B V 4S i =?fe I B*$7S LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. as UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Religion in Business AND Business in Religion Religion in Business AND Business in Religion HENRY A. STIMSON, D. D. mREGATIONAL Chlpch ST LOl - ALDEN PRINTING CO., PUBLISHERS tzsjjrX 189a. IENRY * N D. D. The Library of Congress WASHINGTON Sav ve to the righteous that it shall be well with him, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked. It shall be ill with him ; tor the reward of his hands shall be given him. Isaiah III. : io-ii. RELIGION IN BUSINESS. LET me disclaim at the outset the thought of possess- ing any special wisdom with reference to business affairs. I have no prescription for insuring success. Re- ligion in Business does not mean success in business. No amount of religion will make after-thought serve for fore- -thought, or erroneous judgment take the place of correct judgment, or heedlessness do the work of pains-taking, or ignorance answer for experience. Religion does not make the small, great ; or the simple, shrewd ; or the weak, strong ; or the sick, well ; or the foolish, wise ; at least in business. But for all that, God's word abundantly declares that there is a very close connection between business and religion. If there is one thing plainer than another in the Bible, it is that God makes a difference between honesty and dishonesty, and that He rewards men according to their deeds. Whatever may be the relative standing of men on earth, God tries them by their integrity, or want of integ- rity ; and blesses the one while He curses the other. Here, then, is the ground on which I venture to have something to say to you. I have not to teach you how to make money, but how to serve God. Furthermore, let me say that I know something of your burdens and perplexities. Far be it from meto make light of them. Because the world at large knows what are the RELIGIOl temptations of business men, the world gives such high honor to honorable men of business. Christian men are the back-bone of the business community. 1 well remem- ber when, as a boy, 1 was a clerk in a great house in x York, hearing a fellow clerk, an infidel and a foreigner, cursing, because in New York, if a merchant was known to :^e a church member he had better credit. What was it but his unwilling testimony to the fact that the average Chris- tian business man is more trustworthy than the average business man not a Christian? We may praise God that it is so generally true. At the same time we must not be blind to the struggle. All do not stand. Temptations are hot. The pressure is often terrific. Many get involved in doubts and perplexities and weak compromises— many fall. What can we do to clear the vision, to brace the courage, to strengthen the purpose? How can we help one another to serve God bravely each in his place ? Let me put what I have to say in the form of a few propositions, which will, I trust, need little discussion, and may serve to make some things clearer. First: You will all admit that RELIGION IN BUSINESS IS THE SAME AS RELIGION OUT OF BUSINESS. When God savs, "The soul that sinneth it shall die," He does not add, "except the sin be a commercial sin." When He says, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself," He does no; :ept you are in business." When a man approaching the question of personal religion, feels, as most do, that he must begin to do business differently, his feeling is perfectly correct. There are not two kinds of moral law, one for tnd Sundays, the other for business and v - : one for the pulpit, the other for the street. Christianity has but one code of morals. I know it is often claimed that there are two, and if this proposition • opened to discussion a good deal would be urged about the nece- doing business in a different way from that »N i\ E ;d that main- Chris s In that way. But, when all is said, irt the d that there can be le man V ing r n in business is the same as religion out of busiiv. : IF a ' RELIGION DOl S NOT Kl HONEST IT IS WORTHL1 This docs rtot mean : " If a man's religion does not keep him as honest as other men are in the same busiiv Nor: M If a man's religion does not keep him honest where dishonesty is likely to be found out." It carries the ques- tion back to the forum of a man's own conscience, and the law of God. If a man's religion does not hold him to doing that and that only which is right in God's sight, and which needs no justifying, his religion is so far worth- He may he a decent man ; he may be a successful man ; he may be an honest man, as the world counts hon- . but a religious man, a Christian man — No ! The sole function of religion is to bring a man in heart and life into accord with God, and to keep him there; and any man whose religion does not hold him to that stand- ard, in business or out of it, is self-deceived. 