only that we be busily but usefully occupied; and that we work at our vocation from the love of serving or of being useful. True human life everywhere has respect to other beings outside of itself, and will ever seek to ultimate itself in truly human acts. It is the love of serving or doing good to others—at the same time acknowledging the Lord as the source of this love, and of the disposition and power to do good. Because this life is truly human, it must seek to ultimate itself in deeds which tend to promote human welfare. If a man really loves his neighbor, and knows how to serve and bless him, he cannot leave the service unperformed; if he should, his neighborly love would soon depart. True love is ever active in doing for others. Soon as it ceases to do—to bless—it ceases to be. The happiest people in the world are those most actively engaged in some useful occupation, and who work from the love of rendering themselves in the highest degree useful. These, while on earth, enjoy a foretaste of heaven. They receive an influx of heavenly delights, just in the degree that they use their gifts for the promotion of heavenly ends. And on the other hand the goods and truths of heaven with their delights, are lost or taken away if not used for the benefit of the neighbor. The Lord plainly teaches this in the parable of the talents. They who used what was committed to them, gained thereby other talents, and were pronounced "good and faithful servants" worthy of an entrance into the joy of their Lord; while he who hid his talent, or neglected to use it, lost through such neglect what was committed to him, and was declared a wicked and slothful servant, worthy only to be cast into "the outer darkness."
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