The Shepherd of Salisbury Plain and Other Tales Part 6

_Will._ No Christian! Surely, master, I do hope that after all I have done, you will not be so unkind as to say I am no Christian?

_Stock._ G.o.d forbid that I should say so, Will. I hope better things of you. But come now, what do you think it is to be a Christian?

_Will._ What! why to be christened when one is a child; to learn the catechism when one can read; to be confirmed when one is a youth; and to go to church when one is a man.

_Stock._ These are all very proper things, and quite necessary.

They make part of a Christian's life. But for all that, a man may be exact in them all, and yet not be a Christian.

_Will._ Not be a Christian! ha! ha! ha! you are very comical, master.

_Stock._ No, indeed, I am very serious, Will. At this rate it would be a very easy thing to be a Christian, and every man who went through certain forms would be a good man; and one man who observed those forms would be as good as another. Whereas, if we come to examine ourselves by the word of G.o.d, I am afraid there are but few comparatively whom our Saviour would allow to be real Christians.

What is your notion of a Christian's practice?

_Will._ Why, he must not rob, nor murder, nor get drunk. He must avoid scandalous things, and do as other decent orderly people do.

_Stock._ It is easy enough to be what the world calls a Christian, but not to be what the Bible calls so.

_Will._ Why, master, we working men are not expected to be saints, and martyrs, and apostles, and ministers.

Stock. We are not. And yet, Will, there are not two sorts of Christianity; we are called to practice the same religion which they practiced, and something of the same spirit is expected in us which we reverence in them. It was not saints and martyrs only to whom our Saviour said that they must _crucify the world, with its affections and l.u.s.ts_. We are called to _be holy_ in our measure and degree, as _he who hath called us is holy_. It was not only saints and martyrs who were told that they must be _like-minded with Christ_. That _they must do all to the glory of G.o.d_. That _they must renounce the spirit of the world, and deny themselves_. It was not to apostles only that Christ said, _They must have their conversation in heaven_. It was not to a few holy men, set apart for the altar, that he said, _They must set their affections on things above_. That _they must not be conformed to the world_. No, it was to fishermen, to publicans, to farmers, to day-laborers, to poor tradesmen, that he spoke when he told them, they must _love not the world nor the things of the world. That they must renounce the hidden things of dishonesty, grow in grace, lay up for themselves treasures in Heaven._

_Will._ All this might be very proper for _them_ to be taught, because they had not been bred up Christians, but heathens or Jews: and Christ wanted to make them his followers, that is, Christians.

But thank G.o.d we do not want to be taught all this, for we _are_ Christians, born in a Christian country, of Christian parents.

_Stock._ I suppose, then, you fancy that Christianity comes to people in a Christian country by nature?

_Will._ I think it comes by a good education, or a good example.

When a fellow who has got any sense, sees a man cut off in his prime by drinking, like Williams, I think he will begin to leave it off.

When he sees another man respected, like you, master, for honesty and sobriety, and going to church, why he will grow honest, and sober, and go to church: that is, he will see it his advantage to be a Christian.

_Stock._ Will, what you say is the truth, but 'tis not the whole truth. You are right as far as you go, but you do not go far enough.

The worldly advantages of piety, are, as you suppose, in general great. Credit, prosperity, and health, almost naturally attend on a religious life, both because a religious life supposes a sober and industrious life, and because a man who lives in a course of duty puts himself in the way of G.o.d's blessing. But a true Christian has a still higher aim in view, and will follow religion even under circ.u.mstances when it may hurt his credit and ruin his prosperity, if it should ever happen to be the will of G.o.d that he should be brought into such a trying state.

_Will._ Well, master, to speak the truth, if I go to church on Sundays, and follow my work in the week, I must say I think that is being good.

_Stock._ I agree with you, that he who does both, gives the best outward signs that he is good, as you call it. But our going to church, and even reading the Bible, are no proofs that we are as good as we need be, but rather that we do both these in order to make us better than we are. We do both on Sundays, as means, by G.o.d's blessing, to make us better all the week. We are to bring the fruits of that chapter or of that sermon into our daily life, and try to get our inmost heart and secret thoughts, as well as our daily conduct, amended by them.

