Suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of God; that is, the more simplicity and innocence a man is endued with, the more apt he is to embrace and comply with the evangelical doctrine. Aristotle therefore was out, when he would exclude young men from the schools of virtue. It is observable that he contradicteth himself; for Où gòv diapigs to outws n outws, sibus in via iiζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ πάμπολυ, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ πᾶν. It is (saith he) of no small concernment to be from youth accustomed thus or thus: yea, it is very much, or rather all.' And how shall a young man be accustomed to do well, if he be not allowed to learn what is to be done?

Again: Are we old? it is then high time to begin; we have then less time to spare from our most important business; we stand then in most imminent danger, upon the edge of perdition, and should therefore be nimble to skip out thence; our forces being diminished, our quickness and industry should be increased; the later we set out, the more speed it behoveth us to make. If we stay, we shall grow continually more indisposed and unfit to amend; it will be too late, when utter decrepitness and dotage have seized upon us, and our body doth survive our soul.* When so much of our time, of our parts, of our strength, are fled, we should husband the rest to best advantage, and make the best satisfaction we can unto God, and unto our souls, with the remainder.

This age hath some peculiar advantages, which we should embrace: the froth of humours is then boiled out, the fervours of lust are slaked, passions are allayed, appetites are flatted; so that then inclinations to sin are not so violent, nor doth the enjoyment thereof so much gratify.†

Long experience then hath discovered the vanity of all worldly things, and the mischief of ill courses; so that we can then hardly admire any thing, or be fond of enjoying what we have found unprofitable or hurtful.

Age is excused from compliance with the fashions, and thence much exempted from temptations of the world; so that it may be good without obstacle or opposition.

Quod facere solent qui serius exeunt-calcar addamus.-Sen. Ep. 61, 76, 19. Apoc. iii. 2. —Στήριξον τὰ λοιπὰ, ἃ μίλλει ἀποθανεῖν. non omnia grandior ætas Quæ fugiamus habet

Ovid.

Η μὲν γὰρ νιότης τελάγει προσέοικε μαινομένω, κυμά των αγρίων, καὶ πνευμάτων γέμοντι πονηρῶν· ἡ δὲ πολιὰ ὥσπερ εἰς λιμένα ἀκύμαντον τὰς τῶν γεγηρακότων ορμίζει ψυχάς, παρέχουσα τῇ παρὰ τῆς ἡλικίας ἐντρυφῶν ἀσφα -Chrys. tom. vi. Orat. 38.

Prov. xxii. 6, 15; 1 Pet. ii. 2; Luke xviii. 16.
• Eth. ii. 2.

It is proper thereto to be grave and serious, and, consequently, to be virtuous; for gravity without virtue, and seriousness about vain things, are ridiculous.

Nothing doth so adorn this age as goodness, nothing doth so disgrace it as wiokedness: The hoary head is a crown of glory if it be found in the way of righteousness; but it is a mark of infamy, if it be observed proceeding in a course of iniquity; it sig nifieth that experience hath not improved it; it argueth incorrigible folly, or rather incurable madness therein.

There is indeed no care, no employment proper for old men, but to prepare for their dissolution; to be bidding adieu to the world, with its vain pomps and mischievous pleasures; to be packing up their goods, to be casting their accounts, to be fitting themselves to abide in that state into which they are tumbling; to appear at that bar before which suddenly nature will set them. As a ship, which hath long been tossed and weatherbeaten, which is shattered in its timber, and hath lost much of its rigging, should do nothing in that case but work toward the port, there to find its safety and ease; so should a man, who, having passed many storms and agitations of the world, is grievously battered and torn with age, strive only to die well, to get safe into the harbour of eternal rest.‡

In fine, Epicurus himself said well, that no man is either immature or over-ripe in regard to his soul's health; we can never set upon it too soon, we should never think it too late to begin to live well is always the best thing we can do, and therefore we should at any time endeavour it; there are common reasons for all ages, there are special reasons for each age, which most strongly and most clearly do urge it; it is most seasonable for young men, it is most necessary for old men, it is most advisable for all men. §

