Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1906-03-14
| the tools He handled would be held

1AlS lo AN SoAE>A SNo
He fitted Himself at a carpenters
bench to say, Come unto Ne all ye
that labor and are heavy laden and /
will give you rest lie had no SYM
pathy either with the man who wants
more work than he pays for Or the man
who wants mo-c pay than he works
for. l want you 10 see from this life
that great deeds should go along with
common life. making It sublime. When
you read OF the great economics that
had to be practieed III the homes OF
such men as PHELPS and Alcott. Haw-
thorne and Emerson. you realize the
advantage of plain living and high
thinking. There is too much high liv-
ing and meagre thinking.
The struggle after a more sumptu-
GUS life than We can afford takes the
strength out of us. and if we get it it
takes the nerve for toll and self-denial,
which are only other names for victory,
away from us. Our Impotence takes
away our capacity and love for toll,
and we are miserable and useless. BE
happy in a humble home. You will
neve have to live so cheaply as did
Jesus.
Then make up your mind to work.
N'Si IN 1al INillSl lluSA US lAC AIS-
nifty of toll. He made the saw and the
plane as truly the ensign of a noble
life as the fasces or the toga of the
Roman. There is an evangel of toll.
The shuttle and the hoe, the saw and
the reaper have a message which the
world must hear. The workers make
life glorious. the strikers make it de-
testable. My father worketh hither-
in 0111 I wnpES u-1S Tho nho11an~n of
the Christ to every indolent and care
less soul. Virgil sings of men and
arms, but the song of to-day is q song
OF men and tools. I have a Saviour
who wrought the hot day through. l
can talk with Him Of ~quivering palm
and throbbing limbs and d fainting
heart and He will know.
You cannot imagine Him as making
4 poor joint or allowing il bad knot III
an important place. To meet your
ideal, and that ;n ideal which lie has
founded by His own character. you
will take nothing less than a honest
attempt ut Il perfect product. The de-
sire 10 slight ones work will lead to
a compromise of character. and that
will lead to the loss Of the soul. 1t is
not the work but the spirit you put into
II NIllNh u1dhCS 1IC tOSh StlopiC "
sublime. I would have every man step
to his work tomorrow without dread
or envy ] would have him feel that
Jesus the Carpenter was the great
model. and that il He could fit Him.
self for the conquest C the world at a
c]arpentCr'S bench any laborer may fee!
himself surrounded with glorious hopes
and his dingy little shop become the
-, l. -. -. .,1.-lI. Dn,,I .4s+-1,s,@ =, +~,,I 70.
thought our those wonderful chapters
OF spiritual logic which move the
world. Carey. the shoemaker. thought
out the plan Of giving the Bible to the
lIindoos. Morrison. the last-maker,
gave the gospel to China. Burrett. the
blacksmith. became the most learned
workman of his day. Daily humble
life lived on high levels-this is the
happy possibility Of common
What high discourse there must have
been in that humble home when the
days work was over: what acts OF af-
lection. what mutual condolences and
holy trust!
But lie who made lintels for the
doors OF Nazareth set up also the gates
Of the eternal city of God. lie who
made humble houses for the common
people of His native Owl was the
-Artificer OF the eternal home of the
o 1t vas not u figure of His i'm
agination when lie pictures the unsafe
foundation and the awful ruin of that
insecure house. He had seen the tor
rent rush down the chalk cliff. Of NaZ-
areth and sweep away the houses OF
His fellow craftsmen. Small wonder
that He looked upon that ruin from
the standpoint of a careful! builder.
But when they drove the carpenter
from His bench at Nazareth He went
out to build for eternity. [ want to
ask you to give your contract for an
eternal mansion to Jesus tie Carpcn-
ter. AS a wise master builder. He
asks you to count the cost. Are YOU
ready to build? Are you willing to pay
for a good foundation and will the SD
perstructure you rear be a sacred one?
He will not c~ountenance the orna-
mentations that hide the lack Of solid
worth. lie will have no part in the
consummate fraud of a life that is
i built on the sand. He will not build
with hay and stubhle. II it Were a
house to sell it might be out of your
sight, but he me when [ say it is
the house you are TO live in forever.
If there is a flaw in ii you will find
it out. Ii when the winds blow and
the foods come it falls you will 30
down in the ruin. Yes -erday a man
gaspin- for breath said Il am almost
ashamed to ask God to have mercy Oh
me when [ ignored Him for three
score years." and you will feel the
same. 10 leave you in old age to the
mercy of the wintry blasts would be
cruel, but the mai who shirks i'll the
building of his souls tabernacle does
that for himself. Only Jesus knows
how to build for eternity. The cid
Romans were great builders of roads
and bridges, and the old Egyptians
were great builders of pyramids, but
[ want somebody who can build Il
house for the soul that will outlast
pyramids and stars. No man save