_Will._ Why, sure, master, you won't be so unreasonable as to want a body to be religious always? I can't do that, neither. I'm not such a hypocrite as to pretend to it.

_Stock._ Yes, you can be so in every action of your life.

_Will._ What, master! always to be thinking about religion?

_Stock._ No, far from it, Will; much less to be always talking about it. But you must be always under its power and spirit.

_Will._ But surely 'tis pretty well if I do this when I go to church; or while I am saying my prayers. Even you, master, as strict as you are, would not have me always on my knees, nor always at church, I suppose: for then how would your work be carried on? and how would our town be supplied with shoes?

_Stock._ Very true, Will. 'Twould be no proof of our religion to let our customers go barefoot; but 'twould be a proof of our laziness, and we should starve, as we ought to do. The business of the world must not only be carried on, but carried on with spirit and activity. We have the same authority for not being _slothful in business_, as we have for being _fervent in spirit_. Religion has put G.o.dliness and laziness as wide asunder as any two things in the world; and what G.o.d has separated let no man pretend to join.

Indeed, the spirit of religion can have no fellows.h.i.+p with sloth, indolence, and self-indulgence. But still, a Christian does not carry on his common trade quite like another man, neither; for something of the spirit which he labors to attain at church, he carries with him into his worldly concerns. While there are some that set up for Sunday Christians, who have no notion that they are bound to be week-day Christians too.

_Will._ Why, master, I do think, if G.o.d Almighty is contented with one day in seven, he won't thank you for throwing him the other six into the bargain. I thought he gave us them for our own use; and I am sure n.o.body works harder all the week than you do.

_Stock._ G.o.d, it is true, sets apart one day in seven for actual rest from labor, and for more immediate devotion to his service. But show me that text wherein he says, Thou shalt love the Lord thy G.o.d on _Sundays_--Thou shalt keep my commandments on the _Sabbath day_--To be carnally minded on _Sundays, is death_--Cease to do evil, and learn to do well _one day in seven_--Grow in grace on the _Lord's day_--Is there any such text?

_Will._ No, to be sure there is not; for that would be encouraging sin on all the other days.

_Stock._ Yes, just as you do when you make religion a thing for the church, and not for the world. There is no one lawful calling, in pursuing which we may not serve G.o.d acceptably. You and I may serve him while we are st.i.tching this pair of boots. Farmer Furrow, while he is plowing yonder field. Betsy West, over the way, while she is nursing her sick mother. Neighbor Incle, in measuring out his tapes and ribands. I say all these may serve G.o.d just as acceptably in those employments as at church; I had almost said more so.

_Will._ Ay, indeed; how can that be? Now you're too much on t'other side.

_Stock._ Because a man's trials in trade being often greater, they give him fresh means of glorifying G.o.d, and proving the sincerity of religion. A man who mixes in business, is naturally brought into continual temptations and difficulties. These will lead him, if he be a good man, to look more to G.o.d, than he perhaps would otherwise do; he sees temptations on the right hand and on the left; he knows that there are snares all around him: this makes him watchful; he feels that the enemy within is too ready to betray him: this makes him humble himself; while a sense of his own difficulties makes him tender to the failings of others.

_Will._ Then you would make one believe, after all, that trade or business must be sinful in itself, since it brings a man into all these snares and sc.r.a.pes.

_Stock._ No, no, Will; trade and business don't create evil pa.s.sions--they were in the heart before--only now and then they seem to lie snug a little--our concerns with the world bring them out into action a little more, and thus show both others and ourselves what we really are. But then as the world offers more trials on the one hand, so on the other it holds out more duties. If we are called to battle oftener, we have more opportunities of victory. Every temptation resisted, is an enemy subdued; and _he that ruleth his own spirit, is better than he that taketh a city_.

_Will._ I don't quite understand you, master.

_Stock._ I will try to explain myself. There is no pa.s.sion more called out by the transactions of trade than covetousness. Now, 'tis impossible to withstand such a master sin as that, without carrying a good deal of the spirit of religion into one's trade.

