The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 81

AND TALENTS

GIFTS

41

The goldsmith in his craft and the judge in his office enter upon Each labors in his divine vocation, and all the skill and judgment that he may develop therein come from the treasures

a work of God. of the Lord.

Still, workman differs from workman, general from general. The one copies the product of the generation before him and be-

queaths

it

without increasing the artistic

and imparts

apprentice,

this

He

akin to genius.

He began

as an

other apprentices; but the

The

other manifests something

same.

artistic proficiency is the

skill.

skill to

quickly surpasses his master; sees, touches,

It is given In his hand art is enriched. from the treasures of divine artistic skill new beau-

discovers something new.

him

to transfer

ties into

human

skill.

So also of men in office and profession. Thousands of officers trained in our military schools become good teachers of the science of tactics as practised heretofore, but add nothing to it while among these thousands there may be two or three possessed of military genius who in the event of war will astonish the world by their ;

brilliant exploits.

This talent, this individual genius so intimately connected with man's personality, is b. gift. No power in the world can create it in the man that possesses it not. The child is born with or without it; if without it, no education nor severity not even ambition can call But as the gift of grace is freely bestowed by the soverit forth.

—

—

eign God, so

is

also the gift of genius.

them not forget talent,

to ask the

heroes of art and of

Lord

When

to raise

the people pray, let

up among them men

of

office.

When in 1870 Germany had victory only, and France defeat only, was God's sovereignty that gave the former talented generals, and in displeasure denied them to the latter.

it

Consider the Official

vocation.

and mechanical men have a high

call.

All have not the

same ability. One is adapted for the sea, another for the plow. One is a bungler in the foundry, but a master at wood-carving, while another is the reverse. This depends upon the personality, nature, and inclination. And since the Holy Spirit lights the personality, He also determines every man's calling to trade or profession. The same applies to the life of nations. The French excel in taste as well as in artistic workmanship while the English seem created for the sea, our masters in all the markets of the ;

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