I AM sorry to have to tell you, that people in eastern countries are often very lazy. One traveler tells us that it is no uncommon thing to see an individual, or a group of persons, even when very well dressed, sitting with their feet drawn under them, upon the bare earth, passing whole hours in idle conversation. People in Europe would prefer a chair, but the natives here prefer the ground. In the heat of summer it is pleasant to them to while away their time in this manner, under the shade of a tree. A person of rank in the East often sits down upon the ground, with his attendants about him. Richly adorned females, as well as men, may often be seen thus amusing themselves. As may naturally be expected, with whatever care they may at first choose their place, the flowing dress by degrees gathers up the dust. As this occurs, they from time to time arise, adjust themselves, shake off the dust, and then sit down again." Cobwebs and dust always seem to gather where lazy people are.
But laziness is not confined to people in the East. I am ashamed to say that there are many Christians who are very idle, Christians who scarcely ever do anything for their Master. They live down here just as though they had nothing to do but to please themselves, when really they should be going forth into the fields of the world, to gather in the harvest of God. They forget their Master's words, "Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest" (John 4:3535Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. (John 4:35)); and instead of redeeming the time, because the days are evil, they take a lazy fit, and do nothing. Do nothing, did I say? Nay, for a Christian is always doing something, and if he is not working in the Lord's vineyard, depend upon it he is wasting his time in the devil's service.
"Satan still has something left
For idle hands to do.”
Of course we cannot be all preaching or writing books, but we may all do something for the Lord; and our little "something" may, after all, be a great deal more in the Lord's eyes than a big book or a long sermon Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus, and just listened to His words, was more commended for the part she took, than bustling Martha with all her service. "The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." (1 Sam. 16:77But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7).)
Beds in the East, where people are so fond of them, are often got up in a very handsome style, with every comfort and convenience. I heard of one traveler whose host would have put him to sleep on a bed composed of fifteen mattresses, piled one above the other! The coverlit was of green satin with gold embroidery, and the cushions for his head were of crimson satin, embroidered in the same way. Another bed was covered with a rich brocade, having a gold ground, flowered with many colored silks; while the cushions were of green velvet, similarly adorned. Now I say (and I dare say you will agree with me), that beds like these are positive encouragements to be lazy. And yet how many Christians there are, who, though they may not spend quite this attention on their beds, yet surround themselves with so many luxuries, that they get spiritually lazy, and thoroughly unfit themselves for the service of God!
There are two "woes" in the Old Testament, which are closely connected with the subject of beds; and though they are not addressed to the Christian, their lesson should not be despised. Ezekiel cries, "Woe to the women that sew pillows to all arm-holes.... to hunt souls!" and Amos, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion.... that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches." The women who sewed the pillows were certainly not acting for God, for God is no hunter of souls: they were in the service of Satan, who thought by this means to lull the souls to sleep, and so send them down to hell. Princes and nobles in Persia may be seen at their windows during the heat of the day, reclining on soft carpets, with canvas awnings over their heads, and supported by soft cushions and pillows under their arm-pits: and Satan, speaking figuratively, would like to sew pillows under the arm-holes of Christians. He succeeds in doing so sometimes, and when the Christian is fast asleep, he goes abroad to work his own mischief, and to hunt for souls. It was while men slept, that the enemy sowed tares among the wheat.
I don't know whether you have ever noticed it, but all the people in the Bible who were found in bed at the wrong time, came to no good. I will not make any hard reflections on poor Job, who tried to get comfort out of his bed, and was scared with evil dreams (Job 7:1313When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; (Job 7:13)); but you may remember the case of "Ish-bosheth, who lay on a bed at noon," and was slain by the sons of Rimmon whilst lying there; and you may remember the case of Ahab, who went sulking off to bed, because he could not have a vineyard which he coveted; and he carne to no good either. He was killed in battle, and the dogs licked his blood. And so with Christians—lazy Christians who are living only for themselves—depend upon it they will come to no good. Five years ago, I knew a christian man who was living in a nicely furnished home, surrounded by every comfort, and without a care or an anxiety to burden him. When I next heard of him, he had removed to a much larger house, and furnished it with a lot of luxuries such as no christian man has any need to have about him. Last week his name appeared among the list of bankrupts in a daily newspaper. That man's luxuries had made him lazy, and now he is suffering the consequences of his laziness.
If David had been lying in bed when Saul's messengers came to take him he would, doubtless, have been killed. But no, he got up and fled, and his wife stuck an image in the bed instead of him, and that was all the messengers found. You see, it is only sick people who should lie a-bed in the day time; people like the man with a palsy, in the fifth of Luke, before the Lord healed him. When he was brought to Jesus his back was stretched upon the bed; but after he had been healed, the bed was rolled up upon his back, and we see him walking back to his house in high feather. The day-time is not a proper time for healthy people to lie sleeping.
Yet this, dear christian reader, is a day-time for you and me, and we are children of the day. It is a day of grace for the poor world, too, during which the gospel of God's grace is being preached, and His servants are going from place to place seeking to win souls for Christ: and YOU can help them. Oh, no! you say, I am much too young, I cannot do anything. Wait a moment. Listen to this. A company of men were pushing a boat into the water, but it stuck so fast that they could not move it. "Another pound," said one, "and it will go." "I can push a pound," answered a little boy. Upon the addition of his strength the boat again moved, and soon floated on the water. But all these men could not of themselves move the boat.
But perhaps you still say, It is no use-I am too weak, I cannot do anything. What! Cannot you pray? Cannot you go to God, and ask Him to convert your school-fellows, or your brothers and sisters? Perhaps you have a Christless father, or a Christless mother, and would you not like them to be with you in heaven by-and-by? Then go to God about them, and tell Him exactly what you want. Ask Him, for Jesus' sake, to save their souls; and if your faith be real, depend upon it He will answer your prayer. Go to Him again and again, and do not get faint-hearted if He does not send the answer at once. Satan will whisper to you, "It is no use, give it up, do not trouble any more, you will get no answer." But do not mind that; tell him he is a liar, and he will soon run away. It is only another of his tricks to make you lazy.
Of course, if you pray listlessly, and do not think about what you are saying, or to whom you are speaking, it would be unreasonable to expect a blessing. God is real, and you must be real also. A certain preacher, when replying to the question, "Will our prayers be answered?" said, "Not if we pray as boys whittle sticks, absently, hardly knowing or caring what we are about. I've known men to begin to pray about Adam, and go on from him away down to the present time, whittling their stick clear to a point, with about as much feeling, and doing about as much good as the boy does." That is an illustration of what lazy prayer is.
Of course, prayer is not exactly work, but it is the soul of work; and your weak, stammering requests to God may be made the means of strengthening the hands of others, and in that sense you are indirectly working for God.
Jesus said, "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work." "Ye are all children of the light, and children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. THEREFORE LET US NOT SLEEP, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." This, indeed, is our watching and working time-the resting time will follow. "There remaineth a rest to the people of God." May it be the portion of every reader of these lines!
Sweet Sabbath rest, remaining
To every child of God!
When over is the training,
And all have cross'd the flood.
Sure hope of rest unending,
When conflicts all shall cease,
And every soul be spending
Its jubilee of peace.
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Ah! then, thou Lord of glory,
Thy love shall reign alone
In hearts that bow before Thee,
And know as they are known.
Forever and forever
Thy praise those hearts shall swell;
For love that faileth never,
Eternity must tell.
Redeem'd from every nation,
We'll own Thee worthy then;
While a restored creation,
Gives back the loud-Amen!