And this way of looking at God's
earth would not make us idle; it would not tempt us to sit with
folded hands for God's blessings to drop into our mouths. No! I
believe it would make men far more industrious than ever mere self-
interest can make them; they would say, 'God is our Father, He gave
us His own Son, He gives us all things freely, we owe Him not
slavish service, but a boundless debt of cheerful gratitude.
Therefore we must do His will, and we are sure His will must be our
happiness and comfort--therefore we must do His will, and His will
is that we should WORK, and therefore we MUST work. He has bidden
us labour on this earth--He has bidden us dress it and keep it,
conquer it and fill it for Him. We are His stewards here on earth,
and therefore it is a glory and an honour to be allowed to work here
in God's own land--in our loving Father's own garden. We do not
know why He wishes us to labour and till the ground, for He could
have fed us with manna from heaven if He liked, as He fed the Jews
of old, without our working at all. But His will is that we should
work; and work we will, not for our own sakes merely, but for His
sake, because we know He likes it, and for the sake of our brothers,
our countrymen, for whom Christ died.
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