---

1. Am I wrong in thinking that most of us take our religion much too easily? Where is the "labour"? Where is the difficult part? And yet a religious life is always set before us as a very difficult thing — Work. "Work while it is day." "Go work in My vineyard." "Strive to enter in." "We labour to enter into the rest." We get up in the morning, and we say a prayer, and perhaps read a few verses in the Bible, or some religious book, before we leave our room. During the day, we have one or two religious thoughts. Perhaps we do some act of kindness which costs us very little, and which we do with a very mixed motive. Am I understating the religion of your day? or am I overstating it? But does it correspond with the description which the Bible gives of a religious life? Does this satisfy the requirements of God? Is your conscience satisfied? Where is the self-denial? Where is the "labour"? Was this Christ's life?

2. Why do you find your religion such a tame thing? Why do you make such a little progress? Why have not you the enthusiasm which some have? Why is your religion unattractive to other people? It wants "labour." Nothing will restore that neglected field but hard work. Digging, tilling, watering, fencing, weeding, burning, that restores a field! True, it is all of grace. God must give the sunshine, and you must spread the seed to receive it. Let any farmer say what is the secret of fertilising his land. "Labour." Let every man of great learning and high intellectual power say where is the secret of his great knowledge and mental power. He would say, "Fag." Let every experienced Christian say what has made him what he is. He will say, "Labour; hard work." "In all labour there is profit."

3. The "labour" may differ in different persons. A woman's work is very different to a man's. The work of one class of society may be chiefly manual; but God makes His unity out of man's diversity. I would that you would invest in "labour." If you wish to lead a happy life, you will never find it in what you are to get, but you will find it in what you are to give. Get out of this pointless, easy-going, unsatisfying, useless life. Let me go with you a step or two. In the morning do not waste your time in bed, but wake early to the realities of life. Try to begin with a good thought. Discipline yourself, even in dressing. Take pains with your morning prayer. Have some arrangement. Stop the first wandering thought. And when you read your Bible, go deep. Look for inner meanings. All the day long, remember your own particular danger, and be on your guard about it. Try to raise your own and others' conversation to a higher level. Set to yourself in life some special work which you believe God calls you to do. It may be for the poor, for the suffering, for the school, for the sick, for the heathen, for the Church, for Christ. And remember, whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.

(J. Vaughan, M.A.)

---

---

KJV: In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.

WEB: In all hard work there is profit, but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.