William Law's view of how important public meetings are...

"It is very observable that there is not one command in all the Gospel for public worship; and perhaps it is a duty that is least insisted upon in Scripture of any other. The frequent attendance at it is never so much as mentioned in all the New Testament. Whereas that religion or devotion which is to govern the ordinary actions of our life is to be found in almost every verse of Scripture. Our blessed Saviour and His Apostles are wholly taken up in doctrines that relate to common life. They call us to renounce the world, and differ in every temper and way of life, from the spirit and way of the world; to renounce all its goods, to fear none of its evils, to reject its joys, and have no value for its happiness; to be as new-born babes, that are born into a new state of things; to live as pilgrims in spiritual watching, in holy fear, and heavenly aspiring after another life; to take up our daily cross, to deny ourselves, to profess the blessedness of mourning, to seek the blessedness of poverty of spirit; to forsake the pride and vanity of riches, to take no thought for the morrow, to live in the profoundest state of humility, to rejoice in worldly sufferings; to reject the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life; to bear injuries to forgive and bless our enemies and to love mankind as God loveth them; to give up our whole hearts and affections to God, and strive to enter through the strait gate into a life of eternal glory.

This is the common devotion which our blessed Saviour taught, in order to make it the common life of all Christians. Is it not therefore exceeding strange, that people should place so much piety in the attendance upon public worship, concerning which there is not one precept of our Lord's to be found and yet neglect these common duties of our ordinary life, which are commanded in every page of the Gospel? I call these duties the devotion of our common life, because if they are to be practiced, they must be made parts of our common life; they can have no place anywhere else."

William Law, ca. 1734

Dear Greg,

Thank you. The above extract is a gem.

[b]to bear injuries[/b] to forgive and bless our enemies and to love mankind as God loveth them; to give up our whole hearts and affections to God, and strive to enter through the strait gate into a life of eternal glory.

The sermon Carter Conlon preached on bearing His marks, in January this year.

[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=16462&commentView=itemComments]Taking the Cup and Calling on Jesus[/url]

I call these duties the devotion of our common life, because if they are to be practiced, they must be made parts of our common life; they can have no place anywhere else.

to live as pilgrims in spiritual watching, in holy fear, and heavenly aspiring after another life; to take up our daily cross, to deny ourselves, to profess the blessedness of mourning, to seek the blessedness of poverty of spirit; to forsake the pride and vanity of riches, to take no thought for the morrow, to live in the profoundest state of humility, to rejoice in worldly sufferings; to reject the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life;

So now, what is humility, except through a better recognition of the differential between the Son in glory before He came, and His contraction to a perfect Man - an emulation of His abasement.

Let earth and Heaven combine,
Angels and men agree,
To praise in songs divine
The incarnate Deity,
[b]Our God contracted to a span,
Incomprehensibly made Man.

He laid His glory by,
He wrapped Him in our clay[/b];
Unmarked by human eye,
The latent Godhead lay;
Infant of days He here became,
And bore the mild Immanuel’s Name.

See in that Infant’s face
[b]The depths of deity,
And labor while ye gaze
To sound the mystery
In vain[/b]; ye angels gaze no more,
But fall, and silently adore.

[b]Unsearchable the love
That hath the Savior brought;
The grace is far above
Of men or angels’ thought[/b]:
Suffice for us that God, we know,
Our God, is manifest below.

[b]He deigns in flesh t’appear,
Widest extremes to join;
To bring our vileness near,
And make us all divine:
And we the life of God shall know,
For God is manifest below[/b].

[i]Part of a hymn by Charles Wesley[/i]

Whereas that religion or devotion which is to govern the ordinary actions of our life is to be found in almost every verse of Scripture. [b]Our blessed Saviour and His Apostles are wholly taken up in doctrines that relate to common life. They call us to renounce the world, and differ in every temper and way of life, from the spirit and way of the world[/b]; to renounce all its goods, to fear none of its evils, to reject its joys, [b]and have no value for its happiness[/b]; to be as new-born babes, that are born into a new state of things;

BlazedbyGod wrote:
Where can I find some books written by William Law?

Here is one that my dad is reading and really likes:
[url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0875088228/ref=pd_cp_b_0/104-4425401-4331910?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_r=0EAJFJZXHC5JMGV7H4ZR&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=317711001&pf_rd_i=0875082475]The Power of the Spirit by William Law[/url]

There's also one on Grace Gems, http://www.gracegems.org/book4/William_Law.htm

Over all, I am very blessed to read Law's creed concerning, what I deem to be Faith itself, or own personal walk, or life, ie:"the just shall live by faith", however, it has the ring of just that, a creed.

