A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy life by William Law, A.M (1686-1761)
I must admit that reading ‘A Serious Call to a Devout and a Holy life’ has been
both challenging and though provoking. The book has quite a serious tone to it
can come across as very judgemental. However as I continued reading I began
to grapple with the meaning and spiritual content of Law’s writing as well as its
relevance and spiritual impact for me and for people in general.
Once I got over the unfamiliar words like ‘betwixt’ ,‘peity’ and fops and
the language of the book I began to grapple with Law’s intended intent of the
book. According to Law, ‘Devotion signifies a life given, or devoted, to God’
(Law 1994: pg 3) Law is very critical about peoples’ definition of devotion and
I can easily compare what he wrote over 200 years ago with what is happening
today. Preachers preach just for the glory and riches instead of living devoted to
God. They preach one thing and do another. Law’s examples of both
clergymen and ‘ordinary’ people are strangely familiar. It’s as if he is talking
about our present world. His analysis of people’s fascination with clergymen
that are eloquent and smartly dressed but are not devoted to God can be applied
to present times.
‘And it is as possible for a man to worship a crocodile, and yet be a pious
man, as to have his affections set upon this world, and yet be a good Christian.’
(Law 1994: pg 10). These words struck a chord in me. The idea that you can
you can live a worldly lifestyle yet be a good Christian. It sounds like Law is
living in present day and not in the past. You can do all the things Christians do
but still be far from God. My favourite animal is a crocodile and while I am
typing this essay, I am sitting looking at the crocodile painting that is hanging
on the wall, directly above my laptop. The ‘irony’ doesn’t escape me so when I
read this crocodile example it gave me the motivation to continue reading this
book and grapple with God is trying to tell me through this book.
Law argues if the Gospel does not change a person what is the point. I
agree with him but that’s how people live nowadays and I can imagine that’s
how people lived in his time. As a Christian am I living a devout life? or am I
just being a Christian because it is expected of me? This book has really made
me think about my devotion to God and not to the institution.
According to Law, ‘If our common life is not a common course of
humility, self-denial, renunciation of the world, poverty of spirit and heavenly
affection, we do not live the lives of Christians.’ (Law 1994: pg 8) By this
definition many of the so called Christians today cannot be called Christians.
Although Law concedes that only God can judge, his definition does make me
pause and introspect. I know I live under grace and my salvation is not based
on works but I am and will keep grappling with this definition.
Laws’ example of the young man of 35, Penitens, dying and his
‘conversation’ with the people around him made me pause and think about the
meaning of my life since I am presently a year older. What would my thoughts
be on my dying bed? Will I be a peace dying so young? His analysis is quite
profound. (Law 1994: pg 24)
According to Law, ‘Now the reason of common swearing is this; it is
because men have not so much as the intention to please God in all their
actions’ (Law 1994: pg 12) Law has come to the conclusion that people do the
wrong thing because they do have an intention to please God, the mere fact that
they are a Christian in name is good enough, being Christ like is not necessary.
It sounds so familiar it’s as if he talking about present day.
Laws’ advice to the reader of this book is that he or she should follow
what God and the scriptures say and not on what fellow Christians are doing. I
agree and have tried to live like this. If this book was rewritten so that present
day people can understand I think more people would come to this conclusion
instead of thinking that Law is being judgemental. (Law 1994: pg 15)
We are, in the current circumstances, isolated in our homes so there is no
sport happening but Laws’ analysis of a man loving sport more than attending
church being about his intention and not him not wanting to attend church hit
home. I remember when the Rugby World Cup was on last year how many
people didn’t come to church because the games were on Sunday. I love
watching Rugby but it seemed people were more interested in the sport than
about attending church. It’s about people’s heart towards God rather than the
act itself. (Law 1994: pg. 17)
According to Law, For God has there made no promises of mercy to the
slothful and negligent. His mercy is only offered to our frail and imperfect, but
best endeavours, to practice all manner of righteousness’ (Law 1994: pg. 22) I
honestly do not know if I agree with this statement or not. I will grapple with
this in days to come. I understand that God is a judge yet His mercy is extended
to everyone. If I apply this to me personally I pray that I do not become
negligent and slothful in pursuing a devoted life to God. For me it’s not an end
result but the journey in my walk with God. Even if I take God for granted, the
amazing thing about God is that He doesn’t treat as our sins deserve. David
says in:
Psalm 103:10-14 New International Version (NIV)
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
According to Laws’ if you have to think about your actions and how it
pleases God then you not in reverencing God. ‘He has not learnt the nature of
piety, who thinks it too much to be pious in all his actions”. (Law 1994: pg. 47)
For me I have learnt from this statement that how I do things doesn’t bother
God as much as why I am doing it. It’s a heart issue and that, for me is what law
is getting at in a roundabout way is this book. You can’t live a Devout and Holy
life if your heart is not towards God.
