Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-14
SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON
For April 17-Mark 6: 1-3; Jno. SIT; 2 Thess. 3
BY DR.. MARION NH. HULL

Golden Text-"Not slothful in bust
ness; fervent in spirit; serving the
Lord" Rom. 1911.
Some people regard work as a
great curse. II hate to work; wish
| didn't have to work; 1 hope some
day 1 can stop working say
ings give their slant 1t Is the aim
of a great many men to accumulate
enough so they may retire and not
work any longer. And yet the quick
est way to kill a man who has been
active all his life is to make him
stop work entirely. All! yes. it is al
right to tighten his work: it is fine
to be able to give his time and en-
ergy to something that will be Of
benefit to others-but not to stop
working.
Work a Great Blessing
On the contrary, work is a great
blessing. When God formed man out
Of the dust of the ground He planted
a garden and put man in it to dress
it and to keep it. He gave him work
to do; and that was before man sin
ned so that work was not a curse,
but a blessing. Some folks have an
idea that heaven is a place where
they can rest; that is. not work.
Never was an idea more erroneous.
Heaven is no dead level Of idleness
but place Of more work. The reward
Of work is more work. The man who
had been faithful with the talents
was promoted to larger work. I shall
never do as much work all my life on
earth as 1 expect to do in any one
day Cor it's equivalent) in heaven.
But it will be different. Adam was
given work to do before he sinned.
and he did it with no WEAKNESS. After
he sinned the ground was cursed for
his sake and he was told that in the
sweat of his brow he should eat his
bread. Work was made harder by
reason of his sin. Work was bless
ing, not a curse. but the conditions
under which he had to work after
he sinned made it more difficult.
When the curse is removed, however,
we can work without WEAKNESS. even
as God works INCREASINGLY.
Purpose of Work
A glance at the scriptures will
show us that human nature has not
changed, that men then and now
were working for the same things.
Solomon, wise man that he was, said :
Labor not to be rich" prov. 20 a.
And as he contemplated those about
labor of man is for his mouth" Gee.
GID Perhaps he was Respondent
that day. But Isaiah saw the same
thing and cried out. why do ye
spend your money for that which is
not bread and your labor for that
And Jesus seeing the same tendency
said, Labor not for the meat that
peresheth, but for that which endur-
eth" Ono. 6:2T; and urged that
His disciples seek first the Kingdom
of God rather than latter these
things"-food, drink, clothing
which were the object Of the labor
of the heather. Matt. $50, $50 No,
men then and now are the same.
What are you working for? To be
rich? for your mouth? for something
to put on? for shelter? for that
which doesn't satisfy? for the meat
that perisheth? Why not be like
Carey, who replied. MY business is
to preach the gospel; and 1 cobble
shoes to pay the expenses" Every
man should have this purpose in his
work; and many men there are who
have accumulated enough already
"tc pay the expenses" and should be
working to hasten the Kingdom of
God. The crime of Christendom to-
day is that men who are professed
followers of the Lord Christ are liV-
ing purely for self; men who have
large ability. financial and other
wise, who are laboring to be richer