Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-10-12
THE DIGNITY OF WORK.
BY tse Rev. James ). Stone. D. D.
Eve are laborers together with
God. II. Corinthians ill.,, 0.


against the powers of paganism God
was working out purpose, and they
were working with him in thay pur-
pose. So is it with every man who is
striving to do his duty.
God made us II his own image. Our
mental and spiritual qualities, though
inferior and finite, are nevertheless Of
the same kind. and after the same pat
tern, as the mental and spiritual quail
tues of God. We are his children like
unto our father, and we are made not
only to share in his love and glory but
also in his work He has done much,
but he has left something for Us to 60.
Thus the vast, sublime. and maguiti-
cent wilderness, untamed and uuculu-
waited is Of little u.s. 10 human Ife til
man has gone into it. lie brings out
it's powers, ayails himself of its posi-
bilities. and works together with God
both for the Identifying of the earth
and for the bringing out of the powers
that lie within ii. Hence it is that
garden is far more lovely than the
wild woodland, and the rose cultivated
and trained much more beautiful than
the flower that struggles recklessly for
life in the wilderness.
The man. therefore. that trims
tree thrusts a spade into the ground,
gathers the ore from the mine, purities
it, shapes it. say. into the machinery
that shall weave clothing or into the
engine that shall speed him from city
to city-the man that gathers the light
ming from the clouds and guides 1t
into the many uses now discovered for
electricity-is worker together with
God. His labor. oftentimes irksome,
worrying, wearing, is yet divine. The
laborer in the field or workshop is in
decd a priest, a mediator between God
and nature, worker with the great
Creator for the uplifting and develop
ment of humanity.
This truth may be applied fearlessly
in all directions The lawyer who is
striving for justice and peace is work
, ing with God Governments and legis-
| latures that would discover and OBJ
serve law, rule in equity and judg-
/ ment, avert war, and advance the
! prosperity of the people have in mind
/ the same purpose that God has. So is
| the physician fellow to him who went
about healing the sick, alleviating
pain, and prolonging life. What is the
man doing who sells US our coal and
clothing and food, but helping God in
his work of preserving our life:
God would have his children to be
happy True, there are some people
who think we ought not to seek after
happiness, or at least we ought not to
be too happy, They think something
bad is about to happen TO them if they
are unusually happy. Many of their
/ kind deliberately seek 10 make them.
! selves miserabl But ii would be i'm.
/ possible to prove, or for the most of us
| rs believe, that this is the will of God
| Indeed, the misery that is in the world
to-day is mere because men have re
! fused to be workers with God for lis
/ removal. If man had always done his
| duty there would be no poverty, dis
/ tress, sickness. or sorrow. God would
/ break no ones heart. But man has
neglected his work, or has compla
CT nifty allowed evils to go on, upon the
supposition that either the evils were
unavoidable or had an element of goot
in them. The weeds will remain il
the wilderness and misery will con
tinue in the earth till man honestI!
and faithfully sets 10 work With Goo
for their elimination.
So it is that when we co a kline
deed or say loving word to one il
| distress. sorrow, or need. we are help
| ing God in his purpose to make tina
weary one happy. You take up ii
your arms little child that is sob
bling ard crying over some tiny trou
| BILE that has come into its heart. Yor
| try TO comfort the fragile soul ant
/ without thinking. perhaps. in a mo
ment you are doing that which we are
told God shall some day do himself
( wiping away the tears In II thousand
and one ways we strive with God FOL
4 the same end.
And ii means so much more wher
you do the work yourself. We mus
/ have societies and bureaus 10 do nucl
of the benevolent duty OF a great city
and they ought to be we'll supported
/ but better far is it for you to do some
| thing yourself, If -cu cannot person
ally meet the people that are in dis
4 tress, you miss knowing either what
! distress really is or the Joy of helping
TO alleviate il. If you knew the dis
tress or the JOY you would be eager Il
give OF your time and means TO the
work in which God is interested.
The same principle applies when We
I try TO make other lives useful Man
untaught and unciyiIized is like the
wilderness unframed and uncultiv tied
He may have a certain rugged beauty
rat is the best he is likely to have
But do with him as with your wild
land; tram. develop. educate, awaken
and direct Imagination, Intellect, AND
memory. inspire him with lofty and
noble purposes. and you make OF hin
that which nature alone could never
make. You become a worker together
with God to make the child worthy Of
his heavenly father.
All this is true also Of our work II
reference to ourselves. God leIves us
| something 10 do for ourselves. VIZ
have powers. but we mast develop ant
use them We have food for oul
bodies. minds, and souls. hut we mus
appropriate It. We are not born wis'