LAZINESS
I wonder whether we shall ever have a day such as the bees celebrate in its due
season. You may, perhaps, have seen them dismissing the unproductives. It is a
remarkable sight. They say to themselves, “Here are a lot of drones eating our honey,
but never making any; let us turn them out.” There is a dreadful buzz, is there not?
But out they go. I do not propose to turn you out, or to make a buzz; but if ever those
who do work for Christ should burn with a holy indignation against do-nothings,
some of you will find the place too hot for you. BA60
If you are idle in Christ’s work, you are active in the devil’s work. TN77
The manna which the children of Israel kept till morning bred worms and stank: idle
grace would soon become active corruption. WWi55
Some temptations come to the industrious, but all temptations attack the idle. WWi57
The men who escape without abuse in this world are the men who do nothing at all. WWi105
The iniquity of doing nothing is a sin not so often spoken of as it should be. WWi134
The sin of doing nothing is about the biggest of all sins, for it involves most of the
others. WWi136
Samson would have scarcely slept on Delilah’s lap if he had foreseen that his hair
would be cut, and his eyes put out by the Philistines. Up then, ye drowsy professors,
for the Philistines are upon you! 996.342
Among the do-nothings all mischief begins. 1349.218
He who does little dreams much. 1670.399
Alas, the loiterers are many, but the labourers are few. 1602.320
It is very seldom that a sluggard is honest: he owes at least more labour to the world
than he pays. 1948.99
In the cause and kingdom of Christ, although the race is not to the swift, it is
certainly not to the sluggish; and although salvation is not of him that willeth nor of
him that runneth, it is certainly not of him that does not will and does not run. 1979.470
A brother prayed, recently, for those who were detained on beds of sickness and
arm-chairs of laziness; and I am afraid there are a good many of the second sort. 3082.114
Idle persons can scarcely be said to be in danger, they are a stage beyond that, and
are already overcome. 3143.217
The Book of Proverbs deals very hard blows against sluggards, and Christian
ministers do well frequently to denounce the great sin of idleness, which is the
mother of a huge family of sins. 3149.293
Idle Christians are often unhappy Christians. 3499.80