River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-01-27

kkS them Tor DaCLle
$3.50 MSsz Idleness is sure to
breed vice. Idlers
tempt the devil. Birds that sit are
easily shot"
For persistent idleness Drago pre-.
scribed death. Solomon thought that
too severe, but he made idleness a
misdemeanor and punishable by law.
We are told that during the reign OF
Scion in Athens there was no poverty
because there was no idleness. A man
who will not work should not eat, and
the state should provide for the en-
ployment of idlers whether they be
respectable loafers or disreputable
tramps. In a Hamburg workhouse
those who persist in being idle are put
in cages just before the tables in the
dining room, so that they can see the
food and smell the delicious odors.
while they are not allowed to eat.
Hunger soon makes them willing to
work.
Christ is at work putting his people
to work. The householder of this par
able rose with the morning light and
went in search of laborers. Seeing the
great need of the vineyard he goes
out again at nine o'clock, then at II
and three and six o'clock. Christ is
pleased with our spiritual JOY, but JOY
will not take the place of work. He
receives our worship, but worship is
no substitute for work.
There are times when we may stand
still and see the salvation Of God.
Such time is when some great Red
sea of difficulty is before us and wo
have no power to remove or surmount
it. But we are not to stand still and
see God work in his vineyard.
God will not do what his people c,.n
do. They need the blessing of work
and to deprive them of it would be un-
kind. There is much in the vineyard
that only God can do. He alone can
make the vines to grow, and bud and
bring forth fruit. 1t is he that works
through the mysterious life forces.
But we can dig and cut down the
weeds and train the growing vines.
Sam Jones said he knew farmers who
would like to do the shining and rain
ing and laundering and lightning, il
God would only pillow and hoe their
crops for them.
The Lord Jesus rewards his work
ers. He does not ask us to work for
nothing. The consciousness that we
are working with and for him is good
pay. To see the vineyard flourish and
realize that it gives him joy increases
our Joy. To win soul to Christ and
witness in the face the light that
never was on land or sea" is good
wages. "You will soon be in heaven"
said pastor to a dying man. I've
been there ten years" was his cheer
fui reply. Death to him was only a
continuance of heaven. He felt well
paid under the burden and heat of the
day before the settlement was made
at the close of the day.
But Christ prizes confidence above
contract. Those who argued for a
penny day received the penny, while
those who went into the vineyard
without contract, trusting the house
holder to do what was right, received
lust as much. The bargainers MUIR
INJURED because they felt that they had
been wronged, since they had worked
a whole day and received only as
much as others who had worked an
hour. They did not know that Christ
paws for confidence more than for con-
tract He is faithful to all he has
promised and will do just what he
said. But if we will work for him
without the expectation of receiving
80 much wages for 80 much work,
while we trust him to do what is right,
we will be richer in the long run.
The savage Indian sits with his
feathers and paint, too proud to soil
his hands with manual labor; while
his squaw hoes the corn, cuts the
wood, makes the fires and cooks his
food. Plutarch tells Of a classical
loafer in Athens who was brought be-
fore e court on the charge Of idle
ness. and congratulated himself that
his idleness was the expression OF
dignity. We submit that the savage
Indian and the Athenian loafer belong
to the same species, and all who on ac-
count of. their ancestry or position or
wealth feel too digni1ied to work when
It is most needful are members Of the
same ilk.
The best cure for idleness is the in
fusion of high motive. A man in
Dayton, O., dropped dead while work
ing on the street and the physician
declared that he had starved to death.
His wages barely fed his wife and
children, while he tasted and worked.
The busiest men are those who are
inspired by the motive Of doing others
good. and work of that kind is not
ant to become toll. Such Is the work
for Christ, and an idle Christian is
monstrosity. He is saved by grace.
but it is a grace tina works and, II
there is no work, it is proof that there
is no grace.