The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-03-26
RELIGION IN BUSINESS.

II is sadly to be confessed that there
are Christian people so called, at least
among the number of those who are
guilty OF mean and dishonest practices.
But among these there is not single
case of Christian who has honestly
tried to make il the habit of his life to
seek first the Kingdom of God and
His Righteousness. Many of them
may be in the daily or weekly habit of
saying the Lords Prayer, but not one
of them is in the habit Of praying it.
Without the slightest fear Of contra1ic-
tion, | assert that wherever so-called
Christian man is guilty Of any thing
approaching toward dishonesty, he is
not one of those who try TO regulate
their conduct by the law of love, but
one who. contenting himself with the
ordinary code of morals, has allowed his
passion for money or some otherungodly
lust to master him and TO scatter his
feeble morality to the winds. II all this
be true, il is manifest that the method
of Christ is the method which this
age still needs, and sorely needs
that what is needed is not so much
more homilies on honesty as more earn-
est warnings against covetousness and
extravaganza, and a more earnest pre-
sentation of that Gospel of Divine love
which will touch mems hearts and lead
them so TO set their affections on higher
and better things as they will count no
sacrifice in the lower sphere too great
TO make for the sake Of maintaining /" a
conscience void Of offense toward God
and toward men," | do not believe
that things are so bad in the world Of
business as many pessimists imagine.
do not believe that man can not be
strictly honest without suffering loss. /
believe that our best men are, in the
main, our most successful men. can
not believe that cheating and lying are
so common in any kind Of respectable
business as those say who wish TO justi-
fly their part in such practices. And l
do not believe, nor do / think that any
thoroughly honest man believes,
that deceit and falsehood are neces-
sary in any shape, however yelled and
disguised, for success in any legitimate
business.
Yet the state Of things is such that
there is a grand field for witnessing for
Christ in the world Of business. The
ranks of "the noble army OF martyrs"
are not yet full. The demand TO take
up the cross" for Christ's sake has not
yet been withdrawn. And though, in
the eyes Of men, there Is not the same
show OF heroism when a young man
gives up good situation, without any
prospect OF another, for the sake OF
truth, as II he had gone cheerfully To
burn at the stake In the same noble
cause, theve may be quite as much OF
the reality Of it, quite as much that is
noble and admirable and heroic in the
sight of God. Christ needs many wit
nesses In the wide field Of business; men
that will witness TO Him in the heights
of success; men also that will witness
for Him, not only in the depths Of fail.
ure, but by their willingness TO fail fol
His sake: men that are willing TO 'suf,
fer the loss Of all things" men who
are willing 10 go through life as poor a
Christ Himself rather than do any
single, smallest act at variance with
''that good and acceptable and perfec
will Of Cod which finds expression il
the law Of Christ. J. Monroe Gib
son, d. ID.