Nevada County picayune., 1889-11-20
RELIGIOUS COLUMN.
Edited bv GEO. A. GARDNER.
THE DUTY OF LABOR.

to dress ana keep lne gaTucH, Iioii which we infer that active employ ment was necessary for man before the introduction of sin, during even his primeval state of innocence and purity. The work, however, which was required to be performed then was undoubtedly of a pleasant and aprecablc character such as would be delightful in the performance, as well as beneficial in it's results. But after the curse was pronounced on account of disobedience, there was a change in the terms of the command. adapting it to the sinful state of the Iparties. IIenceforth. while It should be the duty of man to labor for his support and also for his health, yet the performance of this duty would be more or less unpleasant and disa- greeable.
 As spur to the performance Of this duty, the earth also was cursed' so that henceforth the soil would not yield her harvests without labor and cultivation. The changed nature of things, therefore, reinforced and strengthened the divine command, and man was not only bound to labor by the law of God. but also by the necessity of subsistence-thus the ap- peal was made both to his lower and higher nature. In view of these con alterations we affirm that 1t IS the duty of all men to labor in some hon. Orablc and useful ayocation. No one
 in health is exempt from the dis
 charge of this obligation. Position power, wealth purchase no immunity
 from the stern eXactions of this uni
 ycrsal law. The obligation was in
 corporatcd in the moral law or Mount Sinai, in these words: "SlN
 days shalt thou labor and do all thy
 work" and it is rc-atlirmed in the new dispensation by the Apostle Paul, who says that if any fail t' work neither shall they eat, and en joins upon Christians to be diligen
 in business, feryent in spirit, serving : the Lord.
 likeness is as much a sin as steal
 ing or drunkenness in fact, idlenes: is the prolific parent of many othe sins. The devil is sure to give th' l idle, bad man employment. It seems therefore, to be law of our nature that we must be employed, either il good or evil work. An erroneous , opinion prevails to considerable eN
 tent that regular employment may b'
 abandoned just as soon as we have acquired sufficient means to enable ; us to do so, but this is very serious error. as all have found out to thei
 sorrow who have tried it. The duty to labor only ceases when the ability
 to work is gone. The inlirmities oi old age, or sickness, may furnish ; pOOd reason for enforced inactivity but so long as the ability to work i
 sufficient, just so long the obligation
 remains in force. The wisdom an( the goodness of God are beautiful. illustrated in the law of labor, for eX
 ercse is promotiyc of health of body and mind. The curse is transformed 5 into a blessing, when the require
 ments of labor are met with cheer
 fitness and fidelity.
 Loaiing, nfaithful service, gad
 ding about, are all violations of thi:
 law. The sluggard and the tramp : are the visible imbodiments of tin, . disastrous consequences of Its per
 sistent and systematic defiance. l is to be feared that the lmpresslblt , minds of the young have not been sufficiently impressed with the i'm portance of this subject Manua
 labor, the exercise of both mind and body in some legitimate vocation, ar' just as much to the interest of childrel
 as the requirement of an academic
 or collegiate education. The parents
 or guardians of children should trair
 them up in some useful and honora.
 ble occupation, and the natural tai
 ents and aptitudes of the children
 should determine the kind of occupa
 ton for which they should be quail fled by this preliminary training.
 That man is a compound being, en'
 dowed with soul and body, is univer- sally admitted, and the law therefore of labor and exercise applies with equal emphasis to both, in order tc bring about a symmetrical and har- monious development of all his fac ulties.
 A well rounded, perfectly devel- oped character can only he produced by the observance of this rule. The reason why there are so many mal- formed, one-sided, hobby-riding peo- ple in the world is that due attention has not been given at this point-too aroot or toO little stress has been