The Newtown bee., 1902-09-26

a home, the church, the school, and all
the institutions of civilized life which
give US the dominion of the world and
make us happy. And SO the real
science of good living should lead US to
the truest and noblest worship of God.
Everys piritual and intelligent release
from the bondage of nature brings us
in to the liberty of the children Of God.
How beautifully the wise man expresses
it: "He that will not plow by reason
of the cold, shall beg in the harvest
and have nothing. He that tilleth
his land shall be satisfied with bread;
but he that followeth vain persons Is
void Of understanding. The hand OF
the diligent shall bear rule, but the
slothful shall be under tribute. Happy
is the man that findeth wisdom, and
the man that getteth understanding;
for the merchandise Of it is better than
the merchandise of silver, and the gain
thereof than fine gold" or the neces-
sity and beneticence of labor need
not to speak further.
am thinking of the great impor-
lance of intelligence and of faithful
ness in labor. Shakespeare says: "lg-
norance is the curse Of God, knowledge
the wing wherewith we fly to heaven. !"
Ignorance degrades everything. If
we do not know the ma ture and use of
anything we cannot put a right estl-
mate upon it's value. A Roman soldier
found bag of shining leather full OF
precious pearls. He threw away the
pearls and kept the bag. And so the
ignorant laborer caring only. for his
meat and drink and the coarser pleas
ures of the senses throws away all the
higher benefits of his life, because he
sees no value in them. But the intelll-
gent and faithful workman knows that
labor means much more than merely
food and clothes and the common COM
forts of this life. The instructed la
borer is also a seeker after knowledge.
He wants to know the meaning of
things. He values the experiences or
his occupation and feels that there is
wholesome discipline in the duties OF
his station. Faithful in all he does ne
becomes conscious OF the growth OF his
power for good. Faithful over little
; he becomes the ruler over much. The
more wisely he subdues the elements
of nature the more effectually he
LEARNS THE CONTROL OF HIMSELF.
The more useful he become to Others
around him the more he!learns to per
ceive and appreciate the goodness OF
God. Thus mans life becomes
poetic and heroic as he grows in
to that true wisdom which is both
spiritual and practical, intelligent and
faithful. The things of this life are par
ables of the higher life beyond.
Thou crownest the year with thy
goodness; and thy clouds dropfatness. .
The fruits Of the earth are the proofs
of the Alfather's abiding love. Seed
time and harvest have not failed us
The fruits of his labors are also the
proofs of the intelligence and faithful
ness of the husbandman. What does
the ingathering bring to us? Not sim
ply fruits and flowers, grains and veg
etables, flocks and herds; but veal
OF growth; instruction in the meaning
of life; the discipline Of all our powers
scientific and critical knowledge of the
world in which we live; the mastery
of ourselves under God; and in all the
I increase of faith, hope and love, ano
a devout reverence for the things Of
God. To the instructed patron of hus
bandry every kind of service and every
implement he uses, and every step ir
the progress of the seasons symbolizes
some higher truth. The field is rough
and full of distractions and we are
thus reminded that the field of life
moral and spiritual, is full of obstacle.
and that to him who overcometh shall
be given the crown of life. We are
taught that: GAS a good plowman re
quires steady hand and good eye tt
lay his lands straight and his furrOw!
smooth, so should our aims in life he
true and our conduct correct, keeping
the mind bright by deep thinking an6
active use." The uses of the pillow
''should teach us to diligently drive
the plowshare Of thought through the
heavy soil of ignorance, and thus pre-