Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-04-17
M:DRAn AND REnlGlOUs.
Work Is Worship.

The world is beginning to recognize
the truth, tina: work is one Of the truest
functions and greatest blessings OF hu.
manity. Already the idlef, the human
drone. is coming to be regarded as
pest to society and nuisance in the world.
II we do not already practice the prin.
ciple, we acknowledge its correctness,
that he who will not work, ought not to
eat:
The fact than our fathers OF grand. .psf.
ents gathered up wealth by the sweat Of
their brow, is no license for us to violate
the laws Of God, and shrink from the
common business Of humanity. The
man or woman who aims to live with.
out any labor OF hand or head or hearts
wthho;ds from society, from the race,
what it has right to claim. God has
endowed men and women with hands,
head and heart, that with these they shuli
labor for humanity. Every man oueh,
to feel. down deep in his consciousness,
that he was placed here worker, and
that he las work to do.
When Nature declares mans work
finished here, il takes vigor from his
body, uns;rings his muscles, and seats
him in the chair Of dotsge. But Jus, so
long as health and strength remain, is
our work unfinished. Every muscle
should vibrate with we .drec ted energy
in some Of the varied fields Of culture.
Ii is coming to be understood that "La.
b2r etorarc"--work is worship. All nee.
essary work, all true labor has some.
thing sacred in it. Says Carlyle, "In
all true work, were it but true hard la.
Dor, there is something Of dvineness.--
Labor, wide as the earth, has its sum.
nit in heaven. Sweat Of the brow, and
up from that, to sweat OF the brain, sweat
Of the heart, which includes Kepler's
calculations, Newton's medita,ions, al
sciences, all spoken epics, all acted
heroisms, martyrdoms, up to that "ago.
ny Of bloody sweat" which all men
have called divine.
True worship is the full expression Of
the best thoughts, feelings, and aspira.
tons Of the soul. The most holy en-.
deavor is that which seeks to incarnate
tho divinest life in deeds of goodness
and devotion TO humanity. Co.'s glory
is made manifest most, when man an.
plies himself with all the powors of his
SOUL dua Douy, 10 cnnoDle MS own
ship. They are acceptable to God, for
they sanctify this earth. alter, more than
offerings of incense. By such worship
will our each home yet be consecrated
with the brightness Of the Shekinah,
and made temple more glorious and
sacred than Solomon's.
"My Father worked hitherto and I
work, said the doer OF the Fathers work
and will" ttt
\ Labor is function of God and his
Son, of man and angels. And it is by
this that order and beauty arise out OF
chaos and confusion. 1t is this that
ennobles and builds up the character
and reveals the divine through human.
And when men learn to put theil
thoughts and aspirations into deeds
learn 10 pray in the effective accents ol
labor .of head, heart and hands, then
will Gods glory and mans destiny
+ brighten over all the world. For ev
cry effort will weld the life of man to
the divine life Of God, until he is one
, with the Father. He who would worship
IN spirit and in truth, must make his life
with all the energies and powers of tht
t soul. This is work and worship.
IN the West.