Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A70902
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A sermon preached before the King and Queen at White-Hall, April XVI, 1690 being the fast-day / by ... Symon, Lord Bishop of Chichester.
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Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.
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1690
(1690)
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Wing P849; ESTC R22929
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18,665
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44
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wise Man ver 23. of this Chapter there is profit but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury Industry and Labour are always beneficial and bring many advantages along with them but where time is spent in vain Company and frivolous Discourses in hearing what every one will tell and telling again what hath been heard there follows Poverty upon such mis-spence of time and shame and misery follow that According to that which we read in XII Chapter 11. He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding As if he said He that minds the business unto which God and the nature of his Station calls him shall want nothing convenient for him but he who abandons himself to the company of those who lead vain idle and useless lives shall live in shame and die in beggary and so betray himself to be a Man void of all understanding Idle and extravagant persons are the very pests of the Commonwealth who lie as an heavy burden upon the Shoulders of others because they live wholly to waste and spend devour and consume They eat the fruit of other Mens labours and drink the Sweat of their Neighbours Brows Every thing is but a prey to them who are little better than those that rob and spoil for they live by the Consumption of other People Which by the way should excite all that have any authority to correct this Vice according to the wholsome Laws provided against it which would be a part of that Reformation on which it is the very business of this day to resolve as the means to make us an happy Nation For on the other hand the laborious and industrious Man maintains that Station wherein God hath placed him though never so mean against the invasion of want and poverty and against those dreadful effects of Poverty which frequently throw a Nation into terrible Convulsions by producing in it Sedition and Confusion Is not a Nation then beholden to Religion more than to any thing else even upon this account that by putting Men upon Industry and Labour and making it a piece of Conscience not to waste ones time vainly it prevents those insufferable mischiefs which grow out of idleness sloth and luxury Which might be further demonstrated from a known effect of true Religion and the fear of God which is Sobriety Moderation and Frugality which are both the Parent and the product of Industry Which Industry I might also show is not only the Mother of Riches but of Wisdom also Learning Knowledge and Understanding of all manner of things whether Natural Moral Political or Divine Which are not gotten by idleness but constantly procured in some measure by labour and pains That is some men by their Industry get Wisdom and Knowledge Others whose genius lies not that way get Riches and Wealth and there are those who get both and are all highly serviceable unto the Nation to advance the greatness the power the credit and the glory of it But having many things to say I omit all further Discourse of these Considerations and desire you II. Secondly To consider that as Righteousness that is True Religion promotes private Industry and by that means tends to the advancement of a Nation so it also disposes Men which is a far greater thing to mind the publick good and honour of the Nation where they live There is no good Man who hath a true sense of Religion and Vertue who doth not consider that he was not born meerly for himself but to help forward the good of others also even of the whole Country whereof he is a Member For next to the duty we owe unto God who made us all and unto our Parents who brought us into the World all Vertuous Men have always placed the duty we owe out Country And the more any Man minds the first of these his duty towards God the more religiously will he mind the last the safety and honour of his Country Which ought to be so dear unto us that no private Friendships no nor the duty our Natural Parents challenge from us ought in some Cases to come in competition with it Thus Men of worth in the several Ages and Nations of the World have ever thought Which makes our shame here in England the greater who of late years have had so little regard to this which of all other things ought to have been most affectionately tendered And what was the reason of it but an inundation of all manner of Vice and Wickedness upon us This was the general cause of it And more particularly Sensuality Avarice Ambition Atheism and Infidelity which are the Fountain of all Vice are very base and poor spirited things For a vitious Man is at the best but a crafty and subtil Beast and the Beasts mind nothing but themselves or that which they look upon as a part of themselves their young ones and that only while they are young Who ever knew an Atheist truly useful or serviceable to his Country Who can name one that ever lookt much beyond himself and his own private interests and pleasures And indeed how should he do any thing noble and generous for his Country when it will expose him to any danger or trouble who cannot hope for a reward from God for what he doth How should an idle Companion and a sensual Person a Man abandoned to his ease his lust and bodily pleasure a Man that loves no body but himself be concerned for the good of his Country No let the Laws and Liberties of it sink or swim it is alike to him For let his Relations Friends and Family beg or starve Nay let his Heir be in danger to ask a morsel of Bread at his Neighbour's Door for some of these Men are not so good as the Beasts who have a care of their young ones he will have his pleasure when his Lusts have besotted him They must be fed and his Vanity must be gratified as long as he is able to make provision for them Let shame and infamy the hatred and ill will of the whole Nation fall upon him he regards it not for his whole care is for his own Carkass to fulfil the lusts thereof Which is the nature also of Covetous and Ambitious men who to raise themselves will not stick to ruin their Country This is most manifestly a very great Plague to the Common-wealth Where there are many of this sort of men in it But now on the contrary that holy Religion which teaches us to love our Neighbours as our selves and not revengefully or malitiously to hurt our Enemies teaches us much more to love our Country for the sake of which the better sort of Heathens did not grudge to deny nay to hazzard themselves to preserve it in safety And therefore he who is a good Christian that is lives according to the Laws of our Religion is of a free generous and publick Spirit