16
Christian Education
this inexcusable ignorance in regard to the most needful duties of life
which makes very many unhappy families.
The impression that work is degrading to fashionable life, has laid
thousands in the grave who might have lived. Those who perform only
manual labor frequently work to excess, without giving themselves
[20]
periods of rest, while the intellectual class overwork the brain, and
suffer for want of the healthful vigor physical labor gives. If the
intellectual would share the burden of the laboring class to a degree,
that the muscles might be strengthened, the laboring class might do
less, and devote a portion of their time to mental and moral culture.
Those of sedentary and literary habits should exercise the physical,
even if they have no need to labor so far as means is concerned. Health
should be a sufficient inducement to lead them to unite physical with
their mental labor.
Intellectual, physical, and moral culture should be combined in
order to have well-developed and well-balanced men and women.
Some are qualified to exercise greater intellectual strength than others,
while others are inclined to love and enjoy physical labor. Both of
these should seek to improve where they are deficient, that they may
present to God their entire being, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable
to him, which is their reasonable service. The habits and customs
of fashionable society should not shape their course of action. The
inspired apostle adds, “And be not conformed to this world; but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is
that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” [
Romans 12:2
.]
Thinking men’s minds labor too hard. They frequently use their
mental powers prodigally; while there is another class whose highest
aim in life is physical labor. The latter class do not exercise the mind.
Their muscles are exercised, while their brain is robbed of intellectual
strength; and the brain-workers neglect exercising the muscles, and
rob their bodies of strength and vigor. Those who are content to devote
their lives to physical labor, and leave others to do the thinking for
them, while they simply carry out what other brains have planned, will
[21]
have strength of muscle, but feeble intellects. Their influence for good
is small in comparison with what it might be if they would use their
brains as well as their muscles. This class fall more readily if attacked
with disease, because the system is not vitalized by the electrical force
of the brain to resist disease.