Accountability in Christian preaching emphasizes the responsibility believers have to steward their God-given gifts, time, and opportunities faithfully, knowing they will give an account to God (Romans 14:12). Illustrations often use the imagery of stewards or servants who must answer for their management of entrusted resources, highlighting the seriousness of faithful service (Luke 16:2).
Idleness was criminally punished in Athens, showing society's disdain for laziness.
Idleness was a criminal offence at Athens; and should be so regarded everywhere, since "drones suck not eagles' blood, but rob bee-hives." Plutarch, in his life of Lycurgus, tells us of a classic "loafer" who was one day fined for this offence, and who was greatly condoled by a brother-idler as having been condemned for keeping up his dignity. E. L. Magoon.
We have only one life journey and cannot return to fix past mistakes after death.
An upright farmer, giving a reason for his liberal measure, said, "God has permitted me but one journey through the world; and, when I am gone, I cannot return to rectify mistakes."
Public sentiment restrains wrongdoing and condemns those who have done wrong.
Public sentiment is like a battery, which protects the city that is behind it, but sweeps with destruction all the plain that is before it. It powerfully restrains men from doing wrong; but, when they have done wrong, it sets itself as powerfully against them. The height of Dover Cliffs would prevent a man from jumping into the sea; but once amid the thunder of the waves, and what chance would there be for him to climb the steep? Beecher.
Proper stewardship requires economy and avoiding unnecessary expenses in managing resources.
The late Rev. Robert Hall of Bristol was much grieved with the want of economy in managing the finances of some of our public institutions. "When you consider, sir," said he, "the sources from which these monies
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Wasting others' time is a serious offense as their time is not their own property.
A committee of eight ladies, in the neighborhood of London, was appointed to meet on a certain day at twelve o'clock. Seven of them were punctual; but the eighth came hurrying in, with many apologies for being a quarter of an hour behind time. The time had passed away without her being aware of it; she had no idea of its being so late, etc. A Quaker lady present, said, "Friend, I am not so clear that we should admit thine apology. It were matter of regret that thou shouldst have wasted thine own quarter of an hour; but here are seven besides thyself, whose time thou hast also consumed, amounting in the whole to two hours, and seven-eighths of it was not thine own property."
Relief from burdens brings joy and lessens responsibility before God.
When Latimer resigned his bishopric, Foxe tells us that as he put off his rochet from his shoulders he gave a skip on the floor for joy, "feeling his shoulders so light at being discharged of such a burden." To be relieved of our wealth or high position is to be unloaded of weighty responsibilities, and should not cause us to fret, but rather to rejoice as those who are lightened of a great load. If we cease from office in the church, or from public honours, or from power of any sort, we may be consoled by the thought that there is just so much the less for us to answer for at the great audit, when we must give an account of our stewardship.
A stolen chicken in a lunch-pail led to a thief's arrest through community observation.
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The high prices of meat were indirectly responsible for the arrest of Elmer McClain, a workman in a local factory, in Kokomo, Ind. At the noon-hour McClain sat down with his lunch-pail among his fellow employees and brought forth a piece of fried chicken. The presence of such a high-priced article of food in the lunch-pail of a man of McClain’s circumstances created much comment among the other workmen.
The report spread to the street, and in a little while had been circulated throughout the city, finally reaching the ears of Schuyler Stevens, who had lost some chickens by theft the night before.
Stevens informed the police, who, after an investigation, arrested McClain, who admitted that he had stolen four pullets from Stevens.
Corporate directors avoided responsibility, leading to financial collapse and injustice.
The spectacle of a $100,000,000 “trust” unable to get hay for its horses on credit was seen recently in Sault Ste. Marie, where the Consolidated Lake Superior Company went into liquidation. The liquidation resulted from the failure of the directors of this big concern to raise $5,000,000 to pay a loan from the Speyer syndicate.
Here is a corporation which was paying seven per cent dividends, and which began two or three years ago with a capital of $102,000,000, so destitute of liquid assets or working capital that it can not pay a loan of $5,000,000, for which its very existence was pawned. Nothing appears to be left.
