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Literary
April 28, 1827
New Hampshire Statesman And Concord Register
Concord, Merrimack County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
Jeremy Taylor's moral and religious essay condemns idleness as a grave sin that invites temptation and wastes irreplaceable time, while advocating busy lives ordered as service to God with space for devotion.
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Full Text
Moral and Religious.
IDLENESS.
"God hath given every man work enough to do, that there should be no room for idleness: and yet hath so ordered the world. That there shall be space for devotion. He that hath the fewest business of the world. is called upon to spend more time in the dressing of his soul; and he, that hath the most affairs, may so order them, that they shall be a service of God; whilst at certain periods, they are blessed with prayers and actions of religion, and all day long hallowed by a holy intention.
"However, so long as idleness is quite shut out from our lives, all the sins of wantonness, softness and effeminacy, are prevented. and there is but little room left for temptation ;-therefore to a busy man, temptation is fain to climb up together with his businesses, and sins creep upon him only by accidents and occasions; whereas, to an idle person, they come in a full body and with open violence, and the impudence of a restless importunity.
"Idleness is called 'the sin of Sodom and her daughters,' and indeed 'is the burial of a living man;' an idle person being so useless to any purpose of God or man, that he is like one that is dead, unconcerned in the changes and necessities of the world; and he only lives to spend his time: and eat the fruits of the earth like a vermin or a wolf; when their time comes they die and perish, and in the mean time do no good; they neither plough nor carry burdens; all they do, either is unprofitable or mischievous.
"Idleness is the greatest prodigality in the world; it throws away that which is invaluable in respect to its present use and irreparable when it is past; being to be recovered by no power of art or nature."
Jeremy Taylor.
IDLENESS.
"God hath given every man work enough to do, that there should be no room for idleness: and yet hath so ordered the world. That there shall be space for devotion. He that hath the fewest business of the world. is called upon to spend more time in the dressing of his soul; and he, that hath the most affairs, may so order them, that they shall be a service of God; whilst at certain periods, they are blessed with prayers and actions of religion, and all day long hallowed by a holy intention.
"However, so long as idleness is quite shut out from our lives, all the sins of wantonness, softness and effeminacy, are prevented. and there is but little room left for temptation ;-therefore to a busy man, temptation is fain to climb up together with his businesses, and sins creep upon him only by accidents and occasions; whereas, to an idle person, they come in a full body and with open violence, and the impudence of a restless importunity.
"Idleness is called 'the sin of Sodom and her daughters,' and indeed 'is the burial of a living man;' an idle person being so useless to any purpose of God or man, that he is like one that is dead, unconcerned in the changes and necessities of the world; and he only lives to spend his time: and eat the fruits of the earth like a vermin or a wolf; when their time comes they die and perish, and in the mean time do no good; they neither plough nor carry burdens; all they do, either is unprofitable or mischievous.
"Idleness is the greatest prodigality in the world; it throws away that which is invaluable in respect to its present use and irreparable when it is past; being to be recovered by no power of art or nature."
Jeremy Taylor.
What sub-type of article is it?
Essay
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
Temperance
Religious
What keywords are associated?
Idleness
Sin
Moral
Religious
Devotion
Temptation
Prodigality
Jeremy Taylor
What entities or persons were involved?
Jeremy Taylor.
Literary Details
Title
Idleness.
Author
Jeremy Taylor.
Key Lines
God Hath Given Every Man Work Enough To Do, That There Should Be No Room For Idleness: And Yet Hath So Ordered The World. That There Shall Be Space For Devotion.
Idleness Is Called 'The Sin Of Sodom And Her Daughters,' And Indeed 'Is The Burial Of A Living Man;'
Idleness Is The Greatest Prodigality In The World; It Throws Away That Which Is Invaluable In Respect To Its Present Use And Irreparable When It Is Past;