preacher has a message for society, as well as for the
individual, and it is essential to the highest uses of that message
that sublimer notes should be struck than are commonly heard. Jesus
Christ showed an interest in trade, and the sellers of doves and
changers of money heard from Him, one day, words of such a sort as made
their ears to tingle. The preacher must not be afraid to insist on
perfect integrity, perfect honesty, and even perfect brotherhood in
commerce. We have heard somewhere the story of a business man in
Brighton to whom, one day, a customer chanced to speak concerning F. W.
Robertson--perhaps, taking one thing with another the most influential
preacher of the Victorian era. Leading his client into a little room
behind the shop he pointed, with these words, to a portrait upon the
wall: "That is F. W. Robertson, and when, standing behind the counter,
I feel a temptation to do a dishonest thing in trade, I come in here
and look up at that face." What a tribute this to a great ministry
which had its message for the office and the shop and turned commerce
and handicraft into great religious acts. To the world of industry the
messenger of Christ must also bring the new ideals he has learned. Why
should the relationships of master and servant, of capital and labour,
be poisoned by suspicion and marred by covetousness, oppression,
evasion of mutual obligations? The problem to be solved in this
twentieth century is probably this of the relations between the man
with money to spend and the man with work to sell. Ah, if only Jesus
Christ were President of the Board of Trade! Paul was not afraid to
lift up his voice on these extremely practical subjects, and even now,
the sixth chapter of Ephesians is far from out of date: "Servants," he
says, turning to the one class, "be obedient to them that are your
masters .... not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as the servants
of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." To the masters also,
he has something to say: "And, ye masters, do the same things unto
them, forbearing threatening, knowing that your Master also is in
heaven; neither is there respect of persons with Him." St. James, that
great practical homilist, could not be silent here. Of all who ever
addressed the capitalist upon his responsibilities surely never one
spoke more strongly than did he. "Go to, now, ye rich men, weep and
howl for your miseries that shall come upon you..... Beho