The Washington herald., 1922-08-26
Responsibility to God Means
More than Laws, Says Bryan
Christian Cannot Loaf on Job and Expect the
Lord to Saye Him From Consequences
OF Inaction, He Declares.
By WILLIAM ]. BRYAN.

Wnet Is your salents now - II
being empioyed7
Nehemiah. cupbearer to the Per-
sian tyrant, Artaxerxes. had a talent
for leadership; we might call him
"a captain OF Industry" He unques-
tionably could have used his talent
for the advancement OF his own
personal fortunes had he elected to
put 1t to use in advancing the in
terests of his earthly master
But Nehemiah's business was the
business of his King. Jehovah. His
abilities were consecrated to noble
purpose. and he has given us a
striking illustration of the value Of
talents when employed in work
worth while.
Grieved at the news that the walls
Of Jerusalem were in ruins and the
city lay open to it's enemies, Nehe-
miah dedicated himself to the task
of restoring its defenses. and. first
Offering up a prayer to God for help,
he begged and received permission
from Artaxerxes to journey to
Jerusalem for that purpose. He de-
liberately put aside a life of COM
parative ease in a court of Oriental
luxury to use his talents in an ardu-
Gus. even hazardous and unselhsh
task.
Upon his arrival In Jerusalem,
Nehemiah made an inspection of the
walls that he might have informa-
tion at first hand of the work to be
done. He went by night from gate
to gate without disclosing to. the
public the mission on which he hao
come. When he had fully acquainted
himself with the task. he appor-
TONED the work among the people.
taking care to observe, as far as
possible. the local interest that each
group had in the particular part of
the wall to which II was assigned.
"a Mind to Work.
Nehemiah had so large a part in
the work that we may pardon him
for including himself in describing
what was done. so built we the
wall" he says, and he adds an ex-
PLANTATION that is significant-"for
the people had a mind to work"
There Is all the difference in the
world between those who go to
work and those who are sent to
work-between those who are alb
sorbed in what they are doing and
those who watch the clock.
Nehemiah was an orator as wefl
as well as an executive He had
the ability to communicate his en-
thusiasm to others. He had a faith
that stirred to action.
Like the rebuilding of the temple
it was joyous work. this of recon
structing the holy city's walls; but
1t was not destined to proceed with
out opposition. Sanballat, sub
satrap OF Samaria. and Tobias, sup
posed to be his secretary. first at
tempted ridicule, and. when that
failed, worked up a conspiracy to
attack the builders; but Nehemiah
was a warrior as well as an execu-
tive and a persuasive speaker. He
gave to his people a splendid slogan,
viz: Pray and Watch. Prayer came
first. followed by vigilance I'VE
made our prayer unto our God. and
set watch against them day and
night"
No Loafing on Job.
We have no reason to believe that
God will relieve us from the doing
of that which is within our power
A Christian cannot loaf on the job
and expect God to save him from
the consequences OF inaction or
carelessness. Nehemiah prayed: he
laid his case before God and thea
proceeded to act to the limit of hfs
own power. Mans extremity is said
to be Gods opportunity.
The adversaries laid plans, rely
ing upon their own strength; they
boasted that they would take the
Children of Israel by surprise. but
they did not know Nehemiah. He
he EtnA Of 70 he
prised He did not overlook pre-
cautions and then send in an 81 re-
gret to report" as generals some
after their families with their
swords, their spears and their
bows" and placed them in the open
places behind the walls. and then he
aroused the mobiles and rulers and
the rest of the people by his eN-
hortation:
BE not We afraid of them: re-
member the Lord. which is great
and terrible. and fight for your
brethren. your sons and your
daughters, your wives and your
houses.
81 Am Doing Great Work.
!. Later Sanballat and Goshen, the
formers Arabian ally. tried to draw
Nehemiah away from the city on
the pretext of a conference with
them. Nehemiah's reply gives us a
notable passage which Is often
quoted and which might well be
used even more frequently than II
is. Nehemiah sent messengers unto
the conspirators. saying: 81 am do
ing a great work. so that I cannot
come down"
A great deal of time is lost because
men entrusted with important work
spend their time in fruitless contro-
yersy with adyersaries. Time is pre-