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" Devotion signifies a life given, or devoted to God. He therefore is the devout man, who lives no longer to his own will, or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God, who considers God in everything, who serves God in everything, who makes all the parts of his common life, parts of piety, by doing everything in the name of God, and under such rules as are conformable to his Glory. "
― William Law , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
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" the reason why you see no real mortification or self-denial, no eminent charity, no profound humility, no heavenly affection, no true contempt of the world, no Christian meekness, no sincere zeal, no eminent piety in the common lives of Christians, is this, because they do not so much as intend to be exact and exemplary in these virtues. "
― William Law , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
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" Nourish it with good works, give it peace in solitude, get it strength in prayer, make it wise with reading, enlighten it by meditation, make it tender with love, sweeten it with humility, humble it with penance, enliven it with psalms and hymns, and comfort it with frequent reflections upon future glory. "
― William Law , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
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" know, would be ready to break with grief if you thought this was the last day that I would be with you. But, my child, though you now think yourself mighty happy because you have hold of my hand, you are now in the hands and under the tender care of a much greater Father and Friend than I am, whose love to you is far greater than mine, and from whom you receive such blessings as no human being can give. This is the God whom you have seen me daily worship, whom I daily call upon to bless both you and me, and all mankind, whose wondrous acts are recorded in those Scriptures which you constantly read. This is that God who created the heavens and the earth, who brought a flood upon the whole world, who saved Noah in the ark, who "
― William Law , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
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" was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom Job blessed and praised in the greatest afflictions, who delivered the Israelites out of the hands of the Egyptians, who was the Protector of righteous Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and holy Daniel, who sent so many prophets into the world, and who sent His Son Jesus Christ to redeem mankind. It is this God who has done all these great things, who has created so many millions of people who lived and died before you were born, with whom the spirits of good men who are departed from this life now live, whom infinite numbers of angels now worship in heaven. This great God is the Creator of worlds, of angels, and of mankind. He is your loving Father and Friend, your good Creator and Nourisher, from whom, and not from me, you received your being ten years ago, at the time "
― William Law , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
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" And yet, my child, God is so great, that all these bodies added together are but as a grain of sand in His sight. This great God and Father of all worlds and all spirits cares as much about you as if He had no son but you, or there was no creature for Him to love and protect but you alone. He numbers the hairs of your head, watches over you while you are sleeping and awake, and has preserved you from a thousand dangers, which neither you nor I know anything about. You have often see how poor my power is and how little I am able to do for you. Your recent sickness has shown you how little I could do for you in that condition, and the frequent pains of your head are plain proofs that I have no power to remove them. I can bring you food and medicine, but I have no power to turn them into your relief and "
― William Law , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
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" but, my child, you belong to a greater family than mine. You are a young member of the family of this Almighty Father of all nations, who has created infinite orders of angels and numberless generations of men, to be fellow members of one and the same society in heaven. You do well to respect and obey my authority, because God has given me power over you to bring you up in His fear, and to do for you as the holy fathers recorded in Scripture did for their children, who are now in rest and peace with God. I will soon die and leave you to God and yourself. I trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of my sins. I will go to God and to His Son Jesus Christ, and live among patriarchs and prophets, saints and martyrs, "
― William Law , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
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" where I will wait for you and hope for your safe arrival at the same place. Therefore, my child, meditate on these great things, and your soul will soon grow great and noble. Let your thoughts often leave these gardens, these fields and farms, to contemplate God and heaven, and to consider the angels and the spirits of good men living in light and glory. As you have been used to look to me in all your actions and have been afraid to do anything unless you first knew my will, so let it now be a rule of your life to look up to God in all your actions, to do everything in His fear, and to abstain from everything that is not according to His will. Keep Him always in your heart and mind. Train your thoughts to reverence Him in every place, for there is no place where He is "
― William Law , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
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" not. Read the Scriptures daily. Trust and believe God and His Word. God keeps a book of life wherein all the actions of all people are written. Your name is there, my child, and when you die, this book will be laid open before men and angels, and according as your actions are found there, you will be judged. You will have either eternal life or eternal death based upon whether or not your repented of your sin and trusted in the Lamb of God. Your works in this show the condition of your heart. We are all sinners, yet God sent His Son to die for us. He died for you. Trust in Him for salvation, my son. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6). If you trust in Jesus alone, you will be received to the happiness of those holy men and women who have died "
― William Law , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
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" before you. If you reject Him or if you trust in your works or your church or anything else, you will be turned away among wicked spirits who are never to see God anymore. Live only for Christ Jesus. Let your life – your thoughts, words, and actions please Him in all things. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in the heavens (Matthew 5:16). My child, God is all love and wisdom and goodness. Everything that He has made and every action that He does is the effect of them all. Therefore, you cannot please God, except as far as you strive to walk in love, wisdom, and goodness. As all wisdom, love, and goodness proceed from God, so nothing but love, wisdom, and goodness can lead to God. "
― William Law , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
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" God wants all people to be happy; therefore you ought to want and desire the same. They cannot be truly happy, though, outside of Jesus Christ. Let them know. Show them by your own life. In thy presence is fullness of joy; in thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Psalm 16:11). Above all, my son, remember this: never do anything through strife, envy, jealousy, or pride. Never do anything in order to excel other people, but in order to please God, and because it is His will that you should do everything in the best manner that you can. For once it becomes a pleasure to you to excel other people, it will by degrees be a pleasure to you to see other people not do as well as yourself. Banish therefore every thought of self-pride and self-distinction, and accustom yourself to rejoice in all the excellencies "
― William Law , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
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" and perfections of your fellow creatures, being as glad to see any of their good actions as your own. God is as well pleased with their well-doings as with yours. You ought to desire that everything that is wise and holy and good may be performed in as high a manner by other people as by yourself. Let this therefore be your only motive and incentive to all good actions, honest industry, and business – to do everything in as perfect and excellent a manner as you can, for this reason: because it is pleasing to God, who loves you and desires your perfection. When I am dead, my son, you will be master of all my estate, which will be a great deal more than the necessities of one family require. Therefore, as you are to be charitable to the souls of men and wish them the same "
― William Law , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
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" happiness with you in heaven, so be charitable to their bodies, and endeavor to make them as happy as you can upon earth. As God has created all things for the common good of all people, so use what you have as God would want it used – for the good of others. Do good, my son, first of all to those who most deserve it; but remember to do good to all. The greatest sinners receive daily instances of God’s goodness toward them. He nourishes and preserves them, that they may repent and return to Him. Therefore, imitate God, and do not think that anyone is too bad to receive your relief and kindness, when you see that he needs it.
Learn to love to read, not so you can be a scholar and boast of your wisdom, but so you can read from the wisdom of the men "
― William Law , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
