Cultivate Honesty, August 8
            
            
              Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the
            
            
              sight of all men.
            
            
              Romans 12:17
            
            
              .
            
            
              The religion of Christ enjoins upon men to carry the pure principles
            
            
              of truth into their daily life, in buying and selling, in the transaction of all
            
            
              business, with as true a sense of religious obligation as that with which
            
            
              they offer to God their supplications. Business must not divert the soul
            
            
              from God. You should by your example demonstrate to the world that the
            
            
              truth of God sanctifies the receiver and produces industry, frugality, and
            
            
              perseverance, while it extirpates avarice, overreaching, and every species
            
            
              of dishonesty....
            
            
              Nothing is worth so much to a young man just starting out in life as a
            
            
              reputation for unbending integrity.
            
            
              Every business transaction is to be such as can be endorsed by Heaven,
            
            
              else it will bear the unsavory odor of Satan’s influence. Every action is to
            
            
              represent the science of Heaven’s principles.
            
            
              Truthfulness and frankness should be ever cherished by all who claim
            
            
              to be followers of Christ. God and the right should be the motto. Deal
            
            
              honestly and righteously in this present evil world. Some will be honest
            
            
              when they see that honesty will not endanger their worldly interests; but
            
            
              all who act from this principle will have their names blotted out of the
            
            
              book of life.
            
            
              Strict honesty must be cultivated. We can go through the world but
            
            
              once; we cannot come back to rectify any mistakes; therefore every move
            
            
              made should be with godly fear and careful consideration. Honesty and
            
            
              policy will not harmonize; either policy will be subdued, and truth and
            
            
              honesty hold the lines of control, or policy will take the lines, and honesty
            
            
              cease to direct. Both cannot act together; they can never be in agreement.
            
            
              When God makes up His jewels, the true, the frank, the honest, will be
            
            
              His chosen ones, His treasures. Angels are preparing crowns for such,
            
            
              and light from the throne of God will be reflected in its splendor from
            
            
              these star-gemmed diadems.
            
            
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