Again; be our condition what it will, this advice is reasonable: Are we in health? we owe God thanks for that excellent gift; and the best gratitude we can express is the improving it for his service and our own good: we should not lose the advantage of a season so fit for our obedience and repentance; while the forces of our body and mind are entire, while we are not discomposed by pain or faintness, we should strive

In freto viximus, moriamur in portu.-Sen. Ep. 19. Η Οὔτ ̓ ἄωρος οὐδείς ἐστιν, οὔτε πάρωρος πρὸς τὸ κατὰ ψυχὴν ὑγιαίνον. Εpict. ad Μonac.

§ Quare juventus, imo omnis ætas (neque enim rectæ voluntati serum est tempus ullum) totis mentibus huc tendamus, in hoc elaboremus; forsan et consummare contingat — Quint, xii. 1.

Prov. xvi. 31.

xvnpol, Be not slothful in business, or to

Beginning to live soberly, we begin to live like men, following the conduct of reason; beginning to live in charity, we commence the life of angels, enjoying in ourselves most sweet content, and procuring great benefit to others; but going on in sinful voluptuousness, we proceed to live like beasts, wholly guided by sense, and swayed by appetite; being pertinacious in malice, we continue to be like fiends, working torment in ourselves, and mischief to our neighbours.

Embracing virtue, we become wise and sober men, worthy and honourable, veneficial and useful to the world; but continuing in vice, we continue to be foolish and vain, to be vile and despicable, to be worthless and useless.

By our delay to amend, what do we gain? what, but a little flashy and transient pleasure, instead of a solid and durable peace; but a little counterfeit profit, instead of real wealth; but a little smoke of deceitful opinion, instead of unquestionably sound honour; shadows of imaginary goods, instead of those which are most substantial and true, a good mind, the love of God, the assured welfare of our souls. But this field of discourse is too spacious; I shall only therefore for conclusion say, that speedily applying ourselves to obedience, and breaking off our sins by repentance, is in effect nothing else but, from a present hell in trouble, and the danger of a final hell in torment, to be translated into a double heaven; one of joyful tranquillity here, another of blissful rest hereafter; unto the which Almighty God in his mercy bring us all, through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom for ever be all glory and praise. Amen.

The very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Amen.

Corinthians, among other principal virtues or worthy accomplishments, for abounding wherein the apostle commendeth those Christians, he ranketh all diligence, or industry exercised in all affairs and duties incumbent on them: this is that virtue, the practice whereof in this moral precept 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 say, in general, touching all matters incident, which our hand findeth to do, that is, which dispensation of Providence doth offer, or which choice of reason embraceth, for employing our active powers of soul and body, the Wise Man doth recommend; and to pressing the observance of his advice (waving all curious remarks, either critical or logical upon the words) I shall presently apply my discourse, proposing divers considerations apt to excite us thereto; only first, let me briefly describe it, for our better apprehension of its true notion and nature.

By industry we understand a serious and steady application of mind, joined with a vigorous exercise of our active faculties, in prosecution of any reasonable, honest, useful design, in order to the accomplishment or attainment of some considerable good; as, for instance, a merchant is industrious who continueth intent and active in driving on his trade for acquiring wealth; a soldier is industrious who is watchful for occasion, and earnest in action, toward ob. taining the victory; and a scholar is industrious who doth assiduously bend his mind to study for getting knowledge.

