Direct Preaching by Watchman and Reflector

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 13, 1859

Direct Preaching.

By Watchman and Reflector

A brother in the ministry, who for many years had been a close observer of the way in which many of our traders do business, and how the love of wealth leads to acts of dishonesty, took occasion to preach on the passage in Luke xvi, 10. "He that is unjust in least is unjust also in much." The theme was "that men who take advantage in small things, of a purchaser or seller, have the very element of character to wrong the community and individuals in great things where the prospect of escaping detection or censure is as little to be dreaded." The preacher exposed the various ways by which people wrong others, such as borrowing, by mistakes in making change; by errors in account; by escaping taxes and custom house duties; by managing to escape postage; by finding articles, and never seeking owners, and by injuring articles borrowed, and never making the fact known to the owner when returned.

One lady the next week met the pastor, and said, "I have been up to Mr. —, to rectify an error he made in giving me change a few weeks ago, for I felt bitterly your reproof yesterday." Another individual went to Boston to pay for one article not in her bill, which was not charged when she paid it.

A man going home from meeting, said to his companion, "I do not believe there was a man in the meeting-house to-day who did not feel condemned." After applying the sermon to a score or more of his acquaintances, he continued, "Did not the pastor utter something about finding a pair of wheels, somewhere?" "I believe not, neighbor A. He spoke of keeping little things, which had been found." "Well, I thought two or three times he said something about finding a pair of wheels, and really supposed he meant me. I found a pair down in my lot a little while ago." "Do you know whom they belong to? Mr. B. lost them a short time ago." The owner was soon in possession of the wheels.