the boilers does its work through machines of
which each little cog-wheel is as indispensable as the great shafts.
Members of the body which seem to be 'more feeble, are necessary.'
Every note in a great concerted piece of music, and every instrument,
down to the triangle and the little drum in the great orchestra, is
necessary. This lesson of the dignity of subordinate work needs to be
laid to heart both by those who think themselves to be capable of
more important service, and by those who have to recognise that the
less honourable tasks are all for which they are fit. To the former
it may preach humility, the latter it may encourage. We are all very
ignorant of what is great and what is small in the matter of our
Christian service, and we have sometimes to look very closely and to
clear away a great many vulgar misconceptions before we can
clearly discriminate between mites and talents. 'We know not which
may prosper, whether this or that'; and in our ignorance of what it
may please God to bring out of any service faithfully rendered to
Him, we had better not be too sure that true service is ever small,
or that the work that attracts attention and is christened by men
'great' is really so in His eyes. It is well to have the noble
ambition to 'desire earnestly the greater gifts,' but it is better to
'follow the more excellent way,' and to seek after the love which
knows nothing of great or small, and without which prophecy and the
knowledge of all mysteries, and all conspicuous and all the shining
qualities profit nothing.

We can discern in Tertius' words a little touch of what we may call
pride in his work. No doubt he knew it to be subordinate, but he also
knew it to be needful; and no doubt he had put all his strength into
doing it well. No man will put his best into any task which he does
not undertake in such a spirit. It is a very plain piece of homely
wisdom that 'what is worth doing at all is worth doing well.' Without
a lavish expenditure of the utmost care and effort, our work will
tend to be slovenly and unpleasing to God, and man, and to ourselves.
We may be sure there were no blots and bits of careless writing in
Tertius' manuscript, and that he would not have claimed the friendly
feelings of his Roman brethren, if he had not felt that he had put
his best into the writing of this epistle. The great word of King
David has a very wide application. 'I will not take that which is
thine for the Lord, nor off