The Portland daily press., 1896-06-29
DIGNITY OF LABOR.
Rev. DR.. Jenkins at the State Street
| Church.

Rev. DIR. Jenkins preached an admira-
BILE discourse at the Safe street church
yesterday.
Rev. DR.. Jenkins took for his text St.
John V,E17. but Jesus answered them,
my Father worketh hitherto. and
work.. The prevailing idea of the SER
mon was the necessity and propriety of
work. In the new translation the tex
treads, My Father worketh until now
and W ork. work is Jesus unqualified
statement. am not pleasure seeker or
an idler. I work. That is Jesus
position in a few W ords. Jesus belonged
to race of workers. There ara races of
workers andsraces of idlers. The Jews
were race of workers. They honored it
and were intolerant OF idleness. They
taught their children trades so that they
might always bear the burden of life.
Jesus being Jew WAS therefore work
or. He saw the opportunities and the
need Of work. The world into which he
came was unfinished and there were
social defects to be removed. Work is an
undenlable characteristic of our world.
The bread that we eat, the safety of our
property, the worlds Improvement, the
earth's subjugation, advancement OF in
tellectual progress, the study and eradi-
cation of diseses and in fact all knowl-
edge. are obtainable only by work.
Credible records show that before his
public life began Jesus worked and his
SMALLEST success was obtainable only by
the greatest labor. People were unfriend-
ly. He had ecanty means. The Jesus
worked unin terruptedly except on the
seventh day. Jesus worked every day
His defense was: My Father worked
hitherto, even now. People who did
work on the seventh day excused it by
saying they worked from necessity.
Jesus made no such excuse. He simply
instanced the fact that God was cease
less worker. Many people attach the
idea OF something mental or servile to
work, and those who have attained high
position or wealth give it up. Even be-
fore the apostles died there was an oppo-
sition to j esus' idea. 1t seemed to humil y
ate the idea of Gods majesty, who to-
their minds must be kept in Godlike
state of inactivity. The popular thought
today is contrary to the teachings of the
new theology. It believes that God
created the world and left it, and that
He will not be In action again until He
judges the world Jesus taught His new
theology with great simplicity and clear
ness. His idea that God is ceaseless
worker makes it proper for man to work.
Much is said of the dignity of labor. Can
greater honor be given to it, than the fact
that God is a worker shows that work
is not inconsistent " 18th the highest hap
piness. The popular idea that it is not
is untrue. The truth that God is
worker makes it inexcusable for man to
be idle. The obligationsof work should
receive the broadcast recognition. Even
If man accumulates large property he
should still work. For he thus developes
himself and is of increased usefulness
in the world. A man should be ashamed
not to be worker.
Christianity makes men conscious OF
their filial relation to God. They should
be in sympathy with God as a worker. l
am not sure but that the men who are at
the head Of the great enterprises that
benefit the country, the great railroads,
the furnishing supplies of pure water to
towns, even tho men who today are
are not doing the works of God as truly
as the men who go to church and give q
small sum for maintaining religious in
struction. They can say My Father
works and work" When we give to
the hospital on the hill, as we shall to-
day, we do work for God as great as
when we send tho gospel to the heather.
Every man and woman should be COM
mitted to some work of philanthropy.
The time draws near when not to have
philanthropio work on hand will be dis
creditable as idleness is today. If we
should climb up into the great throne
room above we should not find God lying
on coach taking nap. His work is
never ending, never ended. Work on
then. eager, not for pleasure. but to do
good, and when you come to die you may
say have finished the work you gays
me to do, and you shall obtain higher
come.