times. They declare to us the principle of the spiritual harvest, that,
in the spiritual life as in all else, we reap as we sow. They are
intended to convey to us this plain lesson, that if any of us give little
thought, attention, or effort to that side of our life which we speak of
as the spiritual, if there is in our daily habit and practice little real
prayer or self-denial, or devotion, little communing with God, little
endeavour to live in the spirit of Christ, and if, this being so, we find
ourselves weak or vacillating in our struggle against sin or evil,
whether in our own life or in society, there is nothing surprising in
such a result.

It is in our religious life just as in everything else--spiritual
carelessness or neglect must mean spiritual weakness. In all other
matters we look for results in some proportion to our efforts. As we sow
we expect to reap.

Here, for instance, in your daily life, if you wish to excel in any
particular game or pursuit, you practise it with diligence. You know
that, without such practice or concentration of effort upon it, any
expectation of excellence is simply foolish.

In your school work you recognise the same conditions. Intellectual
growth may seem sometimes to come slowly, in spite of all your efforts;
but it comes with certainty if you persevere, and it is equally certain
that it hardly ever comes at all to those who use no effort.

If, then, you look for progress or distinction, you know that you must
fix your thoughts upon your work, and practise industry, and, above all,
that you must cultivate a love of learning, so that your mind lingers
over it with some sense of enjoyment.