Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

ous al the time for new ideas, new methods
! uew Improvements, better conditions: II
rs not enough that man keep faithfully at
work. That never wins any but the lower
stages OF success. Whoever is content with
Ihat, stays where he is, never gets on. The
man who gets on is all the time working
not only at his business but at himself. He
wants to make himself better than his busl-
ness, and then to bring his business up after
a LIN. For success in anything depends
upon the man.
THE ALERT BUSINESS MAN.
Accordingly, the alert business man
Keeps his eyes open; nothing in the papers
misses him which he can turn to account;
every good book which deals with his de-
Partment of industry, he reads; wherever
ne goes he looks around to learn something;
nothing pleases him better than to get into
the company of the masters of his trade.
NOW, If any man wants to make success
OF religion, let him not think that he can
attain it in any other way than that. The
elementery processes are Just the same.
Ihere is difference in gardening between
raising wheat and raising roses, but they
both need the earth and the sun and the
rain. These are essential conditions And
the essential conditions of success in reli-
glon and in business are identical.
And yet, who does not know men, men of
business sense, who seem to have no reli-
glous sense at all? Surely, they do not
want to make failure of religion. Surely,
they are not disposed to adventure their i'm
mortal souls. But what are they doing to
make themselves men of religion which
can compare with what they are doing daily
to make themselves good men of business?
Where, in this
SUPREME INTEREST OF HUMAN LIFE,
is that search for opportunity and seizure
OF 1t, that hospitality to new truth, that
constant endeavor after betterment, that de-
sire to learn, which we see in lesser things?
These men think that they can succeed in
religion upon conditions which in every
other department of life mean nothing but
flat failure.
For example, it is notorious that good
many bright men are not to be seen in the
churches. Anybody can make list, in two
minutes, of active merchants, lawyers,
clerks, architects, physicians, who are busy
and alert every day in the week-except Sum
day. They don't miss business opportu-
nifty once year, but they miss religious
opportunity once every seven days They
are active members of every association
which touches the business side of their
life, but you will not find their names on the
communicate list of any church. They are
prominent everywhere except in the Chris
tian congregation.
THEY KNOW THE TRUTH
They want to make the most of their life.
Every one of them would say that. And
they don't believe that death is the end of
life. Very few of them would say that.
They believe that life goes on through the
gate of death, and only gets broader and
better on the other side. And they know
that the next life depends on this life, Just
as surely as tomorrow is built upon to-day.
And they know that there will be no law
cases, and no diseases for prescription, and
no buying nor selling, no iron mills nor
railroads in the world to come The transi-
tory will pass away; only the eternal will
be of interest in eternity. They know that
The soul is better than the body. And that
religion is really of more consequence even
han money-making. But it seems to me
hat they are not fulfilling the conditions of
religious success.
don't believe that church-going Is by
my means synonymous with religion. But
know that 1t is pretty fairly accurate
ymbol of religion. Neither is thermome-
er synonymous with heat. But there is a
rood deal of significance in what the ther-
nometer says. Church attendance is at
east the
THERMOMETER OF RELIGION.
And when it stands at zero the chances
re that religious enthusiasm is pretty oold
People who are interested in business are to |
'e seen at the desk or behind the counter at |
heir work. And people who are really in
crested in religion are likely to be seen at
hurch. That which indicates failure in
BUSINESS is not a good indication of success
q religion.
What We ask, then, of every intelligent
ian who desires to make success of the
est part of his life is that he will simply
ring some of his business principles into
eligion. AT least these two, the principle
attention and the principle of advance
lent Certain 1t is that no kind of desira-
lie success can be won anywhere without
,ying, and trying hard. We cannot sleep
ut ''our own salvation" we must ''work'
out. GEORGE HODGES.