1 do not say he may not at last be forgiven. God's un- covenanted mercies are great ; but such religion as a pres- ent reality, and as a witness to God, is vain. Third: THERE IS NO HONEST OCCUPATION IN WHICH AN HONEST MAN IS REQUIRED TO BE DISHONEST. I speak of honest men, not of those who would like to be honest, but are not. There are such, — men who approve sty, who deeply regret that they are in circumstances which compromise them, who mean some day to do differ- ently, and who are very anxious to be taken, like a patent medicine, at their own estimate of themselves, such men, I know, are often engaged in honest occupations in which they think they are required to be dishonest. But I am 8 RELIGION IN BUSIN1 SS. I honest men; and of them i say that in no hon don are they required to be dishones Win' ! dear friends, ( *od made the world, and Hr mad right. We are here to till the earth and subdue it God has established the conditions il existence. Yo . trade. So far as there are laws, I relations from which sound principles of procedure can s truly God's laws as are the Ten nmandments. God has not made the earth and then iv purpose and used for any Iniquitous device that man may concoct It Is His world. He is •where In it, guiding, controlling, accomplishing with it His own pur ;s truly now as at the beginning. I Respite the 1 >ss and confusion from man's wrong-doing, the world Is ly advancing in the accumulation industry, and ail that constitutes temporal progress. Com. pare our circumstances with those of our ancestors, say five hundred years ago. Their floors had no carpets, their rooms no chairs, their windows no glass, their tables no forks, their houses no hooks. Society meant the unre- strained dominion of the strong over the weak. The la- borer lived in a hovel, slept on the ground, was unshod. and almost wholly unclad. Within the memory of men living steam, in all its thousand applications, electric- ity, llluminal 1-oil, stoves, anthracite coal, cheap postage and transportation, dress goods printed from rollers, cheap cotton fabrics, and scores of articles now in common ither invented or given to the world. The I the average possessions of men have d that despite all that men, by war and crime have done to prevent it. The poorest laborer en many things daily which, one hundred years ago, the •hiest man could not obtain. Can you SU] moment (hat tills nee, this steady and tccu- ition of the best products of industry and skill, is dishonesty, >r is the outcome i IGION IN Bl MM . whether they be of trade or of the . which are antagonistic to the laws of God? I toubt- in the world. Doubtless in evil Work is •he heart of the sons of men is io evil." But two things cannot be denied: that God made the world and men to live in ind that the world, accordin d's plan, is steadily acing in the accumulations s industry and ities of man's life. Therefore, proj. ainot rest . riie occupations of men by which the world is helped forward, are honest occupations, and honest men can engage in them, and deal honestly. It is idle for a man to say that he cannot succeed in busi- and be honest. It is untrue. The whole history of the race is against it. Why have vice and immorality eaten out the heart, and so destroyed nations which the most vigorous foes could not overthrow? It is because ind immorality arrayed God against them, and the very forces of life and of society, which God has established, and they disregarded or defied, mustered to destroy them. Is not this just as true of dishonesty as of vice? Where is a single business house that has been built up and stood through the centuries buttressed in dishonesty? There is not one. The very thought is absurd. The hosts of God are arrayed against such business, and sooner or later they hurl it to the ground. Has not the world long since recog- nized this? Has it not framed for its own selfish ends the maxim " Honesty is the best policy." Victor Hugo said Napoleon failed at Waterloo, not because of the rain the previous night, not because of Grouchy's delay, but because he " Embarrassed God." So business men fail when they think they can insure success by business methods that embarrass God. Fourth : ANY OCCUPATION IN WHICH A MAN CANNOT BE HONEST, OR THINKS HE CANNOT BE HONEST, AND io Religion in SUCCEED, IS FOR HIM A NEFARIOUS 0( TION, ID HE SHOULD QUIT IT. Go< ire that we succeed in what we under- take. He does require that we maintain our character. If we find ourselves placed where we cannot do that, our course is perfectly plain. The occupation, be it what it US nefarious. It is of no consequence who may : others may think of the propriety of it ; if you are persuaded that you cannot succeed, in the business In which you are engaged without doing what in your heart you feel to be dishonest, your duty is, at any cost, promptly to leave it. Now, with these propositions before us, which I believe to be, and which 1 think you will accept as foundation truths, let me try to say some things which will strengthen you against temptation. 