The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-28
THE BLESSING OF WORK
SUBJECT or A STRONG SERMON BY
 MR. M'QUEEN.
Rector of Episcopal Church of the Hoiy Comforter Shows Value to
 Humanity of Constant

 '-rhe Blessing of Work was the sub- 1ect Of 0 strong sermon preached yes
 mSsnns rscor s eSS fsg | of the Holy Comforter.
 Selecting his text from Genesis If, ,ls: eat bread" MT. McQueen spoke as fol-
 You. of course. recognize these | words of Holy Scripture as from the common father. The teaching Is. that | only through work can man wrest q living from the earth. It includes also alone ne sSssn csn anythins Worthy S or A iastins
 Now. 1t Is a common thing to hear Gods sentence upon Adam as proof. | Not so. God cursed the earth. 1t is true. but He did not curse work. Why, only besotten Son are workers. for | doth not the Son testify, My Father worketh hitherto and I workr When
 y mase ae sSSe wSek us ear autg s sus vior We see this illustrated. for in- those lands where 'l feast st labor abe ps10i Sor prae. tically no labor), Is required on ac- count of fertile soil and genial climate: those those Ss auaiitiesp i%sp which chiefly ennobie | and elevate mankind. It is an axiom I that where nature does most for man, man does least for himseif why: Be- cause he Is not compelled to work, or he works so very little 1t has no ef- | feet upon his character.
 | Tt Is a matter of common observa- with her gifts the less prodisai man Is with his work. That is to say. he | does the minimum of labor. This, In those qualities which uplift' and dig | nifty human life. Yes. Tn the countries where little or no labor Is required to soppy the wbose so Ef rich with produce. man makes least progress In the arts of civilization. Nay he usually sinks t9 S the lowest hand. if you would see the blessing of work supremely illustrated. study those portions. of the earth where on ac- of climate, there is continual struggle | for food and raiment, struggle for the material comforts and luxuries which l ing brain and brawn and muscle. Its | inhabitants always are distinguished for qualities of industry, order. intelli- l which promote the happiness and pros | perity of q people. for they live and move and have their being under the | glorious blessing of work.
 Now, suppose the earth yielded abundantly, without labor. all we need or desire. What a curse rathar than a l place left for suffering and want in | the world, hence, practically. no call | on our sympathies, and therefore sell hshness would curdie utterly the milk l of human kindness in our breasts. It l is only as calls are made upon 1t that benevolence Is kept alive at all. And that efS rRe tssn selves, you observe. largely are brought about through the. need of work. be- cause of the Diyinely imposed sentence. thou | eat bread In this way there Is per | petual occasion for the exercise of fgasaifi Thus. seifishness is left without excuse and we are not allowed to harden our hearts fin narrow and contracted isola- concerns In other words. through the universal necessity for work, our Heav- enly Father. in His mercy; prevents us from sinking into moral degeneracy
 "The blessing of work, which God hath laid upon us. pervades and rami- fies every department of life, Indeed, having mSfUg' at t all % Everything valuable. everything useful, which the earth con tains. is wrung from it's recesses by in the world of learning. It is mast cred through ceaseless and unremitting toll alone. Suppose 1t were otherwise. Suppose all these things, so precious to humanity, could come to us along with the opposite of work, which Is idleness. the parent of all vice, can any
 
 any surer swifter means be devised to bring about our physical ruin3 For 1t Is absolutely true with most Of us that praiseworthy and honored work. unless we were driven onward by the crying needs of our nature, in word, by the fore the curse, Tn the sweat of they face shalt thou eat bread, is become blessing.
 of work. Turn where you will, work is the law of God, the law of the uni verse See the planets moving maJest- ically in their everlasting courses. See the growing, expanding activity of vegetation. See the insect. busy, as it lives out its little day. Hear the many movement to and fro. Study nature in all her laboratories. in all her pro cesses-always at work. work whose things, whether animate or inanimate: See, for instance, the never wearied sun which, day by day eGmeth forth giant in his strength. Lift your eyes higher still and see the angelic hosts in in Heaven before ft the great white 6itt voicing the praises of Him that sitteth thereon, and speeding hither and thith- the commands of Him who never slum- bereth nor sleepeth, and who during His ministry for us on earth went about doing good even our Lord and Savior
 
 Is seen the fact and the blessing of work irradiating and glorifying both Heaven and earth.
 'On the other hand, think of the con sequences should the necessity for work no longer exist, work upon which de- pends our highest well-being, yes. our existence itself Gradually we would be reduced to the lowest level of mere animal life. ,A A. vast and fatal revolu- ton in the whole social moral and eco- homie fabric would at once set in and speedily end In complete disorganiza- ton. 1dleness, with its offshOots of vice and lawlessness. would reign su- preme. Industry. would be paralyzed: Commerce would cease. There would be an end to all enterprise. We would soon present the melancholy spectacle of a mere stagna1t people, stirred only by the yilest passions of fallen beings. In word, everything that is noble in art and liter ature, splendid in intellect. pure and lofty in morals, spiritual in aspirations, and ideal in achievement, would quickly vanish from the face of the earth in one common grave.
 Again, the prevailing idea that work