5. And it is a robbing yourselves of all the good to soul or body, which by your labour and industry you might have got. The slothful man lieth wishing till he perish, Prov. xxi. 25.[575]
6. And it is a robbing of the commonwealth, and of all those to whom your labours, or the fruit of them, was due. You are burdens to the commonwealth, like drones in the hive, Col. iii. 22.
7. Slothfulness is a great consumer of time (as is showed, chap. v.) You lose not only all the time when duty is omitted, but much of the time in which you perform it, while you rid no work, and do it as if you did it not. He that goeth but a mile an hour, loseth his time, though he be still going, even as much as he that goeth two miles one hour and sits still the next. Oh what abundance of their lives do idle persons lose! When time is gone, they will better understand the greatness of their sin and loss, that now make light of it.
8. Idleness is not a single sin, but a continued course of sinning: an idle person is sinning all the while he is idle; and that is with some a great part of their lives: and therefore it is the greater, because the continuance showeth that it is not effectually repented of.
9. Idleness is a destroyer of grace, and gifts, and natural parts; they will rust for want of use. "The slothful is brother to the great waster," Prov. xviii. 9. Weeds will grow up and choke the fruit.
10. Idleness and sloth is a fruit of flesh-pleasing; and so cometh from the most pernicious vice. It is but to please the flesh that one is drunk, and another gluttonous, and another a fornicator, and another covetous; and your idleness and sloth is but pleasing the same flesh in another way, which is forbidden as well as those. "And if ye live after the flesh ye shall die," Rom. viii. 13.
11. It is a strengthening the flesh against the Spirit, by indulging it in its ease and sloth; and maketh it not only unruly and unserviceable, but masterly and earnest for its own desires.
12. Idleness is the mother and nurse of many heinous sins. 1. It cherisheth lust, and draweth people to fornication, which hard labour would have much prevented. 2. It is the time for foolish sports, and vanity, and wantonness, and excess of riot, and all the mischiefs which use to follow it. 3. It is the time for idle talk, and meddling with other folk's matters: and therefore Paul reprehendeth the idle as busy-bodies, or meddlers with matters that concern them not, and twattlers, and tale-carriers, 2 Thess. iii. 11: 1 Tim. v. 13; 1 Thess. iv. 11.[576] They that do not what they should, will be doing what they should not. 4. It is the time for gluttony, and drunkenness, and gaming, and all other sensuality. 5. Yea, it is the time for seditions and rebellions; as in armies it is the time for mutinies.
13. Idleness is the season of temptation: it is Satan's seed-time. It is then that he hath opportunity to tempt men to malice, revenge, and all other villany that is committed.
14. Idleness is "a disorderly walking," 2 Thess. iii. 10, 11; out of the way that God hath appointed us to eat our bread in, and receive his blessing in. The large description of a virtuous woman, Prov. xxxi. 10, to the end, is worthy to be studied by the slothful. "She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchant's ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor, yea, she reacheth forth her hand to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.—She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."[577] I desire our ladies and gentlewomen, that take this pattern to be below them, to remember that it was not a ploughman, but a king, and that the greatest that ever Israel had, that gave this counsel as received from his mother: who concludeth, ver. 30, 31, "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates." But if our gallants should have no meat or clothing but what were the fruit of their hands, it would make a foul change in their garb and diet! And if their own works must be the matter of their praise, instead of the names of their ancestors, arms, lands, and titles, it would also make a foul change in their honours![578]