1 believe that LOOSE BUSINESS HABITS HAVE A\UCH TO DO WITH LOOSE BUSINESS MORALS. What are the loose business habits? They are numerous. Trusting to luck is one of them ; hoping that things will come out right when you don't take the trouble to see that they do ; ignorance as to exact facts ; haif un- derstood and indefinite agreements; carelessness as to your spoken word ; promising to do, or agreeing to do, what you have no thought of doing exactly ; easy excuses with yourself for disregarding other people's interests, or wasting their time in not keeping your appointments to the minute; that slovenliness in dealing with employes* which takes no note of idleness and incompetency, and equally, fails to appreciate fidelity, and to reward valuable service; overlooking the human element that enters into all work and trade, and makes a friend worth more than rary profit; foolish competition, that thinks it does not matter how you get your business provided you get it; untruthful advertising. Do you think a man can exagger- r tell lies In the new . or in his circulars to his 1 ade, without becoming careless of truth, and even blind »N IN BUS ttions ? I to you think a merchant can [ .istomers without u ks to dc I i in ? A self-respecting mand >n« A business man, who has himself well in hand can generally keep his business in hand. A second snare to ' S men is MORAL COWARDICE, ir with me. I must call things by their right names. it to help you if I can. I know something of the re under. You have a family to sup- port, or a position to establish. You know that for a man of character to fail is to inflict a more or less serious evil upon the community It brings Christian character into question ; it does harm to religion. The causes of his failure may have been entirely beyond his control. The world only knows that he has made engagements he can- not meet, and his name is dishonored. You are under obligation, therefore, to succeed. Moreover, you are in competition with unscrupulous men ; or perhaps you happen to be in partnership with them. They are found in all departments of business — men who know no law but self-interest ; they care nothing for God ; they have no conscience; they misrepresent goods; they deceive the public; they hesitate at no mean advantage; they jump at the chance to do you harm. I know all this. But for this very reason the temptation to moral cowardice is strong. The pressure is so great that you are carried away in spite of yourself. Satan springs upon you sudden temp- tation. He touches you in the sensitive spot. Your trade will be injured. A customer may be won away; and in thefear of thus giving advantage to competitors in a strug ■ gle that is so hot you betray yourself. You let down, or hide your principles. You give place to the devil. It is perhaps little to be wondered at, but it is none the less disastrous. A rival manufacturer is adulterating his goods; how can you afford to sell a genuine article? A dangerous competitor has opened a line of trade from which 12 RELIGI ESS. you have scrupulously held aloof. You could strain a point and call it legitimate, but hitherto you have not done it. Yo ience would not let you. But it is very profitable. Or, you can hurry your work up or gain a little mtage by having your clerks work on Sunday, or by get! r mail on Sunday; or you consent to work on Sun, u learn that your neighbor has dis- covered a trick by which he gets great advantage, we will of the l 1 company; his shipping tickets give wrong weights ; he overloads cars; he ships goods under • descriptions ; he secures wrong classification ; he works through a freight clerk and pays commission on surreptitious rebates ; or perhaps he has goods to sell, and he bribes the purchasing agent. Now, shall you not do the same? Or, you have suffered loss through fraud or theft, and it will cost you some trouble, and possible further loss to punish the wrong-doer, and do y^ur part toward protecting the community. Or, the community is seeking to rid itself of some public evil, and there is occasion for united protest, and you may lose trade or offend some cus- tomer if your name is seen with others, or if your voice is heard on the side of the public welfare. I have known wealthy business men, Christian men, hasten to take their names off such protests, or asseverate that they signed them through a misunderstanding,when they had been published, because they were suddenly ashamed. " We sell our mer- chandise, not our principles," said one indignant merchant to some customers that waited upon him after such a pro- had appeared. The snares of Satan are innumer- able, and many a weak and timid soul is beguiled. How cheaply many men sell themselves ! But Satan is a coward- I received the other day a communication from a detective agency, which had as a standing heading these words, ''Re- sponsible Shadows and Private Watchmen Furnish. That is e what is wan i and a private watchman ! Christian men h the RE1 workings of their own t. ts with such a sense of e accountability that the ■ ginningS of temptation are md whose shadow even is responsible. They do nothing, however unwittingly, of which they have 9 >n to be ashamed. Once more: THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE OWES IT TO BUSINESS MEN THAT THE TEMPTATION TO HONESTY BE MADE AS SLIGHT AS POSSIBLE. This in several ways. You should refuse to trade with dishonest men. It is not enough that you are honest y self. You have not done your whole duty