The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-11-03

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REV. T. DEWITT TALMAGE
The industrial Glasses are divided into three
groups producers, manufacturers, traders
Producers, such as farmers and miners
Manufacturers, such as take the corn and
change 1t into food or the wool and flax and
change them into apparel Traders, who
make profit out Of the transfer and ex-
change Of that which is produced or manufac-
tured. Now, a business man may belong to
one Of these classes or he may belong to all of
them Whatever be your avocation. if you
plan, calculate bargain; if into your life
there come annoyances yexations and disap-
pointments as well gains, dividends and
percentages; if You are harassed with a null
tiplicity 81 engagements; in a word, if you
are driven from Monday morning 10 Satur-
day night and from January 70 January with
relentless obligations and duty, then you are
n business man or - business woman and my
subject is appropriate 10 your sase. We are
apt 10 speak Of the mol and tug of business
life as though it were an inquisition or a
prison into which man is thrown, or an I'M
equal strife where, half armed, he goes to
contend. Hear me, this morning, while / try
To show you that God intended business life
70 be glorious education and discipline and
If shall DE successful in what say shall
rub the wrinkles out of your brow and I'M
strap some Of the burdens from your back
/ have first to remar. That God intended
business life to be to yoIra school Of Chris
tian energy. God started us in the world.
giving us n certain amount of raw material
out OF which we were 10 hew our own char
acter. Every faculty needs TO he reset,
rounded sharpened up. After our Young
people have graduated from the schools and
colleges and universities, they need a higher
education, that which the collision and rasp-
ing Of everyday life alone can effect En-
ergy of soul is wrought out only in the fire
And when man for ten, or fifteen, or TWEEN
ty or thirty years has been going through
business activities, his energy can no longer
be measured by weights or plnnmets, or lad
ders. 1t can scale any height 1t can plum
met any depth. 1t can thrash any obstacle.
Now, do you suppose that God has spent all
this education on you for the purpose of
making you a more successful wording,
OF enabling you 10 more rapidly ac-
cumulate dollars, making you sharp in
a tradel Did God make you merely to be
yardstick to measure cloths, or a steeIyard
to weigh Gours And did He intend Won TO
spend your life III doing nothing but to chatter
and higglei Ny friend, He has put YOU in
this school 20 develop your energy for His
cause and kingdom. There is enough unenl
ployed talent in the churches, and in the
world to-day, 10 reform all empires. and all
kingdoms and people in three weeks. o. how
much idleness and strong muscles and stout
hearts, How many deep streams that turn
no mill wheels and haul on the bands of no
factory God demands that he have the best
lamb out of every flock the richest sheaf i'm
every harvest the best men Of every genera
ton; and in u cause where the Newtons and
the Lockes aud the Manstields Of the earth
were proud TO enlist, you and / need not be |
ashamed to toll. Q, for fewer oilers and |
for more consecrated CAristian workers.
Again: God intended business life to be TO |
you school Of patience. How many little
things there are IN one days engagements to |
perturb, and annoy, and disquiet YOU. Bar |
gains will rub, and men win break their en- |
gagementS. Collecting agents will come |
back empty handed. Tricksters IN business |
viii play upon what they call the "hard |
times, when IN any times they never pay. |
Goods placed ON the wrong shelf Cash |
books and money drawer in a quarrel Goods |
oriered for an especial emergency failing to /
come, on, if coming, damaged in the trans
portatioh People who intend no harm 60 |
ing about shopping, unrolling goods they do |
not mean TO buy, and trying to break the |
N'~t'f -'Ae't NtAA-,tN ~ iStAt up oIISf DeODleS
notes. More counterfeit bills in the drawer.
More bad debts Another ridiculous manic
Under all this friction men break down. or
they are secured up into additional bright
ness. How many YOU and / have known
VINO, m the past few years, have gone down
under the pressure, and have become petI,-
liant, and cholcIie, and Grabbed and sour. and
pugnacious, until customers forSool, their
stores, and these merchants have become insol-
vent, and their names were pronounced with
uetestatlon! But other men have found in |
'his school foT patience. They toughened
under the exposure. They were like rocks.
more serviceahe for the blasting. There
was time when they had to choke down
their wrath There was time when they
had TO bite their lip There was a time when
thoy thought of singing retort thew
would like 20 utter But now they hays
conquered their inspatience. They have
kind words for sarcastic filings. They have
polite behaviour for discourteous customers.
They have forbearance for unfortunate debt
ors. They have moral reflections for the
sudden reyerses of fortune How are Won
gong to get that grace of patiencei Not
through hearing ministers preach about it
I'd, no. Ii you get it at all YOU will get it
IN the world, where you sell hats, and plead
causes, and tin roofs, and make shoes. and
turn banisters, aud plow corn. Il pray God
that through the turmoil and sweat and ex-
asperation of Your everyday life YOU may
hear the voice of Christ saying to you: If
patience possess your soul, let patience have |
perfect work.
Again: God intended business life 10 ~. tn
You school for the attaining OF knowieice |
Merchants do not read many books, nor study
many iexicons, nor dive into great profountis.
Yet through the force of circumstances thew ;
get intelligent on questions of politics and |
finance, and geography, and Jurisprudence.
and ethics. Business IS hard schoolmistress'
IL her pupils viii not learn In any other wav.
with unnerciful hand she smites them on the |
head and on the heart with inexorable loss.
on went into some business enterprise, and
nye thousand dollars got out of your grasp.
Aou say the five thousand dollars We're |
wasted q, MOI that was only tuition Fx-
pensive schooling, but it was worth il Mis-
fortune, with hard hand, comes upon a man ,
and wakes him up, and by the very force Of | /
circumstances business men get to be intelli-
gent Traders IN grains must know about
foreign harvests. Traders in fruit must
know about the prospects of tropical {
production. Manufacturers of American {
goods must know about the tariff on imported {
articles. Publishers OF books must know the II
new law OF copyright Owners df ships come 9
10 understand winds and shoals and naviga-
hon. And 50 every bale OF cotton, and every !
raisin cask, and every tea box, and every !
slnster Of bananas, become literature to our {
business men, Now, what is the use of all
his intelligence unless you give 1t to Christi !
Do you suppose God gives you these oppor- t
unitles Of Frightening up your intellect and q
4 increasing your knowledge merely TO get Q
anger treasures and grander businesl o, c
10! Can it be that you have been learning '