WORK AND INDUSTRY ENJOINED. IDLENESS AND SLOTH A SHAME.

Gen. ii. 15. And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Gen. iii. 19. In the sweat of thy face shall thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground.

Ex. xx. 9. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work.

1 Ch. xxviii. 6. And he (God) said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts.

20. And David said to Solomon, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.

Ezr. vii. 28. Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven.

P8. xc. 17. Establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Ps. civ. 23. Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.

Pro. vi. 4. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

6. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7. Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8. Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

9. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

11. So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

Pro. x. 4. He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

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5. He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

26. As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

Pro. xii. 11. He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread.

24. The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute..

27. The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

Pro. xiii, 4. The soul of the sluggard desireth, and

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hath nothing but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

11. He that gathereth by labour shall increase.

Pro. xv. 19. The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns.

Pro. xix. 15. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

24. A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

Pro. xx. 4. The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

13. Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

Pro. xxi. 5. The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

25. The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

Pro. xxii. 18. The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

29. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before

mean men.

Pro. xxiv. 27. Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

30. I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

31. And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

32. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

33. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

34. So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

Pro. xxvi. 13. The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

14. As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

15. The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

16. The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

Pro. xxvii. 28. Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.

Pro. xxx. 25. The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

26. The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

27. The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

28. The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

Pro. xxxi. 18. She (a virtuous woman) seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

15. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household...

16. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

17. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

18. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

19. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

21. She is not afraid of the snow for her household for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry...

24. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it...

27. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

31. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Ecc. v. 12. The sleep of a labouring man is sweet.

18. It is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

Ecc. ix. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.

Ecc. x. 18. By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.