until you strive to make honesty ssful by boycotting dishonesty. If a man can cheat you, and still have your custom ; if a man can be notoriously untruthful and dishonest, and still hold a large business and make plenty of money, and nobody seem to care so long as they can get goods of him cheap, what wonder that the defense of honest tradesmen is ken down, and business turns into a head-long scramble for shekels. For the same reason the community owes it to business men that they make the laws such as to remove, and not to increase, the temptation to dishonesty. I have nothing to say as to the inherent desirability and wisdom of the Inter- state Commerce law, but look at the situation to-day. I recently sat in a company of most respectable St. Louis merchants, and heard one of their number say, " You know that three-fourths of you gentlemen could be sent to the penitentiary for what you are doing under that law," and what was the reply ? A gentle and genial smile around the circle — not a word, not a look, not a hint of indignant protest at such an amazing charge ! A prominent railway official, a gentleman and a Christian, said to me the other day: M It is simply impossible to do business honorably. I have thrown honor to the winds." Think of a commun- ity getting into a condition in which its greatest corpora- tions, the railways, and its merchants alike, unite t LIOION IN BUSIN1 business by evasions, and subterfuges, and go-betweens, and s aid greenbacks carried around in satchels through clerks into the hands of reputable mer- chants ! Such a system would have made apples and a serpent superfluous in the garden of Eden. It would breed a race of knaves anywhere. Then, when you h s, you need to set hon- est men to administer them. Look at the state of things ly In St. Louis. See the way in which municipal leg- ion is bought and sold, and reputable business men join in it, because it promotes their schemes. Did ever city endure deeper disgrace than that New Year's Southern Hotel banquet? The representatives of great private cor- porations dining and wining public officials and bosses, in ,, shameless, defiant jubilation over successful corrup- tion and knavery, and with a lively sense of favors to come. " Necessity makes strange bed-fellows. " Yes, but think of the plea of such necessity, in this day of grace, in a city of freemen, and on the lips of you merchants, you business men of St. Louis. Much more might be said. But surely this is enough to show, both how great are the responsibilities of a Chris- business man, and how great are his privileges. He is a man chosen of the Lord, and set by Him in the midst of a sinful and rebellious world to witness for Him. H and truth and righteousness are on his side. He is in the forefront of the battle. Yes, you dear friends are stand- ard bearers for Christ. What if the conflict is hot ? What if the smoke of battle fills the air? What if many fall ? "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, norsit- teth in the seat of the scornful. " " Set yourselves, stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord with you," is the Lord's voice to you to-day, as it was to the men of old. Only be true to your calling. Remember that there is woe to him that gains an evil gain, for he sins against his own soul. Watch well your c< i ings. t)U Can be trusted i .:■ heart on the 3 head in a high place who walked s . low one. I have known n in one t the r I along very \v< him only one pound; when he found himself possi I ent to pieces. You wives have a great with this. When the wile gets into her head the her husband is going I rich man, and begins to egg him on, then there is peril. How often your plain, -king, unambitious husband, who was but gene' riendly, helpful to all, is seen becoming | erity, close, selfish and vain-glorious. The Lord gives such people the desire of their heart, and sends "leanness into their soul.' ; A " snare and many foolish and hurtful i that drown men in destruction and perdition I " It is well not to be too eager for success. You may be sure of :h of character without fear, but wealth and character come not so surely together. A Christian business man may well be proud of such success as God gives him ; and may rightly prav that God will suffer him to die in the harness. He needs no larger field to fight his fight, and win his crown for G Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy might. Deut. VI.: 5. hat shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Mark VIII. : 36. BUSINESS IN RELIGION. IF ever there was a time when a line could be drawn round certain tl ns, audit could be said, " Within this line the rules and methods of business prevail, out- of it they do not," that day has passed. In the management of the home, the school, the church, there must be system, order, purpose, in short, a recognition of business and business ways, or success cannot be ex- pect This being true in the outer and practical life, it has occurred to me that through its lessons we may get at the truths of the inner and spiritual life. If business means so much and accomplishes so much in the world, may