Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-11-12
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COMMERCE AND CHARACTER.
BY Henry f. Cope.


Ever follow that which is good. :
/. Thess., 5: 10:
Almost all who think about the mat
ter at all are agreed that religion
ought to extend itself through all ones
life, and that 1t Is matter for the
days Of work as we'll as for the day OF
rest. But the difficulty usually is to
see just precisely how religion may
function in the affairs Of every day
life, in business, and social living.
That the services Of the church are
religious acts Is evident. Or at least
they are designed as such. But how
can you make bookkeeping, selling
goods, trading stocks, making bricks,
handling tools, building houses, caring
for homes-all that makes up the life
of business and all that constitutes
our social Hving-how can these be-
come religious acts?
The answer is really simple; by put
ting into them the same qualities
which make religious the services of
the church and which give their spe-
c1al character to the acts we call re-
ligious. There is just one element
which makes sacred any act, whether
1t be preaching a sermon, singing a
hymn, or mending an old garment, and
that Is that it shall be an expression
of ones search and endeavor for the
best he conceives, for life's highest
ideals
DC cYin q
church service unless it is the souls
aspiration after the highest, a reach
ing after fullness of life, search for
God and goodness, unless here men
and women come together to lift up
their hearts, to look upon the visions
that inspire and to yield themselves
to compulsions for better things.
There is true religion in business
and commerce, in the factory, and the
office, wherever the days toll is made
possible by the spirit of ideals and
aspiration, where men serve, not as
slaves or serfs, bound either to task
masters or to their own evil lusts and
base ambition, but where they have
before them the vision of better day,
where one feels he is playing his part
to make other lives richer and fuller.
Religion, service for noble ends, the
burning Of a light within that 1llu-
mines every heart, the consciousness
Of the greatness and glory Of having
share in the worlds work, this it is
that redeems our factories and mills
and makes Of our commerce school
of character; this steadily sets the
work and the worker before wages or
profits or any other results save the
service rendered.
When the light Of this ideal is in
mans heart, he finds all living to be
course in character formation. He be-
comes quick, keen In his perceptions
to Judge the moral and spiritual val
ues of experiences. The temptation to
defraud, for example, is seen not only
in the light of its profits and possible
punishments, but in the light of its
fruitage in his own soul and It's effects
on the lives of others.
This is an age when new standards
are entering into our business and
commercial life, when we are measur-
ing our efficiency not only by the
product in goods and the profits in
dollars, but by the effects on the lives
of the workers and by the value OF the
product to society as whole. In
other words, we are really setting up
religious tests in business.
There Is a new conscience in COM
mercial affairs. The banking house
and the factory become stern teachers
of morals, not simply because the law
is rigorous, but because we are COM
ing to realize that there can be no sue
cess that Is permanent, nor profit that
is worth while, no fullness of living
except as we accept and are dominated
by spiritual ideals, except as we set
character and conscience before any
other considerations.
A man expresses his religion in his
business whenever he makes business
living the expression of his best
thoughts and aspirations, whenever he
refused to be governed by greed Gram
bition, and obeys the vision Of the life
Of worthy service. His enthusiasm in
daily toll becomes aspiration and the
hum of industry without the discord Of
base self1shness rises as an anthem to
heaven.
Men may learn to pray by their oc-
equations and to test the vitality of
our religion by it's power to give noble
aim and worthy motives to business
while we test the values of our COM
merce and toll by its fruitage in char
acter and life.
GOD IS OUR FATHER
By Rev. William Watson.
Prayer is both our duty and our
nrivi1ega To he in conscious contact