Rules of Life/Chapter IV
IV.—Rules of an Active Life.
We are born for business, therefore an active life is truly life. Idleness is the sepulchre of a living man. By how much the more excellent any creature is, by so much the more active it is; as is evident in the case of angels, of the sun, and of the heavenly bodies—which are in perpetual motion—so also are the fountains always sending forth waters, and the rivers carrying these waters hither and thither for human uses. On the contrary, by how much the more torpid anything is, by so much the more useless it is; as a stone, clay, ditch, &c.; do you therefore, that you may not be a stone or a useless weight of earth, but an active sun always shining, or an angel always ministering in place of God to men, use all your efforts. What now must be observed in this matter?
1. Whatever you see ought to be done by you, provided you know the means of effecting it, and the prudent use of the means, dare to engage in it. It is better to fail in good attempts, as sometimes happens, than to neglect occasions of increasing any good things.
2. Whatever you are able to expedite yourself, never wait for others. Thus relying more on your own industry than on that of another; for it often happens that before you have related the matter to another, and he has perceived it, deliberated upon it, and prepared himself for it, you yourself might have done it; therefore advance right on without turnings and windings.
3. Whatever you are able to do to-day defer not till tomorrow. They who are prepared, are always injured by delay; the raven word cras, cras (to-morrow, to-morrow) is the manifest ruin of business.
4. To whomsoever you can do good, rejoice to do it, even though it were to the whole world. It has justly been stated that it is the property of excellent natures to minister and do good; therefore, if you can, imitate God, who ministers to all, or an angel who ministers to many. Regard as among abominable things, the being torpid or useless.
5. No day without a line. You see how rapidly the machine of the world moves, whilst we act slowly; therefore, be not thou sluggish in business: yet I do not wish you to be precipitate; consider what is necessary to be done, and having considered the matter, speedily engage in it, that no sun may ever shine on you in vain. Enquiry will be made how all the time granted to us has been expended.