The Portland daily press., 1890-09-15
RELIGION AND BUSINESS.
= sermon to the Merchants and
Clerks Of Portland.

Rev. J. F. Clymer. of Pine street Metho-
oist Episcopal church, preached last evening
70 large congregation on the topic, "Busi-
ness and Religion; will they mixs" SER
mon directed to the merchants and clerks of
this city. The text was taken from Romans,
xii, IL: mot slothful in business, fervent
in spirit, seeking the Lord" Mr. Clymer
said:
NY text Is a holy mixture Of business, love
and Christian work. Some one says "Love
is a sentimental thing, well enough for school
girls lovers and newly married folks, but
we cannot do business ON 1t; Business and
love will not mix any more than oil and wa
ter" / deny it my friend. My text says
they will mix; hear 1t: mot slothful in bus
mess, and fervent In spirit, or warm with
love-" The text says a man can be a bust
ness man and phi'anthropist. William E.
Dodge and General @. B. Fisk are worthy
examples Another says business and Chris
tian work will not mix. Cant and sanctimo-
niousness will not mix with business, but
solid common sense and Christian work
will. My text says they VIII. mot slothfnl
in business, serving the. Lord" Not your
self by whining piety. A manly man can be
a business msp, philanthropist, a Chris
tian. There is no war between legitimate
business and Christianity, There is no cor
contrary, true Christianity, OF love for God
and man, qnickens the intellect, fires he
ZEAL stirs the blood, and strengthens the
VIII OF the Christian business man. The text
IS GODS endorsement of every legitimate
business. Ii your business supplies some
great need of man it is legitimate and has
Gods approval. You are called to legitimate
enterprises of supplying the physical needs
OF humanity, just as much as l am called to
supply the spiritual needs Of humanity, in
the business of preaching. You doubt that
cta fnK AMI hncfn t.
to his business to make living, to make
money, and you are in the preaching bust
ness to teach Gods truth to help men live
true and godly lives" Business men are
called to love men and save men In and
through !. your business isl less, 700 calls you in
tian. You may not have heard Gods call
to be loving and Christian to your business.
press 1t upon you. You have heard the
call of self, and are living in self service. L
call you to the service of God through love
for man and Christian work.
My friends, one of the great needs of the
times is an incarnate gospel, gospel In hui
man flesh. gospel in dry goods. groceries and
merchandise.
Make your business a means of develop
ment In personal p0wer-I mean manliness,
power, energy, strength of character. Make
your business means to make manhood, as
well as money. Money without manhood
will make you miser. Money is the hui
man end Of business, manhood is the divine
end. Gods great end in your business is
that you may make manhood to do business
for him in establishing righteousness in the
earth. Oh If we could have the brains, the
heart, the will, the tact, the skill, the energy
OF our merchants and clerks to carry on
Gods business of establishing righteous
ness in the earth, the millennium would come
10 decade.
| counsel you to make your business a
means of personal development In patience.
The provocations TO i'll temper and impa-
thence to business men and their clerks are
innumerable.
Unreasonable customers, bargain hunters,
dishonest creditors, all combine to break
down self control aud stir up bad blood. Oh,
what school for patience is found in the
fastidious customer will make friction be-
tween your nerves and temper. the most
exasperating Nothing but the oil of
patience will take off that friction and en-
able you to maintain self possession. If
clustering, unreasonable customer comes
tongue powder. don't forget that rocks must
De blasted before they can be used for build
ing purposes. Possess yourself In patience.
Let patience have her perfect work"
Patience, self-possession Is the greatest
grace OF manhood or womanhood. There is
only one way to get it, and that is by prac-
tice. You cannot get it by hearing me
preach about it. 1t can give you the seed
thought Of patience, and you must grow it
IN your lives in order to possess it and have
1t possess you.
Make your business means of develop
ment In personal honesty Business life is
full Of temptations to dishonesty: tempia-
ti0ns to sharp dealing in buying and selling
in the form of ''cutting prices" which in
most cases means cutting principle; temp
tations to fraudulent dealing in what is
called marking down" goods, which often
means marking down" conscience and
character. Thank God there are business
men who stand all these tests and come out
clean. There is no better sphere for the cul-
tivati0n of the manly virtue of honesty than
business life. The tricks of trade give
business man the grandest opportunity ever
given to man to preach honesty. You bust
ness men have a thousand-fold better oppor-
tunity tn preach honesty in your business
than have in this pulpit present to you
the theory; you can preach honesty by prac-
tice. preach from one pulpit. one hour in
one day. You can preach from an hundred
pulpits from eight to twelve hours every
working day of the week. Be honest. 1t
pays. My text declares it. Honest men fail
sometimes, but It is not on account of their
honesty, but on account Of the dishonesty of
others. There is no need of the times so
great as the demand for manly men, self
possessed men, honest men, Christian men,
men who are ''not slothful In business but
fervent In spirit. serving the Lord"