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A50559 A sermon concerning zeal for religion consistent with moderation preached at Edenburgh on Sunday the 27th of April, 1690, before the Lord High Commissioner and the Estates of Parliament of Scotland / by Mr. George Meldrum ... Meldrum, George, 1635?-1709. 1690 (1690) Wing M1637; ESTC R9041 14,624 20

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and a Mother-sin O hate it and beware of it Thirdly This surely is a hurtful evil hurtful to others and hurtful to our selves it is an Enemy to all Societies being contrair to the end of Society to wit the common Good for it seeks mens private good above the common Good And as it divides Interests so it divides Affections and makes Divisions in the Church and State this is contrair to the disposition and temper that should be in the Members of a Society who should be all animat by a common Spirit There can be no promoting of publick Ends by a privat selfish Spirit We cannot promot the publick Good without a publick Spirit This is it which divideth all Societies this occasions all Jealousies between King and People all Emulation between Neighbour and Neighbour this occcasions division in the State and Schism in the Church this is a great cause of War and Confusion Fraud and Oppression and what a world of mischief would selfishness do if Grace and Divine Providence did not put a stop to it Fourthly It is hurtful to our selves men lose themselves by seeking themselves with the neglect of the common good Men by their selfishness they certainly lose not only the peace of their own mind which they might have by doing good and aiming at the publick good but set all others against them and when they divide Interests from all men all men divide Interests from them for this is their Principle that neglect of the Publick is the way to be best preserved and the great safety of their own particular This is the sure way foolishly to ruine all as if when a House is in Fire a Man should think it enough it has not seized yet on my Chamber or when a Ship is sinking to look only to our own Cabin and Goods without care to stop the common Leak O let me beseech you to beware of this Secondly Let me beseech you dearly Beloved labour for a Publick frame of Spirit O imitat these Worthies in the Text prefer Jerusalem to your chief Joy in your esteem desire and endeavour prefer the publick good of Church and State above all our privat Concerns above all your personal and privat Comforts Is not this a more excellent end than selfish Interest even the pleasing and glorifying of God in the promoting the publick Good O that I could prevail with you in this it would surely be your great Advantage and sure if either ye regard the Honour of God or your own true Interest you cannot say me nay Let me plead with you from these Reasons First The Honour of God is concerned in it It 's more concerned in the publick Good of Church and State than in your own personal Concern And O! but the Honour of God lyes nigh to the heart of every one that loveth God This is the end for which we were made Secondly Mind the publick Good more than your privat Interest for this makes you like God and your Saviour Jesus Christ God is always doing Good to the Evil and Unthankful Christ Jesus from the Womb to the Grave by his Dying and Suffering teaches us this Lesson even to mind others and the Publick Good He pleased not himself Rom. 15.3 Let the same Mind be therefore in you which was in Christ Jesus who made himself of no Reputation Phil. 2.5 7. Who gave himself for the good of others and humbled himself unto Death even the Death of the Cross v. 8. Thirdly O! but the Advantage of this would be unspeakable if all of us were brought to this Temper to mind the publick Good more than our own O how amiable a Creature would man be and what a blessed Condition would the World be in and all Societies Kingdoms Cities and Churches be in if Self were denyed and every one minded the common and publick God above their own privat and personal Interest This would prevent neglect of Duties and doing of hurt to others there would not be such a thing as Injustice and uncharitableness among men Emulation Strife and Envy no divided Interest and so no divided Affection no division in the State No Jealousie between the Ruler and Ruled if this were If there were complication of Interests there would be an Union of Affections As we see in Husband and Wife in Parents and Children This were a good Policy in States men and next to Piety towards God which leadeth to the uniting People to God and to favour with him wherein all our Happiness stands and indeed what ever the World think of it it is the greatest Wisdom and Policy Next I say to this the greatest point of humane Policy for preservation of Commonwealths and Societies were that the Governour and Governed have no divided Interest so that the good or hurt of the one is the good or hurt of the other and there is no manner of hope that the one of them shall thrive by the ruine of the other Then they would willingly take one another for better and for worse to stand and fall together If the Politicians had the Skill and Will to make such a complication of Interests betwixt Soveraign and People Ruler and Ruled as the Wellfare and hurt of the one might depend on the Wellfare and hurt of the other and make it visible that all might understand it Certainly Kingdoms and Common-wealths might be Immortal till either the wrath of an offended God or the power of a Forraign Enemy should dissolve them for nothing within would do it if Self did it not and Self will not do it where there is such Complication of Interests O then study to be denied to Self and to be of a publick frame of Spirit Secondly Consider this would be each one of our particular Advantage the good of your Families and Posterity depends on the good of the Publick your own Honour is concerned in this Will you tell me which of these two were a more desirable Inscription on a Man's Tomb Here lyes a man that for his Selfish ends did his outmost to ruine both Church and State Or Here lies a Man that in all his Consultations aimed at the Publick Good And beside the Peace it would minister to mens Consciences in Life and Death our own temporal Peace and Welfare is wrapped up in the Publick Good O! be like Mordecai Esth 10.3 seeking always the wealth of his People And beware as Baruch Jer. 45.5 To seek great things for thy self Fourthly If we neglect the Publick Good for our own particular Concerns Heathens will rise up in Judgement against us and Condemn us O what a love to their Country did they shew I shall but give you two Instances out of Plutarch see Plutarch's Politicks page 39 40. in Octavo the one is of Cretinas the Magnesian and Hermias betwixt whom there was great Animosity but in the time of the Mithridatick War Cretinas saies let Hermias have the Government and I shall remove from the City for I