Industry doth not consist merely in action; for that is incessant in all persons our mind being a restless thing, never abiding in a total cessation from thought or from design;* being like a ship in the sea, if not steered to some good purpose by reason, yet tossed by the waves of fancy, or driven by the winds of temptation somewhither. But the direction of our mind to some good end, without roving or flinching, in a straight and steady course, 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 * Η γὰρ ψυχὴ φύσιν ἔχουσα τοῦ κινεῖσθαι διαπαντός, οὐκ ἀνέχεται ηρεμεῖν, ἐμπρακτον τὸ ζῶον τοῦτο ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεός, &c. Chrys. in, Act. Or. 35.

to loathe familiar objects, and to be weary of any constraint) is not easily kept in a constant attention to the same thing; and the spirits employed in thought are prone to flutter and fly away, so 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 soon feel a lassitude somewhat offensive to nature; whence labour or pain is commonly reckoned an ingredient of industry; and laboriousness is a name signifying it; upon which account this virtue, as involving labour, deserveth a peculiar commendation; it being then most laudable to follow the dictates of reason, when so doing is attended with difficulty and trouble.

Such in general I conceive to be the nature of industry; to the practice whereof the following considerations may induce.

1. We may consider that industry doth befit the constitution and frame of our nature; all the faculties of our soul and organs of our body being adapted in a congruity and tendency thereto: our hands are suited for work, our feet for travel, our senses to watch for occasion of pursuing good and eschewing evil, our reason to plod and contrive ways of employing the | other parts and powers; all these, I say, are formed for action; and that not in a loose and gadding way, or in a slack and remiss degree, but, in regard to determinate ends, with vigour requisite to attain them; and especially our appetites do prompt to industry, as inclining to things not obtainable without it; according to that aphorism of the Wise Man, 'Euia ixvnpòv àπoxTEívour-The desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labour; that is, he is apt to desire 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 stock.

c

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of action sound and clean, discussing fog and superfluous humours, opening pas sages, distributing nourishment, exciting vital heat: barring the use of it, no good constitution of soul or body can subsist; but a foul rust, a dull numbness, a resty listlessness, a heavy unwieldiness, must! seize on us; our spirits will be stifled and choked, our hearts will grow faint and languid, our parts will flag and decay; the vigour of our mind and the health of our body will be much impaired.

It is with us as with other things in na ture, which by motion are preserved in their native purity and perfection, in their sweetness, in their lustre, rest corrupting, debasing, and defiling them. If the water runneth, it holdeth clear, sweet, and fresh; but stagnation turneth it into a noisome puddle: if the air be fanned by winds, it is pure and wholesome; but from being shut up, it groweth thick and putrid: if metals be employed, they abide smooth and splendid; but lay them up, and they soon contract rust: if the earth be belaboured with culture, it yieldeth corn; but, lying neglected, it will be overgrown with brakes and thistles ; and the better its soil is, the ranker weeds it will produce: all nature is upheld in its being, order, and state, by constant agitation; every creature is incessantly employed in action conformable to its designed end and use; in like manner the preservation and improvement of our faculties depends on their constant exercise.

3. As we naturally were composed, so by divine appointment we were originally designed for industry; God did not intend that man should live idly, even in his best state, or should enjoy happiness without taking pains; but did provide work enough even in paradise itself: for the Lord God (saith the text) took man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it;d so that had we continued happy, we must have been ever busy, by our industry sustaining our life, and securing our pleasure; otherwise weeds might have overgrown paradise, and that of Solomon might have been applicable to Adam: I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding: and, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof.

* Πάντα γὰρ ἡ ἀργία βλάπτει, και τα μέλη σώματος aurà, &c. Chrys. in Act. Orat. 35.

Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ τοιούτου τὸ σῶμα ἔκλυτον, &c. Ibid ναύς, ἡ πλέουσα, ἡ ἡ ἀργοῦσα, ποῖον ἔδως, τὸ τρίχον, ἢ τὸ † Ποιος ίππος χρήσιμος, ὁ τρυφῶν, ἢ ὁ ἐργαζόμενος ; ποια ή ἐστώς ; ποῖος σίδηρος, ὁ κείμενος, ἢ ὁ ἐργαζόμενος, &c.-1 1. 3. Plut. igi Ida ‡ Neglectis urenda filix innascitur agris —Hor. Ser

4 Gen. ii. 3.

Azw. p. 3, edit. Steph.

• Prov. xxiv. 30, 31.