_Will._ Well, I own I don't yet see how I am to be religious when I'm hard at work, or busy settling an account. I can't do two things at once; 'tis as if I were to pretend to make a shoe and cut out a boot at the same moment.

_Stock._ I tell you both must subsist together. Nay, the one must be the motive to the other. G.o.d commands us to be industrious, and if we love him, the desire of pleasing him should be the main spring of our industry.

_Will._ I don't see how I can always be thinking about pleasing G.o.d.

_Stock._ Suppose, now, a man had a wife and children whom he loved, and wished to serve; would he not be often thinking about them while he was at work? and though he would not be _always_ thinking nor always talking about them, yet would not the very love he bore them be a constant spur to his industry? He would always be pursuing the same course from the same motive, though his words and even his thoughts must often be taken up in the common transactions of life.

_Will._ I say first one, then the other; now for labor, now for religion.

_Stock._ I will show that both must go together. I will suppose you were going to buy so many skins of our currier--that is quite a worldly transaction--you can't see what a spirit of religion has to do with buying a few calves' skins. Now, I tell you it has a great deal to do with it. Covetousness, a desire to make a good bargain, may rise up in your heart. Selfishness, a spirit of monopoly, a wish to get all, in order to distress others; these are evil desires, and must be subdued. Some opportunity of unfair gain offers, in which there may be much sin, and yet little scandal.

Here a Christian will stop short; he will recollect, _That he who maketh haste to be rich shall hardly be innocent_. Perhaps the sin may be on the side of your dealer--_he_ may want to overreach _you_--this is provoking--you are tempted to violent anger, perhaps to swear; here is a fresh demand on you for a spirit of patience and moderation, as there was before for a spirit of justice and self-denial. If, by G.o.d's grace, you get the victory over these temptations, you are the better man for having been called out to them; always provided, that the temptations be not of your own seeking. If you give way, and sink under these temptations, don't go and say trade and business have made you covetous, pa.s.sionate and profane. No, no; depend upon it, you were so before; you would have had all these evil seeds lurking in your heart, if you had been loitering about at home and doing nothing, with the additional sin of idleness into the bargain. When you are busy, the devil often tempts you; when you are idle, you tempt the devil. If business and the world call these evil tempers into action, business and the world call that religion into action too which teaches us to resist them. And in this you see the week-day fruit of the Sunday's piety. 'Tis trade and business in the week which call us to put our Sunday readings, praying, and church-going into practice.

_Will._ Well, master, you have a comical way, somehow, of coming over one. I never should have thought there would have been any religion wanted in buying and selling a few calves' skins. But I begin to see there is a good deal in what you say. And, whenever I am doing a common action, I will try to remember that it must be done _after a G.o.dly sort_.

_Stock._ I hear the clock strike nine--let us leave off our work. I will only observe further, that one good end of our bringing religion into our business is, to put us in mind not to undertake more business than we can carry on consistently with our religion. I shall never commend that man's diligence, though it is often commended by the world, who is not diligent about the salvation of his soul. We are as much forbidden to be overcharged with the _cares_ of life, as with its _pleasures_. I only wish to prove to you, that a discreet Christian may be wise for both worlds; that he may employ his hands without entangling his soul, and labor for the meat that perisheth, without neglecting that which endureth unto eternal life; that he may be prudent for time while he is wise for eternity.

PART VI.

DIALOGUE THE SECOND. ON THE DUTY OF CARRYING RELIGION INTO OUR AMUs.e.m.e.nTS.

The next evening Will Simpson being got first to his work, Mr. Stock found him singing very cheerfully over his last. His master's entrance did not prevent his finis.h.i.+ng his song, which concluded with these words:

"Since life is no more than a pa.s.sage at best, Let us strew the way over with flowers."

When Will had concluded his song, he turned to Mr. Stock, and said, "I thank you, master, for first putting it into my head how wicked it is to sing profane and indecent songs. I never sing any now which have any wicked words in them."