Some people will perhaps balk at the rules for holy living and complain to us that all we do for God's sake is too great a restraint upon human life; that by depriving ourselves of too many seemingly innocent pleasures we shall render our lives dull, uneasy and melancholy.

But this is the state of mankind: born with few needs and into a large world that is very capable of supplying them. One could reasonably suppose that men should pass their lives in content and thankfulness to God, at least that they should be free from violent disquiets and vexations, grateful for life in a world that has more than enough to relieve all needs.

And if to this simple batter we add for the believer, that this short life, furnished with all that we want in it, is only a short passage to eternal glory where we shall be clothed with the brightness of angels and enter into the joys of God, we may still more reasonably expect that our life should be a state of peace and joy and delight in God, for this would certainly be if we have our brains in gear.

For, alas though God and nature and reason make human life free from wants and so full of happiness, our earthly passions are in constant rebellion to it. We live in a world with no boundaries, a world of evil and full of imaginary wants and vain disquiets. The new American dream. The man of pride has a thousand wants, not needs, which only his own pride has created; and these render him as full of trouble as if God had created him with a thousand appetites without creating anything that is proper to satisfy them.

Ultimately, these passions are the cause of all the disquiets and vexations of human life; they are the fevers of our minds, vexing them with false appetites and restless cravings after such things, as we do not truly want, and spoiling our taste for those things which are for our proper good.

All that we have, all that we are, all that we enjoy are the only talents we recent from God; we are to be happy in using ours gifts to the glory of the Lord or miserable by using them according to our own humor and fancies. This is the only choice we have. If we desire true and lasting happiness; if we uses our talents to the ends of a devoted and holy life, our five talents will become ten and our labor will carry us into the joy of our Lord.

How ignorant therefore are they of the nature of faith, of the nature of man, and the nature of God who think a life of strict piety and devotion to God to be a dull uncomfortable state; when it is so plain and certain that there is neither comfort nor joy to be found in anything else.

One can almost imagine the words of one of today's foremost poets:

	       "Leave it behind
		You've got to leave it behind
		All that you fashion
		All that you make
		All that you build
		All that you break
		All that you measure
		All that you steal
		All this you can leave behind
		All that you reason
		All that you sense
		All that you speak
		All you dress up
		All that you scheme
		The only baggage you can bring,
		Is all that you can't leave behind."(that is our soul)
		  ~Bono

Philippians 2:24-25 But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

Mark 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

Mark 10:35-38 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

Acts 3:14-15 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

Ephesians 2:2-3 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.