ginary difficulties and hazards, and thence to be deterred from going about his business, or doing his duty. This consideration St. Chrysostom, doth propose, exciting to an earnest pursuit of virtue; because, "There is," saith he, "nothing so easy, which our great sloth doth not represent very grievous and burthensome; nothing so painful and difficult, which diligence and willingness do not shew to be very easy."

3. We may consider that industry will sweeten all our enjoyments, and season them with a grateful relish; for as no man can well enjoy himself, or find sound content in any thing, while business or duty lie unfinished on his hand; so when he hath done his best toward the despatch of his work, he will then comfortably take his ease, and enjoy his pleasure; then his food doth taste savourily, then his divertisements and recreations have a lively gustfulness, then his sleep is very sound and pleasant, according to

that of the Preacher, "The sleep of a labouring man is sweet."

4. Especially those accommodations prove most delightful, which our industry hath procured to us; we looking on them with a special tenderness of affection, as on the children of our endeavour; we being sensible at what costs of care and pain we did purchase them. If a man getteth wealth by fraud or violence, if he riseth to preferment by flattery, detraction, or any bad arts, he can never taste any good savour, or find sound comfort in them; and from what cometh merely by chance, as there is no commendation due, so much satisfaction will not arise. It is the wise man's observation, "The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting," and therefore it cannot be very grateful to him; "but," addeth he, "the substance of a diligent man is precious;" that is, what a man compasseth by honest industry, that he is apt highly to prize;

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he triumpheth in it, and (in St. Paul's sense innocently) boasteth of it; he feeleth a solid pleasure and a pure complacency therein the manner of getting it doth more please him than the thing itself; as true hunters do love the sport more than the quarry, and generous warriors more rejoice in the victory than in the spoil; for "our soul," as St. Chrysostom discourseth, "is more affected with those things for which it hath laboured; for which reason," addeth he, "God hath mixed labours with virtue itself, that he might endear it to us." Yea farther,

5. The very exercise of industry immediately in itself is delightful, and hath an innate satisfaction, which tempereth all annoyances, and even ingratiateth the pains going with it.

The very settlement of our mind on fit objects, or its acquiescence in determinate action, conducing to a good end, whereby we are freed of doubt, distraction, and fastidious listlessness, doth minister content.

The reflection upon our having embraced a wise choice, our proceeding in a fair way, our being in chace of a good purpose, doth breed complacence.

To consider that we are spending our time accountably, and improving our talents to good advantage, (to the service of God, the benefit of our neighbour, the bettering of our own state,) is very cheering and comfortable.

And whereas "in all labour," as the wise man telleth us, "there is profit," the foresight of that profit affordeth pleasure, the foretasting the good fruits of our industry is very delicious.

Hope, indeed, doth ever wait on industry: and what is more delightful than hope? This is the incentive, the support, the condiment of all honest labour; in virtue whereof the husbandman toileth, the merchant trudgeth, the scholar ploddeth, the soldier dareth with alacrity and courage, not resenting any pains, not regarding any hazards which attend their

undertakings: this the holy apostles tell us did enable them with joy to sustain all their painful work, and hazardous warfare; enjoining us also as to "work with fear," so to "rejoice in hope."

In fine, industry doth free us from great displeasure, by redeeming us from the molestations of idleness, which is the most tedious and irksome thing in the world, racking our soul with anxious suspense, and perplexing distraction; starving it for want of satisfactory entertainment, or causing it to feed on its own heart by doleful considerations; infesting it with crowds of frivolous, melancholic, troublesome, stinging thoughts; galling it with a sense of our squandering away precious time, of our slipping fair opportunities, of our not using the abilities and advantages granted us, to any profit or fruit whence St. Chrysostom saith very truly, that "there is nothing more unpleasant, more painful, more miserable, than a man that hath nothing to do: