The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-04
RELTGION AND INDUSTRY.


Rev. George Dana BOardman. in the
E,yst Presbyterian Church, Washing
sen Square.
Last evening, the Washington Square Church
vas 6lled to overhowing, to hear one of a course
of sermons given under the auspices of the
Young Mems Christian Association. That de-
Rvered last evening Yves by the Rev. George
Dana Boardman, and was listened to with
earnest attention, and, no doubt, will be the in
strumentality of accomplishing great good TO
the young men who were present. Mr.. Board
man said:-
Friends of the Young Mems Christian Associa
toni sincerely congratulate you upon your
past successes such as the Holy Spirit has been
pleased to give. Again ] pray that He may
abundantly bless you IN the future. As motto
which you may take with you through life,
have selected the following words, which are to
be found in Paul's Epistle to the Romans, XII II;
Not slotnful in business, iervenJ in spirit,
serving the Lord" When the work of creation
had been finished, we read that the Lord God
''planted garden eastwaIdin in Eden,o and there
He put the man He had formed in it to cultivate
and keep it.
We infer from this statement that industry
was intended, from the beginning, 10 be the
normal condition OF man. God imposed upon
Adam this duty of tOilmg before he fell out Of
the sphere of innocence, or the soil was cursed
with the thorn 8nO thistle. 1t Is the nrst SEN
tenCe in human history recorded OF the Divine
inauguration OF tDe reign OF human laOOr; ana
in that perfect garden did Jehovah, out of whose
soil He CEASED to grow every tree, set before all
posterity the lesson and the example of the
divinely ordained industry. More than this.
Not only God appointed labor as positive
ordinance. but the relations of the material
universe are such as to compel man TO eXer
tlOn. There is an on-gOing conflict between
man and nature, between spirit and matter, as
TO which shall be master.
In the worlds morning. God bid man and
woman Ito subdue the earth and have dominion
over the fish of the ocean, and the fowls of the
air, and over every living thing" and TO main
tam their supremacy over nature. This requires
on the part OF man continuous putting forth
OF intellectual and physical power. To this end
the Creator gave to man six organs of sense,
through which he might become acquainted
with the external world. He gave hlm hands,
that he might have the instruments with which
to gam the required triumph. He gave hun
intellect that he might learn, among other
things, how to perform in right manner the
positive commands of Cod Thus we see that
before man sinned hls Maker completely equip
ped him for the struggle AID mastery over
nature-in other words, for work. Evidently,
then, labor is mans normal condition. We cannot
think il strange, in world like this that man
was not designed to be an ider IN q IDS crea-
ton. Some men do not long continue innocent,
but listen to the voice of the tempter ana fall.
40 not undertake to determine the elements
OF the pTimeVal curse pronounced on the earth.
] DO not intend toseXplain its philosophy: it is
mystery entolded in that great mystery, "The
"a
employ his undivided energies in that conquest
of nature which COD has set before HIM, man is
now forced to employ them, in part at least, in
Gepelling invasions of want and pauperism In
Eden, man was to toll with might to conquer
nature. Now he is to toll that nature may not
conquer him. To this end the farmer must
SOW his seed, and the artisan ply his tools, and
the scholar must apply his brain. The current
phrase that person does SO and 50 for living,
is a significant illustration of the fact that man
must devote has lite to individual pursuits. To
work 10 to obtain his livelihood, and though
there may be apparent exceptions to this rule,
as when a man obtains property by inheritance
or legacy yet II will not be denied that this pro-
perty was, in the first instance. the produce OF
labor This is the dlyinely constituted order
for man.
Before the enhance of sin, for man to toll was
a moral duty. Since the entrance OF sin, for
man to toll is not only moral duty but also II
physical necessity. Since then labor is the
diVinely appointed ordinance Tor man. We are
prepared to consider the Apostolic injunction,
not TO be slothful IN business. Observe, the
Apostle takes it Tor granted that every man has
an occupation. The presumption IS most rea-
senable. There is noroom for idlers IN as Gre
alton, excepting, of course, those who are ncapa-
cltated for labor by in6rmIties or sickness or old
age-and such / can hardly expect Will be pre-
sent this evening. Practically speaking, there is
no moral obligation 10 do that which is physl-
cally impossible This exception in favor OF
those who are unable TO work being conceded,
/ shall consider it conceded throughout the
whole discourse, without referring TO tne con-
Cession again,
1 affirm that it is the duty OF every human
being to be engaged in some kind OF employ
ment. 1t matters little what that employment
may be, provided that it be lawful-lawful in a
SCriptural sense. No man has right to be
idle. If he is poor, to be idle is to sin against
himself. If he is rich, to be idle is to sin
against his fellow-men. In every case, to be
idle is to sin against God Regard, then, with
distrust every able-bodied man who, whether
rich or poor, is not disposed to work 1t is a
mistaken kindness, founded neither in reason
nor in morality, which gives even a crumb of
bread to the mendicant who would rather beg
than dig. Find him employment; display your
generosity by 1nventing emploYmentsfOT MIN,
rather than encourage his idleness by yielding
10 his importantly.
II you would multiply paupers, gTatutously
feed able-bodied beggars, and never turn away
from your doors the man who, like a dog sup
plcates for the crumbs that fall from your
table. To furnish employment for all is more
generous way of dispensing your bounty to the
suffering poor than thousand soup dinners or
q thousand almshOuses. | deplore that states.
manship which has substituted human enact
ments OF poor laws for the Divine enactment
that maintenance is the natural product of legi
tmately rewarded industry. The Apostle saws
that If man will not work neither shall he
eat, and greater than the Apostle as said, "The
laborer is worthy ofhis hire"
Let society act on these two principles, not
diVeTting or uniting them, aud in case the sup
ply OF laboreTs is greater than the demand, lie
society, with wise generosity, make employ
ment tor them-tor instance, In the direcuoI
OF public works and mproVement-paupers sn
win be almost annihilated. l cannot forbear
in this connection, thanking the Young Mem
Christian Association that they have found EN-
ployment TOR them; and am sure that ever
gentleman in the city who really wishes well Il