National Republican., 1886-11-01
BUSINESS AND RELIGION,
ENERGY OF SOUL IS WROUGHT ONLY
IN THE FIRE.
DIR. TaImage Endoavors to "Kub the
Wrinkles Out of Your Brow and I'm
strap Some of the burdens From Your
RnCkD

BRooHLYN, n. V, Oct 3l.--The services at
the Brooklyn Tabernacle are attended by large
numbers OF merchants and business men nom
all parts of this country and from foreign
lands. and the following sermon, preached by
the Rev. 7. Dewitt Talmage, ID. d +, this morn
ing, was timely. lie selected for the opening
hymn OF the service that beginning
"AIust Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world so free?'
The text was Romans xii, 5-ll: "Not sloth-
ful IN business; fervcnt In spirit serving the
LoId." Industry, devotedness, Christian SER
vice are oil recommended in this one short
text. What Is II possible to coujoin them?
Oh, yes There Is no war between religion
and business. between Bibles and ledgers, be.
tween churches and counting houses On the
contrary, religion accelerates business, sharp
ems mems wits, sweetens acerblty of dlsposi-
lion, hlllps the blood of phlegmatlcs, aud
throws more velocity into all the wheels OF
lard work. To the Judgment II gives more
strength; to industry more muscle; TO enthusi-
ism u more concentrated fire. You cannot
show me man whose business prospects have
in any wise been despoiled by his religion.
heindustr!al classes arc divided into three
Ptoups- producers, manufacturers, traders.
Producers, such as farmers aud miners. Manu-
factuTers. 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 exchange Of that which IS
produced or manufactured. Now, business
man may belong TO one of these classes, or he
may belong 10 all of them. Whatever be your
HyOcaton If you plan, calculate, bargain; II
into your life there come annoyances, Yeka'
tons, and disappointments, as well as gains,
dividends, and percentages; II you are hRr-
TaSs1d with multiciplicity OF engagements; i'll
word, II you are driven from Monday morn
inR TO Saturday night and from January to
january, with relentless obligation and duty
then you are a business man or a business
woman, aud my subject = ap9roprlate 70 your
OF business life as though II was an inquistion
or prison into which a man Is thrown or an
unequal strife where, half armed, he goes TO
contend. Hear me this morning while try to
show you that God intended business life 10 be
n.glOfiOus education and dioipline and II |
shnll be successful in what want TO say, !
Ihaii .uD thc wrinkles ont Of your brow and
unstTap some OF the burdens from your back
/ have first to remark that God Intended
business life 10 be TO you u school OF Christian
energy. God started us In tue world. giving us
certain amount OF raw material out of which
we were 10 hew our own character. Every
, tCuiy needs TO be reset, rounded, sharpcned
up. Alter our young people have graduated
IRON the schools, aud colleges, and universities,
they need higher educatiOn-lhat which the
collision ana rGsping oieveryday life alone can
effect. Energy OF soul Is wrought only In the
fire. Aud when man for ten, or fifteen, or
twenty, or thirty years has been going through
business activities, his energy eau no longer be
IL can scale any height, II can plummet any
depth. II can thrash any obstacle. Now do
you suppose that God has spent all thla cduca-
iion on YOU for the purnose of making you a
more successful wording, of enabling you
TO more. rapidly accumulate dollars, making
you sharp ia II trade! Did God
make You merely to be a yard-stlck
70 measure cloths, pr "a steel yard
TO weigh -four? And did He intend you TO
spend your life in doingnothing but TO chatter
and hieg'e? My friend, He has put you In this
school 10 develop your energy for His cause
and Kingdom. There Is enough unemployed
talent III the churches, and In the world to-
day TO reform all empires, and all kin siom',
ana people in three weeks O, how much
idleness amid strong muscles aud stolt hearts
How many deep streams that turn no mill
wheels aud haul on the bands OF no factory
God d5mands that He have the best lamb out
of every flock, the richest shepf in every hpr.
vest, the best men of every generation; aud In
a cause where the Newtons, and LocRes, aud
the MNnsiields Of the earth were proud 10 en- :
list you and need not be ashamed to toll. o,
for lever idleTs and for more consGcraled
Christian workers
Again God intended business life to be to
you school of patience, How many little
things there are IN one days engagements to
peTturb and annoy and disqulet You. Bargains
will rub and men will break their engage
menls. Collecting agents will come back
empty handed. Trlcksters in business will
play upOn what they call the "haTd times"
when in any time they never pay, Goods
placed on the wrong Shelf Cash books and