-(Excerpts from William Law’s

A SERIOUS CALL TO A DEVOUT AND HOLY LIFE}-

When a man proposes to be happy in ways of ambition by raising himself to some imaginary heights above other people he is practicing an invention of happiness that has no foundation in nature. It is as if a man should intend to make himself happy by climbing up a ladder.

If a woman seeks for happiness from fine colors upon her face or from jewels and rich clothes, this is merely an invention of happiness, and as contrary to nature and reason as if she should propose to make herself happy by painting a post and putting the same finery upon it. It is in this respect that I call these toys mere inventions of happiness because neither God nor nature nor reason has appointed them such. Whatever appears joyful or great or happy in them is entirely created or invented by the blindness vanity of our minds.

Clothing

FLATUS is rich and in health, yet is always uneasy and is always searching after happiness. At first fine clothes were his delight. But  when this happiness did not answer his expectation, he left off his brocades, put on a plain coat, and gave himself to gaming.

Gaming

For some time he was satisfied and envied no other way of life, but being by the fate of play drawn into a duel, in which he narrowly escaped death, he left off the dice and sought for happiness among the diversions of the town.

Ladies and Plays

For more than a year you heard him talk of nothing but ladies, drawing rooms, plays, balls, and assemblies.

Alcohol

 But growing sick of these, he had recourse to hard drinking. He spent many a merry night, but falling into a fever, he grew angry at all strong liquors and took his leave of the happiness of being drunk.

Hunting

The next attempt at happiness carried him into the field. For two  or three years nothing was so enjoyable as hunting. You never saw him but in a green coat. He was the envy of all who blew the horn, and he always spoke to his in great propriety.

Building

No sooner had Flatus outdone all the world in the breed and  training of his dogs but he immediately hated the senseless noise and hurry of hunting, gave away the dogs and was deep in the pleasures of building. He became wholly bent upon the improvement of architecture and would hardly hang a door in the ordinary manner. He told his friends that he never was so delighted with anything in his life.

Horses

The next year he left his house unfinished, complained to everyone  of masons and carpenters and devoted himself to riding. Now you would never see him except on horseback. He acquired a variety of saddles and bridles, but he soon tired of his horses.

Travel

The happiest thing  he could think of next was travel abroad. He was only uneasy that he had not begun so fine a life sooner. The next month he returned home unable to bear any longer the impertinence of foreigners.

Education

After this, he was a devoted student for one full year. He was up  early and sat up late with his Italian grammar that he might understand opera.

Health

Flatus is now doing what he never did before: he is now living upon  herbs and running about the country. His aim is to get himself into as good a wind as any running in the kingdom.

Every particular folly that you here see will naturally turn itself into an argument for the wisdom and happiness of a pious life. Flatus is one of the most general characters in life, yet most people are not of such restless and fickle tempers. Flatus is continually changing and

trying something new, but others are content with one state. Some seek no other happiness than that of heaping up riches. Others grow old in the sports of the field. Others are content to drink themselves to death without the least inquiry after any other happiness.

Shall godliness be looked upon as a burden, as a dull and melancholy state for calling men from such "happiness" as this to live according to the laws of God, to labor after the mastery of their nature, and to prepare themselves for an endless state of joy and glory in the presence of God?

It is the greatest happiness of SUCCUS to have a good night’s rest and a good meal when he is up. He will undertake no business that may break in upon his hours of eating and rest. Succus is an enemy to all political matters observing that there is as good eating among the Whigs as among the Tories.

Who can help blessing God for the means of grace and for the hope of glory when he sees what vanity of folly they sink into who live without it! Who would not heartily be "steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" when he sees what dull sensuality, what poor views, what gross enjoyments they are left to who seek for happiness in other ways?

How unreasonable it is to pretend that a life of holiness must be a dull state. Must it be tedious and tiresome to act wisely and to do good? Must it be dull to feel the comforts of conscience in your actions, to know that God is your Friend, to know that neither life nor death can do you any harm? Must such a state as this be dull and tedious for lack of such "happiness" as Succus or as Flatus enjoys?

The dull and heavy soul may be content to hold one and the same empty cup to his mouth all his life, but let the wit, the scholar, the genius, the statesman, the gentleman lay their heads together and they can only show you more and various empty appearances of happiness. Give them all the world, let them cut and carve as they please, and they can

only make a greater variety of empty cups. And if all that is in the world is only so many empty cups, what does it signify which you take or how many you have?

This is the wisdom that cries and puts forth her voice in the streets, that stands at all our doors, that appeals to all our senses teaching us in everything and everywhere by all that we see and all that we hear, by births and by burials, by sickness and by health, by pains and by poverty, by misery and by vanity, and by all the changes of life -- that there is nothing else for man to look for, no other end for him to drive toward than a happiness that can be found in the hopes and expectations of godliness.

The reasons for personal piety are so countless and engraved upon everything, and present themselves so strongly and so constantly that they can be disregarded only by eyes that see not and by ears that hear not.

OCTAVIUS was a learned, ingenious man well versed in most parts of literature and no stranger to any kingdom of Europe. Recovering from a lingering fever, he spoke to his friends --

His friends waited expecting to hear something elevating from so learned a man who had but one year more to live. He then proceeded:

A few days after Octavius had made this declaration to his friends, he relapsed into his former illness, and was committed to the care of a nurse who closed his eyes before his fresh parcel of wine came in.

