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Now, from many causes, "from the temper of the day, and from the temper of our nation, the being busy is most natural to us"; around us on every hand men and women are largely occupied, toiling for the necessaries, for the comforts, or for the luxuries of life. The more men have, the more they seem to need, and so that desire. Still, to be busy is natural, and to be busy is good; slothfulness, in the case of the majority, would mean poverty or misery. Honest industry stands upon the footing of being a service agreeable to God. Herein lies one of the trials of this life.

1. In proportion as a person's work is great, as the activity of busy life increases, especially if that activity be attended with temporal success, then increases the danger of this God-ward aspect being lost sight of — the work comes to be more and more regarded, as from the first it may have been taken up, only on its earthly side. So much of success seems to be dependent on the individual himself, his knowledge, his energies, his foresight, that at last he comes to say, "My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this," forgetting "Who it is that gives power to get it." Then mark what flows from this forgetfulness of God, or this failing to recognise life's work as given us of Him.

2. Restlessness and disquietude, when success is denied: pride and presumption when it flows in full tide. The present are days of great restlessness; disquietude and much anxiety are too common. Oh! it is sad to see, "a sight which makes a thinking man weep at any time, to look around him anywhere, and see how Satan and the world are befooling souls for which Christ died, and which might find rest in Him."

3. The third trial to which busy life is exposed, is the trial of procrastination, the putting off until the "convenient season" life's higher duties. "Business" in these days seems to occupy all people's time, and nearly all their thoughts. It thins our churches, breeds a painful irregularity in the actions of the truer life of the soul.

4. Another trial which attends busy life is the trial of steadfastness. "Business" is often another name for the world; and what a world is this with which we have to do! What a mixture of good and bad, of vice and virtue, of honesty and corruption! And when the Christian has to face all this, to mix daily with all this, to act under or against all this, how terrible must be the strain on his steadfastness, that is, his walking uprightly before God.

5. The last trial is the trial of integrity: that trial, I mean, which, in some form or other, comes to every one — the conflict between principle and our interest. Oh! in the busy life, does not this conflict rage? Such are a few, a very few, of the many trials of busy life. The one leading thought of them all, is this, their danger — unless we be watchful — to divert the soul from its God. Their snare is to leave no time, or to leave no inclination, or to leave no power for high and holy things. But this, remember, through the abuse of them, not through the right and prayerful use. If God has given us our work, however great, we must do it, and we may do it unto Him.

(C. C. Chamberlain, M. A.)

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KJV: I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

WEB: I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet however any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.