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Eccles. 4.5, 6.
- 5. The foole foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
- 6. Better is an handful with quietnesse, then both the hands full with travel and vexation of spirit.
SOlomon having shewed the vanity that befalleth men through Oppression, and Envy, he proceedeth to shew the vanity that befalleth the estate of men though idlenesse;
where he describeth the idle person, First, by his Adjunct of folly, the fool. Secondly, By his cessation from action, and his composing himselfe to that cessation, a fool foldeth his hands together: Thirdly, By the cause of that his ces∣sation or restinesse, a deceitful imagination of the better∣ment of an handful with ease and quietnesse, then of both the hands full with travel and vexation of spirit, verse 6.
Doct. 1. An idle person by his forbearance of labour ma∣keth himselfe both a fool and a beggar; or a man that with∣holdeth himselfe from labour, doth both befool and undoe himselfe. Folding of the hands together, is an act of an idle or slothful person, First, withholding himselfe from labour, Secondly, Composing himselfe to rest, or sleep, Prov. 24.30, 33, and 6, 10. It is all one, whether he fold his fingers together, or fold his armes together, put his hands into his pocket or bosome, Prov. 19, 24. All alike expresse cessation from labour with a minde to forbeare it.
Reasons of befooling himselfe, First, it is folly to mistake Names and Natures of things, especially to delude our selves with false names. To account and call that to be quietnesse which is idlenesse, sloathfulnesse, sluggishnesse, to account diligent labour, Travel, vexation of spirit. Secondly, It is folly to think an handful will be gotten with idlenesse; whereas nothing will be so gotten, Prov. 13.4, & 20, 4, & 23, 21, & 24, 34. Thirdly, It is folly to thinke an hand∣ful gotten with ease and idlenesse, is better then both the handfuls with diligent labour; whereas a little gotten with labour is more precious and comfortable, Eccles, 5.12. Prov. 12.27. Fourthly, It is folly, yea a foolish tempting of God, to separate the end from the meanes; to expect maintenance without labour, Gen. 3.17. Prov. 10.4. Fifthly, It is a like folly to separate the meanes from the end, God having given hands to labour, minde and wit to employ in some honest calling, for private and publike good ends, which to neg∣lect is a sloathful folly, Matth. 25.26. 6. It is a folly for a man to prefer his wisdome and practice above others who excel him, verse 6. This folly is very incident to idle per∣sons, Prov. 26.16.
Reasons of undoing himselfe, First, By wasting and neg∣lecting the meanes of his subsistence, Prov. 18.9. Eccles. 10.18. Prov. 20.4. No mans estate is infinite or bottomlesse. Prov. 27.24, to 27. Secondly, By breeding diseases, wasting
body; Rest to the body is as Rust to Mettall: 3 By corrupting the mind with Wantonness, Pride, Folly. E∣zek. 16.49. Standing Pools gather mud and venemous vermine. 4 By wasting a mans Kindred also who are his own flesh.
Ʋse 1: To wean us from Idleness, as that which maketh us both Fools and Beggars. See all the Particulars in the Reasons.
It is a sin against the third Commandement, as spending our Time and Talents in vain. Against the fourth Com∣mandement, as not labouring fix days, and so unfitting us for Rest on the seventh. Against the fifth Commande∣ment, Pro. 10.5. Against the sixth Commandement, in the Text. Against the seventh Commandement. Ezek. 16.49. Against the eighth Commandement, Pro. 10.4. & 19.15. & 20.4. Idleness is counted a Gentlemans life, but it is a base and foolish Condition.
Ʋse 2. To observe the deceitfullness of Sin: to cover and colour Idleness with the name of Quietness, but La∣bour with the name of Travell and Vexation of spirit: Self∣love maketh us apt to make a good construction of our own ways: The vicinity or neerness of Vertue and Vice, ma∣keth us apt to mistake and miscall one for another.
Ʋse 3. To teach Parents to train up their Children in a way of Diligence. If either Parent be idle, Children will follow the worse part. God gave Christ a Calling to be King, Priest and Prophet to his Church: the Angels have all a Calling, Heb. 1.14. Adam in Paradise a Gardiner, Gen. 2.15. Cain a Husbandman, Abel a Shepherd, Noah a Vine∣dresser. Kings must be diligent and provident, Pro. 27.23. to 27. Queens Huswifes, Pro. 31.
Ʋse 4. To teach us to labour most in our chiefest work. 2 Pet. 1.10. Phil. 2.12.