Laws’ statement about the consequences of sleep and when and what one
should pray sounds like a list of rules one should follow. According to Law,
‘Sleep is such a dull, stupid state of existence…’ Its statement like these that
made this book difficult to read. It has a religious tone but I learnt what certain
hour means now, so I learnt something and I will be conscious now about what
the hour of prayer means. Like I said before I tried to apply what Law said and
not judge what he saying.
According to Law, ‘Devotion is nothing else but right apprehensions and right
affection towards God’ (Law 1994: pg. 161). To me this means that my heart
towards God matter above else but I am not sure if Law brings this across in his
book. I grappled with the words he wrote but believe this is what he meant.
Law is very adamant in his book that we should do everything we can and
grateful for what we have and show devotion to God. According to Law ‘All
that we have, all that we are, all that we enjoy, are only so many talents from
God….’ (Law 1994: pg. 115). These words reiterate the fact that devotion To
God is a heart issue and not a set of rules. Law gets his message across but in a
very difficult and complex way.
According to Law, man uses religion as a scapegoat to make him feel better
that he is following the rules but devotion as stated before is a heart issue. (Law
1994: pg. 161) I believe that is the heart of Laws’ book that devotion to God
and living a holy life comes from our love for him and not a set of rules.
Apart from the crocodile analogy I enjoyed reading how Law
demonstrates how to worship God and use my imagination. I will definitely
read that chapter again and again because it teaches me how to get into the
presence of God and gives me practical steps on how to enter the presence of
God. I did not sense a judgemental tone in that chapter. Only when we get into
the presence of God then we understand who we devoted too. Devotion starts
because He loved us first. I am devoted to God because I experience His
presence and he is real.
‘There is nothing that so powerfully governs the heart, that so strongly
excites us to wise and reasonable actions, as a true sense of God’s
presence, But as we cannot see, or apprehend the essence of God, so
nothing will so constantly keep us under a lively sense of the presence of
God, as the holy resignation which attributes everything to Him and
receives everything as from Him’ (Law 1994: pg. 161)
In pages 207 to 213 Law writes about the advice Paternus gives to his
son. The advice is filled with encouraging ways to follow God and how to live
one’s life. All of Laws examples and people stories impacted me more that the
rules he set for me to follow. The way the people lived and the comparisons
between devout and non-devout Christians and people that didn’t believe in
God was quite an eye opener
There is a lot of spiritual content in this book. As I said in the beginning that
this book was very difficult to read but so worth it because I learnt that devotion
is a heart issue and Law himself was just human. It’s as he upset at the people
around him and now he is trying to rectify the situation.
This book has thought me that even though something is difficult does not mean
it’s not worth doing. The comparisons between Laws’ time and present time is
identical and it seems that Christians have not learnt how to live a life devoted
to God so that means Law writings are still relevant today. In order for present
day people to really understand the spiritual impact of this book one should
written it in a way that people understand, make it relevant for today.
In conclusion I would like to say that this book has impacted how I think about
my devotion to God and how I live my daily life. Law made me think about
how I pray, worship and just go on with my daily life. I do believe in the Grace
and mercy of Jesus and therefore will keep reading this book in relation to the
bible but as stated above Law has relevant points that are applicable to todays’
life. I truly hope that this book can be rewritten in a way that can be understood
by this generation. It can really make a difference in how we view Devotion
with God and the practical steps needed to live this Christian walk.