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

perfect gift,n No m an can be affuent enough
20 Justify himself In ceas1Dg TO work Tor bis te-
IOW-men. We a1e commander 70 lOVeour helgh-
Man must engage in his employment, whatever
10 NAV be- with diligence, aud energy, ana
hearty goodwill. Some men work as lI u IsOoI o.,
was drudeery. not q duty. They proceed 10
their business like slaves driven by fear oi the
lash behind them, rather than allured by kind
ness to the work before them; but since LABOR
is q moral duty, as well ms physical necessity,
we should engage in II with Conscientious pune
tualty and energy We are commanded not TO
be slothful IN business, and whatsoever our
hands find to do we are to do II with al our
might. When God commands, through his
Apostle Paul, TO the people of the Lord Jesus
Christ, we have no right not TO discharge the
duties thoroughly. When the same God com
maDds through the same apostle. not 10 be
slothtul in business, we have no right to take
our own time IN obeying the injunction.
The Almighty gives us no choice in His COM
mands. We must obey them with alacrity.
Pursue, then, your business with cheeriuness
and vigoI; letit be done With untlrIng industry.
III God has called you, as He did Adam, to I'LL
the ground, let the wheat-heds testify of your
industry. II he has called yOu TO apply the i'm
plements of the artisan, let the shop resOund
with the stroke of the hammer. If he has
called you to the pursuit OF mercantile hte let
your ledger give an account OF your industry.
Whatever calling God has placed you in, pur.
sue IL with o jealous assiduity which will not
leave mOmentio ldleLess-I mean idleness
in the strict sense of the term. BE fervent in
spirit. This is precisely what you young men
engaged in business tell me you cannot be.
You say that such an untring devotion to
business is unfavoraOe TO the growth Of re-
giCn. have two remark TO make concerning
this. In The first place, none OF the business
engagements of young men are 80 pressing that
they cannot have time to pray. In the second
place. he who is religiousy industrious is at
the same tine industrlouslS religious To be
slUthiul in business is to be iTrelgiOus. 1t Is
astonishing to thmk how false are the impress
81 10
fancy that diligence ard pieUy are opposed, and
that to strike an alliance with the one Is to war
against the other. They would UNANIMOUSLY tear
asunder what God hath joined together. For
labor and holiness are welded TO God in sacred,
blessed marriage
Rest as. ured that God is too equitable being
in His dealings with man. to require of him to
obey ore OF His commands at the expense
OF violating another OF them. II is impossible
for one to be religious without being indus
trlous; and, accordingly, in our text industry
in business IS made 10 preccde fervency in spirit.
The danger s, young brethren, that relic ion does
not consist exclusively in prayer itset-acts
which, by common consent, are styled religious.
II does not consist solely in keeping the Sab
bath, and attending church. and studying the
bible, and pray ing, and similar exercises. These
are done, and with much perfect correctness.
Grace is absolutely Indispensable Contribut-
ing to the poor Is means OF grace Taking
care OF ones health IS means OF grace Being
industrious is means OF grace In short, to
obey every command OF God Is the employing
OF every means OF grace
He commands us to labor six days in the
week just az much as He commands us to cease
laboring on the seventh. God has given man q
body tor HIM TO take care OF, not tor the sake of
the body itself, tor that ls made of dust, but
that the body may be made suitable home for
the pi0us spirit. God has nut man into the world
for various purposes. One OF these purposes is
that he may be useful to others; but he cannot
be useful to others unless he IS industrious. You
say that poor men who are compelled to labor
for . NHaHr dol hrn1 ut hFNA ttnNn hr
useful; but this is mistaken view of labor.
No man can engage IN any occupation which is
moral without benehtiDg the world. He who
works in any lawful calling adds 20 the worlds
pecuniary and moral capital.
We are all apt TO estimate the value of labor
by what it Immediately produces. No valuation
could be more unjust. The de eT.drop, glistening
on the sproUting shoot OF the acorn, is IN It's
, measure as useful to the world as i the gallant
ship freghted with Bibles Tor the heathen
nations. For had not that little drop OF dew
done its work, the sprouting acorn mad not
become the giant oak, and the giant oak had
never ribbed the gallant ship. 1t matters
little what the employment may be to which
God has called you. The aged matron plying
her knittng-needles contributes as much to the
glory OF God as the missionary who, IN foreign
lands, is giving to the pagan people their first
translation OF the holy oraces.
j firmly believe that the day laborer, COM
PEELED to spend his whole life in uncea5ing
physical eXertion, will have a heart iervent
whose occupation it IS to preach to his fellow
men the unsearchable doctrines OF God.
firmly believe that the noblest examples of de-
, Votion 10 Christ and His character are to be
found, not in the palace of the rich church
member, passing the golden hours away in fash
ionable indulgencies, breathing out his lie in
sanctimonious laziness; but in the abodes of
humble poverty, where every moment ls occa-
pied in securing to-morrOWs bread. Whenever
see poor man complaining of the necessity
which compels him to work for his daily bread;
whenever | see a student reluctantly open his
book, and eagerly shutting it, know that he is
false to Christ, false to his Church, false to the
world.
Ifany are present who are blessed with COM
potency, still toll on with unwearied assiduity,
toll on in hope, IN charity, and when you die
perhaps others may prepare some tabletto COM
memorate your deeds on earth. May God give
you grace so to live that you shall not be utterly
unworthy of the epitaph, "He was not sl9thlul
in business; he was ferVent in spirit; he served
| the Lord.n
At the conclusion of the sermon Mrs. Parker
| gave a splendid rendition of the solo, "Bless
| Thy word"
!