*God has so provided for us, and made our happiness so common to us all, that we have no occasion to envy or hate one another. For we cannot in any way keep others from their full share of God's love. Just we cannot be happy but in the enjoyment of God, so we cannot rival or rob one another of this happiness
*Thanksgiving: you are to thank and praise God not only for things agreeable to you that have the appearance of ppiness and comfort, but when you are, like Abraham, called from all appearances of comfort to be a pilgrim in a strange land and even to part with and only son.
*Never do anything in order to surpass other people, but in order to please God, and because it is his will that you should do everything in the best manner you can. For if it is once a pleasure to you to surpass other people, it will by degrees be a pleasure to you to see other people not do as well as you.
Banish, therefore, every thought of self-pride and self distinction, and accustom yourself to rejoice in all the excellencies and perfections of your fellow creatures, and be glad to see any of their good actions as your own. God is as well pleased with their well dongs as with yours, so you ought to desire tat everything that is wise, holy, and good be performed in as high a manner by other people as by yourself.
*And it is so far from being impossible now, that any Christians who sincerely intend to please God in all their actions, believing it to be the best & happiest thing in the world, will find themselves unable to do anything else.
*Whatever, therefore, is foolish, ridiculous, vain, earthly or sensul in the life of a Christian is something that should not be there - it is a spot and defilement that must be washed away with tears of repentance. If things of this nature are allowed to run through the course of our whole life, if we indulge ourselves in things that are vain, foolish or sensual, we thereby renounce our possession of faith.
*The sin, therefore, of hating or despising anyone is like the sin of hating all God's creation, and the necessity of loving anyone is the same necessity of loving everyone in the world. Though many people may appear to us as sinful, odious or extravagant in their conduct, we must never look upon them as the least motive for any contempt or disregard of them. We must, instead, look upon them with greater compassion because they are in the most pitiable condition that can be.
*You do not know how often other sinners have sinned. And therefore the greatest sinner that you know must be yourself.
Whenever, therefore, you are angry at sin or sinners, whenever you read or think og God's indignation and wrath of wicked men, let this teach you to be the most severe in your censure, and most humble and contrite in the acknowledgement & confession of your own sins, because you know of no sinner equal to yourself.
[William Law]
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