If men in bad work can encourage each other, should not men engaged in honest artisanship and mechanism speak words of good cheer?
1. Men see in their own work hardships and trials, while they recognise no hardships or trials in anybody else’s occupation. Every man’s burden is the heaviest, and every woman’s task is the hardest. We find people wanting to get other occupations and professions. Now, the beauty of our holy religion is that God looks down upon all the occupations and professions; and while I cannot understand your annoyances, and you cannot understand mine, God understands them all. I will speak this warning of the general hardships of the working classes. You may not belong to this class, but you are bound as Christian men and women to know their sorrows and sympathise with them, and as political economists to come to their rescue. You do a great wrong to the labouring classes if you hold them responsible for the work of the scoundrelly anarchists. You may do your duty toward your employes, but many do not, and the biggest business firm to-day is Grip, Gouge, Grind and Company. By what principle of justice is it that women in many of our cities get only two-thirds as much as men, and in many cases only half? Here is the gigantic injustice, that for work equally well, if not better, done woman receives far less compensation than man. Has toil frosted the colour of your cheeks? Has it taken all spontaneity from your laughter? Has it subtracted the spring from your step, and the lustre from your eye, until it has left you only half the man you were when you first put your hand on the hammer and your foot on the wheel? To-morrow in your place of toil, listen, and you will hear a voice above the hiss of the furnace, and the groan of the foundry, and the clatter of the shuttle--a voice not of machinery, nor of the task-master, but the voice of an all-sympathetic God, as He says, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Let all men and women of toil remember that this work will soon be over. Have they not heard that there is a great holiday coming? Oh, that home, and no long walk to get to it! I wish they would put their head on this pillow stuffed with the down from the wing of all God’s promises. “There remains a rest for the people of God.”
2. Another great trial is privation of taste and sentiment. I do not know of anything much more painful than to have a fine taste for painting and sculpture and music and glorious sunsets and the expanse of the blue sky, and yet, not to be able to get the dollar for the oratorio, or to get a picture, or to buy one’s way into the country to look at the setting sun and at the bright heavens.
3. Then there are a great many who suffer not only in the privation of their tastes, but in the apprehension and the oppressive surroundings of life. (T. DeWitt Talmage, D. D.)
Encouragements for working men
1. One of the greatest safeguards against evil is plenty to do. I see a pool of water in the country, and I say, “Thou slimy fetid thing, what does all this mean? Didn’t I see you playing with those shuttles and turning that grist-mill?” “Oh yes,” says the water, “I used to earn my living.” I say again, “Then what makes you look so sick? Why are you covered with this green scum? Why is your breath so vile?” “Oh,” says the water, “I have nothing to do. I am disgusted with shuttles and wheels. I am going to spend my whole lifetime here, and while yonder stream sings on its way down the mountain-side, here I am left to fester and die accursed of God because I have nothing to do!” Sin is an old pirate that bears down on vessels whose sails are flapping idly in the wind. The arrow of sin has hard work to puncture the leather of an old working-apron.
2. Another encouragement is the fact that their families are going to have the very best opportunity for development and usefulness. That may sound strange to you, but the children of fortune are very apt to turn out poorly. The son of the porter that kept the gate learns his trade, gets a robust physical constitution, achieves high moral culture, and stands in the front rank of Church and State.
3. Again, I offer as encouragement that you have so many opportunities of gaining information. The Countess of Anjou gave two hundred sheep for one volume. Jerome ruined himself financially by buying one copy of Origen. Oh, the contrast!
4. Your toils in this world are only intended to be a discipline by which you shall be prepared for heaven. (T. De Witt Talmage, D. D.)
A call to action
I propose to address myself--
I. TO THOSE WHO PROFESS THE FAITH OF CHRIST. Is there no work for you to do? Join some of the regiments; belong to the artillery, or the cavalry, or the infantry of the Church. Woe unto them that are at ease in Zion.
II. TO THOSE WHO PROFESS NOT TO BE CHRISTIANS.
1. There are some of you who say you are kept back by your worldly engagements. Will you let your store, your office, your shop, stand between you and heaven?
2. There is somebody who says: “I am afraid someone will laugh at me if I become a Christian.” Will you allow your soul to be caught in such a thin trap as human scorn? Can these people who laugh at your seriousness insure you for the future?
3. There may be young people who say, “We are too young yet. Wait a little while, after we have enjoyed the world more; and then we will become Christians.” I ask any young man if that is fair--to sit down at a banquet all your life long, and have everything you want, and then at the close, when you are utterly exhausted, say, “Lord Jesus, there are dregs in that cup; you may drink them. Lord Jesus, there are crumbs under that table; you may take them up”?
4. I heard some say, “I am too old.” If thou canst not do any more than tremble towards the Cross, if thou art too weak to-night to hold the staff, if all thy soul seems to be bowed down with sorrow, just stumble the way, and put thy withered arms around that Cross, and life, and joy, and pardon, and salvation will come to you.
5. I hear someone say, “Give me more time to think of this!” What is time? (T. DeWitt Talmage, D. D.)
A model Church
I. It is a scene of ACTIVITY. We all enjoy activity in the natural world. When the winter frosts have melted, and the streams gush down the mountain-side, and the trees begin to put out their livery of green, we enjoy it. Life is a scene of activity in the physical universe. So it is in the business world. So it is with intellectual activity. The long years of the Middle Ages have passed, and the darkness enveloping Europe lifts up. The printing-press is doing a work beyond that of the old feudal castle. Still more is it the case when there comes spiritual life in a church or in a parish; everybody feels happy.
