io tbc duty of everybody to see that he is not dependent upon other people's labours if he con help himself. The man who squanders his money in prosperous times, and throws himself on public charity directly he is ill or out of work, is guilty of gross selfishness amounting to dishonesty. It is plainly every man's duty not only to keep himself and his family, but, where it is possible, to make fit provision for the future, or he will be robbing others of their maintenance. Hence one obligation to be industrious and thrifty. 11. WonK IS FOR OUR OWN GOOD. People talk of the curse of toil, little kuowing that it is onij of the greatest blessings we have. Better talk of the curse of itlleness. It is a happy thing that man has to earn bis bread with the sweat of his brow. Work develops strength-strength of mind as well as strength of limb. The self-made man is not invariably a model of grace; but he is usually a specimen of sturdy vigour of character, as different from the limp conventionality of indolence as granite rock from drifting sea-weed. III. WE ARE ALL STEW ARDS, The servant is required to be industrious for his master's sake. His time is not his own. He is not at liberty, therefore, to lounge about in dreamy idleness. We are stewards of the things lent us by God. He has sent us to work in his vineyard. In due time he will call us to account. "To be blame- less as a steward of God" a man must be faithful, honest, industrious. IV. CHilISTIANITY INCULCATES DILIGENCE. No greater mistake can be made than to suppose that tbe New Testament favours indolence. The ideal of Oriental monas- ticism is derived from other sources. Even the monks in the West knew better. In its palmy days European monasticism was the centre of honest toil. The monks cleared forests, reclaimed bogs, built cathedrals, cultivated farms, studied, laboriously copied and preserved for us the invaluable treasures of the literature of antiquity. Amongst other fruits of grace in the Christian's heart will be increased diliii:ence in business. Christian principle, however, is necessary to consecrate industry. "Without it wealth will be a god, business an absorbing worldly influence, and success a source of low selfish pleasure. But he who is diligent on Christian principle will make his business holy by working in it as the servant of Christ, and his wealth holy by dedicating it to the use of God.
Ver. 5.-Sleep in harvest. I. SLEEP IN HARVEST IS FOOLISH, BECAUSE THIS IS THB: TIME FOR THE HARVEST-WORK. We may afford to be slack in the winter. Through the long frosts when the ground is like iron, during heavy rains when to poach on the fields is only injurious to the crops, much work is necessarily suspended. But harvest claims nll time and all energy. Every man must be at work, fresh hands taken on, :md longer hours spent in the field. How preposterous to be sleeping then I There nre harvest-times in life-times when we are called to awake to more than ordinary energy. Youth, though in many respects a seed-time, also has some of the characteristics of harvest. It is the summer-time when work is pleasant, and when there is little to hinder it. If a man will not work in these bright days, how can he expect to be able to lnbour when the cramps and agues of wintry old age seize upon him? It is also the time of a great ingathering, when knowledge must be accumulated for future use. If this harvest season is passed in idleness, it will be impossible to fill the granary of the mind with stores of knowledge in after-years. But there are other special oppor- tunities for work. We seem to have come upon the great season of the world's harvest. "'l'he fields are now white." India is open, China and Africa are opening up; and the call"is loud for labourers to go forth and gather the precious sheaves into the garner of the Lord. If there may have been some excuse for indolence in the dark ages of tyranny and ignorance, there is none now, when communication is made easy and vast opportunities for service are afforded us. II. SLEEP IN HARVEST IS FOOLISH, BECAUSE IT WILL RESULT IN THE LOSS OF ALL PREVIOUS LABOUR. The monotonous toil of the ploughman, the careful work of the sower, the tiresome weeding, all the labour of spring and summer, will be wasted if the harvest is to he left to rot in the fields. All this was only intended to prepare the way for the harvest. So there are times when we are called to make use of the long preparatory labours of after-years. The barrister begins to plead, the surgeon to practise, the minister to preach. If they are remiss now, their university honours will 202 THE PROVERBS. [011. x. 1-32.
add to the discredit of failure in real life. The training is all wasted if wo necr\ect to put it to its final uso. So the Christian labourer, the missionary, tho preacher, the Sunday school teacher, should feel that all their work is to tend to the ir:1thering in of souls for Christ. If they miss that result, the rest is of little good. Care, diligence, prayer, are most called for that the previous labour may not be "in vain in the Lord." Hence t~e resRonsibility of the teachers of elder scholars in a Sunday school. The harvest-time ot the school-work falls upon them. If they are unfaithful, all the pre- vious toil of preparing the soil in the infant school and sowing the seed in the lower classes may be thrown away. Ill. SLEEP IN HARVEST IS FOOLISH, BECAUSE IT WILL BRING FAMINE IN THE WINTER. The harvest is a brief, swift period. It is soon to give place to the chill autumn, and that to the dreary winter. If the fruit is not gathered then it can never be gathered in later days. Yet it will be sadly wanted. The old year's corn will run out and a crreat cry for bread will go up from a famished people. 'l'hen the folly of ultim~te indolence will be felt in slow agony and death. We need all to remember that there is a winter coming. Let the strong man labour in harvest for the winter of growincr infirmities in olrl age; let the prosperous labour in seasons of plenty, that they may h:'ve by them fat kine to be devoured in years of scarcity ; let the happy make use of their oppor- tunities, that they may be ready for the sorrows of the future. Apply the lesson to national affairs. In times of peace and plenty see that debts are paid off, grievances reformed, and all things made right and strong in preparation for possible national calamities. Apply it to commercial affairs, so that times of good trade may not lead to extravagance aild luxury, but to more thrift. Apply it to spiritual things-to the church generally, that in peace and liberty sound principles may be instilled and strong Christian characters built up :fit to stand the shock of persecution; to the individual, and see that we gather the bread of life now which shall make us able to withstand the barrenness of the winter of death. If we sleep in this our harvest-time, what dread awaking must we look forward to?