William Law: A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, The Spirit of Love (Classics of Western Spirituality) - Softcover

William Law

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0809121441 ISBN 13: 9780809121441

Publisher: Paulist Press, 1978

Synopsis

"Few things are more needed for the spiritual definition of this age than a recovery of our mystical patrimony. The Classics of Western Spirituality™ happily and competently provides for this need." Louis Dupre T.L. Riggs Professor in Philosophy of Religion, Yale University William Law: A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, The Spirit of Love edited by Paul G. Stanwood, introduction by Austin Warren and Paul G. Stanwood, preface by John Booty "In Eternal Nature, or the Kingdom of Heaven, materiality stands in life and light: it is the light's glorious Body, or that garment wherewith light is clothed, and therefore has all the properties of light in it, and only differs from light as it is its brightness and beauty, as the holder and displayer of all its colors, powers, and virtues." William Law, 1686-1761 Often called the greatest of the post-Reformation English mystics, William Law was born in King's Cliffe, England, became a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge and was ordained a priest in the Anglican Church. After losing his position at Cambridge for refusing to take the Oath of Allegiance to George I, he became the center of a small spiritual community. He was a religious guide to the Gibbon family and included among his disciples John and Charles Wesley. His practical work as a spiritual director-as expressed in this, his best-known piece, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life-deeply influenced the English Evangelical Revival. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church says this of the book: "The simplicity of its teaching and its vigorous style soon established the work as a classic, which has probably had more influence than any other post-Reformation spiritual book except the Pilgrim's Progress." In his later years Law became an intense admirer of the teaching of Jacob Boehme on the coincidence of opposites. He gave this doctrine an original turn in his little-known but exquisite mystical treatises-the most important being The Spirit of Love. This double selection, edited from first texts instead of reprints, demonstrates the range of Law's thought and his development as a genius of style and devotion. †

About this title

From the Back Cover

A great number of believers do not live the Christian life as they believe it ought to be lived. Simply put, they do not live according to their convictions. Few can face such truths without feeling the sting of conscience.
This book is addressed to Christians, and it is, as its title implies, a serious call to be what they profess. When William Law first wrote A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life in 1728, he set out to show, above all things, that there can be no truth and no wholesome life without perfect sincerity.
As you read the words within this cover, you will be caught by the deep note of absolute sincerity that dominates Law¿s writing. You will also discover the following:

Why the sincere intention to please God is crucial
Imitating God in all your actions
Why you must strive to obtain your salvation
Why you must conduct an earnest examination of your life
How you can be a servant of God through your employment How your money and possessions can become an obstacle to your Christian life
Our responsibilities as rational beings
How money can be a poison to your soul
How the use of your money can corrupt or bless your entire life
Living up to God¿s plan for your life
Why true religion is meant for everyone
Why it is necessary to avoid indulgences in worldly things
What you can do to offer your life as a service to God
Using your money as a gift from God
How you can bring glory to God even if you do not work
Making piety to God the rule and measure of everything you do
Why you should keep certain times of devotion during each day
Why morning devotions are vital to the Christian life
How designated forms of prayer can be useful in times of devotion
The importance of singing psalms and praises to God
Why your life must match your prayers and vice versa
The importance of rising early to pray

From the Inside Flap

Originally published at the beginning of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, a time when rationalist criticism of religious belief was perhas at its peak, William Law's A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life succeeded in inspiring the most cynical men of the age with its arguments in favor of a spiritual life. More than simply articulating a set of rules to live by, Law's book examines what it means to lead a Christian life and criticizes the perversion of Christian tenents by the Establishment--whether secular or spiritual--whose real aim is temporal power. With a perface by the Reverend William Sloane Coffin, Jr., whose own direct engagement in social causes still finds inspiration in Law's argument, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life is a book that can still speak to our time.

Edition details

• Publisher: Paulist Press
• Publication date: 1978
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0809121441
• ISBN 13: 9780809121441
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 544
• Editor: Paul G. Stanwood