The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-04-25
WORK WITH FAITH.
The Bedrock Truth of the Religious
Life-An Architects Idea of
Honest Toll.

My Father worketh hitherto, and 1 work.
st. John, ", II.
was looking over some plans with
an architect the other day. He was so
eccentric in some of his ideas that
many people thought him mildly in
sane, but | discovered that he was SIM
ply religious.
II am just as truly bound to be hon
est in building house." he said, "as
you are to be sincere in your prayers.
If | can show when the time of reckon
ing comes that l have put my soul into
my work | have no doubt about the
welfare of that soul. | must look to
my foundation to see that it has sus-
tanning power, to my roof that it will
not leak, to the arrangement of rooms
and closets, to make everything con
venient and comfortable rather than
inconvenient and irritating, and | must
do all this in the name of humanity and
Cod
He struck the bedrock truth of the
religious life. If I could extend the
principle which governed my architect
to every department of activity and in
dustry / should convert the world to
the theory of the New Testament,
change its complexion and make it a
far better place to live in than it is
now.
Every man a consecrated workman!
All honest work Gods work, as truly
so as the work of the priest at the
altar! The bricklayer, the merchant,
the preacher, the woman of society,
equally servants of the Most High.
The winning of a livelihood by some
kind Of toil--whether on the farm or
in the warehouse or in the pulpit
makes no difference-not simply a
necessity, but a divine necessity in ac-
cordance with the plan of the universe,
and this toll to be engaged in with
skillful hands and loyal heart, not as
drudgery but as duty, not by the de-
cree of harsh fate but by the will
of wise and overruling Providence.
The millennium would come before our
prayer for it had been finished, our
mental attitude would be more CHEEKY
and gladness would prevail as the
spring sunshine does, Joy compelling
and fruit bearing.
Although our life here is temporary
and we may reasonably look forward
to something better, still this life is a
glorious opportunity. The real differ
ence among men is not that some are
rich and others poor, for that is a
mere incident, detail, but that some
accept their task with faith and 9TH
ers think themselves unjustly used.
The poor man who endures his pow
erty with heart that makes the best
of what he has can find more happi-
ness in his meager circumstance that
the greedy soul discovers in his wider
field if he feeds his appetite for more.
If could make all men plan to be hap
Ply where they are instead of wearing
their fretful hearts out because they
are not where they think God ought
to have put them | should make the
very wilderness blossom with roses
and raise flood tide of Joy that would
sweep round the earth hearing bless
ings to every home. 1t is not so much
what you have as what you are that
brings happiness. You might have all
and still be miserable, and you might
have little and still have heaven.
TO feel that what you do is drudgery
makes it drudgery, 1t is not the work
you are doing, but your attitude to-
ward it that is important. If you are
a king, you will dignity trivial thing
by doing it in kingly way, and the
glitter of the crown will be reflected
thereon. A true Christian, finding his
way to glory through the sad and hard
as well as the joyous experiences of
life, always under the conviction that
God and the angels will come with as
sistance at his call, presents an ideal
of work well done, of sorrows bravely
borne and of a heart at peace, because
duty and pleasure are two words for
the same thing,
You will have trouble-make good
use of it. You will have happiness
enjoy it thoroughly, You will have
sorrow-let the Master share it with
you. Work, if God is in it, is made easy
and cheerful Even death, if there is
a home beyond to look forward to.
loses its sharpest pang. Mix heaven
and earth, tears and faith, life's tasks
and life's hopes, and the days shall
sing themselves away until the great
dawn comes when you win have your
reward and your rest George H. Hep
worth, in N. Y. Herald.