The Portland daily press., 1886-09-28

gained without an equivalent by some as is
| lost by others, SO that there can be no mon y
in speculation as a whole. And as the
gamers are as rule the few in the great
| centers of trade who are strong enough to
bull or bear an entire market and those
favored ones inside "the ring" who know
| their purposes, the losers vastly 0utnumber
the gamers. l more and more wonder that
men of ordinary business sagacity should
not De wise enough to avoid speculation II
they have no principles upon the subject.
After the devil has led an emplOye into
| speculation with its usual resultant loss, he
then leads him to take another step. He
feels that ne cannot stand the loss already
| incurred, or he is intoxicated with the gains
| already won, and he is led to take the money
of others for short time, without the slight
est intention of keeping it or doing the COM
pany any wrong. If the harmlessness of his
| Intentions does not at first excuse him for
breaking moral and a statute law, the dev-
il will suggest to him certain good aims
which may be accomplished by the act. The
clerk plans to put back. not only every dollar
| he takes but some share of his intended
| profits. He may even keep book and put
down his embezzled funds as borrowed mon
| ey. He may even be very generous to the
! poor and to the church, and buy peace for
| his conscience by thinking of his unselfish
| motives and the good he is doing with his
| gains. The devil will even encourage one in
all this, if by this means he can only lead
w
which society, business and the safety OF
ones own soul depend.
The last step is easily taken. After the
| funds have been appropriated the danger of
| discovery will surely arise But the security
| of the firm will be endangered by exposure,
| so that kindness to the firm itself prompts
+ him to cover up his losses until he can make
fhem>> good AS he has lost his principles
and the appSoyal of his own conscience, his
reputation or the>> approval of other people
becomes doubly dear to 0iiii} iiiif},, and TINS eonsld.
Grafton prompts him to deceive:-~ Hls love Oh
his family prompts him to deceiVe.---d -dlS
prompts him to deceive. Above all, his dread
of injury to business and to the good causes
with which he has been connected prompts
him to cover up the wrong. So, step by step,
he has been led to speculation, to embezzle-
ment and to falsehood.
Every fall that occurs only underscores
the lines of our text which declare that those
who by their false methods are led into sin
pierce themselves through with many sor-
rows. never cease to wonder that GRIM
lnals sell themselves so cheaply. In nine
cases out of ten the criminal could have
done better, even financially, by proving
true to his convictions. If his reputation
was so small that he was intrusted with only
few dollars, yet his reputation was worth
more than this smallamOunt If his reputa-
tlon and ability were so great that he could
steal hundreds of thousands, such a reputa-
tion is sold too cheaply when parted with for
a fortune, considering the difficulty of en-
joying it in security and the anxiety which
the crime must cause. When we add to this
the injury man does his best friends, the
disgrace he brings upon his family, the loss
he 1nt1lcts upon his own soul, is there Grim.
inal living who can not say with depth Of
meaning we can scarcely realize: Il pierced
myself through with many SORROWS"
The Cure of Temptations.-A these tempt
ationS have been brought on by accepting
the worlds standard, they are cured by
ode the. cfo nrA
not lead us to any false sentimentalism in
regard to crimes already committed. While
the gospel promises forgiveness for past sins
and new life to every one who repents, it
does not remove the consequences of past
sins. 1t is no kindness to sinner to shield
him from reaping here and now the more
immediate consequences of his sins. 1t is
no favor to a church or to a corporation to
conceal crimes and shield criminals from the
disgrace they have brought upon themselves.
1t would save temporary pain and possibly
loss. But such policy will surely breed
greater crimes and losses in the future Such
concealment is no real kindness to the vic
tim; for it furnishes temporary immunity
from loss at the risk of eternal ruin.
But while we insist that the law should
take its course, let us not pass final jugdment
upon any soul. Our own hearts are so weak
and sinful, we know so little of the tempta-
tions through which others pass, we have so
little comprehension of the possibilities of a
new life in Chsist for even a fallen soul that
we may well heed the Bible injunction to
judge nothiug before the time. The gospel
others, viz: Not to distrust everybody else
The great bulk of our business is conducted
on principles of commercial honesty. While
few reach their ideal in business methods,
few also are clearly dishonest. 1t is neither
Christian or just to throw suspicion upon |
names which have been long untarnished,
because we hayebeen disappointed in life
long friends
The gospel standard applied to ourselves
will lead us to aim at character rather than
time, and to realize that our hearts are to be |
uncovered before the judgment seat of |
Christ We are astounded at small speei- |
men of the Judgment day. What would be |
and motives were revealed before the world |
do not see any safety for us in departing in |
the least from the path of rectitude. The
moment man begins violating his con-
science on even the smallest points, he is
launched upon a boundless sea, and only
God knows where this course of sin will |
end. Our only safety lies, not simply in pro- |
viding things honest in the sight of all men, |
but In keeping our hearts right before the
Lord.
YOUNG MEN AND BUSINESS LIFE.
Extract from Rev. Henry Blanchard's Sermon.)
The pastor of Congress Square Church.
Rev. Henry Blanchard, preached a sermon
on young Men and Business Life Sunday
morning. He announced as his texts PauPs
words in the Epistle to the Romans, l''Not
slothful in business, serving the Lord" and
from Proverbs according to the revised YER
sion), ''He that maketh haste to be rich shall |
not be unpunished." He began by referring |
to William and Mary College in Virginia |
which today has not a single student. To |
fulfill the conditions of the charter, the ven |
cradle president must ring the college bell |
every September. The young men of Vir- |
ginia do not respond. How great is the de- |
sire of the president to reach young men we |
can all understand He, the speaker, would |
like to have the bells of all the churches of |
Portland ring out an invitation to all It's |
young men to listen to the words of instruc- |
tion and warning which the ministers of |
God desire to speak. Remembering the men |
who were his youthful companions and |
knowing of great success and awful failure, |
his desire was intense to be helpful to the |
young men of today. He would urge three |
points for their earnest consideration. The |
first is this: Young men should see that bus |
mess life is part of the plan of God for the |
education of His children on the earth. On |
the front of the Royal Exchange of London |
are the words, ''The earth is the Lords and
business there ought to believe the truth of
these words. All men, everywhere, ought
to believe it. They ought to see that since
men need food and clothing and shelter, and
Sluc6 all tl6S6 DluSJ COl0 lTOul bu6 1Oru
earth, all that they do to convert the pro-
ducts of the earth into these and to exchange
them among themselves must be ordained by
God for the education of his children.
The speaker here described days life of |
great city. Each part of its multifarious |
labors, however humble is important. Let |
every young man as he wearies of his work |
in store or shop, take heart as he thinks he is |
co-working with God, as he does his part in |
the great business of the world. The second
point is this-every young man owes to his |
employer that service which he alone can |
render who feels it his duty to be interested |
in his employers welfare. Under this head |
Mr.. Blanchard spoke at length and with |
great earnestness on the duties of industry, |
truthfulness and avoidance of all degrading |
habits. They must honor.these duties for their |
employers sake as we'll as their own. The
third point is this-young men in business
life must not make haste to be rich. SHE
that maketh haste to be rich shall not be un-
punished" 1t is not wonderful, however,
that young men do make haste. On every
side they see some of their seniors hoping
and planning to get riches suddenly. 1t is
said that even some ministers engage in spec
ulative business enterprises with hope and |