21. Religious Sluggards

Religious Sluggards "Their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord"—Nehemiah 3:5.

"Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep."—Proverbs 19:15.

"Let us not sleep, as do others"—1 Thessalonians 5:6. An American paper has the following in its corner of wit and anecdote:—"A Sunday-school boy at Maysville, Ky., was asked by the superintendent the other day if his father was a Christian. 'Yes, sir,' he replied, 'but he is not working at it much.'" In too many cases the same statement might be made, for multitudes have a name to live and are dead, and the love of many has waxed cold. Religion is a profession with them, but it is not accompanied by practice. Now, of all pursuits in the world the Christian profession requires the most energetic action, and it utterly fails where diligence and zeal are absent. What can a man do as a farmer, a merchant, a carpenter, or even as a beggar unless he follows up his calling with activity and perseverance? A sluggard desireth and hath nothing, whatever his trade may be. What then can he hope to win who calls himself a Christian and neither learns of Christ as his teacher, nor follows him as his Master, nor serves him as his Prince? Salvation is not by works, but it is salvation from idleness; we are not saved because we are earnest; but he who is not earnest has great reason to question whether he is saved. Do you know a Christian who never attends week-day services, and only comes to public worship once on the Sunday?" He is not working at it much." Do you know a professor who is not engaged in the Sabbath School, the Visiting Society, the Tract Association, or in any other form of usefulness? "He is not working at it much." Do you know a man who gives little or nothing to the work of the Lord, neglects family prayer, never says a word for Jesus, and never intercedes for perishing souls? "He is not working at it much." Perhaps he is the best judge of his religion and does not think it worth being diligent about. We heard of one who said his religion did not cost him a shilling a year, and a friend observed that he thought it was more than it was worth; and in the present case we may conclude that a man's religion is a very poor affair when "he does not work at it much." Our Lord does not set before us the Christian life as a dainty repose, but as a warfare and a struggle. He bids us "strive to enter in at the strait gate," and never suggests to us that we can enter into his rest if we are not willing to wear his yoke. Faith saves us, but it is the faith which worketh by love; all our salvation is wrought in us by the Lord both as to willing and doing, but yet we are to work it out with fear and trembling; which also by his grace we will henceforth do.

"Sure I must fight if I would reign;

Increase my courage, Lord!

I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by thy word."