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ACcidia, (which wee commonly call by the name of Slothe), is a disordinate heauinesse, and fastidious irksommesse of vertuous exercize. Hereein wee may sinne manifoudly, thorough the many vices that accompanie it. The first is, an ouergreate feare of the labour, and hardenesse of vertue, flying it for this cause: from whence pro∣procedeth hauinesse, and tediousnesse in the exerci∣zes
therof, performing them with irksomnesse. The second is, pussillanimity, * 1.2 and cowardise in enterpri∣sing difficult things in Gods seruice hiding for this cause the talents that God hath giuen mee, & not v∣sing them••, when the lawe of iustice, or charitie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 obligeth mee. The third, is slothe, and negligence in fullfilling and obseruing the lawe of God, the Euan∣gelicall councells, the statues and rules of my estate, and office doing these things a litle more or lesse with breakings of delayes, and repugnancies, for feare, and when I cannot otherwise leaue them vn∣donne with base endes and seruile and subtle inten∣tions. The fourth is inconstancie, in prosecuting the actions of vertue and carriyng them to the ende: with instabillitie in them, dashing out of one, into another to take away tediousnesse, vntill I leaue of the good I haue begun, retourning backe, like a dog to his vomite. The Fifth is dismaiednesse, * 1.3 and distrust of getting the vpper hande in pretention of vertue: or of getting the victorie against temptati∣ons, vntill wee fall into the abisme of desperation. The sixth is, rancour, * 1.4 and indignation against spiri∣tuall persons, because their vertues, and good ex∣amples vpbraide mee to my face: or because I am of∣fended with the aduises, and corrections I receiue from them. The seuenth is, idlenesse in loosing that precious time which God hath giuen mee to labour. As also ouermuch sleepe, and drowsinesse in good workes, specially in the spirituall exercizes of praier, reading, masse, sermons, and speeches con∣cerning God, thorough the small delight I take in them. The eight is, vagation in diuerse vnlawfull, * 1.5 and vaine things to entertaine mee: as are voluntary distractions of thought, and imagination: pratling, and loosnesse of tongue in idle wordes; vaine spor∣tes; beholding prophane representations; curiosity of the senses; wauing of the bodye, gadding vp and
downe the streetes, heere, and there for pastime, and recreation; and desiring change; beeing constant in nothing but in inconstance. Finally to this vice belōg all sinnes of omissions, and negligences in Gods ser∣uice, which are innumerable: and hardely shall you finde a good worke, but it hath some of these defe∣ctes, either in the beginning, in the midle, or in the ende; wherefore I am greately to accuse myselfe be∣fore our Lord, * 1.6 saying vnto him: I confesse, o my God, that in this vice onely, I haue sinned so often, that my sinnes are numberlesse: and therefore I throvve them alltogither into the numberlesse multitude of thy infinite mercies, that thou maiest remedie the number∣lesse multitude of my miseries.
SEcondly, I am to consider the most grieuous hur∣tes proceeding from slothe: Some that spring from itselfe: and others added by the iust chastizement of God, both in this life, and in the other.
The first, are the most grieuous: For luke-warmnesse is painefull, and perillous, the shadowe of deathe, and very neere neighbour to hell: it emptieth the hearte of spirituall consolations, * 1.7 it fillethe it with heauinesse, and openeth the gate to innumerable temptations of the diuell; who commeth to dwell, and settle himselfe in that soule which hee findeth idle, and vacant; bringing with him, seuen other worser diuells, which are the multitude of sinnes: for all gather themselues to the slothefull, and idle soule, * 1.8 which (as Salomon saieth) like a vineyarde, or graunge which is not cultiuated, nor hath no trē∣che, nor inclosure, is full of the nettles of sinnes, and of the thornes of passions, and amaritudes; it is trod∣den vpon, and trampled by the diuells, and by di∣uerse vnquiet thoughtes, which like passengers
enter in, and issue out by it. From whence procee∣deth a strange pouertie of spirituall goods and an vnproffitable beggerie, * 1.9 for hee that in the winter of this life hath not plowed, nor laboured, shall begge in the summer of deathe, and shall finde none to giue him what hee beggeth: like the fiue foo∣lish virgins, who thorough slothe falling a sleepe, begged oyle for their lampes, * 1.10 and none would bee giuen them.
