The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-05-27
RELIGION IN BUSINESS.
Summary of the Sermon Delivered by
Rev. @. S. Slagle at st. Pauls Re-
formed Church, Westminster, Md,
May 81, 1905.

IllS twelfth CudptSF VI int EpiSbtC " INC
Romans is valuable part of Gods word. 1t
is a chapter with which every one ought to be
familiar because of its practical character and
the richness and beauty of the truth set forth
in it.
Among the practical exhortations OF St.
Paul in this chapter is the one found in which
ST. Paul told the christians at Rome not be
lazy, idle or careless in their business, but TO
be dihgent, active. earnest. Evidently St.
Paul had no use for slothful or lazy man.
On the other hand he held that it is mans
christian duty to be diligent and earnest in his
business.
The point which he wishes TO emphasize is
TIE company in which this eXhortation is
found 1t is found among the principles Of
the christian life which St. Paul here SETS
forth. Kindness, love, sympathy, forgiveness
of enemies and prayer, as well as other chris
tian virtues and duties are put on the level
with diligence and earnestness in business.
Why, almost in the same breath, he says,
mot slothful in business; fervent in spirit;
serving the Lord. y
There are those who say that religion has
nothing to do with business. There are those
who look upon business as worldly and the
time devoted to it as lost so far as the higher
aud eternal interests of man are concerned
We hear the expression ''church work used
as If church work were of a kind different IN
character from our daily work and business.
and much harm and mischief have resulted
from this false distinction. Is not business
man doing work for the church when he is
conducting his business according to christian
principles? Is not the wife and mother who
is rearing her children in he way of righteous
ness doing church work Is not the husband
and father who is supporting his family aud
ri drpn "a
self control aud good living doing work for
for the church What is the church for ?
The church was established by Christ TO save
men by helping them 10 live right, and who
ever is helping men by his example aud in
fiuence to live right is helping in the work OF
the church. On the other hand. some so
called work for the church is not church work
at all. no matter how jealous and active peo
pie are in the work of the church, when they
show the spirit of selhshness, contention and
envy in their work, they are not doing church
work He who would do church work must
be governed by the spirit of Christ, who is the
great head of the church, and must have HIS
pure and unselhsh motive. There are many
different kinds of work in the world. There
is the work Of the lawyer, the physician, the
merchant, the mechanic, the farmer, the
teacher. the wife aud mother, the minister of
congregation in their respective churches.
But all work, whatever be its character or
description, ought TO be church work, that is,
it ought to contribute towards the object for
which the church exists, namely, the salvation
of the world, the uplifting of men.
Life is a complex thing. 1t Is varied in its
nature and is made up of many duties We
have our duties in our families, our duties In
our business, our duties in the State and our
duties in the church. We cannot afford to
neglect any of them and there need be no
conflict between these duties. But if there is.
the less important must give way 10 those of
greater importance. But we ought to make
all the work and duties oflife contribute either
directly or indirectly to the hetterment Of
the world. When we are doing this we are
doing church work You will search in vain
in the Scriptures for tie distinction which we
sometimes hear made between religious duties
and other duties. Ia the New Testament
religion is the life Of Christ, which is to per
nleate aad I'll the life Of men in sll their
Iations and activities. St. James says ''Pure
religion and undefiled before God and the
Father is this: To visit the fatherless, widows
in their afiiiction, and to keep himself unspoi.
ted from the world and in the words Of the
text. ST. Paul joins together things that in the
minds Of many people are widely separated.
He saws mot slothful ia business; feryent 10
spirit: serving the Lord. He puts diligence
in business, fervor IN spirit and work for the
Lord altogether. He puts them on an equal
iiy. He does not emphasize one as over against
the other and what God bath joined together
let not man put asander.
Our text. therefore. directs US TO the har-
mony that should exist between the business
of life and Christianity. There are people
who say that the two are Incompatible, that
you can no more mix them than you can mix
oil and water. Believing this to be true, they
decide 10 attend to business now and to put
off attendance upon religious duties to more
convenient season. Others who wish 10 be
more prudent, conclude that il IS well TO give
both business and religion proper attention,
and finding il difficult to reconcile the two,
they decide 10 attend 10 business during the
week and to religion on Sundays. 1t is hardly
necessary to say that this is often miserable
makeshif, which deeeives nobody unless il
be the person prae,ieing It. This will not do.
and we know il. We know that christianity
is a life Ii is the life Of God in man. Ii IS
not merely an experience, or feeling, or an
emotion. IL is not robe for Sunday wear.
bat it is to be worn in the everyday work Of
life. II is intended to transform. 10 elevate
and to purify everything with which it comes
tons of lfe-.the family. the social, the business
and political relations. and wherever the stan
dard Of the cross has been raised aud the Cos
pei Of Christ has been truly preached, il has
accomplished the purpose for which il has
been sent and if men today ask the question,
as John the Baptist of old did, is Jesus the
Christ or do we look for anotberg Is chris
tianity able to fulfill its claim to be the revela
ton Of God TO the world We reply $50 and
shew the things which ye do hear and SEE. ;"
Wherever christianity has been established
il has lifted men ont OF darkness INTO It's own
marvellous light. II has elevated humanity.
raised the standard of morals, infused the
spirit of love and fraternity among all classes
Of people, yes. and il has raised The standard
OF business and the code Of morals governing
business transactions.
If YOU we're to 20 to Turkey. to Egypt or
TO China you would find business conducted
very differently from the way in which it is
conducted in christian countries Lying, de-
ceif INSCRIPTIONS and sharp practices are the
general rule Business is conducted on this
basis. No good business man will tell the
truth He is good business man IN proper
ton to his ability TO deceive and TO take ad-
vantage of those who do business with him.
You can 90 anywhere in the world where
christianity is not established and you will find
this standard of business immortality prevail
ing. You find rQgues, sharpers add unprin-
cipled men in business in America as well as
in the East Such persons are found IN all
kinds of business. But mere they are the ex-
ception aud not the rule. They are generally
known and they are not regarded with respect,
because they fall below the standard OF busl-
ness morality which is generally recognized by
business men There is no code of laws or
system of rules governing business iransac-
tions, but there is that which is worth infinitely
more than code of laws, namely, a spirit of
honor, of Justice and of truth. You cannot
define this But il is felt and appreciated and
it has moulding effect upon character. How
often You have heard the expression: That
man is not straight which means that he is
crooked according to the measure of business
morality No matter how much money such
a man may be worth, nobody respects him and
men of honor prefer to have no dealings with
him.
Christianity has not made all American
people honest. There are thieves and dishon-
est men out of jail as well as in 1t, nor has
christianity made all American business men
truthful or honorable in their business deal,
ings, but it has inspired business life with its
spirit aud has created standard of business
ethics which is higher today than ever before.
| say this advisedly. Notwithstanding frauds
which are practieed, and the acts of petty
n,eanness and of dishonesty of small dealers
and the swindliDg enterprises on larger
scale, there never was time in the history OF
the world when honesty, truthfuness and fair
l., I,,-;,.as.s &c ifa ,,ravaiial aS fhav