Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-11-17

are in the study sounding off some period
rhetorically We might be savsng soul from
death, and hiding multitude of sins. o
christian laymen, 60 out on this week! If
you are not willing to go forth yourself,
then give of your means; and if you are
too lazy to 20, and If you are too stingy too
help, then get ou of the way and hide your
self in the dens and caves Of the earth.
In all the cities, east west, north and
south, notice great temptations to COM
mercial frauds Here is man who starts
in business He says: I'm going to be
honest" But on the same street. In the
same block, in the same business, are Shy
locks. Those men, to get the patronage OF
any one, will break all understandings with
other merchants, and will sell at ruinous
cost, putting their neighbors at great disad
vantage, expecting to make up the deficit in
something else. If an honest principle
could creep into that mans soul it would
die Of sheer loneliness The man twists
about trying to escape the penalties OF the
law and
Despises God
while he is Just little axious about the
sheriff. The honest man looks about him
and says: We'll, this rivalry is awful.
Perhaps am more serupulous than / need
be. This little bargain am about to enter
is little doubtful; but then shall only do
as the rest" And so had q friend who
started in commercial life as book mer.
chant with high resolve, He said: I'm
my store there shall be no books that |
would not have my family read. Time
passed on, and one day l went into his
store and found some iniquitous books on
the shelf, and | said to him: How is it pos
sible that You can consent to sell such
books as theseY' "Oh,' he replied, IL
have got over those puritanical notions. A
man cannot do business in this day unless
he does it in the way
Other People ro1t.
One of the mightiest temptations in CON-
mercial life in all our cities to-day is the
fact that many professed Christian men are
not square in their bargains. Such men
are in Baptist and Methodist and Congre-
gational Churches and our own denomina-
lion is as largely represented as any OF
them. Our good merchants are foremost
in Christian enterprises; they are patron
izers of art, philanthropic and patriotic.
God will attend to them in the day Of His
coronation. ! am not speaking Of them
but of those in commercial life who are
setting ruinous example to our young
merchants. Go through all the stores and
Offices in our cities and tell me in how
many Of those stores and Offices are the
principles Of Christian religion dominant.
in three fourths of them? No
In half of them? No. In one
;cnth of them? Decide Tor
Yourself. The impression is abroad some,
how that charity can consecrate iniquitous
Gains and that il man give to God por.
ion O! an unrighteous bargain then the
Lord will forgive him the rest. The secre
tary Of n benevolent society came to me
and said "Mr. So and So has given large
amount of money to the missionary cause,
mentioning the sum said: Il can't be
lieve it." He said ut is So Well,
went home, staggered and confoundcd.
never knew the man to give anything. But
after a while ] found out he had been en-
gagged in the most Infamous kind Of swim
die and then he promised to compromise
the matter with the Lord saving: Now
here is so much for thee, Lord please to
Let Me on"
. want to tell you that the church of God
is not a shop for receiving stolen goods and
that if you have taken anything from your
fellows you had better return it to the man
to whom it belongs. In drug store in
Philadelphia Young man was told that b,
must sell backing on the Lords day. He
said to the head man Of the firm: Il can
possibly do that an willing to sell med
cincs on the Lord day, for think that is
right and necessary, but | cant sell this
patent blacking" He was discharged
from the place. A Christian man hearing
of it took him into his employ, and he went
on from one success to another until he was
known all over the land for his faith in God
and his good works rs for his worldly sue.
cess. When man has sacrificed any tenn
poral, financial good for the sake OF his spir
itual interests, the Lord is on his side and
one with God is a majority.
But you have been much among the
cities, you have also noticed that they are
iull OF temptations Of political character.
Ii is not so more in one city than in all the
cities Hundreds Of men going down in
our cities every year, through the pressure
of politics. Once in while a man viii
come out in sort Of missionary spirit and
say: 81 am gcing in:o politics now 10 re
'orm them, and am going TO reform th'
ballot box, and am going 10 reform all ths
Deop!e come in contact with" That man
n the fear and love Of God goes into poll
| tics with that idea snd with a resolution
hat be will come out uucOntaminated and
as good as when be went in. Ba, general!
| he csse is when iDan steps into politics
many OF the newspapers try TO b!scken bl'
cl arac;er and TO dIsiort all his past history
and after lltlc while has gone by, insteaa
of considering himself an honorable citizer
| he is lost in contemplation and admiration
of the fact that he has so long been kept
Out OF Jail:
Then look around and see the allure
ments to dissipated life. Bad books, un
known 10 father and mother, creeping int
some of the best families Of the community
and bows read them while the teacher j
looking the other way, or at recess, or OF
| the corner OF the streets when the gronp
are gathered. These books are read lat'
at night. Satan finds them smooth plani
on which he can slide down into perditior
some Of your sons and daughters. Reading
bad books, one never gets over 1t. Th'
books may be burned, but there is no
enough power in all the apothecarys prep
arations TO wash out the stain from th'
soul. Fathers hands, mothers hands, sis
ters hands will not wash It out; none bu
the hand ofthe Lord can wash it out. All
the most dreadful part of the whole thing i
that there are persons abroad whose whol'
business it is to
Despoii the Young.
All. what an eternity such man vii
havel As the door opens 10 receive hin
thousands Of voices &ill cry out: "Se'
here is wha; you have done and tn
wretch will wrap himself with 6ercer asm'
and leap into deeper darkness, and th'
1 rnulti.udes he has destroyed will pursue hin
and hurl at him the long bitter, RELENTLESS
1 IL fsaL