2 Besides this, the iust sustaine exceeding greate losse by this lukewarmnesse: which is as it were the can∣ker of vertues, the mothe of good workes, the aloes of consciences, the banisher of diuine conso∣solations, the diminisher of merits, and the aug∣menter of their labours: for the lukewarme in ver∣tue, walke full of feares, and desires. Feares oppresse them, and desires torment them. They labour much, * 1.11 and thriue but litle, for the burthen of Gods lawe lyeth heauy vpon them, and they merit but litle in bearing it, because of the greate repugnancie, and yrkesomnesse wherewith they beare it: and so they liue in perill of forsaking it, and of falling into the malediction of Ieremie, which saieth. * 1.12 Cursed bee hee that doeth the vvorke of our Lord fraudulentlie. And into that other most terrible one, wherewith Christe our Lord menaced a lukewarme bishop, say∣ing vnto him: that if hee amended not hee would vomite him out of his mouth and cast him both from himselfe, * 1.13 and out of the misticall bodie of his churche. Finally as the slothfull seruant which buri∣ed the talent of his Lord, lost what hee had, * 1.14 and was cast into vtter darkenesse, wherethere is perpetuall weeping, and gnashing of teethe: so the slothfull shallbee punished in hell with torment proportio∣ned to his slothe, taking from him the Talent of faithe, and hope which hee had buried. And be∣cause hee loued idlenesse, and trembled at labour,
hee shall liue in perpetuall darkenesse: not working, but suffering, trembling, and gnashing of his teethe for the terriblenesse of the torments that hee suffe∣reth. * 1.15 O eternall God by vvhose sentence the faint hear∣ted, and slothefull perished in the desert, vvithout en∣tring into the lande vvhich thou hadst promised them; I confesse that for my slothe, I deserue to bee cast out of thy house, to bee excluded from thy kingdome, and beeing bounde, hande, and foote to bee cast into vtter darke∣nesse. I am grieued, o Lord for my former slackenesse: de∣liuer mee from it for they mercie, that I may merit to enter into the lande of eternall promise. Amen.
THirdly, I will consider the greate benefits that I shall obtaine by vanquishing slothe, and imbra∣cing spirituall alacritye, and feruour in the seruice of God: * 1.16 for First, the workes of vertue, shalbee easie and sweete vnto mee: I shall labour litle and thriue greately, encreasing much in a litle time: like to those workemen, who comming late to the vine∣yarde, laboured so feruently, that thy merited as greate rewarde in one hower, as the slacke did that had laboured many howers, bearing the burthen of the daye, and of the heate, which burthen they had not felt, if they had feruently laboured: for the ala∣critye of the spirit, maketh the burthen of the lawe very easye, and the yoke thereof very sweete. And besides this, it augmenteth merites, it doubleth the talents receiued; it causeth greate peace in the soule, and it much assureth Perseuerance to the ob∣taining of glorye
2 I may likevvise ponder, that God our Lord excee∣dingly delighteth to bee serued with zeale, and ala∣critye: for as hee is essentially alacritye itselfe, and as all the workes that hee doeth, and the rewardes that hee giueth vs, are with greate alacritye, reioi∣cing
in dooing vs good; most iustly hee commaun∣deth mee to serue him, and giue him, what hee re∣quireth, not with yrksomnesse, and sadnesse; not perforce, & with repugnancye, but with feruencye, and alacritye of harte: Hilarem enim datorem, * 1.17 dili∣git Deus. For God loueth a cheereful giuer. To such a one hee doth greate fauours, and heareth the pe∣titions, and desires of his hearte. And finally hee giueth him a taste of that alacritye that is enioyed in heauen, because hee fullfilleth cheerefully Gods will vpon earthe. And therefore I am most earnestly to begge of God our Lord this most noble spirit of alacritye in his seruice, saying vnto him with Dauid: Render vnto mee the ioye of thy saluation, and confirme mee vvith the principall spirit. O sauiour of the vvorlde, that reioycedst like a giant to runne thy carreere, though it vvere very sharpe, graunte mee that healthe, and al∣lacritie of spirit, that thou gainedst for mee, that I may in such manner runne my carreere, that I may merit to gaine an eternall crovvne. Amen.
D. Tho. 2.2. q. 35.
D. Tho. 2.2. q. 133.
2.2. q. 26. ar. 4.
Ex D. Greg. lib. 31. mo∣ral. cap. 31.
Ex Cas∣sian. lib. 20. c. 2.
Colloquie
Ex D. Bern. 3. & 5. de ascen. Luc. 11.25.
Eccl. 33.29. Prou. 24.30.
Prou. 20.4.
Mat. 25.8.
Prou. 18.8. & 21.25. Mat. 20.12.
Hiere. 48.10.
Apocal. 3.16.
Matth. 25.
Num. 14.22.
Mat. 20.12.
Psalm. 103.31. Psalm. 99.2. 2. Corin. 9.7. Psalm. 36.4. Psalm. 50.14. Colloquie Psalm. 18.6.