it not have value if we can apply it to religion ? There are certain great principles that underlie all busi- ness, and determine success or failure. I have, from time to time, talked on the subject with many successful business men, and I am surprised t) learn what a striking uniformity there is in their testimony. Quite independently of what may be their personal character, or their religious convic- tion, or their want of conviction, in the main they all agree as to the principles of business which they regard as essen- tial to success. I am encouraged to believe, therefore, that these may be helpful in throwing light upo-n religion. They all agree in the first place, that to be successful, one must have a METHOD, a plan, for the conduct of his busi- 22 BUSINESS in Religion. ness. To trust to luck, to go at hap-hazard, is sure to end in failure. Sometimes the plan is adopted instinctivel a result of a man's character or his previous training. One gentleman told me that when they organized their firm, he and his partners sat down and talked it over care- fully, and thus determined the plan by which their business to be conducted. But plan there must be. Moreover, the plan once carefully settled, must be held to. It must n t be changed under stress of weather or adverse circum- s.ances. A leading miller said to me: "Our plan is to succeed by making the best Hour that can be produced. We believe it is the surest way of success. If things go against us and some one makes better flour than we do, we do not rest until we learn how to improve our grade." Another manufacturer said : " One of our rules is to make a profit on every order we take. If we find we are losing orders we don't change our rule, but we study economy until we discover some way of doing the work at a smaller cost." Another one has quite a different rule. He feels the need of a verv wide and large market, and to secure it will often sell for a time below cost. But whatever the plan adopted, all agree that to have no plan, or to change one's plan from day to day, is as disastrous as to change one's business, and for the same reasons. A man cannot be a grocer this year, a dry-goods dealer the next, a miller the third, and hoj>e to succeed. He must commit himself to some one business, fix his plan for conducting if, and then stick to it. Furthermore, 1 find, in the second place, that all agree that a man cannot succeed without giving HIS UNDIVIDED ATTENTION to his business. He must make a business of it. Very few men can successfully conduct several kinds of business at the same time. St. Louis is full of men who • failed from dabbling in things foreign to their legiti- mate affairs Outside things can be taken up for in Rem 5t If they com] Ith a m business In their demand upon either his thought « ,t time, the; him evil. One thing, with all the mind, the heart, th< to be the rule. m the third place, that a man HAVE A BLL-r -which 1 ive himself. He must regard it as worthy of his efforts. He must believe in it, and take .\ one man to me. " We draw out of it only enough to live on, and we are living economically. We put all we into our plant/' Other everything on their plan oi accumulation. They sacrifice comfort, ease, sometimes friends or character itself, for the chosen line of suc- A mancanhardiy hope to succeed in anything unless he puts Ins heart Into it. He cannot put his heart into it unless he believes in it. A man, therefore, must have some business in which he can believe, and of which, as a meas- ure of his success, he can be proud. Again, I find, in the fourth place, that SPECIAL TRAIN- is regarded as very essential to success in business. "It is absolutely indispensable in our business," said one merchant. " We have daily to make decisions on the instant, which largely involve our success or failure. No man can do it who is not trained to the business." " Com- petition," said another, " is now so close that education in business is going to be a more and more important element of success. It did not require much business training when a grocer could make a dollar profit on a sack of flour. It is a different matter when he has to sell it on a margin of a few cents." Many fail from too great haste to get rich. They are not content with slow accumulations ; nor are they willing to begin at the bottom and work up. Patient, steady, instructive growth is more important to day than it ever was. SS IN KELIGION. Oncen Ml agra eed, a man must be .PT HIMSELF TO CHANGES which from time to time tak »th in markets and methods of One manufacturer said to me : "So great are the changes in our business, that I would rather take into my mill a n hand, than on^ who learned the trade ten v rned nothing since/' Men are everywhere oi. the i >ok-out for novelties, in fabric, in style, in ad.: , -ale merchant said: "We used to depend v another, faith In one's judgment, faith In one's principles and methods of business is the foundation o\ every sue- ful career. Unless a man Is willing to accept this, and to order his business affairs by a reasonable faith, he not do business. Still further: I find all to agree that attention