The sinners last sentence to eternal punishment, for sins of omission

CHAP. XLIII. Another cause of sins of Omission, Idleness, with the cure of it.

3. A Third cause of sins of Omission, is Idleness. Negative Holiness requires no great pains; a man may forbear Drunkenness, swearing, lying, stealing, &c. without any great labour. A man may keep his Bed, or his Chair all day, and so do no hurt. Some men, as the Historian observes,¹ are sola socordia innocents, do no mischief (not because they dare not, God having forbidden it, but) because it would cost them some pains to do it. Their Heads must work to plot and contrive it, and their Hands to manage and execute it. There is a sluggish temper and poorness of spirit in many men, who prefer a mean quiet ⟨p. 397⟩before a treasure with labour. The Sluggard would do evil as other men, only he is unwilling to lose his sleep and ease, as they do to accomplish their wicked designs; and he would do good as others, (I mean in regard of the matter of Duties) only he is loth to be at the labour. Negative godliness requires only a siting still, and a forbearing to meddle with such and such things which God hath prohibited; but positive Godliness (if to any purpose) requires industry, and zeal, and activity, and the putting forth our strength and spirits, which makes the idle Wretch take his leave of it. The slothful Servant could let his Talent lie still in the Earth, and not lay it out in gaming and rioting, &c. and continue his slothfulness; but if he had improved it, in trading for his Masters profit, he must have gone up and down, and taken pains.

3. A Third cause of sins of Omission, is Idleness. Negative Holiness requires no great pains; a man may forbear Drunkenness, swearing, lying, stealing, &c. without any great labour. A man may keep his Bed, or his Chair all day, and so do no hurt. Some men, as the Historian observes,¹ are sola socordia innocentes, do no mischief (not because they dare not, God having forbidden it, but) because it would cost them some pains to do it. Their Heads must work to plot and contrive it, and their Hands to manage and execute it. There is a sluggish temper and poorness of spirit in many men, who prefer a mean quiet