ome, or if it be sedentary and I wish to be in motion,
or if it requires rising early and I like to rise late, or if it makes
me solitary and I like to be with friends, all this unpleasant part, as
far as is consistent with my health, and so that it is not likely to be
a snare to me, I will choose by preference. Again, I see my religious
views are a hindrance to me. I see persons are suspicious of me. I
see that I offend people by my scrupulousness. I see that to get on in
life requires far more devotion to my worldly business than I can give
consistently with my duty to God, or without its becoming a temptation
to me. I know that I ought not, and (please God) I will not, sacrifice
my religion to it. My religious seasons and hours shall be my own. I
will not countenance any of the worldly dealings and practices, the
over-reaching ways, the sordid actions in which others indulge. And if
I am thrown back in life thereby, if I make less gains or lose friends,
and so come to be despised, and find others rise in the world while I
remain where I was, hard though this be to bear, it is an humiliation
which becomes me in requital for my sins, and in obedience to God; and
a very slight one it is, merely to be deprived of worldly successes, or
rather it is a gain. And this may be the manner in which Almighty God
will make an opening for me, if it is His blessed will, to leave my
present occupation. But leave it without a call from God, I certainly
must not. On the contrary, I will work in it the more diligently, as
far as higher duties allow me."

2. A second reason which will animate the Christian will be a desire of
letting his light shine before men. He will aim at winning others by
his own diligence and activity. He will say to himself, "My parents"
or "my master" or "employer shall never say of me, Religion has spoiled
him. They shall see me more active and alive than before. I will be
punctual and attentive, and adorn the Gospel of God our Saviour. My
companions shall never have occasion to laugh at any affectation of
religious feeling in me. No, I will affect nothing. In a manly way I
will, with God's blessing, do my duty. I will not, as far as I can
help, dishonour His service by any strangeness or extravagance of
conduct, any unreality of words, any over-softness or constraint of
manner; but they shall see that the fear of God only makes those who
cherish it more respectable in the world's eyes as well