and they knew not how to pass the time except in eating, and drinking, and amusing themselves, “The people sat down to eat, and drink, and they rose up to play,”[1] then they determined to have the golden calf as their god, who led them, as they thought, out of Egypt; then all sorts of excesses took the upper hand. “They have made to themselves a molten calf and have adored it, and sacrificing victims to it have said: These are thy gods, O Israel! that have brought thee out of the land of Egypt.”[2] Horrible sins and abominations of the Sodomites that one may not name, where did you spring from? “Behold, this was the iniquity of Sodom, thy sister,” is the answer of the Lord by the prophet Ezechiel. What was it then? “Pride, fulness of bread and abundance, and the idleness of her and of her daughters.” What followed therefrom? “And they were lifted up, and committed abominations before Me; and I took them away as thou hast seen.”[3] David, unhappy prince! if thou hadst not sat idly at thy window after the midday sleep, thou wouldst never have committed those horrible sins that thou didst afterwards bitterly bewail day and night. Thou wert always holy and pious whilst thou hadst to labor hard to protect thyself against thy enemies and persecutors. Unfortunate Samson! when the Philistines left thee in peace, and thou didst begin to repose in the lap of Dalilah, thou didst lose thy strength and thy eyes and become a laughing-stock to thy enemies! And thou most unhappy Solomon! as long as thou wert busied with the building of the temple thou wert a dear child of God; that wretched peaceful and idle enjoyment of thy goods filled thy heart with the love of women, and turned thee into a shameless idolater. “Idleness hath taught much evil.”
Confirmed by daily experience with regard to mendicants. But why should I refer to these worn-out histories? We need only consult our daily experience. How much mischief is caused among the poor by idleness? I allude to those beggars who are still young and strong, and well able to earn their bread by honest work, but who, once they get accustomed to idly wandering about the streets, spend the whole day loitering before the houses, and strolling from one town to another; and if you wish to find a
- ↑ Sedit populus manducare et bibere, et surrexerunt ludere.—Exod. xxxii. 6.
- ↑ Feceruntque sibi vitulum conflatilem, et adoraverunt atque immolantes ei hostias dixerunt: isti sunt dii tui Israel, qui te eduxerunt de terra Ægypti.—Ibid. 8.
- ↑ Ecce hæc fuit iniquitas Sodomæ sororis tuæ, superbia, saturitas panis, et abundantia et otium ipsius, et filiarum ejus. Et elevatæ sunt, et fecerunt abominationes coram me: et abstuli eas sicut vidisti.—Ezech. xvi. 49, 50.