to DETAILS is a first principle of success. One man said to me : u We know what every man in our employ is d all the time." Another said : " My partner, or myself, is familiar with every department of our business. We watch every man and every process. We keep exact account of every item." "We attend more closely to detail," said another, "than any other mill in the country." " I mark the price on every article in my store," said another. " We know exactly what every one of our salesmen is making for us," said still another. A man content with generali- ties, or who drifts with the crowd, cannot succeed now-a- days* Finally: i observe that successful business men ARE LIBERAL IN THEIR DEALING WITH OTHERS AND EXACT IN THEIR DEALING WITH THEMSELVES. One man, who holds himself to the most careful rules, and prides himself upon his exact accountability, and that of every man in his employ, says that as a matter of policy, his firm makes it a rule to settle every claim liberally, even when it involves temporary loss. It promotes good will and helps business. Another says : " We give a customer the benefit of the doubt." And another — though I fear his kind is rare— " We could get our labor considerably cheaper, but we want the good-will of our men." It seems to be a rule of successful business, especially that on the largest scale, that while a man can hardly be too generous in his business dealings with others, and that narrowness or closeness in this relation is sure to defeat itself, in dealing with oneself a man can hardly be too exacting. He must know his own purposes: he must constantly revise his 26 Hi S IN RELIGION. knowledge and keep his experience brought down to date; he must deny himself in leisure, in lux ry, il havi J plan, and hold to them ; he :r ncen- his mind, i .. his heart, upon what he ':. It is !er that when a man does b in this way he takes pride in his busi- 5. He may, at times, get discouraged and talk differ- ently, but where is there a successful business man, who, money he is making, does net take pride in his factory, his store, his system, his establishment, as representing himself in his effort to do his best? There, I believe you have what you will recognize as the more important principles that underlie successful business life. The list might easily be enlarged. Doubtless there are other rules or principles of more immediate application >ur own special affairs. But these are enough, and they are genuine. Now let me ask you to turn with them to the matter of religion. You shall judge youselves. Fir ver me this : " What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Don't turn away from it. You have said that a man must choose an object in life and set his heart upon it. You have it must be an object w f him, worthy of his best efforts, worthy of all there is in him, or he cannot do his best, he cannot fairly hope to succeed. Before we go any further, me th sful business man, nan who would be successful; you have made your choice, you are in full career, you have staked every- thing willingly, gladly, on your business or your profession; trll me, what will it profit you, where will you be at the end, if you gain all \ seek, and lose your own soul ? Again: you have said, a man must have a fixed and plan, clear and intelligent, if he would J in business. How many of v ipplying this principle to religion? I ask you unconverted men, and who viited with a merely nominal religion. H 27 You h n e w I different man from what ; nt this from your method in tl ' the world. \ } manly purpose? Whei the s -I .in by which you are idily, surely, with determinatl soul ? N , nt once to be a Christian. You once were in earnest. And you have grown cold. You were offended by the conduct of some church member. You did not like what ! in the pulpit. You were not pleased atthe pr meeting. And you arc the man who says that a man can- not succeed in business who does not stick to his pu: and hold his plans, no matter what arises to thwart him. You were once in full view of Christ. Where are you now? What is your purpose now? A man must give his undivided attention to his business if he would succeed in it. Undivided attention! "Ye shall seek for me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart" That looks as if the method of religion was very much like the method of business, does it not? You know the conditions of success in business, and you are only too eager to meet them. Do you meet them, are you meeting them in religion? Why do you go on from year to year in this half-hearted slow-footed way, hanging on the skirts of the sanctuary keeping within reach of the gospel, but without paying any real attention to it — doing nothing to make it real to yourseh ? You say, a man, to succeed, must stake something on his business ; he must believe in it. How much have you staked on Christ? " If Christ be not risen from the dead, then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain." Can you say that? Has Jesus Christ risen for you? Have you staked the forgiveness of your sins, and your hope of heaven on Him as a living, present Savior, dwelling in your