The age-herald., 1902-03-23

pei of Christ came until their disposition was entirely changed. So it was with two merchants in New York. They were very antaeonistic. They had done all they could to injure each other. They were in the same line of business. One of the merchants was converted to God. Having been converted, he asked the Lord to teach him how to bear himself toward that business antagonist. and he was im- pressed with the fact that it was his duty when & customer asked for certain kinds of goods which he had not but which he knew his opponent had. to recommend him to go to that store. 1 suppose that is about the hardest thing man could do; but being thoroughly converted to God. he resolved to do that very thing, and, being asked for a cer- tain kind of goods which he had not. he said You go to such and such a store, and you will get it." After awhile mer- chant No. found these customers com ing, so sent, and he found also that mer- chant No. l had been brought to God, and he sought the same religion. Now they are good friends and good neigh bors, the grace of God entirely chang ing their dispositions
 Oh" says some one 'T have a rough, jagged, impetuous nature, and religion can't do anything for me" Do you know that Martin Luther and Robert Newton and Richard Baxter had impetuous and all consuming natures, yet the grace of God turned them into the mightiest use fulness? A manufacturer cares but very little for a stream that slowly runs through the meadow, but values a 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 f1uttering shuttles and grind ing mill and flashing water wheel. And a nature the swiftest, the most rugged and the most tremendous-that Is the na- ture God turns into greatest usefulness. Oh. how many that have been pug nacious and hard to please and irascible and more bothered about the mote in their neighbours eye than about the beam like ship timber in their own eye who have been entirely changed by the grace of God and have found out that "godli- ness Is profitable for the life that now is as we'll as for the life to come.'
 Religion in Business.
 Again I remark that religion is good for worldly business. l know the gen. eral theory is the more business the less religion, the more religion the less busi- ness. Not so thought Dr. Hans in his Biography of a Christian Merchant" when he says: He grew In grace the last six years of his life more than at any time in his life. During those six years he had more business crowding him than at any other tfme.' In other words. the more worldly business a man has the more opportunity to serve. Does religion exhilarate or retard worldly bus mess? is the practical question for you to discuss Does it hang, like a mortgage over the farm? Is it a bad debt on the ledger? Is it a lien against the estate? Does 1t crowd the door through which customers come for broadclotns and silks?
 Now, religion will hinder your busi- ness if 1t be a bad business or if 1t be a good business wrongly conducted. If you tell lies behind the counter if you use false weights and measures, if you put sand in sugar and beet juice in vim egar and lard In butter and sell for one thing that which is another thing. then religion will interfere with that busl- ness, but lawful business, lawfully con- ducted, will find the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ It's mightiest auxiliary.
 Religion will give an equipoise of spirit It will keep you from ebullitions of tenn per- and you know a great many fine businesses have been blown to atoms by bad temper. It will keep you from worriment about frequent loss; 1t will keep you industrious and prompt it will hSCP Sou OtiCh lIOHl anu from dissipation; 1t will give you a kind ness of spirit which will be easily dis tinguished from that mere store courtesy which shakes hands violently with you. asking about the health of your family, when there is no anxiety to know wheth- CT your child Is well or sick, but the anxiety Is to know how many dozen cam brio pocket handkerchiefs you will take and pay cash down. It will prepare you for the practical duties of everyday life. I do not mean to say that religion will make us financially rich, but I do say that 1t will give us, 1t will assure us of a comfortable sustenance at the start a comfortable subsistence all the way through and 1t will help us to direct the bank. to manage the traffic. to conduct all our business matters and to make the most insignificant affair of our life a matter of vast importance, glorified by Christian principle.
 The Story of Merchant.
 In New York city there was a merchant hard in his dealings with his fellows. who had written over his banking house or his counting house room, "No compro- misc" Then when some merchant got In a crisis and went down-no fault of his. but a conjunction of evil circum- stances-and all the other merchants