The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-04-02

not cucct the cnhnSe. II t1ke8 uukubtcG
arm and mishtier hand to bend evil hab
Ulysses, and it takes q stronger lasso than
| ever held the buffalo on the prairie. 4
A mn cannot 60 forth with any hunaax
| weapohs and contend successfully agains9
these Titans armed with uptorn mountaina@
| But you have known men into whose spiffS
the influence Of the gospel Of Christ camS
until their disposition was entirely
changed. So it was with two merchants IN
4 New York. They were very antagonistic.
They had done all they could to iniuro
each other. They were in the same hns
Of business. One of the merchants was
converted to God. Having been converted
bear himself toward that business antaz.
onist, and he was impressed with the fect
that il was his duty when 0 customer
asked for certain kinds of goods which he
had not, but which he knew his opponent
had, to recommend him to 90 10 that store.
I suppose that is about the hardest thing
q man could do; but, being thoroughly conp
verted to God, he resolved TO do that very
thing, and, being asked for . certain kind
Of goods which he had not, he said, "You
go TO such and such store, and you win
get it." After awhile merchant No. 3
found these customers coming, 90 sent
and he found also that merchant No. !
had been brought to God, and be sought
friends and good neishbors, the grace q
God entirely changing their dispositions.
"0h." says some one, 'T have rough
jagged, tempestuous nature, and reagiou
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 ok
God turned them into the mightiest use.
fulness? .
A manufacturer cares but very little for
q stream that slowly runs through The
meadow; but values torrent that leapa
from rock to rock and rushes with mad
energy through the valley and out toward
the sea. Along that river you viii find
auttering shuttles and grinding mill and
flashing water wheel. And Q nature tho
tremondous-that is the nature that God
turns into greatest usesslness.
Religion win gave an equipoise Of spirit.
Il will keep you from ebullitions Of sems
per, and you know O great many fine bussp
nesses have been blown to atoms By bad
temper. It will keep you from worriment
about frequent loss; it viii keep you back
from squandering and from dissipationt
it will give you kindness OF spirit whieA
will be easily distinguished from that mere
store courtesy which shakes hands violent-
" with you, asking about the health cf
your family, when there 10 no anxiety %
know whether your child 10 well or sick,
but the anxiety 10 to know how many
dozen cambria pocket handkerchiefa yo1
viii take and pay cash down. Il win pre-
pare you for the practical duties OF every.
day life. D
In New York City there was q merchant,
hard in his dealings with his fellows, who
had written over his banking house OF biz
counting house room, mo compromise:a
and went down-no fault of his, but con-
junction of evil circumstances-and all thu
other merchants were willing TO compro-
mise-they would take seventy-6ye cents
on the dollar or fifty cents or twenty centa
coming 10 this man last of al, he saids
"No compromise. I'll take 100 cents on the
dolllr, and can afford to wait" Wei,
the wheel turned, aud after awhile thss
man was in crisis Of business, and he sens
out his agent to compromise, and the agent
said to the merchants, will you taks
fifty cents on the dollarg "No." WN
you take anything" "Wen take 100 cents
on the dollar. No compromise" And The
man who wrote that inscription over his
Oh, we want more Of the kindness OF tho
gospel and the spirit Of love In our business
enterprisesi
How many young men have found in the
religion of Jesus Christ practical heip!
How many there are to-day who could tes-
tify out OF their owr experience that god.
illness is profitable for the life that now u!
There were times in their business career
when they went here for help and there
for help and yondcr for help and got no
help until they knelt before the Lord CRY.
ing for His dehverance, and the Lord res'
cued them. e
In q baak not far from New York;
village bank-an officer could not balanee
his accounts He had worked at them day
after day, night after night, and he was
sick nigh unto death as result. BE knew
that he had not taken one farthing from
thai bank, but somehow, for some reason,
inscrutable then, the accounts would mot
balance. The time rolled on and 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 told the whole story. Of
have done right, I 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 old BLOT
te- that he had forgotten oil about. Fle
opened it, and there lay sheet OF hgurss
which he only needed to add to anothsf
line of 6gures-some line Of figures be had
forgotten and knew not where he had laid
thenl-and the accounts were balanced, and
the Lord delivered him. You are an ind
del il you do not believe it. The Lord de-
livered him. God answered his prayer, as
He will answer your prayer, Oh, man OF
business, :n every crisis when you come 70
Him.
Now, il this be 50, then 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 50 forth and make the
religion Of Jesus Christ practical atfar
every day OF your business life and all this
year, beginning now, and tomorrow mora
ing putting into practical effect this holy
religion and demonstrating that godlirsss
is profitable here as well as hereafter?
How can you get along without this re-
ligion: Is your physical health 80 good you
do not want this divine tonic! Is your
mind SO clear, so vast, co comprehensive.
that you do not want this divine inspira-
ton? Is your worldly business SO thor
ouyh!y established that you have NO use
for that religion which has been the help
and deliverance of tens OF thousands OF
men in crises of worldly trouble! And it
what have said is true then you see what
. fatal blundcr it is when a man adjourns
TO lice's expiration the uses of religion. A