Why He Failed.


A prominent business man failed in the Spring of 1877. He had been for

years a prominent and consistent member of a Christian church. He had

even supported a church once almost entirely. Nothing was known against

his character, _but he failed; he failed in business_. No one knew the

reason why, but there it was, _failure_.



At last, in moments of bitter repentance before God, he unbosomed

himself to his pa
tor, and said, "_Long ago I promised to give the Lord

one-tenth of all the profits I gained from my business, and while I did

so, I was immensely prosperous and successful; never did any one have

any such splendid success,--but I forgot my promise, stopped giving,

thought that I did not need to spend so much, and I began to invest my

means in real estate. When I stopped giving I stopped getting. Now all

is gone. I lost my all because I did not keep my promise to the Lord_."



This incident is a practical one, telling how utter is the impossibility

of true success, without the aid of the Lord, and how absolutely

necessary it is to our own peace and comfort of mind to religiously

observe one's promises made to God. The Bible only too truly tells of

the end of those who forget Him.



"_But Jeshurun waxed fat, then he forsook God which made him; and when

the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, and said, 'I will hide my face from

them_.'"



"_Ye can not prosper; because ye have forsaken the Lord_, He _hath also

forsaken you." "There shall be desolation; because thou hast forgotten

the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy

strength_."



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