The Hearth-Stone: Thoughts Upon Home-Life in Our CitiesOsgood, Samuel
Religion
The Hearth-Stone: Thoughts Upon Home-Life in Our Cities
Osgood, Samuel
Christian life; Conduct of life
attach to the words--"Not slothful in business." Nay, how can a man be
thoroughly faithful to his daily calling, and use the judgment, energy,
and punctuality essential to the best efficiency, without a training that
looks beyond the shop or office, and introduces him into all the generous
relations of life? In fact, what is business well understood, but the
practical side of life in all its moral and spiritual aspects, as well as
its bodily wants?
* * * * *
Certainly in its own way, the world is ready to require a certain kind of
heartiness in practical affairs, and to regard a certain fervor of feeling
as a pleasant trait in diligence. In its own way it will repeat the second
clause of the apostle, and add "fervent in spirit" to "not slothful in
business." The spirit of trade itself is among us very earnest, and those
men are liked best by their associates, who grace practical energy by a
good share of hearty fellowship and generous enthusiasm. This is well, but
it is not all of the interpretation of the words. Fervor thus interpreted
sometimes would be more fitly called fever, for it is more the hot haste
of the blood than the genial life of the affections, more the gambler's
madness than the disciple's zeal. Fervor in spirit means far less and far
more than this--far less in extravagance and far more in power. It means
that the cares of business should neither chill the heart with avarice,
nor inflame it with passion; and that a man should be more spiritual as he
becomes more practical.
Does any one wonder at this statement? Some persons indeed speak, as if
the spiritual and the practical were antagonist terms. But they are quite
the reverse, and eminently in alliance. Consider them on their human and
their divine side. What is more practical than spirit? what more essential
to efficient action? Certainly he who acts out the most and the best
spirit is the most practical man. He who is most experienced in training
himself or others to practical affairs, knows very well that success comes
according as spirit animates the daily routine, and each day's details
grow out of a root of hearty interest. We really believe that the greatest
business men have been full of spirit, and that the greatest spiritualists
have been eminently practical,--the mere drudge being a faulty business
man, and the mere dreamer a very poor spiritualist.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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