The Slothful and the Hasty

Admonition 16. The slothful and the hasty are to be admonished differently. The former are to be persuaded not to lose, by putting it off, the good they have to do. But the latter are to be admonished not to change the merit of their good deeds by getting ahead of the right time for them through thoughtless haste. So it is to be pointed out to the slothful that often, when we will not do at the right time what we can, before long, when we want to, we cannot. For the very idleness of the mind, when it is not kindled with fitting fervor, is cut off from all desire for good things by a numbness that steals over it. That is why it is plainly said through Solomon, “Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep.” For the slothful person is awake, as it were, in that his sense of what is right is sound, though he grows numb by doing nothing. But slothfulness is said to cast into a deep sleep, because by degrees even the wakefulness of that right sense is lost when zeal for doing good is given up. [b]

And in the same place it is rightly added, “And a slack soul will suffer hunger.” For because it does not brace itself toward higher things, it lets itself run loose, uncared for, in lower desires. While it is not braced with the vigor of lofty aims, it suffers the pangs of hunger for base craving; and because it neglects to bind itself up by discipline, it scatters itself all the more abroad, hungry in its craving for pleasures. That is why it is written again by the same Solomon, “The idle man is wholly in desires.” That is why, in the preaching of the Truth himself, the house is said indeed to be clean when one spirit has gone out; but, being empty, it is taken over by his return with many more.

Very often the slothful person, while he neglects to do what is necessary, sets before himself some things that are difficult, and is thoughtlessly afraid of others. And so, as though he had found something he may reasonably fear, he satisfies himself that he has good reason to stay idle. To him it is rightly said through Solomon, “The sluggard would not plow because of the cold; so he will beg in summer, and nothing will be given to him.” For the sluggard does not plow because of the cold when he finds an excuse for not doing the good things he ought to do. The sluggard does not plow because of the cold when he is afraid of small evils that stand against him and leaves undone things of the greatest importance. Further, it is well said, “He will beg in summer, and nothing will be given to him.” For whoever does not toil now in good works will beg in summer and receive nothing, because when the burning sun of judgment appears, he will then plead in vain to be let into the kingdom.

To him it is well said again through the same Solomon, “He who watches the wind does not sow, and he who looks at the clouds never reaps.” For what is meant by the wind but the temptation of evil spirits? And what are meant by the clouds, which the wind moves, but the opposition of bad men? The clouds, that is, are driven by the winds, because bad men are stirred up by the blasts of unclean spirits. So he who watches the wind does not sow, and he who looks at the clouds does not reap, because whoever fears the temptation of evil spirits, whoever fears the persecution of bad men, and does not sow the seed of good work now, will not then reap the handfuls of holy recompense either.

But the hasty, on the other hand, while they get ahead of the time for good deeds, spoil their merit, and they often fall into what is evil while failing altogether to discern what is good. Such people do not look at all at what they are doing while they do it, but very often realize, once it is done, that they ought not to have done it. To such people, speaking to them as to a pupil, it is well said in Solomon, “My son, do nothing without counsel, and after it is done you will not regret it.” And again, “Let your eyelids go before your steps.” For our eyelids go before our steps when right counsels go ahead of our actions. Whoever neglects to look ahead by thought to what he is about to do moves his steps forward with his eyes shut. He goes on and finishes his journey, but he does not go ahead of himself by looking forward; and so he falls all the sooner, because he pays no attention, through the eyelid of counsel, to where he should set the foot of action. [g]