---

The slothful man did no hurt to his fellow-men. He was not grossly vicious; he had not energy enough to care for that. He always let well alone, and for the matter of that, he let ill alone. Yet he always meant to be right.

I. LOOK AT THIS BROKEN FENCE. In the beginning it was a good fence, a stone wall. Mention some of the stone walls that men permit to be broken down when they backslide.

1. Sound principles instilled in youth.

2. Solid doctrines which have been learned.

3. Good habits once formed.

4. Week-night services are a stone wall.

5. So is Bible-reading.

6. So is a public profession of faith.

7. So is firmness of character.

II. THE CONSEQUENCES OF A BROKEN-DOWN FENCE.

1. The boundary has gone. He does not know which is his Lord's property, and which remains an open common.

2. The protection is gone. When a man's heart has its wall broken all his thoughts will go astray, and wander upon the mountains of vanity. Nor is this all, for as good things go out, so bad things come in.

3. The land itself will go away. In many parts of Palestine the land is all ups and downs on the sides of the hills, and every bit of ground is terraced, and kept up by walls. When the walls fall the soil slips over terrace upon terrace, and the vines and trees go down with it; then the rain comes and washes the soil away, and nothing is left but barren crag which would starve a lark. Then I charge you, be sternly true to yourselves and God. Stand to your principles in this evil and wicked day.

( C. H. Spurgeon.)

---

---

KJV: I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

WEB: I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;