The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-24

"The time + rome. aye, even nov It Is,
To rank that parable In Genesis
or Gods sfoat curse OF labor placed on
man.
with other fairy tales"
According to this. Gen. I'll: 1I-lS-ls. Is part
Of q fairy tale. q myth. 1t scarcely seems
Consistent % brand a part OF the Mosaic
record as mythical. and then turn i'm
mediately 10 that same record Tor foun-
dalton facts, with which to buttress her
poem. She goes TO Genesis as her only
and sufficient authority for the state
monts, that
"GOd....began all work himself.
lie was so full Of force
lie lungtte solar systems on their course
And bulf1ed worlds on worlds"
SO Genesis tells Us. but. II a part OF It's
record Is mythical. why may not lis as
ISOLATION OF God with creation be another
Of its myths? How are we 10 distinguish
between It's literal and historic facts, and
It's fairy tales?'
And II we rank that parable in Genesis
with other feiry tales what DO We Gam
thereby? The facts remain unchanged.
Surely, "the ground does brine forth
"thOrns also and thistles." Every harvest
Is the result OF lOng-coniinuel warfare.
Man cdmpels nOurishment from Earth =
relu.tant breast. she marshals her forces
10 undo his work. lie builds, she de-
str0ys. lie repairs. she wastes. And II
| the declaration. In the sweat OF thy
face shalt thou eat bread did not find
! It's fuldlment In Adams experience. IL
does i'm ours-his descendants. And surely,
| its Dust thou art. and unto dust shalt
! thou return" echoes daily rs bitter pathos
arouni each new-made grave. so, II we
reject 1.-THE parable we do not get md
OF the facts. We merely reject the only
explanation ever given concerning the
origin, the genesis Of these %stuboornly
abiding facts.
Furthermore. Mrs. Wilcox assumes for
the book. and then a~ssails. a theory that
IS not recorded IN Genesis, and Is no
whore taught in the Bible. When she
writes
"of Gods great curse Of labor placed on
man.
she writes OF something that cannot be
found ia Genesis. "In the beginning
work" is exalted as worthy Of God. as
having IT'S origin. and illustrious first ex-
ample I'm Him. As she so aptly says
"Tfe bean an work himself"
The first picture. on the first page Of
the Bible. is that Of Deity at work. The
first picture OF man after his creation rep
resents him with his work, 1.-THE Lord
1 NHNNN NI.A |.N ANNANA MNAA NHH AHNAA 90 900"
garden Of Eden 10 dress ii and 10 Keen
it," AID i'm The second picture. ne is en-
gagged in n special. a tremendous work
Of giving names 10 all cattle. and 10
the fowl Of the air, and 20 every beast
OF the field" God sets the example. and
then sets Adam TO a following OF his
example. in working. II may yet appear
that the first temptation 10 when Eve
yielded was id'cness. as she loiiered az
the tree Of life. Adam was evidently busy
| somewhere at the time. and the tempter
knew It was useless TO aoDroeh with ms
falacies a very busy man. True, Nhen
man 'fel." DE dragged everything down
with him. But no great curse OF LABOR
was placed on man" Idleness placed on
man would have been "a curse. WORK
was a blessing. because man had SIM
ned and fallen, the ground was cursor.
10 was cursed for mans sake. 'Cui7el
is the ground for thy sake IS the pam
scripture. Holiness TO longer inspired
10 activity. The existing conditions WIZ
ouf primal holiness were conducive 10
idioness. Id,eness would be a deadly
danger. TO lessen the possibilities OF IT'S
curse. man must be placed in labors
abundant" six days shalt thou laoor
was essential ~ man. But IL was not q
curse. The chou shalt' OF labor, was
20 be uDliftod. side by side win the
chou shalt love the Lord thy Cod bni
the ground must be cursed that man s
labor3 may Doe increased. Hereiosote' .ls
tillng was pure pleasure, pefloriheu WIN
ease. and always without Wearlne-s. bu'
now. the earth would no longer prouu.e
its fruits spontaneously, VINE me generic
"fhorns and briars' would increase the
ANTIQUITIES and work of tho tiller. And
man could u0 longer Work without wear.
mess. Sin had s0Hn the seeds OF physical
decay. There would be weakness, disease
age. death. Hence the words, "ln toll
or sorrow-shalt thou eat Of It OF tho
DAVIS of thy life" BOZ in an this. work
and Course were not equivalents. ZIG
retained the blessing Of WORK AFTER ne
fell. our motive is that of the divine
when we say, that
Satan has his mischief stl,
For idle hands to do
Not labor. but iIleness. IS anathema.
TO bury the talent. TO do nothing, Is 20
We did it no.." IS a knen Of doom. w
are TO work while it is called day Be
"diigent in business IS the divine DO.
iunction. The blessed Christ set his seal
of nobility and example on this question
of work. He chose only workers into
apostleship. Casting a net, or collecting
"custom." IL mattercd not. so the mai
vas q worker. lie seemed 90 have no use
no place for "A lazy man. In his kingdom
labor is the law of progress. An early
article Of Christian faith and practice
vas that 'if any man would not worn
neither should he eat" Nowhere In Inc
New Testament Is labor represented as
Coils curse upon man. on the contrary
IL is God-like. enrolling % w"rk ana thls
God-asslgned labor Is ever TO nave lt'
reward. And the teachings Of the Olc
Testament. including the third chapter
of Genesis. are an in harmony With th'
teachings Of the New Testament, on tn.
important subject.
According 10 the Scriptures. In the ~
ture we shall be delivered from the pres
ence and dominion of the curse. b-t no
where in the Bible do We read THAI We
ehan ever be exempt from the presence
the duty. and the blessedness of work
Indeed. every intimation In the word o
cod hints at an increase or work-wlf
tbis yasi difference. There viii be nc
unfavorable conditions, there viii be nd
we4riness. Take thou authority over ter
cities" projects Us into mysterious en-
largemenis and multplications OF busy
activities I'm 'the world to come"
Sept. p, 1889. ). IL D
prDuCED RATES TO PHILADELr