John Trapp on Proverbs 21:25

Verſ. 25. The deſire of the ſloathful killeth him] Hee onely wiſheth well to himſelf; but refuſing to labour, pineth away in his iniquity, Lev. 26.39. Neither grace nor wealth is had with wiſhing, Nemo caſu fit Sapiens, Epiſt. 77. ſaith Seneca. Some have a kinde of willingneſs and velleity, a kinde of wambling after the beſt things, but it doth not boyl up to the full height of reſolution for God.

Perſ.Virtutem exeptant, contabeſcuntque relictâ,

Carnal men care not to ſeek after him whom yet they would fain finde, ſaith Bernard, Cupientes conſequi ſed non & ſequi; have heaven they would, but ſtick at the hard conditions; like faint Chapmen, they bid money for heaven, but are loath to come up to the full price of it. Balaam wiſhed well to heaven, ſo did the young Phariſee in the Goſpel, that came to Chriſt haſtily, but went away heavily. Herod of a long time deſired to ſee Chriſt, but never ſtirred out of doors to ſee him. Pilate asked Chriſt, What is truth? but never ſtayed his anſwer. The ſluggard puts out his arm to riſe, and pulls it in again, hee turns upon his bed, as the door doth upon the hinges, which yet comes not off for all the turnings, but hangs ſtill: and this is his utter undoing. Men muſt not think that good things (whether ſpiritual or temporal) will drop out of the clouds to them,Aemuli ipſius dormientem pinxeram. Plut. in Sylla. as Towns were ſaid to come into Timotheus his toyl while hee ſlept. Now perform the doing of it, ſaith Saint Paul to thoſe lazie Corinthians, 2 Cor. 8.12. A thirſty man will not only long for drink, but labour after it. A covetous man will not only wiſh for wealth, but ſtrive to compaſs it. Yet not every covetous man, I confeſs; For in the next verſe it is ſaid of the ſluggard,