need of a great deal of care and resolution to escape it. 1. Those are most subject to this sin who have a phlegmatic constitution, or dulness of spirits, or other bodily indisposition to cherish it: such therefore should strive the more against it, and not give way to any sloth which they are able to resist. Though their bodies are like a dull or tired horse, they must use the rod and spur the more. Such heavy persons are more given also to sleep than others are; and yet they may resist it and rise early if they will, though they have a greater sluggishness than others to overcome. So though they are more indisposed to labour than more active persons are, yet if they will do their best, they may go as far as their strength of body will enable them. And this they should the rather strive to do (unless they have a disease that labour is hurtful to) because that custom doth much to the increasing or decreasing their bodily undisposedness, and labour is the most effectual means to cure them of that fleshly heaviness which unfitteth them for their labour".

2. Those that have been unhappily bred up in idleness, have great cause to repent of their sinful life that is past, and to be doubly diligent to overcome this sin: if their parents have so far been their enemies, they should not continue enemies to themselves. Though usually the children of the rich and proud have this for their peculiar, original sin, and are very unhappy in their parentage and education in comparison of the children of wise, and humble, and industrious parents, yet their own understanding and willingness, by the help of grace, may overcome it. If your parents had trained you up to live by stealing, could not you leave it if you will, when you come to know that God forbiddeth it? So, though they have bred you up in idleness, and done their part to undo you both in soul and body, to make your souls a sty for sin, and your bodies a skinful of diseases; yet if you will do your part you may be recovered, at least as to your souls; and custom may conquer the fruits of custom. You cannot do worse than to go on, and spend the rest of your life in sin. If you had been still-born or

m Platonem tradunt cum vidisset quendam aleis ludentem, increpasse: et cum ille; Quam me in parvis reprehendis? diceret, respondisse, At est consuetudo non parva res. Diog. Laert, in Plat.

murdered in your infancy, it had been no sin for you to have lain idle in the common earth; but to teach a living soul to be idle, and to train up the living to a conformity to the dead, (save only that they eat, and spend, and sin, and carry their ornaments on their backs, when the dead have theirs for a standing monument,) this was great cruelty and treachery in your parents: but you must not therefore be as cruel and treacherous against yourselves ".

3. Those that abound in wealth; and have no need to labour for any bodily provisions, should be especially watchful against this sin necessity is a constant spur to the poor; except those that live upon begging, who are the second rank of idle persons in the land: but the rich and proud are under a continual temptation to live idly. For they need not rise early to labour for their bread: they need not work hard for food or raiment: they have not the cries of their hungry children to rouse them up: they have plenty for themselves and family without labour, and therefore they think they may take their ease. But it is a sad case with poor souls, when the commands of God do go for nothing with them: or cannot do as much to make them diligent as poverty or want could do: and when God's service seemeth to them unworthy of their labour, in comparison of their It may be, God may bring you unto a necessity of labouring for your daily bread, if you so ill requite him for your plenty. But it is better that your idleness were cured by grace, than by necessity: for when you labour only for your own supplies, your own supplies are your reward; but when you labour in true obedience to God, it is God that will reward you. I do with very much love and honour think of the industrious lives of some lords and ladies that I know, who hate idleness and vanity, and spend their time in diligent labours suitable to their places. But it is matter of very great shame and sorrow, to think and speak of the lives of too great a number of our gallants: to how little pur

own.

n Callimachus, in Attila, reporteth that when certain players came before Attila, to shew the agility of their bodies in their exercises, he was offended to see such able, active bodies no better employed, and commanded them to be exercised in shooting and other military acts: which when they could not do, he commanded that they should have no meat but what they got by hunting at a great distance, and so exercised them till they became excellent soldiers. Page 353.

• Col. iii. 23, 24.

pose they live in the world! If they take a true account of their lives (as God will make them wish they had done when he calls them to account) how many hours, think you, will be found to have been spent in any honest labour or diligent work that is worthy of a Christian, or a member of the commonwealth; in comparison of all the rest of their time, which is spent in bed, in dressing, in ornaments, in idle talk, in playing, in eating, in idle wanderings and visits, and in doing nothing, or much worse?? How much of the day doth idleness consume, in comparison of any profitable work! O that God would make such know in time, how dreadful a thing it is thus to imitate Sodom that was punished with the vengeance of eternal fire, instead of imitating Christ. As for idle beggars, they read not books, and therefore I shall not write for them: they are in this more happy than the idle gentry, that the law compelleth them to work, and leaveth them not to themselves.

4. Those persons that live in idle company have special cause to fear this sin: for such will entangle you in idleness, and greatly hinder you from conscionable diligence.

