And the angel faid unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I But thofe things, which God before had shewed by the And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft. p. 472. SERMON L. OF INDUSTRY IN GENERAL. ECCLES. ix. 10. Whatfoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. IN St. Paul's Epiftle to the Romans, among divers ex- SERM. 11. L. Πᾶσα στις cellent rules of life, prescribed by that great master, this is one, Tỹ σñoʊò̟ μǹ ỏxvngoì, Be not flothful in business, or to Rom. xii. business; and in the fecond Epiftle to the Corinthians, among other principal virtues, or worthy accomplishments, for abounding wherein the Apoftle commendeth thofe Chriftians, he ranketh all diligence, or industry exercised in all affairs and duties incumbent on them: this 2 Cor. viii. is that virtue, the practice whereof in this moral precept7· or advice the royal Preacher doth recommend unto us; being indeed an eminent virtue, of very general use, and powerful influence upon the management of all our affairs, or in the conduct of our whole life. Industry, I fay, in general, touching all matters incident, which our hand findeth to do, that is, which difpenfation of Providence doth offer, or which choice of reason embraceth, for employing our active powers of soul and body, the Wife Man doth recommend; and to preffing the obfervance of his advice (waving all curious remarks either critical or logical upon the words) I fhall presently apply my discourse, propofing divers confiderations apt to excite us thereto; only first, let me briefly describe it, for our better apprehenfion of its true notion and nature. SERM. By industry we understand a ferious and steady applicaL. tion of mind, joined with a vigorous exercise of our active faculties, in profecution of any reasonable, honeft, useful defign, in order to the accomplishment or attainment of fome confiderable good; as for instance, a merchant is induftrious, who continueth intent and active in driving on his trade for acquiring wealth; a foldier is induftrious, who is watchful for occafion, and earnest in action toward obtaining the victory; and a scholar is industrious, who doth affiduously bend his mind to ftudy for getting knowledge. Industry doth not confift merely in action; for that is inceffant in all persons, a our mind being a restless thing, never abiding in a total ceffation from thought or from defign; being like a fhip in the sea, if not steered to fome good purpose by reason, yet toffed by the waves of fancy, or driven by the winds of temptation somewhither. But the direction of our mind to fome good end, without roving or flinching, in a straight and fteady courfe, drawing after it our active powers in execution thereof, doth constitute industry; the which therefore usually is attended with labour and pain; for our mind (which naturally doth affect variety and liberty, being apt to loathe familiar objects, and to be weary of any constraint) is not eafily kept in a conftant attention to the fame thing; and the fpirits employed in thought are prone to flutter and fly away, fo that it is hard to fix them: and the corporeal instruments of action being strained to a high pitch, or detained in a tone, will foon feel a laffitude fomewhat offensive to nature; whence labour or pain is commonly reckoned an ingredient of industry, and laboriousness is a name fignifying it; upon which account this virtue, as involving labour, deferveth a peculiar commendation; it being then most laudable to follow the dictates of reafon, when fo doing is attended with difficulty and trouble. Such in general I conceive to be the nature of industry; to the practice whereof the following confiderations may induce. • Ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ φύσιν ἔχουσα τῷ κινεῖσθαι διαπαντὸς, οὐκ ἀνέχεται ἠρεμεῖν, ἔμε πρακτον τὸ ζῶον τᾶτο ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, &c. Chryf. in Aa. Οr. 35. 1. We may confider that induftry doth befit the con- SERM. ftitution and frame of our nature; all the faculties of our L. foul and organs of our body being adapted in a congruity and tendency thereto our hands are fuited for work, our feet for travel, our fenfes to watch for occafion of pursuing good and eschewing evil, our reason to plod and contrive ways of employing the other parts and powers; all thefe, I fay, are formed for action; and that not in a loose and gadding way, or in a flack and remifs degree, but in regard to determinate ends, with vigour requifite to attain them; and especially our appetites do prompt to industry, as inclining to things not obtainable without it; according to that aphorifm of the Wife Man, Επιθυμίαι ὀκνηρὸν ἀπο- Prov. εχί. Telveσw-The defire of the flothful killeth him, for his 25. xiii. 4. hands refufe to labour; that is, he is apt to defire things which he cannot attain without pains; and not enduring them, he for want thereof doth feel a deadly smart and anguish: wherefore in not being industrious we defeat the intent of our Maker; we pervert his work and gifts; we forfeit the use and benefit of our faculties; we are bad husbands of nature's ftock. 2. In confequence hereto industry doth preserve and perfect our nature, keeping it in good tune and temper, improving and advancing it toward its best state. The labour of our mind in attentive meditation and study doth render it capable and patient of thinking upon any object or occafion, doth polish and refine it by use, doth enlarge it by acceffion of habits, doth quicken and rouse our spirits, dilating and diffufing them into their proper channels. The very labour of our body doth keep the organs of action found and clean, difcuffing fogs and fuperfluous humours, opening paffages, diftributing nourishment, exciting vital heat: barring the use of it, no good conftitution of foul or body can fubfift; but a foul ruft, a dull numbnefs, a refty listlessnefs, a heavy unwieldiness must seize on us b; our fpirits will be ftifled and choked, our hearts • Πάντα γὰρ ἡ ἀργία βλάπτει, καὶ τὰ μέλη σώματος αὐτὰ, &c. Chryf. in At Orat. 35. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ τοιέτε τὸ σῶμα ἔκλυτον, &c. lbid. |