heart, inspiring and governing your life? Don't put the question aside. Answer it fairly. Bl IN RELIG You say a man must have training In business. H much haveyou In religion? Do you really believe y maxim? Is a man's place-, is his joy, his usefulness, growth in spiritual things to be determined, as in business, by his training for these things? Is it true that the n the work a man would do, the higher the prize he would win, the more necessary the special training? Is it true that in religion early years are best years, and that a man can never make up for early years thrown away, or bible neglected, or opportunities squandered, or commands of God disobeyed, or God kept far off? Is all this true? Deep in your heart do you know it to be true? and yet are content to put off becoming a Christian, or content not to be a truer one? You say a man must be watchful of changes of methods of business. And how many of you are waiting for some old-time experience to come round again ! Once you were stirred by some great preacher, and you are patiently wait- ing now to be stirred by some powerful appeal. Once you were caught up in a great revival and swepton to the very gates of the kingdom. You sit helpless to-day await- ing a return of the wave. Once you were under deep con- viction of sin. God strove with you manifestly. The fountains of your heart were broken up. But you held out until the springs ran dry. Once you were interested in the Christian life and service. Now you are waiting for that old interest to come back to life. Thus, in one way or another, you excuse yourselves. Why f dear friends, does business refuse to go round in a circle; do meth ds change ; do things happen but once, and nothing it Itself; are the drowsy and the careless left behind? And is there no progress in God's ways? Has His voice one call? Is there no present requirement, no living, pon you if you would enter the kingdom.'! 'Behold the bridegroom cometh!" YVhatd ptthat- to arise at 01 INI 5S IN Pi i "Ch will serve.' 1 What is lecide — to be wholly Christ's now? Th; risibility upon mself ; to address us thus personally, as I am •u, and to say : " Arise. Follow me. ffyour leth our decision, and doit v." J have said a man must act upon PROBABILIT! can be done otherwise. And there is no I fom faith. God says, " Trust me. The my word ; believe it, obex- it, and thou shalt live." But you say, " I am not convinced. I want a certainty. I do et understand it all. I do not see through to the very end.'" No, you never will, and in your daily affairs you never do. Things are not so constituted. Exactly in the line of what we have shown to be the underlying principle of daily life— namely, TRUST — God draws us to himself. We are to BELIEVE in Him, and because we believe in Him, we are to give ourselves to Him. Have you done it ? Come down to details. Look into your life, and into your heart. Are you living for God. really, truly? Not, are you professing to? But are you doing it? Are you looking after your motives, your pur- poses, your thoughts, your words? Are all made to tell for God and for Christ because you are His? If not, what? You could not succeed in business otherwise. Can you serve God, can you be truly His, without the same watch- fulness of little things ? Be as liberal as you will in your judgments of others— are you exact with yourself? Ah, dear friends, how many deceive themselves here. You do not believe in eternal punishment for the impenitent sinner. You do not believe that God is angry with the wicked every day. Woe to you if you are taking advantage of your liberality to others to apply this doctrine to yourself. Where is the man who 3o Bi IN RELIGION. could hope to succeed in business on that principle? You It V »U hold you- .lability. You d » i 1 you mal ■ uncertainty tell in -e the w<>id of Gud is tr that except a man 1~ n the Lord jYsus Christ, and titothe other world His servant, His child, he cannot : j what I id? Where will you stand? You are dealing with a righteous as w< II as a 1 An a i be given to Him. Are you ready for it? •;• some of j tamed to be Christ You rejoi< ur business. You are pruud to be identified with it. Youw n as one of the merchants, one of the manufacturers, one of the business men of St. Loui>. You hesital »ne of the Chris- tians of St. Louis. Is there any thing nobler? ''There A. B., one of our merchan s, i ur lawyers, one r bankers." Yes ; but more than that, and before all that, " one of our Christians— a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, a prominent believer, a conspicuous one." Why? Because his whole life proclaims it. He is a Christian with a purj he believes in his religion, he stakes everything upon it, he glories In it, he lives up to it; and when he dies the town will lose in him, before .all else, a man who j the Lord Jesus Christ, and faithfully served him. Is not that something worth living for? Will you not, then, after this fashion, c ir business into your religion? Begin to be a Christian now, and be such a Christian that the angels and the little children may be glad over you. 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