SLOTH.
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.—Proverbs, xii. 24.
Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.—Proverbs, xix. 15.
Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.—Hebrews, vi. 12.
He that outlives Nestor, and appears
To have passed the date of grey Methusalem’s years,
If he his life to sloth and sin doth give,
I say he only was, he did not live.
Thomas Randolph.
Two principles from the beginning strove
In human nature, still dividing man,—
Sloth and activity; the lust of praise,
And indolence that rather wished to sleep.
*****
Sloth lay till mid-day, turning on his couch
Like ponderous door upon its weary hinge,
And having rolled him out with much ado,
And many a dismal sigh, and vain attempt,
He sauntered out, accoutred carelessly,—
With half-oped, misty, unobservant eye,
Somniferous, that weighed the object down
On which its burden hung,—an hour or two,
Then with a groan retired to rest again.
The one, whatever deed had been achieved,
Thought it too little, and too small the praise:
The other tried to think, for thinking so
Answered his purpose best, that what of great
Mankind could do had been already done;
And therefore laid him calmly down to sleep.
Pollok.
Why in sloth thy days consume?
Why anticipate the tomb?
Wasting thus thy youthful prime,
Slumbering before the time?
Sluggard up! there’s work to do,
Let not sloth thy soul ensnare;
Only the reward is due
Unto those the toil who share.
Egone.