Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-04-25


and safhs Il Badea Es6sn. and coxne
home with the same shortnez Of breath,
and tie sane poor digestion, and the
sssns twisching Of the nerves. whsn ~
Loxne with tAeT own SPADE they inlght
have dug heaith Qua Il the grennd or
with their own Al kswr health ont Of q
log. or with their own srytAs garssred
health from the grain fsid-
voolAsn rxxDE ABOUT WORK.
There are Insny who estimate the
respecsshihty Of en- occupation by the
little exerticn it demands, and would
not have thssr children enter any en-
ployInent where their hands may u
soaied; forgetting that . laborers over
ziis are just ~ hoaor4hls a. . priests
robss and an anvil u just Is respectable
n pnlpit. Health fiass from the bed
Of down and ays, "Icannot sleep here"
and from the table spread with ptSr-
migan and epicuresn yiands. saying. Il
cannot eat here" and from the vehicle
u soft cushions and easy springs. say
ing. Il cannot ride here." and from
houses iuxuriously warmed aud uphol-
stored, saying, II cannot live here" and
some day you meet Health, WHO declined
all these iuSuriant places, walking IN
the plow's furrow. or swelsering beside
the kissing forge. or spinning among the
looms. or driving dray or Timing roof
or carrying hods Of brick up the ladder
OF wall.
Furthermore. notice that Incidence
endangers the soul. Satan makes his
chief conquests over men who either
have nothing TO do. or, il they have, re-
fuse TO do 1t. There is "a legend that 81.
Thomas, years after Christ's resurrec-
ton. began again 10 doubt, and hs
went to the apostles and told them
about his doubts. Each apostle looked
at him with surprise and then said he
must be excused for he had not time to
listen any longer. Then ST.. Thomas
went to the deyout women Of his time and
expressed his doubts. They said they
were sorry but that they had no time to
listen. Then ST. Thomas concluded
that it was because they were so busy
that the apostles and the deycut women
had no doubts.
Idleness not only leads a man into
associations which harm his morals, but
often thrusts upon him the worst kind
Of skepticikm. Losfers are almost a.
ways iu6dels, or fast getting to he.
Consummate idlerS never read the Bible.
and If they appear in church can be
distinguished in an audience of thou
sand by their listlessness, for they are
too lazy to hear. 1t is not so much
among occupied merchants, industrious
mechanics and professional men always
busy that you hear the religion Of Jesus
maligned. as in public lounging places,
given up TO profanity and dissoluteness.
They have no sympathy with the Book
that says. LET him that stole steal no
more: but rather let him labor, working
with his hands the thing which is good,
that he may have to give to him that
necdeth."
never knew a man given up to thor
ough sidleness that was converted. Si-
mon and Andrew were converted while
fishing and Lydia while selling purple,
and the shepherds of Bethlehem watch
ing their focks heard the voice Of angels,
and Gideon was thrsshing On the thrash
ing floor, but no one was ever converted
with his hands in his pockets. Let me
tell the idler that there is no hope for
him either in this world or the world
which Is to como. If the Son of God.
who owned the whole universe, worked
in the carpenter shop Of Joseph, surely
we, who own 80 little yet want SO much.
ought to be busy. The redeemed in
heaven are never idle. What exciting
songs they singl
On what messages of love they Fly
through all the universe. fulfilling Gods
high behests and taking worlds in one
circuit, rushing with infinite ferceness
against sin and cruelty and oppression,
and making tho gates Of bell to quake at
the overthrow Of the principalities OF
darkness, and in the same twinkle Of an
eye speeding back to their thrones with
the news of sinners repentant. The
River Of Life Is ever flowing. and the
palms ever waving. and the hallelujahs
ever rising. and the harps ever sound
ing. and the temple always open. ard
the golden streets always a-rush with
chariots Of salvation, and the last place
which you ought ever TO want TO so to
is heaven unless you want to be busy.
SORE NEED OF WORKERS.
Alas. my hearers, that in this world
there should be 80 many loungers and so
few workers. We 60 into the vineyard
of the church and we hear the arbor
groan under the heft Of tho vines, and
the clusters hanging down, large and
thick and ripe, cluster against cluster.
fairer than the punches Of Eshcol aud
Engedi, and ct q touch they viii turn
into wine more rudy than that of Lib
anus and Helbon. But where are the
men to gather the vintage and tread the
wine pressf There comes TO your ear
q sound of thousand wheat fields ready
for the sickle. The grain Is ready. 1t
il tall, II is full, it is golden. II waves
in the Sunlight. II rustles in the wind.
1t would fill the barns. II wonld crowd
the garnera After awhile it viii lodge,
or the mildew and the rust will smite IL.
Oh, where are the reapers TO bind the
sheayes7 The enemies Of God are mar
shaled. You see the glitter Of their
bucklers. You hear the paving Of their
chargers. and al slosg the line Of battle
10 heard the shout Of their great captain.
and at the armies Of the living God they
hurl their defiance. They come not in
numbers, like the hosts Of Sennacherib
but their multitude IL like the leaves o!
the forest and the sound Of their voices
like the thunder Of the sea Mailed in
hell's impenstrahle srbor. they advance
! with the waving Of their banners and