To obey the command of holy doctrine to be meaningful to the Father, it must most of all bear the FRUIT OF HOLINESS, not necessarily the acts alone. None of these things are possible in true holiness except as the fruit is grown in our ABIDING in Christ, not the other way around. I have not been called "to seek the blessedness of poverty of spirit", but to seek the Lord himself to please him, and in my abiding, this fruit will naturally manifest as I am possessed by His Lordship; I will be poor in Spirit as I behold His majesty, not "seek poverty of spirit to be blessed".

Yes, there are spiritual disciplines in this creed that are valuable, and wise, but if taken to heart to act on them WITHOUT resurrection life naturally springing forth via abiding and communion with Christ Jesus, I think you would encourage a religious structure that justs acts mature, or holy. Consider the Amish today, or Mennonite, or German Baptist folk. They have made a lasting society out of creeds, that aren't necessarily dependent on the leading of the Holy Spirit whatsoever. It has became all outward, and the intent of the Father lost long ago, and that by zealot Leaders espousing holiness without it being grown. [doesn't this go to the heart of legalism?, "having a form of Godliness, but denying the power of God"] "IF Christ has set you free, do not be entangled in the yoke of bondage."

Christians shouldn't act anyway but real and honest, and while abiding in Christ, the fruit will come in differing ways to Christians according to their maturity.

Law described the Pharisee to the tittle as Loving the praises of men as they prayed and gave and displayed their piety to "be noticed of men", as it is most certainly is today, and on this issue I wholeheartedly agree with him, and the root of his word is right, Walk with God alone, but there certainly are calls or precedents to public worship in the bible.

I suppose the most famous one is "Do not forsake the assembly of yourselves as is the manner of some" one, but there are more, some possibly strongly implied. "When you come together"[ Paul's rebuke to the church at Corinth], The gathering at Solomon's portico, after Pentecost, and the rich admonishments of Body Ministry in Roman's and Corinthians and Ephesians, which undeniably are given in a meeting context....public worship. "I will praise Him in the great assembly." [David] Etc.

"The letter kills, but the Spirit gives Life." We can be Holy and free, but not by acting holy; by abiding in Jesus.

Hi Brothertom,

Here are a few more thoughts.

I didn't think Law was suggesting not ever meeting with other Christians, but that the kind of gatherings which have become the be all and end of of some people's 'Christian' life, are not mentioned by the Lord.

As far as I can tell, there is no need for them to be open to the general public, either, even although it's possible to infer this from what Paul said to the Corinthians. However, I believe what he says may be a consequence of a mediterranean climate - that it would be possible for unbelievers to hear what was being said - from outside - and then to seek to enter.

In countries where the Church is underground, not even the venue is publicised, and I suspect the door is often locked. This is my impression.

In the 1600s in the UK, there were laws on how religious freedom was to be exercised, including that a legal gathering of a minority group must leave the door unlocked, that others could join them. The main message of the statute was it was now [i]legal[/i] to dissent, and it was also, therefore, [u]safe[/u] to gather.

Public means common, or in the common. In reference to public meetings it has to do with gathering. To say that it means outsiders are welcome or not , is a stretch to me.

In context, he was referring to people who drew attention to themselves in various religious ways that annoyed him, thereby the emphasis on how Christians should act in their most private of lives, IE: Private acts of devotion that mean everything to God; the display of holy heart faith, versus the kind of faith that flashes bright when all can see,{as I noted the pharisees acted when rebuked by the Lord]......

.It's an intensely private and inward thing he encourages to act upon that is his comparison to the true, by pointing out their glaring conceit in public. ,,,,,AROUND OTHERS, THAT ALSO INCLUDE MEETINGS.....anyway, I am not bound by meetings anyway, just noting a condition that could and has developed Christianity into a weird act rather than produce fruit acceptable to the Father that develops naturally as we abide, and endure, rather than adapt a creed of acts that are outward and shallow.....

I must say that personally I am not fond of Law, though I suppose he was a correct kind of fellow, biblical and all. To me , he is excessively hard to read, and very wordy, and I'm not sure if I like his wig. [ha!] WE'll talk about that around the Throne, If I endure. Brother Tom.