SERMON XIV.

Of Industry in our general Calling, as Christians.

ROM. xii. 11.

Not flothful in Bufinefs.

NDUSTRY is a very eminent virtue, being an s ERM.

I ingredient, or the parent, of all other virtues, of V.

conftant ufe upon all occafions, and having influence upon all our affairs.

For it is in our nature framed; all our powers of foul and body being fitted for it, tending to it, requiring it for their prefervation and perfection.

We were defigned for it in our first happy state; and upon our lapfe thence were farther doomed to it, as the fole remedy of our needs and the inconveniences to which we became expofed. For,

Without it we cannot well fuftain or fecure our life in the enjoyment of any comfort or convenience; we must work to earn our food, our clothing, our shelter; and to fupply every indigency of accommodations, which our nature doth crave.

To it God hath annexed the best and most defirable rewards; fuccefs to our undertakings, wealth, honour,

SER M. honour, wisdom, virtue, falvation; all which as they XIV. flow from God's bounty, and depend on his bleffing; fo from them they are ufually conveyed to us through our industry, as the ordinary channel and inftrument of attaining them.

It is requifite to us, even for procuring ease, and preventing a neceffity of immoderate labour.

It is in itself sweet and satisfactory; as freeing our mind from diftraction, and wrecking irrefolution; as feeding us with good hope, and yielding a foretafte of its good fruits.

It furnisheth us with courage to attempt, and refolution to atchieve things needful, worthy of us, and profitable to us.

It is attended with a good confcience, and cheerful reflections of having well fpent our time, and employed our talents to good advantage.

It sweeteneth our enjoyments, and seasoneth our attainments with a delightful relish.

It is the guard of innocence, and barreth our temptations to vice, to wantonnefs, to vain curiofity, and pragmaticalnefs.

It argueth an ingenuous and generous difpofition of foul; afpiring to worthy things, and pursuing them in the faireft way; difdaining to enjoy the com-. mon benefits, or the fruits of other men's labour, without deferving them from the world, and requiting it for them.

It is neceffary for every condition and ftation, for every calling, for every relation; no man without it being able to deport himself well in any state, to manage any bufinefs, to discharge any fort of duty.

To it the world is indebted for all the culture, which advanceth it above rude and fordid barbarism; for whatever in common life is ftately, or comely, or ufeful, industry hath contrived it, industry hath compofed and framed it.

It is recommended to us by all fort of patterns confider

confiderable; for all nature is continually bufy and s ER M. active in tendency toward its proper defigns; hea- XIV. ven and earth do work in inceffant motion; every living creature is employed in progging for its fuftenance; the bleffed fpirits are always on the wing in dispatching the commands of God, and miniftering fuccour to us; God himself is ever watchful, and ever busy in preserving the world, and providing for the needs of every creature.

The lives of our bleffed Saviour, of all the Patriarchs, the Prophets, the Apostles, the Saints, in this respect have been more exemplary; no virtue being more confpicuous in their practice than induftry in performing the hard duties and painful tasks imposed on them for the fervice of God, and the benefit of mankind.

Such is the virtue upon which I have formerly dif courfed in general and at large; but shall now more specially confider, according to St. Paul's prefcription, in reference to its moft proper matter, bufinefs, explaining and preffing it accordingly.

Be not flothful in bufinefs (that is, in discharge of it) or to bufinefs (that is, to undertake it): this is the rule; the nature and needfulness whereof we shall declare.

By oneon, business, we may understand any object of our care and endeavours which doth require them, and may deserve them; which by reafon of its difficulty cannot well be accomplished or attained without them; and which is productive of fome fruit or recompence anfwerable to them; the which hath opera caufam, a need of labour, and operæ pretium, fome effect worth our pains: if it be not fuch, it is not a due matter of virtuous and laudable industry.

There are many things, about which men with great earnestness employ themselves, called business, but not deferving that name: there are divers fpurious kinds of industry, which may not pretend to commendation, but rather do merit blame; accord

SER M. ing to that of St. Chryfoftom *, Labour which hath no XIV. profit, cannot obtain any praise.

There is a xevoradía, a vain induftry, and a xaxoradia, a naughty induftry, both agreeing with genuine virtuous industry in the act, as implying careful and painful activity, but difcording from it in object and defign; and confequently in worth and moral esteem.

Aliud agere, to be impertinently bufy, doing that which conduceth to no good purpose, is in fome refpect worse than to do nothing, or to forbear all action; for it is a pofitive abufe of our faculties, and trifling with God's gifts t; it is a throwing away labour and care, things valuable in themselves; it is often a running out of the way, which is worse than ftanding ftill; it is a debafing our reafon, and declining from our manhood, nothing being more foolish or childish, than to be folicitous and ferious about trifles for who are more bufy and active than children? who are fuller of thoughts and defigns, or more eager in profecution of them, than they? But all is about ridiculous toys, the fhadows of business, fuggefted to them by apith curiofity and imitation. Of fuch industry we may understand that of Ecclef. x. the Preacher, The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them; for that a man foon will be weary of that labour, which yieldeth no profit, or beneficial

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* Πόνος ἐδὶν κέρδος ἔχων, ἐγκωμίε παντὸς ἀπεσέρηται. Chryfoft. Tom. 5. Orat. 64.

† Αλλῳ γὰρ ἐδενὶ φιλοπόνω τὸν κενίσπεδον ὁρίζομεν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις ὄντα πολλάκις, ἢ τῷ τὸν μὲν εἰς ἀνωφελῆ πονεῖν, καὶ ἀδιαφόρως, τὸν δὲ ἕνεκά τα cav ovμfigórowv nal λvoireñŵv. Plut, de commun. not. p. 1949. Edit. Steph.

Σπεδάζειν καὶ πονεῖν παιδιᾶς χάριν ἠλίθιον φαίνεται καὶ λίαν παιδικόν. Arift. Eth. 10. 6.

Ἡ ἐπὶ μικροῖς σπεδὴ μέμψιν φέρει. Plut. ibid.

Vid. de glor. Atb. p. 621.

Οἱ σπεδάζοντες ἐν τοῖς γελοίοις, ἐν τοῖς σπυδαίοις ἴσονται καταγέλας Cat. Maj. apud Plut, in Apoph.

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