Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-09-01

herited great fortune. The man said
to him: 81 had to be very busy for
many years Of my life getting my live
lihood After awhile this fortune came
TO me and there has been no necessity
tnat | toll since. There came time
when | said to myself, Shall | now re-
tire from business. or shall | go OH and
serve the Lord in my worldly occupa-
tionY" He said: Il resolved on the
latter. and | have been more indus
trious in commercial circles than | ever
was before, and since that hour | have
never kept a farthing for myself. |
have thought it to be great shame il
| couldn't toll as hard for the Lord as
had toiled FOR myself, and all the
products Of my factories and my COM
mercial establishments to the last
farthing have gone for the building OF
Christian institutions and supporting
the church Of God" Would that the
same energy put forth for the world
could be put forth for God. Would
that a thousand. men in these great
cities who have achieved a fortune
could see it their duty now to do all
business for Christ and the allevia-
ton of the worlds suffering!
Again, | remark that business life Is
school of patience. In your every
day life how many things to annoy and
to disquiet? Bargains will rub. Com
mercial men will sometimes fail to
meet their engagements. Cash book
and money drawer will sometimes
quarrel. Goods ordered for a special
emergency will come too late or be
damaged in the transportation. People
intending no harm will 90 shopping
without any intention of purchase,
overturning great stocks Of goods and
Insisting that you break the dozen.
More bad debts on the ledger. More
counterfeit bills in the drawer More
debts TO pay FOR other people. More
meannesses on the part OF partners in
business. Annoyance after annoyance,
veXation after veXation and loss after
loss,
school OF Patience.
All that process will either break
you down or brighten you up. 1t is
school Of patience. You have known
men under the process to become petu-
liant. and choleric. and angry, and pug
nacious. and cross. and sour, ana
queer. and they lost their customers,
and their name became a dctcstation.
Other men have been frightened up
under tie process. They were tough
ened by the exposure. They were like
rocks. all the more valuable for being
blasted. AZ c.st they had TO coke
down their wrath. at first they had 10
bite their lips. lt first they thought Of
some stlnging retorl they would like 10
make, but they conquered their impa-
ticnee. fhcy have kind words now for
sarcastic things They have gentle be-
hayior now for uumannerly customers.
They are patient uoW with unfortunate
debtors. They have Christian reiec-
tiOns now for sudden rcvcrscs. Where
did they get that patiencef by hear
ing a minister preach concerning it on
SABBATH oh. no. They got II just
where yC" will get it-if you ever get
1t at all selling hats, discountine
notes. turning hanis,crs. plowing corn.
Ginning roofs. pleading causes. Oh,
that amid the turmoil and anxiety and
evaporation Of everyday life you
might hear the voice Of God saying;
"In patience possess your soul Let
patience have her perfect work"
I remark again that business life is
school Of useful knowledge. Mer-
chants do not read many books and do
not study leXicons. They DO not dive
into profounds or learning, and yet
nearly au through their occupations
come TO understand questions OF
finance. and politics. and geography,
and jurisprudence. and ethics Rusl'
ness is severe schoolmstress. If
pupils will not learn, she strikes them
over the head and the heart with se'
we're losses. You put $1,000 Into an
enterprise. 1t is all gopo You say
That is O dead boss" Oh, no! You
are paying the schooling That was
only tuition. very large tuition-l told
YOU it was a severe schoolmstress-
but it was worth Il, You learned
things under mat process you would
not have learned in any other way.
Traders in grain come to know some
thing about foreign harvests, traders
in fruit come t. know something about
the prospects Of tropical production
manufacturers Of American good
come to understand the tari1 on i'm
ported articles. publishers Of books
must come 20 understand the new Law
OF copyright. owners Of ships mus
come TO know winds and shoals an'
navigation. and ayory bale of cotton
and every ralsln cask. and every te'
box. and every cluster Of bananas j
50 much literature for a business man
Now. my brother what are you golni
to DO with the intelligence DO yol
suppose God put you in this school o
information merely thai you might b
sharper IN Il trade, that you might b
more successful as a worlllinsf Or
no. II was that you Wlghi Iake tina
useful information aud use it for Jesu
Christ.
need OF Honesty.
Can it be that You have been dealin
with foreign lands and never had TIA
missionary spirit. wishing the salvi
ton Of foreign people? Can IT be ihs
YOU have become acquainted With Q
the outaces inflicted In business III
and that you have never tried TO brir
to bear that gospel which is to exit
pate all evil and correct all wrongs an
illuminate all darkness and lift mp n
wretchedness and save men for I'll
world and the world 10 come? Can
: be that understanding all the intrici
cies of business you know nothin