The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-04-03
A COUNTING HOUSE TEXT BOOK.
That is One of the Important Places for
 the Bible.

the Bible.
 It may not appear to you that the
 Bible is at all counting house text
 book. Clergymen, Sunday school
 teachers and students now and then
 pass to their appointments with this
 volume in hand, but how many of you
 ever saw business man take delib-
 crate shy at the Word of God to fortify
 his judgment, clarify his conscience, or
 help him decide whether to enlarge or
 modify his business operations? l once
 stood by, when customer sarcastically
 referred to Bible on the desk of sen
 for partner, Yes" replied the mer-
 chant quietly, without putting on any
 pious airs, we are trying to run our
 business in line with this book" That
 closed the banter. Do you think his
 firm could do 1t, and was it worth while
 to try? Business is business, many a
 business man would say, and stop
 there; but you go on to finish the phrase, When you are in Rome you must do as the Romans do" for that is
 what he means. Does the Bible pre- tend, and has it any right, to direct the man of business as to the extent, pur- pose, methods and results of his com mercial activity? If the word is the one infallible rule of faith and practice. we find in it's pages certain fixed prin- cples laid down which propose to con- trol our business operations.
 For instance: CD The Word of God holds every business man to intense activity" Doing his best only is good enough to satisfy the ambition his Gre ator has for him. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might" Whatsoever ye do, work from the soul as unto the Lord' "In dili- gence not slothful." Be ambitious to do your own business, and to work with your hands" One of the leading man ufacturers of New England l am told always sleeps with a dim light at his right hand. There lies also pad and pencil. At any hour, sometimes in q dream he recognizes a new opening for his business or an improvement to one of his many inventions, and at once he arouses himself to fasten it in black and white, lest with the morning that may have flown "Pshaw, l wouldn't keep myself in harness that way" you say. No? Then you won't be the leading manufacturer he is. His is the cost he pays for suc- cess.
 Of the successful men I have known all have developed the capacity to work and generally have been enor- nous workers. I am sure God never planned the life of lazy man. Such an one debauches his birthright. 'The life worth living" says Theodore ".s the life of the man who works" Yet few men seem to give work at ones best at business d place in their thought as a high virtue in Gods sight. But, so far as it goes, in his way may not one realize splendidly what his Maker desires of him? This Bible rule is universal. But the busi- 1ess man should be as intense in the nour when it is his duty to recreate as when his mission is to create.
 @ The Word of God holds every bus ness man to strict truth and rectitude. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord " The getting of treasures by a ying tongue is a vapor driven to and TO- They are the snares of death" He will not hear, for your lips have spoken lies" ''Therefore. putting Iway falsehood, speak ye the truth one