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Neglect of Health Reform
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It is possible for a merchant to be a Christian and preserve his
integrity before God. But in order to do this, constant watchfulness
is necessary and earnest supplication before God to be kept from
the evil tendency of this degenerate age to advantage self at others’
disadvantage. You are in a hard place to advance in the divine life.
You have a principle, but you do not hang all your weight upon God.
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You trust too much in your own feeble strength. You have great need
of divine aid, of a power not to be found in yourself. There is One
to whom you can go for counsel, whose wisdom is infinite. He has
invited you to come to Him, for He will supply your need. If by faith
you cast all your care upon Him who marks the falling of a sparrow,
you will not trust in vain. If you will rest upon His sure promises,
and maintain your integrity, angels of God will be round about you.
Maintain good works in faith before God; then will your steps be
ordered by the Lord, and His prospering hand will not be removed
from you.
If you should be left to mark out your own course, you would
make poor work of the matter, and would speedily make shipwreck
of faith. Take all your cares and burdens to the Burden Bearer.
But suffer not a blot to tarnish your Christian character. Never,
never for the sake of gain stamp your life record in heaven, which is
viewed by all the angelic host, and by your self-denying Redeemer,
with avarice, penuriousness, selfishness, or false dealing. Such a
course might bring you profit so far as this world views the matter;
but, viewed in the light of heaven, it would prove an immense, an
irreparable loss. “The Lord seeth not as man seeth.” In trusting in
God continually there is safety, there will not be a constant fear of
future evil. This borrowed care and anxiety will cease. We have a
heavenly Father who careth for His children, and will and does make
His grace sufficient in every time of need. When we take into our
own hands the management of things that concern us, and depend
upon our own wisdom for success, we may well have anxiety and
anticipate danger and loss, for it will most certainly come upon us.
Full and entire consecration to God is required of us. While the
Redeemer of sinful mortals was laboring and suffering for us, He
denied Himself, and His whole life was one continued scene of toil
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and privation. Had He chosen to do so, He could have passed His
days on earth in ease and plenty, and appropriated to Himself all the