The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 55
Upon the ſluggiſh drones.
55. Med.
WHen I conſidered the drones, thoſe ſloathfull ſluggiſh creatures, how they lived upon the labours of the induſtrious Bee, and fed upon that which they had carefully gathered together, and though they neither uſed pains nor diligence, yet were more big, fat, and well liking then their painfull Neighbours, upon whoſe ſpoil they lived: I obſerved alſo how the bees like a well-ordered common-wealth, before the approach of winter, jointly bandying themſelves againſt theſe their enemies, dragging them forth, and putting them to death, as thoſe that were enemies, and unfit to live, as if God and nature had taught them what the Apoſtle teacheth us, that thoſe that will not labour ſhould not eat, 2 Theſ. 3.10. This conſideration made me think, I had ſeen many ſuch drones amongſt us, whoſe whole life is to eat, and to drink, and to ſleep, and that ſ… and talk, and ſport and laugh themſelves fat, and of this kinde there are ſeveral ſorts, ſome idle, luſty vagrants that make a trade of idleneſs, and are the very plague-ſores of a Nation, that as body-lice live upon other mens ſweat, and labour, and it is a ſin to ſuccour them except in caſe of urgent neceſſity, theſe having little to do but ſpend their time idlely, are uſually ſet on work by the devil; for idleneſs is the hour of temptation; theſe ſtanding pools are uſually full of vermine, they are like rats and mice, good for nothing but to devour the meat that others labour for; the very excrements of humane ſociety; but to let theſe paſs, there are other ſort of drones more pernicious then theſe, if yet they may be diſtinguiſhed, for they are oftentimes of the ſame litter, and thoſe are thieves; and many-times thoſe that are beggers by day, are thieves by night, thoſe forcibly take away what the other cannot beg, and wilfully break that command of God, thou ſhalt not ſteal, as the other do the other injunction, in the ſweat of thy face thou ſhalt eat thy bread; and God many times gives them their reward on earth, however God hath reſerved them their wages in hell, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. But there are other drones beſides theſe, which are the unprofitable burthens of the Common-wealth and the plague-ſore to the Nation; theſe are many, yea, too many of the Gentry of our Nation, of both ſexes, which indeed were fit to have led the van, of this ſloathfull company, and perhaps will not take it well, that others were preferred or named before them; thoſe that are aſhamed of nothing, except it be honeſt labour, that only live to eat, to ſport, and recreate themſelves, and becauſe they go in a little more gaudy dreſs then others do, and providence hath allotted them a little larger portion of the worlds goods, then others have, think themſelves priviledged to be idle, as if that ſervant that God hath given moſt wages to, ſhould do him leaſt work: They minde nothing elſe but back and belly, ſports and vanity, as if God had placed them in the world, as Leviathan in the ſea, to ſport therein; but when their accounts are given up, it will appear otherwiſe; they with Iſrael ſit down to eat and to drink, and riſe up to play, but I remember not where great ones are exempted from that puniſhment laid upon all mankinde after the fall, in the ſweat of thy brows thou ſhalt eat thy bread; but theſe ſeldom provoke ſweat, except at a tennis-court, or ſome worſe exerciſe: The morning is much of it ſpent in dreſſing them againſt dinner, and the afternoon is little enough for their recreations, and thus are their days, and weeks, and years ſpent to no purpoſe; and every day with them is a play-day, nay, the ſabbath it ſelf cannot be exempted: they often alſo change the courſe of nature, and turn day into night, and night into day; they ſleep by day, and revel in the night, as indeed fitteſt for their works of darkneſs: they have neither head, nor heart, nor hand at work for the common good, neither are they any ways profitable, but many ways hurtfull in their generation, they live like drones on other mens labours, racking their rents, undoing their tenants, to maintain their pride and luxury, and cannot give an accompt of one day in a month, perhaps in a year really ſpent, either for benefit of ſoul or body. 'Tis obſerved that by the laws of Mahomet, there are none permitted to be idle, nay the great Turk himſelf is to exerciſe ſome manual exerciſe, but many that bear the name of Chriſtians, are more licentious, yet let no one think, that I charge all the Gentry thus, no, ſome of them, but oh too few, are diligent in their places, and not tainted with this ſloathfull negligence, neither that I expect manual labour from them, yet I think, ſuch might be found out, not unſutable for a Gentleman; but I think if they ſtudyed the Law, to be ſerviceable to the Common-wealth, or phyſick for the help of the poor, or Divinity for the good of themſelves and Neighbours, it might ready their accompts more then the courſes they take. There are too many of this gang in the Clergy alſo, many in the Univerſities, like Abbey-lubbers, live upon that given to better ends and uſes, many in the Miniſtry that have two or three fat Parſonages, that feed themſelves, but not the flock, but ſet them out to nurſe, to ſome, whoſe incomes will not maintain them to minde their ſtudies; but theſe may tremble, when they think upon their accompts: theſe are ſome, but not all the drones we have amongſt us; oh my ſoul, is idleneſs ſo deteſtable a vice? take heed of it, employ every talent God hath lent thee to thy Maſters glory, leſt thou meet with the doom of the unprofitable ſervant; ſpend all the time allowed thee in the world, either in thy general, or particular calling, and ſpend time on nothing thou wilt be unwilling to hear of another day: let not Chriſt when he calls for thee, nor the devil when he tempts thee, finde thee idle, leſt thou be not ready to open to the one, or reſiſt the other, leſt Chriſt reject thee, and the devil vanquiſh thee, and death uſher thee into outer darkneſs: oh my God, I have much work to do and but a little time to do it in, and it is work of great concernment, and much time already hath been waſted by me: Lord, incline my heart to diligence, and convince me of the neceſſity of working while it is called to day, becauſe the night comes that no man can work.