Affairs, than would have been fufficient to have ended them both. The Occafion of this feems to be the Want of some neceffary Employment to put the Spirits in Motion, and awaken them out of their Lethargy. Were one's Time a little ftreightned by Bufinefs, like Water enclosed in its Banks, it would have fome determined Courfe; but unless it be put into fome Channel, it has no Current, but it becomes a Deluge, without either Use or Motion.

It has been obferved by Writers of Morality, that in order to quicken Human Industry, Providence has fo contrived it, that our daily Food is not to be procured without much Pains and Labour. The Chafe of Birds and Beafts, the feveral Arts of Fishing, with all the different Kinds of Agriculture, are neceffary Scenes of Bufinefs, and give Employment to the greatest Part of Mankind. If we look into the brute Creation, we find all its Individuals engaged in a painful and laborious Way of Life, to procure a neceffary Subfiftance for themselves, or those that grow up under them. The Prefervation of their Being is the whole Bufinefs of it. An idle Man is therefore a Kind of Monster in the Creation, All Nature is buy about him; every Animal he fees reproaches him. Let fuch a Man, who lies as a Burthen or dead Weight upon the Species,

and

and contributes nothing either to the Riches of the Commonwealth, or to the Maintenance of himself and Family, confider that Inftinct with which Providence has endowed the Ant, and by which is exhibited an Example of Induftry to rational Creatures.

Notwithstanding we are obliged by Duty to keep ourselves in conftant Employ, after the fame Manner as inferior Animals are prompted to it by Instinct, we fall very fhort of them in this Particular. We are here the more inexcufable, because there is a greater Variety of Bufinefs to which we may apply ourselves. Reafon opens to us a large Field of Affairs, which other Creatures are not capable of: Beafts of Prey, and I believe of all other Kinds, in their natural State of Being, divide their Time between Action and Reft. They are always at work, or afleep. In fhort, their waking Hours are wholly taken up in seeking after Food, or in confuming it. The buman Species only, to the great Reproach of our Natures, are filled with Complaint that the Day hangs beavy on them; that they do not know what to do with themselves; that they are at a Lofs how to pass away their Time; with many of the like shameful Murmurs, which we often find in the Mouths of those who are stiled rational Beings. How monftrous are fuch Expreffions amongst Creatures

Creatures who have the Labours of the Mind, as well as thofe of the Body, to furnish them with proper Employments; who, befides the Business of their proper Callings and Profeffions, can apply themfelves to the Duties of Religion, to Meditation, to the reading of ufeful Books, to Difcourfe: In a Word, who may exercise themselves in the unbounded Purfuits of Knowledge and Virtue, and every Hour of their Lives make themselves wifer or better than they were before.

The irregular Starts of vicious Appetites, are in Time destroyed by the Gratification of them; but a well ordered Life of Sloth, receives daily Strength from its Continuance. I went (fays Solomon) by the Field of the Slothful, and the Vineyard of the Man void of Understanding; and lo! it was all grown over with Thorns, and Nettles had covered the Face thereof; and the Stone Walls thereof were broken down. To raife the Image of this Perfon, the fame Author adds, The floth ful Man bideth his Hand in his Bofom, and it grieveth him to bring it again to his Mouth. If there were no future Account expected of Spending our Time, the immediate Inconvenience that attends a Life of Idleness, fhould of itself be Perfwafion enough to the Men of Senfe to avoid it.

I believe I may fay, there is more Toil, Fatigue, and Uneafinefs in Sleth, than can

be

be found in any Employment a Man will put himself upon. When a thoughtful Man is once fix'd this Way, Spleen is the neceffary Confequence. This directs him inftantly to the Contemplation of his Health, or Circumftances, which muft ever be found extremely bad upon thefe melancholy Enquiries. If he has any common Business upon his Hands, numberless Objections arife, that make the Dispatch of it impoffible; and he cries out with Solomon, There is a Lion in the Way, a Lion in the Streets, that is, there is fome Difficulty or other, which, to his Imagination, is as invincible as a Lion really would be.

If we would but take the Pains to confider the Confequences of Idleness, and to how many Inconveniences we are fubject, by an habitual Inactivity, our Reafon would prompt us to fly from Danger, and take Shelter under Exercife and Employment: The Man that wallows in the Bed of Idleness, is fit to invite Temptation: The industrious Man hath not fo much Leifure to fin: The Idle hath neither Leifure nor Power to avoid it. Exercife is not more wholfome for the Body, than for the Soul; the Remiffion whereof breeds Matter of Disease in both. The Water that hath been heated, fooneft freezeth, the most active Spirit foonest tireth with Slacking: The Earth ftands ftill, and

is

is all Dregs; the Heavens ever move, and are pure. We have no Reafon to complain of the Abfurdity of Work; the Toil of Action is anfwered by the Benefit; if we did lefs, we fhould fuffer more. Satan, like an idle Companion, if he find us bufy, flies back and fees it no Time to entertain vain Purposes with us: We cannot please him better than by cafting away our Work, to hold chat with him; we cannot yield fo far, and be guiltles.

There are indeed but very few who know how to be idle, and innocent; or have a Relifb of any Pleasures that are not criminal. Every Diverfion they take, is at the Expence of fome one Virtue or another; and their very first Step out of Bufinefs, is into Vice or Folly. A Man fhould endeavour therefore to make the Sphere of his innocent Pleafures as wide as poffible, that he may retire into them with Safety, and find in them fuch a Satisfaction as a wife Man would

not blufh to take.

If we look into the Behaviour of many whom we daily converfe with, we fhall find that most of their Hours are taken up in those three important Articles of Eating, Drinking, and Sleeping. I do not fuppofe that a Man lofes his Time, who is not engaged in public Affairs, or in an illustrious Courfe of Action. On the contrary, I believe one may fpend his Hours more agreeably