The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1915-10-15
DISCIPLINE IN WORK.
God Appointed Labor for the
Training Of the Individual
in Morals.

Let us consider the moral uses OF
work. 1t acquaints man with nature,
and gives him liberal education.
Mans knowledge of himself and the
world in which he lives, comes from
his work Working with the soil for
food, man discovered the beginning OF
agriculture Working with a forked
stick, he invented his plow Carrying
his burden across the rivers, he
thought out his boat. STOPPING I'M
der his load, he mastered the horse.
and made him bear his burden. Work
ing with wild roots, man found the
grape and apple. Working in stones,
he wrought out his house. All the fine
arts, all the knowledge, came from
the daily task. 1t is work that in
structs man and dlsciplines him in
the great university of daily life.
There is a culture to be found in the
school of toll
Work Means Training.
God has appointed work for the
training Of the individual in morals.
Men speak of business as sphere OF
temptation and testing; but 1t is also
a drill room In which youth may be
taught all the fundamental moral
qualities Our Lord himself was
trained for his mission as great re-
ligious teacher in a handieraft. He
became the worlds greatest reformer.
and his preparatory school was car
penter shop. He developed all the
root moral qualities that blossomed
into the higher spiritualities In the
years of his toll, until the age Of
thirty. In his association with men
he developed sympathy with them,
and an exquisite gentleness and ten
derness toward poor and weak. The
beginning of power over men Is in
constituencies and sympathy. Influ-
ence is possibly only from personal
experience of the failings, privileges,
ambitions, disappointments, and sue
cesses Of our fellowmen. No self
conferred man can develop sympathy
with his fellow. To break down the
walls of prejudice and develop a
knowledge of ones self and ones COM
panions, is to develop the primary
moral qualities essential to the high
est character. God enters every child
in the school of work, that he may
become a Christian.
Tasks Are as We Make Them.
Nothing is more certain than that
we make our task beautiful or mental
by the spirit we put into it. There
are two ways in which house may
be approached. The contractors
view is one, and the owners view is
another. The builder tolls for his
money. He has no particular en-
thusiasm for the structure, ever
thinking Of the gold named as his
wage. How different the owners at
titude! To him the walls and ceilings
are as the walls of heaven. They are
covered with pure ideals, holy affec-
tions, and the solemn love and prayer
that happiness and beauty will fill
that home. There is no decorator like
the heart The soul can breathe the
spirit of beauty into any task. Re-
member how Fra Angelica painted
upon his knees, and borrowed a d.
vine luster for his canvas. Remem-
Der how Milton, lifting his sightless
eyes towards the sky, saw the heav-
ems open, and Christ standing at the
right hand of God; and from his
vision brought splendor to his SOL
emn poem. The time has come when
we must practice the art of carrying
our work up to the higher spiritual
level, Once, when the cathedral was
dedicated the priests fell upon their
knees in solemn worship. In the fu-
ture we shall learn to enter a shop or
store or factory in the spirit of the
reverence of our great Master, who
said, my Father worketh hitherto,
and l work" We shall then know
what it is to be diligent in business,
fervent in spirit, serving the lord
Rev. A. H. Lucas, DID.