Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-03-30
ss Six pays Shalt Thou Labor"

SlA UHyn SRuit 1hou LHooE'
Preaching is no part Of our vocation. 1fit
were, we slould preach at least once month
from the above text.
1t is common remark on all hands that
7ice, immortality and crime have rapidly ill.,
creased within the past few years. Many
causes have been assigned for this dcplurable
state of aiEairs, but the true onc las been
overlooked. The inain cause is, we appre-
hend, to be found in that great change in the
habits Of our people which all thinking men
deplore, and which tile aged So often refer to
"a change superinduced by the false, hurt
ful and pestitcruus dogma that laLor is dis.
graceful. Tuis great error, we regret to see,
has taken deep root and will destroy multi
piled thousands Of the youth Of our country
before it is eradicated.
In the goud old times, boys.and girls, when
not at school, were employed in something
useful. Now they pass their time in listless
idleness, hurtful a,nusements and vicious
practices. This is the cause of the vast in
crease of crime among us.
The command at the head Of this article is,
as the reader doubtless knows, portion of
the decalugue-Gotl's own law delivered to
Moses on Sinai. 1t is not merely permissivc,
but imperative. Thou shalt labor, is the Ian
guage-it does not read, ltt may labor"
Tue command, to labor SIC days is just as i'm
perative as that 10 abstain from it on the
Sabbath. To talk about an idle Christian,
therefore, is just as preposterous US to speak
of holy dcvil! Not only does the decalogue
require nen to he employed-various other
passages of Scripture might he quoted. Paul
urges the believers to be "dillgent in bust
ness" and denounces certain idle persons in
some Of the churches as "busy bodieS," stir
ring up strife, &c.
Man is taught to labor by the light of na-
ture. 1t does not require revelation to teach
him this. All nature is busy in all depart
ments-animal, vegetable and mineral. Every
thing labors, from the smallest animacule to
the nonstrous leviathan Of the mighty deep.
Nothing is idle, from the smallest matter to
the vast worlds Of which the universe il com.
posed-the sun, NOON and atars-all, all, are
in nutiVn-tbere is no idlenea among them,
Ths Great Architect hi,ustlf labprsi "ere
yet man vas made ur tue mountain brought
FORTH"
Labvr is d universal Jaw. Why, then,
should man aluns be idle2 Employment is
nh absolute necessity Of human existence.
II not u>etully employed, man must he en-
gagged IN tue service Of the devil. "The
devil finds work for idle hands to do," is as
striking truth as was ever uttered by human
wisdom.
';ldleness is crilnc!' Turn and twist as
we may, we cannot escape the force of this
truth. No idle man Gun be good citizen,
much less good christian. Labor is neces-
sary to mans happiness, and tho hand maid
Of virtue. No idle man can be happy or con-
tented, il he has the wealth of Crtpsus, the
the wlSdom uf Solomon, the beauty of Adons
AMI the bravery of C,csar-none Of which at
tributes are allainabe without labor. Edu-
cation and high moral training are not of
themselves sufficient safe guards of virtue.
Weknow many young men OF good education.
Of fine talents, the SONS Of piOu3 parents and
the hope of their declining years, who in spite
ot their excellent moral training and other
superior advantages, are the habitaes OF vile
resorts, and make night hideous with their
bacchanalian revels in the streets, all because
they were suffered to grow up in idleness
1ucse caSeS ue oy ho ioeauS iale' Su Iho
other hand we may safely affirm that we have
never known really useful and good man
who was al idle boy.
We regret that we have not room now to
pursue this subject further. In conclusion,
we would kindly and uffsctionateIy advise
buys and young men daily loafering about
tho streets of our town to seek some useful
employments at once. They cannot all enter
the learned professions, SO called. But they
can get some good sort of employment, and
all tmployments which are useful are alike
honorable.
@Honor and wealth from no condition rise
Act .cel your part-there aui honor Ees."
lAthsus Xasahman.