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pains_. Take trouble. Whatever you do, do thoroughly. Whatever
you begin, finish. It may not seem to be worth your while at the
moment, to be so very painstaking, so very exact. In after years,
you will find that it was worth your while; that it has _paid_ you,
by training your character and soul; paid you, by giving you success
in life; paid you, by giving you the respect and trust of your
fellowmen; paid you, by helping you towards a good conscience, and
enabling you in old age to look back, and say, I have been of use
upon the earth; I leave this world, according to my small powers,
somewhat better than I found it: instead of having to look back, as
too many have, upon opportunities thrown away, plans never carried
out, talents wasted, a whole life a failure, for want of taking
pains.

Why do I say these things to you? To persuade you to work? Thank
God, there is no need of that, for you are Englishmen; and it has
pleased God to put into the hearts of Englishmen a love of work, and
a power of work, which has helped to make this little island one of
the greatest nations upon earth. No, thanks be to God, I say, there
is no need to bid you work. What I ask you to do, is to look upon
your work as an honourable calling, and as a blessing to yourselves,
not merely as a hard necessity, a burden which must be borne merely
to keep you from starvation. It is not that, my friends, but far
more than that. For what is more honourable than to be of use? And
in all labour, as Solomon says, there is profit; it is all of use.
And all trade, manufacture, tillage, even of the smallest, all
management and ordering, whether of an estate, a parish, or even of
the pettiest office in it, all is honourable, because all is of use;
all helping forward, more or less, the well-being of God's human
creatures, and of the whole world.

And therefore all is worth taking trouble over, worth doing as
diligently and honestly as possible, in sure trust that it will
bring its reward with it. Why not? Almsgiving is blessed in God's
sight, and charity to the poor; and God will repay it: but is not
useful labour blessed in his sight also? and shall he not repay it?
Will he not say of it, as well as of almsgiving, 'Inasmuch as ye
have done it unto one of the least of these little ones, ye have
done it unto me?' We may trust so, my friends; indeed, I may say
more than, 'We may trust.' We can see; see that industry has its
reward. By i