Uprightness in Deal
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The world, angels, and men look upon you as a sharper, as a man
who is studying his own interest and securing advantages to himself
without looking carefully and conscientiously after the interest of those
with whom he deals. In your business life there is a vein of dishonesty
that tarnishes the soul and dwarfs religious experience and growth in
grace. You are watching with keen business eye the best chance to
secure a bargain. This scheming propensity has become second nature
with you, and you do not see and realize the evil of encouraging it.
Business which you may engage in fairly and squarely, advantaging
others as well as yourself, would be all right so far as dealing honorably
is concerned; but the Lord would have accepted your service and used
your powers, your keen perceptions, in securing the salvation of souls,
had you been sanctified through the truth. The desire of the eye in the
love of gain has warred against the Spirit. The habits and culture of
years have left their deforming impress upon your character, and have
been disqualifying you for God’s work. You have a constant, longing
desire to traffic. If sanctified to the service of God, this would make
you an earnest, persevering laborer for the Master; but, abused as it has
been, it has endangered your own soul, and others also are in danger
of being lost through your influence.
At times reason and conscience remonstrate, and you feel rebuked
because of your course; your soul longs after holiness and the surety of
heaven; the din of the world looks repulsive to you, and you put it aside
and cherish the Spirit of God. Then, again, your worldly propensity
comes in, and overrules everything. You will surely have to meet the
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assaults of Satan, and you should prepare for them by firmly resisting
your inclination.
While the apostle Paul was immured in prison walls that were
reeking with dampness, himself a sufferer from infirmities, he greatly
desired to see Timothy, his son in the gospel, and leave him his dying
charge. He had no hope of release from his bondage until his life
should be yielded up. The wicked Nero’s heart was thoroughly satanic,
and at a word or a nod from him the apostle’s life would be cut short.
Paul urged the immediate presence of Timothy, and yet feared he
would not come soon enough to receive the last testimony from his
lips. He therefore repeated the words he would speak to Timothy, to
one of his fellow laborers, who was allowed to be his companion in