The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-02-22
II tho first men. and especially Christian

eaRo your own money ana Turn IL lnt0
kites to fly them over every common In the
except when you tumble your helpless
children into the poorhouse for the public
to take care Of. But you have no right to
take the money Of others and turn 1t into
kites. There is one word that has deluded
more people into bankruptcy than any
other word In commercial life, and that Is
the word borrow. That one word Is re-
sponsible for all the deialcations and en-
bezzlemeuts and financial consternattons
Of the last twenty years. When executors
conclude to speculate With the funds Of IN
estate committed to their charge. they do
not purloIn; they say they only borrow.
When banker makes m overdraft upon
bis institution. ne docs not commit theft;
he only borrows.
III had only a worldly weapon 10 uss on
this subject, would give you the fact.
fresh from tho highest authority. that
ninety per cent. Of those who go into wild
speculation lose all, but I have better
warning than a worldly warning. From
the place where men have perlshed-body,
mind, soul-stand OF, stand OH Abstract
pulpit discussion must step aside on this
question. Faith and repentance ore abso-
lutely necessary. but faith and repentance
are no more doctrines OF the Bible than
commercial integrity. "Render to all their
dues" "OHe no man anything" And
while mean to preach faith and repent.
nnce, mors and m orc to preach them, I do
not mean to spend any time in chasing the
Hittites and Jebusites aud Girgashites Of
Bible times when there are so many evils
right around Us destroying men and wom-
en- for time and for eternity. The greatest
evangellstic preacher tho world ever saw,
q man who died tor bis angelism-peer-
less Paul-wrote to the Romans, "Provlde
things honest in tho sight OF all men,"
wrote to the Corinthians, "Do that which
is honest" wrote to tho Philippians,
the Hebrews. "Wtlling in ali things to live
honestly" The Bible says that faith With
out works Is dead, which, being literally
translated, means that II your business life
does not correspond with your profession
your religion Is a humbug.
Gathered IN all religious assemblages
there are many who have trust funds. It
II a compliment to you that you have been
80 intrusted, but charge you, In the pres
ence OF God and tho world, be as careful
Of the property Of others as you are care
ful OF your own. Above all, keep your own
private account at the bank separate from
your account as trustee OF an estate or
trustee OF an institution. That Is the point
at which thousands OF people make ship
wreck. They get the property OF others
mixed up With their own property; they
put 1t into Investment, and away 1t all
goes, and they cannot return that which
they borrowed. Then comes the e1plo-
sion, and tho money market Is shaken,
and the press denounces, and the church
thunder5 expulsion. You have no right
to use the property Of others, except for
their advantage, nor without consent, un-
loo klo,, haI~
you invest their property as we'll as you
can and It Is oil lost, you are not to blame.
You did the best you could. But do not
come into the delusion which has ruined
80 many men OF thinking because a thing
Is In their possession therefore 1t Is theirs.
You have q solemn trust that God has
given You. In any assomblage there may
be some who have misapproprlated trust
funds. Put them back, or II you have
SO hopelessly involved them that you
cannot put them back confess the whole
thing to those whom you have wronged
and YOU will sleep better nights and you
What sad thing It would be II after you
are dead your administrator should find
out from the account books or from the
lack OF vouchers that you are not only
bankrupt In estate, but that you lost your
soul! II all the trust funds that have been
misappropriated should suddenly fly to
their owners and all the property that has
been purloined should suddenly 90 back
to its owners. 1t would crush into ruiz
every city in America.
A missionary In one Of the islands OF the
Pacific preached on dishonesty. and the
next morning he looked out OF his window
and he saw his yard full OF goods OF all
kinds. He wondered and asked the cause
OF all this. "Well," said the natives, sour
gods that we have been worshiping permit
US to steal; but according to what you snid
yesterday, the God Of heaven and earth
will not allow this. So We bring back all
these goods and We ask you to help
US In taking them to the places whore they
belong" II next Sabbath all the ministers
in America should preach sermons on the
abuse Of trust funds and on the evils Of
purloining, and the sermons were all
that all these things should be taken to
tho city halls. 1t would not be long before
every city hall In America would be crowded
from cellar to curola.
Let me say In the most emphatic man
ner to all young men, dishonesty will never
pay. An abbot wanted to buy piece OF
ground and the owner would not sell 1t,
but the owner finally consented to let 1t
to him until he oould raise one crop, and
the abbot sowed acorns, a crop OF 200
years! And tell you, young man, that
the dishonesties which you plant N your
heart and LIE will seem to be very insig-'
will overshadow you with horrible dark
ness, overshadow all time and all eternity.
1t will not bea crop for 200 years, but q
crop for everlasting ages.
have also q word OF comfort for all
who suffer from the malfeaSance OF others,
and every honest man, woman and child
does suffer from whut goes on in
financial eoampdom. Society r. so bound
together that all the misfortunes which
good people suffer In business matters como
from the misdeeds OF others. Bear up un-
der distress, strong In God. He will see you
through. though your misto.tunes n1I shoSld epIt
a column OF air forty-fve miles
in height rests on every mans head
and shoulders. But that Is nothing
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 1t 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 suddenly awake IN
everlasting holiday! On the maps OF the
Arctic regions there are two places whose
names are remarkable, given, I suppose.
by some polnr e1pedltIon-Cape Fare.
we'll and Thank God Harbor. At
this last the Polars wintered In 1871 and
the Tigress in 1878. 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 bo very rough, run in
to by iceberGs on this side and iceberGs on
that, you will III due time reach Cape Fare-
we'll, and there bid goodbye to all annoy
ances, and soon after drop anchor in the
calm and imperturbable waters OF Thank
God Harbor. "There the wicked, cease