The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-03-28

when that word borrow comes bounding
along, kick it clean through to Wall street
ferry boat. and il, striking on that, it bounds
clear over till it strikes Brooklyn heights or
Brooklyn hill, it will be well for the City OF
Churches.
Why, when you are going to do wrong.
pronounce so long a word as borrow, word
of six letters, when you can get shorter
word more descriptive of the reality, word
of only five letters, the word steal:
There are times when we all borrow, ana
borrow legitimately, and borrow with the
divine blessing, for Christ in His sermon on
the mount enioins: "From him that would
borrow of thee turn not thou away" A
Young man rightly borrowS money to get
his education Purchasing house and not
able 10 pay all down in cash, the purchaser
rightly borrows it on mortgage. Crises
come in business when it would be wrong
for O man not to borrow. But roll this
warning through all these aisles, over the
backs of al these pews, never borrow to
speculate; not dollar, not cent, not q
farthing. Young men. young men, warn
you by your worldly prospects and the value
of your immortal souls, do not do it.
If had only worldly weapon to use on
from the highest authority, that 80 per cent:
of those who go into speculation IN Vail
street lose all, but have better warning
than a worldly warning. From the place
where men have perished-body, mind and
soul-stand Of stand of. Abstract pulpit
discussion must aside on this question. Faith
ana repentance are absolutely necessary, but
faith and repentance are no more doctrines
of the Bible than commercial integrity. Rem
der to all their dues. Owe no man anything.
And while I mean to preach faith and re-
pentence, more and more to preach them, do
not mean to spend any time in chasing the
Hittites and Jebusites and Girgasites of Bible
times, when there are so many evils right
around us destroying men and women for time
and for eternity. The greatest evangelistlc
preacher the world ever saw, man who
died for his evangelsm-peerless Paul
wrote to the Romans: "Provide things hon
est in the sight of all men," wrote to the
Corinthians: Do that which is honest"
wrote to the Philippians: ''Whatsoever
things are honest" wrote to the Hebrews:
willing in all things to live honestly" The
Bible says that faith without works is dead,
which being literally translated, means that
with your profession. your religion is hum
bug.
on Saturday and Monday as on the day be-
tween, and not as a mere periphraSis of sane
tity. Our religion ought to first clean our
hearts, and then it ought to clean our lives.
Religion is not, as some seem to think, sort
of church delectation, kind of confection-
cry, sort of spiritual caramel or holy gum
drop, or sanctifed peppermint, or t6eologi-
cal anesthetic. 1t is an omnlpotent princi-
pie, all controlling, all conquering. You
may get along with something less than that,
and YOU may deceive yourself with it; but
you cannot deceive God, and you cannot
deceive the world. The keen business man
will put on his spectacles, and he will look
clear through to the back Of your head and
valt tori1y 20 ~ q
fact. And you cannot hide your samples Of
sugar, or rice, or tea, or coffee If they are
false: YOU cannot hide them under the cloth
of communion table. All your prayers go
for nothing so long as you misrepresent your
banking institution, and in the amount Of the
resources you put down more specie, and
more fractional currency, and more clearing
house certificates. and more legal tender
notes. aud more loans, and more discounts
than they really are, and when you give an
accouut Of your liabilities you do not men
tion all the unpaid dividends, and the United
States bank notes outstanding, and the in
dividual deposits, and the obligations to other
banks and bankers. An authority more
scrutinizing than that of any bank examiner
will 60 through and through and through
your business.
Let me say in the most emphatic manner
to all young men, dishonesty will never pay.
An abbot wanted to buy piece Of ground,
and the owner would not sell it, but the
owner finally consented TO let it to him until
he could raise one crop, and the abbot sowed
acorns. a crop of 200 years! And tell you,
young man. that the dishoneSties which you
plant in your heart and life will seem to be
very Insignificant. but they will grow up un-
til they will overshadow you with horrible
darkness, overshadow all time and all eter-
nifty. 1t will not be crop for 200 years, but
q croD for everlasting ages
I have also a word Of comfort for all who
suffer from the malfeasance of Others and
every honest man. woman and child does
suffer from what goes on in financial scamp.
dom. Society is so bound together that all
the misfortunes which good people suffer IN
business matters come from the miSdeeds OF
Others. Bear up under distress, strong In
God. He will see you through, though your
misfortune should be centupled. Philoso-
pliers tell us that column Of air forty-fve
miles in height rests on every mans head ana
shoulders. But that is nothing compared
with the pressure that business life has put
upon many of you. God made up his mind
long ago how many or how few dollars IL
would be best for you to have. Trust to his
appointment. The door will soon open to
let you out and let you up. What shock OF
delight for men who for thirty years have
been in business anxiety when they shall sud-
denly awake in everlasting holiday. On the
maps Of the Arctic regions there are Two
places whose names are remarkable, given, 1
Suppose, by some Polar expedition: Cape
FAREWELL and "Thank God Harbor." At this
last the Polaris wintered in 1871, and the
Tigress in 1873 Some ships have passed the
cape, yet never reached the harbor. But
from what know of many of you, have
concluded that, though your voyage Of life
may be very rough. run into by icebergs on
this side and icebergs on that, you will in
due time reach Cape Farewell and there bid
goodbye to all annoyances, and soon after
drop anchor in the calm and lmperIuroa1le @ %
waters of Thank God Harbor. 'There the
wicked cease from troubling, and the weary
are at rest"