Young EUGENIUS, who was present at this discourse, went home a new man with full resolve of devoting himself unto God. He confessed,

The world preaches to an attentive mind, and if you have but eyes to see and ears to hear, almost anything you meet holds some lessons of instruction.

COGNATUS is a sober, regular minister of the Church of England. He is held in good repute in the world, and is well esteemed in his parish. All his parishioners say he is an honest man and very keen at making a bargain. Farmers listen to him with great attention when he talks of the best time to sell corn. He has raised a considerable fortune by good management.

He is very orthodox. If he has not prayers on Wednesdays and Fridays it is because his predecessor never accustomed the parish to such custom.

Since he cannot serve both livings, he makes it a matter of conscience to keep a sober curate upon one of them whom he hires to take care of all the souls in the parish at as cheap a rate as a sober man can be procured.

Cognatus has become very prosperous, but he suffers the uneasiness and vexations that they have who are entangled in worldly business. Taxes, bad mortgages, bad tenants and the hardness of the times are frequent subjects of discussion.

Cognatus has no other purpose in growing rich but that he may leave a considerable fortune to a niece whom he has educated in expensive finery by what he has saved out of the tithes of two livings.

The neighbors look upon Cognatus as a happy clergyman because they see him, as they call it, in good circumstances. Some of them intend to dedicate their own sons to the church because they see how well it has succeeded with Cognatus whose father was but an ordinary man.

If instead of rejoicing in the happiness of a second living he had though it unbecoming the office of a clergyman to traffic for gain in holy things as to open a shop; if he had thought it better to recommend some honest labor to his niece than to support her in idleness by the labors of a curate; if he had thought it better that she should lack fine clothes and a rich husband than that the cures of souls should be farmed about—if this had been the spirit of Cognatus, could it with any reason be said that such godly discipline had robbed Cognatus of any real happiness? Can it be said that a life governed by the Gospel is dull and melancholy when compared to accruing a fortune for our family?

NEGOTIUS is a temperate, honest man who for thirty years has written fifty or sixty letters each week. He is always ready to join in public contribution whether to buy a plate horse or to redeem a prisoner out of gaol.

Whomever he admires, whatever he commends or condemns in Church of State is admired, commended or condemned with some regard to trade. But if Negotius were asked what it is that he drives at in life, he would be at a loss for an answer.

When the generality of people think of happiness they think of Negotius in whose life every instance of happiness is supposed to meet: he is sober, prudent, wealthy, successful, and generous. But look at this condition in the light.

Let it be supposed that he grew old in this course of trading and that the purpose of all his labor and application to business was only this: that he might die possessing 100,000 pairs of boots. It would be readily granted than a life of such business was as poor and ridiculous as any that can be invented. But it would puzzle anyone to show that a man who has spent all his time and thoughts in business and hurry that he might die worth 100,000 pounds is any whit wiser when he leaves the world.

If the purpose of life is to "work out {our) salvation with fear and trembling"; if naked we came, so naked are we to return to stand trial before Christ and His holy angels either everlasting happiness or misery what can it possibly matter what a man had or had not in this world?

SUMMARY

Let it be supposed that instead of continual hurry of business he was frequent in his retirements to pray; that instead of restless desires after more riches he was instead eagerly watching against worldly tempers and yearning for God’s grace; that instead of worldly pursuits he was busy fortifying his soul against all approaches of sin; that instead of costly show and expensive extravagance he exercised humility and meekness; that instead of great treats and full tables his house furnished sober refreshment to those who lacked it.

Let it be supposed that his contentment kept him free from all kinds of envy; that his piety made him thankful to God for all crosses and disappointments; that his charity kept him from being rich by a continual distribution to the poor. Had this been the Christian spirit of Negotius, can anyone say that he had lost the joy and happiness of life by his conforming to spirit and by living up to the hopes of the Gospel? Can it be said that a life made exemplary by such virtues as these which both delight and exalt the soul here and prepare it for the presence of God hereafter --can it be said that such a life must be poor and dull when compared to that of heaping up riches which can neither stay with us nor we with them?

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A HISTORY OF BANKING IN THE UNITED STATES

Presented from the Biblical viewpoint, the purpose of these tapes is to present the severe and far-reaching effects of our present economic system, the potential for disaster and the sole remedy—if God is pleased to grant it.

Chapter One -- An Economic History from King William’s War To the Civil War (1690-1861)

Chapter Two -- An Economic History of the Civil War: The Confederacy (1861-1865)

Chapter Three- An Economic History of the Civil War: The Union (1861-1865)

Chapter Four-- An Economic History from Reconstruction to the Federal Reserve Act (1866-1913)

Chapter Five-- Biblical Banking Principles

Chapter Six -- Early Banking Experiments in the Colonies

Chapter Seven- Preparations for Global Tyranny

Chapter Eight- An Economic History of the Federal Reserve

Chapter Nine-- Signification and Application

6 tapes in binding --$20.00

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by John Angell James

Wholesome counsel for all contemplating marriage—A MUST for the conscientious counselor 3.00 pp