The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-03-21
But religion has tusesi the widest ns-
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its than the hand that bent the bow Of
Ulysses, and II takes a stronger lasso than
ever held the buffalo on the prairie.
A mn cannot go forth with any human
weapons and contend successfully againss
these Titans armed with uptorn mountains
But you have known men into whose spirit
the influence OF the gospel Of Christ came
until their disposition was entirely
changed Sol was with two merchants in
New York. They were very antagonlstic.
They mad done an they could 10 injure
each other. They were IN the same line
OF business One of the merchants was
converted 20 God. Having been converted
he asked the Lord 20 teach him how 10
bear himself toward that business antag-
onist, and be was impressed with the fact
that IL was his duty when a customer
asked for certain kinds Of goods which he
had not, but which he knew his opponent
had, 10 recommend him 10 60 10 that store.
| suppose that is about the hardest thing
q man could do; but. being thoroughly con.
verted 10 God, he resolved 10 do that very
thing, and, being asked for a certain kind
Of goods which he had not, he said, You
co 70 such and such a store, and you Will
get it After awhile merchant No. ?
found these customers coming, so sent.
and he found also that merchant No. !
had been brought TO God, and he sought
the same religion. Now they are good
friends and good neighbors, the grace of
God entirely changing their dispositions.
oh" says some one, II have rough,
jagged. tempestuous 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, vet the grace OF
God turned them into the mightiest use
fulnes.'
a manufacturer cares but very little for
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
hutternc shuttles and grinding mill and
flashing water wheel. And nature the
swiftest, the most rugged and the most
tremondous-that is the nature that God
turns into greatest usefulness.
Religion will give an equipoise OF spirit.
II viii keep You from ebullitions of tenn
per, and you know a great many fine busi-
nesses have been blown TO atoms by bad
temper, IL will keep you from worriment
about frequent loss; II will keep you back
from suuandering and from dissipation;
IL will give YOU a kindness of spirit which
will be easily distinguished from that mere
store courtesy which shakes hands violent
ly with you, asking about the health OF
your family, when there Is no anxiety 10
know whether your child is well or sick,
hut the anxiety Is to know how many
dozen cambric pocket handkerchieis you
will take and pay cash down. Ii viii pre-
pare you for the practical duties OF every.
day life.
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, mo compromise.
Then when some merchant got in a crisis
and went down-no fault of his, but a con-
junction of evil circumstances-and all the
other merchants were willing 20 compro-
mise-they would take seventy-five cents
on the dollar or fifty cents or twenty cents
coming To this man last of all, he said:
"No compromise. III take 100 cents on the
dollar. and | can afford 20 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
fifty cents on the dollar" No" 'Will
you take anything We'll take 100 cents
on the dollar. No compromise" And the
man who wrSte that inscription over his
house door died in destitution.
Oh, we want more of the kindness of the
gospel and the spirit of love in our business
How many young men have found in the
religion OF Jesus Christ a practical helpy
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 delverancc, and the Lord res
cued them.
In bank not far from New York-a
village bank-an officer could not balance
his accounts lie had worked at them day
after day, night after night. and he was
slck nigh unto death as a result. He knew
that he had not taken one farthing from
hat bank. but somehow, for some reason,
nscrutable then, the accounts would not
balance. The time rolled on and the morn
ng of the day when the books should pass
Indor the inspection OF the other officers
arrived. and he felt himself in awful peril,
conscious Of his own integrity, but unable
% prove that integrity. That morning he
vent TO the bank early, and he knelt down
before God and told the whole story of
mental anguish, and he said: 20 Lord, i
nave done night, ] have preserved my In
egrity, but here ! am about TO be over
brown unless Thou shouldst come 10 my
'escue. Lord, deliver me-" And for one
iour he continued the prayer before God,
md then he arose and went TO an old blot
e- that he had forgotten all about. He
opened IL, and there lay a sheet of figures
which he only needed 90 add to another
inc of figures-some line OF figures he had
orgotten and knew not where he had laid
hem-and the accounts were balanced and
he Lord delivered him. You are an inf
lei If you do not believe II. The Lord de-
ivered him. God answered his prayer, as
lie will answer your prayer, oh, man OF
business, III every crisis when you come TO
lin.
Now, If this be so. then am persuaded,
g you are, OF the fact tnat the vast major
ty OF Christians do not fully test the value
4 their religion. They are like farmer
n California with 1900 acres OF good
ghcat land and culturing only a quarter Of
n acre
Why do you not 90 forth and make the
ehgion Of Jesus Christ a practical affair |
very dGy OF your business life and all this |
ear, beginning now, and tomorrow morn |
NJ putting into practical effect this holy |
ebgion and demonstrating that godliness \
profitable here as well as hereafter
How can you get along without tins re- |
gion? l. your physical health 80 good you /
o not want this divine tonic! IL your |
lind so clear, so vast, go comprehensive,
hat you DO not want this divine inEpira- 4
ion? Il your worldly business 90 thor |
ughly established that you have no use
Dr. that religion which has been the help I
nd deliverance cf tens OF thousands Of /
zen in crises Of worldly troubleg And II
hat have said is true then you see what
fatal blunder Il - when a man adjourns I
D life's expiration the uses Of religion. A
ian who postpOnes religion 70 sixty years
age gets religion fifty years too late. He
lay get into the kingdom Of God by final
spentance. but what can compensate him
,r a whole lifetime unalleyiated and un-
You want religion to-day in