LETTER XLIX.
Dear Charles,—It is, indeed, a mistake made by many
good men, and especially by young men, that God can be
served only in religious ways. Hence the tendency towards
the pulpit, and towards the life of a missionary.
Beyond all doubt, God is served, and specially served in
these ways; and happy are they who are chosen by Him
for such special duties. But it seems not only an error, it
is a great and pernicious error, to undervalue or overlook
our secular duties. Many, and it is to be feared very
many, think, for they act as if they so thought, that God
cannot be glorified except we do it in religious and saered
acts. How a minister of the gospel, or a missionary, or a Sabbath
school teacher, can “do all for the glory of God,” is,
they imagine, plain enough; but they do not see how we
can glorify God in our secular pursuits. In some minds,
therefore, if services are not directly sacred and officially
religious, there are strong tendencies towards the cloister
or the hermitage. They think all secular things are more
or less inconsistent with a life of piety, and with the glory
of God; and hence, if they cannot have a sacred employment,
they will invent one for themselves.
It is the case with some, that mere mistake disaffects
them towards secular duties; with not a few there is also
positive discontent, and they are really too proud and
ambitious to glorify God in subordinate stations. Rather
than be “diligent in business and fervent in spirit,” loving
God, and “doing good unto all men as they have opportunity,”
if they cannot be preachers and missionaries, they
will be “pillar saints,” and stand idle for half a century on
the top of a post.
And not a few prefer being sacred clams or oysters, encased
in some monastic shell, and lying dormant in inglorious
and stupid sanctity.
Charles, it is possible, however, to glorify God in all we
do, and to walk closely with God in all the lawful duties of
a secular life. If this point be truly perceived, ordinary
Christians may have a daily happiness and peace, infinitely
transcending any to be found in deserting our civil and domestic
duties, under a silly pretence of perpetual prayer,
with or without beads.
According to the theory of some, the immense majority
of men are shut out from all possibility of serving God every
hour. The mass may, indeed, serve him at their hours of
devotion; or when bestowing alms, or building a church, or
supporting the ministry; but to serve Him all the time, and
in every act and work, is deemed possible only for selected
classes, whose sole employment is religion.
This is a very narrow and mistaken, and, indeed, a very
mischievous view of the case.
Here, be assured, is the truth. Good men are the sons
of God. And, in this world, the Heavenly Father has appointed
each child his duties. To some, are subordinate stations;
to some, inferior ones, and to others, intermediate.
These have secular employments; those, sacred ones.
Among the ordinary secular employments are all mechanical
trades, merchandise, farming, and all the professions.
Here, also, may be ranked the fine arts; for, it is a very
prejudiced mind that would deny the lawfulness and utility
of the fine arts, whether as a recreation or an employment.
In short, here belong all and every art, pursuit, profession,
employment and enterprise, that is “honest and of good report.”
Now, let a man realize that he is “bought with a price,”
and is one of “the peculiar people zealous of good works;”
and let him feel that he belongs to Christ, “soul, body and
spirit;” and let him be in the daily, or rather hourly and
uninterrupted habit of trying to please God, and he shall
soon discover a secret. He shall find how easy and delightful
it is “to do every thing for the glory of God.” These
words are often in our mouth, Charles, when not in our
hearts; but the “secret of the Lord,” in this, as well as in
all other spiritual matters, is “with those that fear Him.”
A man will come to learn that God, as a Father, is present
with him; that every action is under His inspection—is, indeed,
done directly to God and not to men; and that it is
done for God, not as to a task-master, “an austere man,” but
to a wise, benevolent, kind, indulgent, loving Father. He
will come to feel that there are no accidents in his life or business.
He will know that his business prospers or declines,
increases or diminishes, as God pleases. He will be wholly
satisfied that customers, and payments, and salaries, and all
and every thing pertaining to his business, depend on God.
All this is entirely consistent with a man's industry, and
choice of means, and use of instruments, and with his forethought,
prudence, calmness, deliberation; and with a wise
watchfulness over changing circumstances—for God has
taught the man of faith that while means have no intrinsic
efficiency—they have an appointed, a positive use; and the
man of faith joyfully and willingly uses the means, because
God says they must be used, and because thus God is pleased
and glorified. The good man, therefore, actually learns to
be content in any situation or employment. He is comparatively
little affected and influenced by the mere honor and re
spectability of his employment. It is said, sometimes, that
an angel would be equally willing, at the command of the
Most High, “to sweep a street or destroy a kingdom.” This
is doubtless true. A good man does come to be very happy
and cheerful, in the lowest as well as the highest situation in
life.
The child of God regards men as his brethren. He
learns a very great secret here, too. He learns, in his employment,
to do them good; he takes lessons in loving his
neighbor as himself. He sees how all need the services of
the others, and that the services mutually and reciprocally
done, increase the comfort, and intelligence, and improvement,
and happiness of his fellows. How deplorable the
state of the world, if all arts, and sciences, and manufactures,
and commerce, and merchandise, and learning, suddenly
ceased! The child of God has learned the delightful secret
of exercising his art and using his employment, not for self-aggrandizement,
but for his neighbor's welfare. He would
continue in it, often, simply because it is a mite contributed
to the world's happiness.
Dear Charles! there is a nobility, a grandeur in a true
Christian's secret character, which this low and grovelling
world cannot understand, and at which, in its base selfishness,
it cannot but sneer. “Number One,” is their motto—
and a very Satanic motto it is; a fit badge to be worn by his
slaves. “God and my neighbor,” is the Christian motto,
and none but the “Lord's freemen” can wear it, can wish
to wear it; “it is high, we cannot attain unto it!”
Let us apply these general remarks, Charles, to a special
case; and although such an illustration may make you
smile, perhaps it may notwithstanding do you good. I select
puposely from the inferior trades, lest reverence and dignity
might mistake me, and suppose that I deemed the Most High
“a God of the Jews only, and not of the Gentiles also.”
I select then, a shoemaker, or a tailor, or a butcher.
These Christian brethren may say, “My heavenly Father
wishes me to aid in clothing and feeding men. Well, I am
determined to do it most faithfully and with benevolence.
He will give me my wages in the prices paid for my work.
True, I have not many customers, because God does not design
I shall take care of any more of my neighbors. How
I do rejoice that there are larger tradesmen, who act on a
more extensive scale! Still, if I am faithful in the least,
perhaps my business will increase: and yet, if it does not, I
shall please and glorify God to the extent He designs.”
The merchant may reason and believe and act in the
same way; and so may the farmer; and, in short, every one
engaged in employments that arise not to the dignity of the
purely intellectual. And how does this view of the case
still more highly exalt the profession of law, of medicine, of
teaching, of preaching! And what a preventive and a cure
for all jealousy, and envy, and slander, and ill-will! And
how would every member of Christ's spiritual body thus be
content with his station, if each considered himself as in his
allotted place! And how would all, acting from love to God
and love to man, constitute a grand, harmonious, beautiful
whole!