5. Those servants that live in great men's houses, and are kept more for pomp and state than service, having little to do, should especially take heed of the sin of idleness. Many such take it for their happiness to live idly, and take that for the best service where they have least work: but have you nothing to do for yourselves, for soul nor body? If you have leisure from your master's service, you should thankfully improve it in God's service and your own.

Direct. 111. Settle yourselves in a lawful calling, which will keep you under a necessity of ordinary and orderly employment.' As we cannot so easily bring our minds to a close attendance upon God, in the week days when we have our common business to divert us, as we can do on the Lord's day which is purposely set apart for it, and in which we have the use of his stated ordinances to assist us; even so a man that is out of a stated course of labour, cannot avoid idleness so well as he that hath his ordinary time and

P Ni sis bonus aleator, probus chartarius, scortator improbus, potator strenuus, profusor audax, decoctor et conflator æris alieni, deinde scabie ornatus Gallica, vix quisquam te credet Equitem. Erasm. Colloq. p. 483. See more of this Chap. v. and read Luke xvi. and James v.

course of business to keep him still at work. It is a dangerous life to live out of a calling.

Direct. IV. Take heed of excess of meat, and drink, and sleep' for these drown the senses, and dull the spirits, and load you with a burden of flesh or humours, and greatly indispose the body to all diligent, useful labours. A full belly and drowsy brain are unfit for work. It will seem work enough for such, to carry the load of flesh or phlegm, which they have gathered. A pampered body is more disposed to lust and wantonness than to work.

Direct. v. A manlike resolution, is an effectual course against sloth.' Resolve and it will be done. Give not way to a slothful disposition. Be up and doing: you can do it if you will but resolve. To this end, be never without God's quickening motives (beforementioned) on your minds. Think what a sin and shame it is to waste your time; to live like the dead; to bury a rational soul in flesh; to be a slave to so base a thing as sloth; to neglect all God's work while he supporteth and maintaineth you, and looketh on; to live in sloth, with such miserable souls, so near to judgment and eternity. Such thoughts well set home will make you stir, when a drowsy soul makes an idle body.

Direct. vI. Take pleasure in your work, and then you will not be slothful in it.' Your very horse will go heavily where he goeth unwillingly, and will go freely when he goeth thither where he would be. Either your work is good or bad if it be bad avoid it; if it be good why should you not take pleasure in it? It should be pleasant to do good. Direct. VII. To this end be sure to do all your work as that which God requireth of you, and that which he hath promised to reward; and believe his acceptance of your meanest labours which are done in obedience to his will.' Is it not a delightful thing to serve so great and good a master, and to do that which God accepteth and promiseth to reward? This interest of God in your lowest, and hardest, and most servile labour, doth make it honourable, and should make it sweet.

Direct. VIII. 'Suffer not your fancies to run after sensual, vain delights; for these will make you weary of your callings.' No wonder if foolish youths be idle, whose minds are set upon their sports; nor is it wonder that sensual gen

sures.

tlemen live idly, who glut themselves with corrupting pleaThe idleness of such sensualists is more inexcusable than other men's, because it is not the labour itself that they are against, but only such labour as is honest and profitable for they can bestow more labour in play, or dancing, or running, or hunting, or any vanity, than their work required and it is the folly and sickness of their minds that is the cause, and not any disability in their bodies: the busiest in evil, are slothfullest to good.

Direct. 1x. 'Mortify the flesh, and keep it in an obedient dependance on the soul, and you will not be captivated by sloth.' For idleness is but one way of flesh-pleasing: he that is a sensual slave to his flesh, will please it in the way that it most desireth! One man in fornication, and another in ambition, and another in ease; but he that hath overcome and mortified the flesh, hath mastered this with the rest of its concupiscence.

Direct. x. Remember still that time is short, and death makes haste, and judgment will be just, and that all must be judged according to what they have done in the body; and that your souls are precious, and heaven is glorious, and hell is terrible, and work is various and great, and hindrances are many; and that it is not idleness, but labour that is comfortable in the reviews of time;' and this will powerfully expel your sloth.

Direct. xI. Call yourselves daily or frequently to account how you spend your time, and what work you do, and how you do it.' Suffer not one hour or moment so to pass, as you cannot give your consciences a just account of it.

Direct. x11. Lastly, watch against the slothfulness of those that are under your charges as well as against your own:' some persons of honour and greatness are diligent themselves, and bestow their time for the service of God, their king and country, and their souls and families (and I would we had more such): But if in the mean time, their wives and children and many of their servants spend most of the day and year in idleness, and they are guilty of it, for want of a thorough endeavour to reform it, their burden will be found greater at last than they imagined. In a word, though the labour and diligence of a believing saint, `and