SUNDAY READING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 59, 27 July 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

WORK AND WORSHIP. Outline of a Sermon preached by MR. HAROLD T. PEAT in the "South . Road .Methodist Church. Text.—"Xot slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord."— Roman xii.-2. Paul, the writer of this epistle, was well ([iiaiitied to express an opinion on the vexed question of industrial unrest, especially in its relation to the act of worship, for the zealous missionary was uofc only a man of deep erudition, but also a skiilcd artisan, having obeyed, in common with others of his nation, the Mosaic law that all young men must learn some trade. His long intercourse with the workers, his application to the higher learning, and his devotion to his Master's service enabled Paul to arrest the division between work and worship, and hence between the workers and the Church. It was Paul who propounded the startling but magnificent rule —"If any would not work, neither should he eat" (11. Thes. 3-10); and let me say in" passing that if this rule became law and the law were enforced, the land would soon be rid of parasites, for they would quickly join the ranks of the workers. The little band of Christians at Rome, whom Paul now addressed, were surrounded by the aristocracy of the day, and the indolenth abits of these, together with the erroneous belief about the end of the .world, had had a very harmful effect upon the Christian, Church., Work was falling into bad repute, industry was on the wane, idleness was heralded by many as a sign of superior- ■ ity. In -all this we see a

PICTURE OF OUR OWN DAY. In the incessant whirl of all things there is a growing tendency to cast honest toil from its throne as the moulder of character, and to set up in its stead the goddess of indolence. There is such an insane rush after p!ra>,:re and luxury to the exclusion of legitimate business uud .i.j:i...u living, tliiU it i- high time we called a halt to consider whither this mad race is leading, for, verily, its destination seems to be a fool's paradise. I have not one word to say against healthy sport or recreation—such things improve the mind and broaden the sympathies of man. It is the idle-do- nothing spirit that I condemn, for it corrupts our manhood and saps the life-blood of the nation. It was this very indolence that had thrown a pall over the Grecian Empire, and which eventually spelt ruin for the Roman Empire, and one does not require a very extended vision to perceive that history will repeat itself in our own case, unless we are wise enough to profit by the experiences of other nations before it is too late. The best index of the state of a nation is the activity of its people; let us therefore be diligent. Consider this exhortation in relation to

CAPITAL AND LABOR. It is applicable alike to master and servant, and finds its highest expression in the endeavor to give an adequate return for services rendered. Diligence is the keynote of successful enterprise, and when diligence lays its lingers on the keyboard of commerce the result is harmony between capital and labor. In contradistinction to this, notice the discord that results when the keyboard is ruled by indolence—either in master or servant. The employer thinks that his employees are not giving their best in return for their wages, and the men feel that the remuneration for their services is inadequate: hence the divorce between capital and labor. Diligence in the men mast be met by diligence in the master (and vice versa), and the united activity of these two forces operating along humane lines will settle industrial disputes and impart a higher tone to the communitv. From this we learn that

WORK IS A CHRISTIAN DUTY. Work during the six days is as much a duty as rest on the seventh. No one has a right to be without employment of some kind. An idle life—a life that knowj no higher law than the gratification of the desire for leisure and the indulgence of the whims and dictates of fashion, is utterly irreligious. Even those who have inherited or acquired property which ext'-.upts them from the necessity of laboring for their maintenance, are not therefore exempt from work; they are set free for unselfish service to God and man. They have special opportunities of extended service for bettering the conditions of their fellows, and ought to remember that "to whom much is given much shall also be required.'' The devotees of fashion who are content to live a Hitting, aimless, butterfly life, are pursuing a bubble, which, when grasped, will break and resolve itself into the nothingness of lost opportunities: to such ones, I would say. arise from this soulless experience and apply your energies to the development of your character, for it is character alone that will stand the supreme test of eternity. Industry fashions the character and shapes the destiny of men and nations, while indolence engenders a spirit of discontent and reduces men to destitution and misery. Industry enriches man's mind and gives direction to all his aspirations, whereas indolence impoverishes his soul, reduces his powers of resistance, and leaves him a prey to baser desires, and exemplifies the adage, "Satan finds mischief still for idle hands to do."' TiitlnleiK'c renders a

HEAVENLY LIFE IMPOSSIBLE. The life of heaven is a life of intense activity. We have the highest authority for this statement, for did not Jesus say (John v.-17): "My Father worketh hitherto, and f work"? It may be protested that we know nothing of the heavenly life, but nature tells us that we may say with Drummond that there is "natural law in the spiritual world,'' and what, let me ask. is natural law? Is it not that of the activity of all things, and stagnation means death? As Christian men and women, therefore, let us be up and doing, else how are we to

"adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all ll.'iugs"? Our Lord, by example and precept, lias shown that'only thus can we attain a healthy spirituality. Let me say reverently. Jesus Christ was a working man. and though you forget everything else 1 say to-night—l would thai you and 1 would remember this— Jcsii- Christ has for ever set the hallmark of divinity upon honest toil. Tin' man who conscientiously discharges his duty, whether at bench or countinghouse, is therefore honoring God. This leads ii- to the thought that work is the

CIIIiIKTIA.VK I'UIVILKGE. Whatever is commanded as a duty, when rightly understood, is found to be a privilege. Take any command—"Thou shalt not kill." In this commandment we have as a precious jewel the privilege of safety. It is thus that the (lad of love deals with I lis i-rcalnre: "He knowefh what is hot for us." So when we are exhorted to be diligent, we lind that the cslinilation conu's burdened with the -ccret for the development of character. Idleness. mv brother*, leads to the atrophy ~f the higher instincts, develops physical, moral a lid "un"-spiritual imbeciles, and robs life of its purest and best joy>. Diligence, on the other hand, fans

to a ilame whatever spark of goodness is in man's nature, and, by developing his character, deepens the image of God in his soul. Hence we see tluit work and worship are not opposed to each other, for whatever deepens the impression of the Divine in man is surely a valuable adjunct to worship, ami wo have seen that work does this. Diligence in the discharge of our secular duties is not incompatible with progress in the spiritual life, because all our tasks are appointed by God. Paul united work and worship in our text, and they must not be divorced on any pretext whatever. Paul's whole life was characterised by a holy zeal, religion was something very real to him, there were to be no half measures, everything must be out and out, lie had declared in favor of Jesus Christ as his leader, and henceforth in the conflict of life his battle-cry is: "The love of Christ constraineth me." Oh! that this fervor would lay hold upon us, my brothers,* that we might rise into the nobler life of service, our souls aglow with the fire , ; of a divine and sacred love for our fellows! Thus would we see that work and worship are not hostile but that they are necessary to each other. Worship without work becomes a soulless thing, the soul evaporates from it, like faith without works it is dead. Worship is the act of paying homage to God, and the homage of idleness is an insult to that Being Who has given us various gifts to use in His service. Work without worship, on the other hand, cramps our higher faculties, and reduces maw to a creature of routine, whose outlook on life is menaced by materialism. Thus we see that if we would develop into the full stature of manhood in Christ Jesus we must be diligent in business; fervent 1 in spirit; serving the Lord. In this way work may be uplifted into worship, and worship will 'bring us into touch with all the fullness of God. For this let us follow in the footsteps of our Divine Master, Who was willing to spend and be spent in the service of humanity.

Go, labor on; spend and be spent, Thy joy to do the Father's will; It is the way the Master went, Should not the servant tread it still?

Go, labor on, 'tis not for naught, Thy earthly loss is heavenly gain; Men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not; The Master praises; what are men?

Go, labor on, while it is day; The world's dark night is hastening on; Speed, speed thy work, cast sloth away, It is not thus that souls are won.