II. It is a scene of CHEERFUL, COURAGEOUS TOIL. The carpenter encourages the goldsmith. Many people discourage. The carpenter is querulous, and he says, “Look here, Mr. Goldsmith, I think you had better do your work so.” “What do you know about goldsmithing?” says the other; “you are a carpenter; attend to your own business,” and thus angry words pass between them. It is so in our churches. “Singing,” says one; “what do you know about singing?” “You don’t preach quite right,” says one. “Would you like to try?” A sensible man says, “I cannot preach; I think my minister knows how to preach, and I will pray for him if he makes a mistake now and then.” He knows how to encourage him.
III. It is a scene of PROMPT INDUSTRY AND THOROUGH WORK. When a man gets a reputation for dilatoriness his fate is sealed. The model Church does thorough work, and does it promptly.
IV. THEY ARE ALL WORKING FOR ONE COMMON END. The Church has one end. This man attends to the singing; this man to the children; this man looks after the working men’s class; this man attends to outdoor relief; another visits the mothers; others attend to this, that, and the other, but they are all working for one end. The Church is a unity--a unity in spirit, in aim, in end. (E. P. Thwing.)
All at work
I. THEY WERE ALL AT WORK. Many of us like activity. In the intellectual world all is life and go. In the political world it is the same. “Rest and be thankful” belongs to other days. It should be just like that in the Church of Jesus Christ. Here, stagnation means death.
II. THE ENCOURAGEMENT WHICH THEY GAVE EACH OTHER. Men will work, and work well, when their efforts are appreciated. Even the dumb animals which have become the companion and worker for man seem to understand encouragement, and will, in many ways, show their appreciation of it.
III. THE QUALITY OF THEIR WORK. “It was fastened with nails, and could not be moved.” Work done under the circumstances of the text was sure to be good--do your work well. Do not catch the spirit of the age. This is the day of the jerry builder. Quantity is often considered rather than quality. Outward show is the order of the day. It is important for us all to remember that what we can do for God depends upon what we are before God. We can only teach what we know. (C. Leach, D. D.)
A society of encouragers
Societies already exist in multitude--societies religious, political, social, literary, etc; but there is room for another. It need not displace any existing ones that are worthy of continuance; it can fulfil its purpose by infusing into them all a new spirit--a spirit of brightness, of good cheer, and strengthening comradeship. Ipropose to call it “The Society of Encouragers.”
I. ITS BASIS IS LAID IN NEIGHBOURLINESS AND BROTHERLINESS. Does anyone ask, “Who is my neighbour?” Let him read again the parable of the Good Samaritan. In that story neighbourliness stands for love, sympathy, kindness, help, and all those qualities that constitute practical religion. It bridges, at a leap, the chasm of national distinctions. My neighbour’s house may be near or far in situation, his rental may stand at £80 a year, and mine at £20. His walls may be adorned with the costliest pictures, and I may be indebted to the enterprising activity of tradesmen at Christmas-time for any adornment on mine; or the financial positions of each may be transposed, but we are neighbours. We live to help each other. Is there trouble anywhere? That is enough, my place is there; and when the hour of distress comes for me, I shall not be without a friend. But there is a deeper word still In the new society, we are brothers. “Every one said to his brother, Be of good cheer.” This strikes a yet tenderer chord. “Have we not all one Father?” This will settle the relations between capital and labour by uniting master and man in a common bond of reciprocal interest. Carry it to its furthest issue, and it will solve all questions of national and international strife by brining in the reign of “Peace on earth and goodwill to men.”
II. AS TO ITS RAISON D’ETRE.
1. The new society exists for kindly speech to one another. “Every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.” A word in season, how good it is! There is helpfulness and inspiration in kindly, encouraging speech. The ministry that never fails is the ministry of encouragement.
2. It exists for kindly speech of one another. In the new society we pledge ourselves to think and act towards the living as we do for those who have passed into the Great Silence. Many have died before their time for want of a Society of Encouragers. Sympathy is vain that is reserved for the eulogy of the dead or flower-wreaths for the coffin-lid. Expend it now.
3. The new society exists also for mutual effort. “They helped every one his neighbour.” The kindly word is valuable and precious, but it is better still when crystalised into action. What the world wants is the practical application of the religion of Jesus Christ, whose human life is summed up in the brief sentence: “Who went about doing good.”
4. The new society is a society of workers “The carpenter encouraged the goldsmith.” You can put your own trade or profession in. All may be included whose calling is honest, just, and pure. What is wanted is a sense of comradeship, and this the new society provides. The isolation is removed. We no longer work alone, but side by side, in the world’s great workshop.
III. THE UNITING BOND OF ALL IS LOVE. Love is the common bond that unites man to man, neighbour to neighbour, brother to brother, and all together to Him who is Love s primal fount and source. (A. Hancock.)
Humble co-operation
A traveller, standing outside Cologne Cathedral, expressed his admiration of its beauty. “Yes,” said a labourer, who was near; “it’s a fine building, and took us many a year to finish.” “Took you!” exclaimed the tourist; “why, what have you to do with it?” “I mixed the mortar, sir,” was the modest yet proud reply. (Home Magazine.)
