, impress itself strongly on the mind, and proportionably efface the divine image of piety?

Let the Christian, on the other hand, consider well his danger, and so arrange his affairs, that piety shall have its just claim in the apportionment of his time. Let him not be in the world, except when duty and necessity call him there; and let him prepare, by God’s grace, for coming in contact with it. It must be an habitual, daily preparation. Some professors of piety appear to act on the principle of putting off converse with their own hearts until old age or sickness compels them to it; and they seem to understand our Lord, when he says, "Work while it is called today," as calling them to an unremitting effort for worldly good. Alas! such will bitterly lament their course. The happy Christian gives a due proportion of his time daily to his God. He has his seasons of retirement, and will not allow the intrusive world to rob him of them. He is thus prepared for the communion and collision of active life. His mind is habitually turned to God; and his piety sanctifying his worldly business, makes it the occasion of a richer development of his heaven-born nature.

’Gaius’ is called to bear as many and as oppressive worldly burdens as any man. But his piety suffers not by this necessity. Indeed, it is his piety which enables him so calmly to meet, and to discharge the arduous duties of his station. Wherever you see him, his countenance is calm; and he is always ready to speak of higher joys, even when the world goes prosperously with him. He is evidently a man of prayer. His earliest thoughts are given to God; and before the business of the day, or the engagements of social life—clamorous as they are for his attention—have offered their requests, he is settling the higher claims of the soul; and by earnest prayer is equipping it for his daily conflict. Gaius is no recluse. He is not indifferent to the pleasures of life, when they may be enjoyed without the sacrifice of godly principle; nor is he backward in giving his influence and his toil in all that respects even the temporal good of his fellow-men; but one look at the man will tell you, that his highest characteristic is that he is a Christian. His joys are evidently those of true piety. He keeps the private altar bright with the incense of devotion; and by first making sure his walk with God, he is enabled to go forth into the world with the calm consciousness that He who has appointed to him its duties, and exposed him to its dangers, will assist him in the discharge of the one, and will protect him from the other. It is needless to add, that he is a happy man.