My young readers, whether would you rather play or
work? I think I can guess your answer. "Play —play—play!" is it not?
Well, I don't blame you for liking your play; but what say you about
work, as well as play? Do you like it also? "No," says Tom, "I don't
like these lessons about grammar,"—"Nor I," says Jack, "this
arithmetic,"—"Nor I," says Jane, "this practising on the piano to learn
music, or this stitch, stitch, stitching, to learn to sew,"—" Nor I,"
says Mary, "this French lesson, and these long pages of history." But
you would all like to play, would you not? and to laugh, romp, sing,
swing, and amuse yourselves all day long?—no lessons to learn, no one to
find fault, or to trouble you—but just to enjoy yourselves in being
idle, and doing whatever you pleased! Now I know your parents and
masters have no objection that you should have your nice and happy
games, because they love you; but for the very same reason they will
make you work, whether you like it or not. They know that, if you were
allowed to grow up idle and ignorant, you would be both useless and
miserable. But would it not be better, my young friends, if you liked
your work, and did it with a good will? And why? Just because it is
right; for it is given you by God, your Master and your Father,
who also gives you all your play and enjoyment. Now, it is a delightful
sight to see you enjoy your play heartily, and also to see you do your
work heartily; but, oh! it is an ugly sight to see a boy or girl idle
and lazy, hating their duty—to see them dragged to their lessons, as if
it was a punishment—to see them sulky or sleepy over them, as if they
said, "Although it is all for our own good, and although it pleases our
parents and masters on earth, and our Father and Master in heaven, when
we do our duty carefully and cheerfully, yet we hate it, and won't do
it, if we can help it." I say again that a lazy boy or girl is a sad
spectacle, and no one can love or respect them, for they are selfish,
disobedient, and useless.
Come and learn a lesson from this picture! See how
that man bends his neck to his work, and how, with strong arms and
steady eye, he guides his plough along the furrow! See these noble
horses how they press forward, and put their whole strength to the
plough, so that it moves on without a halt, and turns up the earth like
brown waves. Look, too, at these wild sea-gulls that have left the white
waves of that ocean which is breaking on the shore, and have fled far to
gather their day's food from the dark waves of this furrowed field. See
the black rooks that have come from their trees to join their white
friends from the ocean, and are getting such a dinner as they have not
tasted during the whole winter. How busy they all are ! There is no
idleness or laziness here ! And what would become of us if every one was
to become idle and sulky, and yawn, and get cross, and say, "Oh, I don't
like work! I won't do it. I want fun, and nothing but fun!" Well, let us
see how you would get on if everybody took this into their head.
You want shoes. "Oh," says every shoemaker,
"we don't like working; and we won't make shoes. These children may go
barefooted." You want clothes. "Oh," says every tailor, "we don't like
work; and we won't cut clothes or stitch them. These children may go
naked." You want a house. "Oh," says every mason, "we don't like work;
and we won't build a house. These children may lie in the fields.'' You
want bread. "I won't work," says the baker. "Then give us the flour!"
you cry. "I won't work, and grind it," says the miller. "Then give us
the wheat!" "I won't work, and thrash it," says the farmer. "Then give
us the sheaves!" "We won't work, and cut them down," say the reapers.
"Oh, then, do get another field, and sow some wheat for us, or we shall
die of starvation!" cry the children. But neither the ploughman nor
horses will work! They all wish to be idle, and to amuse themselves!
What, now, is to become of us if every one resolves to be idle? Oh,
children, I daresay you smile when you think how all the world would
suffer and die if all became lazy, like some boys and girls I have seen,
who say, "We don't like work; and we won't do it!" Dear young readers,
it is God's will that we should work! See how He works Himself! He has
made everything you see on earth and in the sky, and it is He who takes
care of all. See, too, how He has made everything to be useful, and
nothing to be idle, and to live for itself alone. The sun is giving its
heat and light to the world, and the clouds carry water and pour it in
showers over the earth, and the earth brings forth its food for man and
beast. "The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his
place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about
unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth
again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet
the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither
they return again. All things are full of labour." (Eccles. i. 5-8.)
Every beast, and bird, and insect, too, is busy all the day, and some at
night, in providing food for themselves or their young, or in making
houses or nests for themselves. Hear only in spring how the birds sing
and work ! This is what God says to the lazy: "Go to the ant, thou
sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide,
overseer, or ruler, pro-videth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her
food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt
thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a
little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one
that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man." (Prov. vi. 6-11.) And
all the good people about whom you read in the Bible were busy and
active in their work. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob travelled far, and
worked hard as shepherds. Joseph was one of the busiest men in Egypt.
Moses worked till he was one hundred and twenty years old. The Apostle
Paul travelled and preached for thirty years, and supported himself and
others by the labour of his hands, and it was he who said that, "if any
man did not work, neither let him eat." But why need I mention any other
example, when we have the life of God's own Son, our Saviour Jesus
Christ! He worked with His own hands as a carpenter at Nazareth. When He
began to preach, He went about doing good—night and day labouring for
others; often wearied, but never slothful. It was He who said, "I must
work the works of Him that sent me while it is called to day." And ere
He left the world He said, "I have finished the work Thou hast given me
to do." Dear children, we must learn to have the same spirit, if we wish
to be friends of Christ, and children of God. Remember, too, that we
must give an account at the great day of judgment of the way in which we
live now. Boys and girls can know their duties just as well as other
people, and they can please God as well as the patriarchs and apostles,
by doing what is right, as they did. If you are thus conscientious, when
young, over a few small things, like learning lessons, or doing whatever
work is your duty, your Master in heaven will be able to say to you,
"Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a
few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.' But the same
Master will, in anger, say to a lazy and unconscientious boy or girl, "O
thou wicked and slothful servant!" Pray to God, then, to bless you every
day, to do your work honestly, cheerfully, and well, and then you will
enjoy your play the more; for you will be happy in your own heart, and
pleased with yourselves, because you have tried to please God.
