252 Transactions of the 



may beleaguer the entrance, but he can bar them out, while satisfac- 

 tion, peace, and happiness attend him in his toil. The result is a 

 state of mind that inclines toward morality — a thoughtful, tranquil 

 state, in which those virtues spring up which, as they grow strong, 

 will become the allies of whatever is good. Hence, no doubt, is the 

 origin of the maxim of the old monks, "work is worship." For in 

 this sense, work is of a religious nature — the gospel not announced 

 in words, yet written in the history of the ages, that well-being is to 

 be thus attained. Public morals have suffered from nothing more 

 than from the idleness of men. It is the bane of society, opening 

 the floodgates of evil that rushes over whatever may be in its path — 

 of which no sadder testimony has ever been furnished than has 

 come to our knowledge within these last few years. Idleness is the 

 vortex in which a throng of young men and women have been 

 engulfed, accounts of whose ruin have crowded our papers. Idle- 

 ness, the indisposition to get an honest living by work, is the cause 

 of thefts, and robberies, and burglaries, and counterfeiting in such 

 amount that reform schools and prisons are overflowing. Idleness 

 heads the train of drunkards, and gamblers, and swindlers, whose 

 name is legion. Idleness hardens the heart, dissipates good impres- 

 sions, maintains ignorance of the Bible, refuses to obey God, and 

 throngs the way to death. For the sake of those who are in danger, 

 and for the sake of morality at large, we ought to do all in our power 

 to cultivate a desire to work among all classes of our people, and 

 especially among our young. Why, look around you ; do you find 

 any appliances in nature for inaction? Does nature provide for 

 stagnation, or permit a vacuum ? Look over the universe; do you 

 see any idlers except among men ? The very system, of which we 

 form a part, allows no drones, and by its action it will force them to 

 service, or secure their ruin. 



"What is a man, if his chief good, and market of his time, 

 Be but to sleep and feed ? A beast, no more. 

 Sure, He who made us with such large discourse, 

 Looking before and after, gave us not 

 That capability and God-like reason, to rust in as unused." 



Rousing, stimulating influences are all around us. Motives that 

 should stir our loftiest ambition call on us to work. Such men our 

 age demands, to control its business; to advance its interests; to scat- 

 ter light over the nations; men too earnest in their lofty purposes to 

 become victims of vice; too busy in worthy action to be led astray 

 by villainy; too anxious to bless the race to waste time or effort on 

 what is worthless. There are hidden forms of beauty and worth on 

 every side, which work can bring out. Every one of us may plant 

 a tree which, though rooted in our personal need, may renew its blos- 

 soms and fruit long after us, for others to enjoy and gather, year 

 by year. Every one of us may till the soil, and scatter seed, the 

 harvest of which shall cause those unborn to be thankful that we 

 have lived. Every one of us can make his work to be his bequest to 

 the great future, and the noblest men are they who thus found their 

 life and work in the advance of all ! To such men, no place is high 

 or low, but the reward is as it shall be filled. What honor shall be 

 his who, in any station, shall have wrought out a life of heroic deeds. 

 His work becomes his epitome. In it will be gathered all of mor- 

 ality, and intelligence, and patience, and perseverance, and insight, 

 and ingenuity, and energy he has possessed; and he shall prove that 



