Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-03-22


Good resolution. reformatory effort. Will
not effect the change. 1t takes a mightier
arm and a mightier hand tn bend evil hab
its than the hand that bent the bow OF
Ulysses and it takes a stronger lasso than
ever held tie buffalo on the prairie.
A manufacturer cares but very little for
a stream that slowly runs through the
meadow; but values torrent that leaps
from rock to rock and rushes with mad
energy through the valley and out toward
the sea. Along that river you will find
futtering shutties and grinding mill and
flashing water wheel. And nature the
swiftest, the most rugged and the most
tremondous--tha is the nature that God
turns into greatest usefulness.
Religion viii give an equipoise of spirit.
1t will keep YOU from ebullitions of tenn
per. and you know great many fine bust.
nesses have been blown to atoms by bad
temper 1t will keep YOU from worriment
about frequent loss; it will keep You bacl;
from squandering and from dissipation;
il will give YOU n kindness OF spirit which
will be easily distinguished from that mere
store courtesy which shakes hands violent.
~ with you. asking about the health OF
your family, when there is no anxiety tc
know whether Your child is we'll o. sick
but the anxiety is to know how many
dozen cambria pocket handkerchiefs YOU
will take and pay cash down. 1t will pre-
pare you Tor the practical duties OF every
day lie
In New York City there was merchant,
hard in his dealings with his fellows, who
had written over his banking house or his
counting house room. No compromise"
Then when some merchant got in crisis
and went down-no fault OF his, but a con-
junction OF evil circumstarces-and all the
other merchants were willing to compro-
mise-they would take seventy-iive cents
on the dollar or fifty cents or twenty cents
coming TO this man last OF all. he said:
No compromise. I'll take 100 cents on the
dolllr, and can afford to wait" Well.
the wheel turned, and after awhile that
man was in a crisis OF business and he sent
out his agent to compromise. and the agent
said to the merchants. viii YOU take
ffty cents on the dollar" No" 'Will
YOU take anythng?" Wen take 100 cents
on the dollar. No compromise" And the
man who wrote that inscription over his
counting house door died in restitution.
Oh, we want more OF the kindness of the
gospel and the spirit OF love in our business
enterprises,
How many young men have found in the
religion of Jesus Christ a practical help!
How many there are to-day who could tes-
tify out of their own experience that god.
illness is profitable for the life that now Is.
There were times in their business career
when they went here FOR help and there
for help and yonder for help and got no
help until they knelt before the Lord cry
ing for His deiiverance, and the Lord res
cued them.
In a bank not far from New YorS-a
village bank-an officer could not balance
his accounts He had worked at them day
after day, night after night. and he was
sick nigh unto death As n result. lie knew
that he had not taken one iarthing from
that hank. but somehow. for some reason.
inscrutable then the accounts would not
balance The time rolled on aud the morn
ing of the day when the books should pass
under the inspection OF the other officers
arrived. and he felt himself in awful peril.
conscious OF his own integrity, but unable
. TO prove that integrity. That morning he
went to the bank early, and he knelt down
before God and tod the whole story OF
mental anguish and he said: 20 Lord. l
have done right. j have preserved my IN
tegrity, but here | am about to be over
thrown unless Thou shouldst come to my
rescue. Lord. deliver me- And for one
hour he continued the prayer before God,
and then he arose and went to an cid blot
te- that he had forgotten all about. He
opened it. and there lay a sheet OF figures
which he only needed TO add to another
line of figures-some line OF figures he had
forgotten ard knew got where he had laid
them-and the accounts were balanced. and
the Lord delivered hin. You are an inf
de. if you do not believe it. The Lord de.
liverei him. God answered his prayer, as
He will answer your prayer. on. man OF
business. IN every crisis when you come TO
Him.
Now. il this be so. then I am persuaded,
as you are, of the fact that the vast major.
ity of Christians do not fully test the value
of their religion. They are like farmer
in California with 5000 acres OF good
wheat land and culturing only quarter OF
an acre.
Why do you not go forth and maze the
religion of jesus Christ a practical affair
every day of your business life and all this
year, beginning now. and tomorrow morn
ing putting into practical effect this holy
religion and demonstrating that goodness
is profitable here as well as hereafter:
How can you get along without this re.
licion? Is your physical health so good YOU
do not want this divine tonicy Is your
mind so clear. so vast. so comprehensive,
that YOU do not want this divine inspira.
ton: Is your worldly business so thor
oughly established that YOU have no use
for that religion which has been the help
and deliverance of tens OF thousands OF
men in crises o. worldly trouble; And II
what have said Is true then you see what
a fatal blunder it is when man adIourns
to LIES expira ton the rses OF rehgion. a
man who postpones religion TO sixty years
OF age gets religion fifty years too late. He
may get into the Kingdom OF God by fina
repentance. but what can compensate him
for a whole lifetime raalleviated and TN
comforted. You want religion to-day ~
the training of that child. You will want
religion tomorrow in dealing with that
customer You wanted religion yesterday
to curb your temper. Is your arm strons
enough to beat your way through the
floods? Can you. without being incased il
the mail of Gods eternal help. 90 fortl
amid the assault of all hcll's sharpshoot
ers? Can you walk alone across thes'
crumbling graves and amid these gapin;
earthquakes? Can you. water.ogged anC
mast shivered. outlive the gale. On. how
many there have been who, postponing tn,
religion of Jesus Christ. have plunged int
mistakes they could never correct. although
| they lived sixty years after. and like ser
penis crushed under cart wheels draggin,
| their mauled bodies under the rocks to die
So these men have fallen under the whee
| of awful calamity. while vast multitude
| of others have taken the religion OF Jesu
Christ into everyday life, and. first, il
practical business affairs. and. second. o,
the throne of heavenly triumph, have illus
trated. while angels looked on and a ami
verse approved. the glorious truth tina
"godliness ia profitable unto all things
having the promise of the life which now j
as well as of that which is to come
copyright. 1879. l. Klopsch.I
e ri II