Lake Superior Consolidated, like all the other trusts, was organized under the Connecticut corporation act, which, like that of West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and other States, was expressly drawn to relieve all concerned of responsibility. No one was responsible for anything in the prospectus. No one could be held, in the promotion or direction, for any statements, promises, or representations. The sidewalk vender is more responsible for the razors and remedies that he sells in the flare of his gasoline lamp than the promoters or directors of an American trust to which millions of dollars flow.--New York _American_.
Mark Twain honored financial obligations faithfully despite business failures and losses.
No chapter in Mark Twain’s life gave more basis for the great love of his countrymen than that of his unsuccessful business affairs, his simple, uncomplaining facing of them, and his honest fulfilling of his debts to the last farthing. Coming upon him when sixty years of age, and with disheartening completeness, the failure of his publishing firm might well have bowed down a stronger man; and there can be no doubt but that his cheerful humor saved him, in bearing up under the disappointment, as it enabled him to pay his obligations in a financial way.
The firm of C. L. Webster & Co. was organized in 1884, and Mark Twain became president and chief stockholder. As head of the concern his essentially literary and unbusinesslike leanings led him to oversee only the broadest lines of the publishing policy, leaving the administrative details to other hands. Owing to the character of some of the works which the company put out, its ventures were more than ordinarily large; the memoirs of Gen. Grant netted between $250,000 and $300,000 in royalties alone to the general’s widow.
On April 14, 1894, after several reverses, the firm made an assignment for the benefit of its creditors. Mark Twain had already put in more than $65,000 of his own money in an attempt to save the company; he had also lost heavily in trying to develop a type-setting machine. Liquidation showed liabilities of $96,000. Sixty years old, with a wife and three daughters to provide for, Mark Twain voluntarily gave up all his personal assets as a partial satisfaction of his debts and accepted the burden of those remaining. He said, splendidly:
“The law recognizes no mortgage on a man’s brain, and a merchant who has given up his all may take advantage of the law of insolvency, and start free again for himself; but I am not a business man, and honor is a harder master than the law. It can not compromise for less than one hundred cents on the dollar.”--New York _Evening Post_.
Even a prince was held accountable and disciplined equally by his peers.
When King George the V was in the navy, he associated on terms of perfect equality with his messmates, among whom he was known. As an illustration of the indifference of his messmates to his royal birth, and of the spirit of equality with which he was treated by them while at sea, an incident may be related.
One night he declined to turn out, as he should have done, to go on watch. His fellow middy, whom he was designated to relieve, and who wanted to turn in, endeavored to arouse the prince. The latter, on receiving two or three shakings, opened his eyes, swore picturesquely, but refused to turn out. He hit the man who had called him one blow on the eye and went to sleep again.
The young fellow made no response, but returned to his post, resumed his watch, and thus did duty for the prince. Now, if there is one offense that is heinous, according to midshipman ethics, it is the shirking of a watch.
On the following day, the lad who had done double duty, reported the case to his comrades. It was immediately decided to hold a drumhead court-martial in the gun-room. Prince George was brought before it, found guilty by unanimous count, and sentenced to be spanked by the middy who had done his work.
The royal culprit was seized by four of the seniors and held face downward, while the middy with the disfigured eye, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, carried out the sentence of the gun-room court. When the prince was released he was furious with rage and mortification, and threatened all sorts of things. But a few hours after he thought better of it, came to his messmate who had spanked him, and apologized for the blow he had given him, as well as for making him do double duty.
Neglect and slackness in responsibility lead to disorder and failure.
Mr. C. E. Russell, in _Hampton’s Magazine_, gives some experiences of Dr. H. H. Hart, of Chicago, member of the National Prison Association. One time he went to an Illinois jail in a small rural town, and asked to see the sheriff:
It appeared that the sheriff was visiting in another part of the county. Doctor Hart asked for the jailer. The jailer was absent, attending a funeral. Was any officer within range? Oh, yes, there was a deputy sheriff somewhere about. After diligent search, Doctor Hart succeeded in running down the deputy sheriff, and announced that he had come to inspect the jail.
The deputy sheriff said he would get the key. He felt in one pocket after another, and at last announced, with some trace of annoyance, that he could not find the key. For a moment he stood silent and meditating, until at last a bright thought seemed to occur to him. “Wait a moment,” he said, and disappeared into the barn. Presently he returned with another man.
“This is one of the prisoners,” said the deputy. “I guess he has the key.”
Accordingly, the prisoner dug the key out of a pocket and ushered Doctor Hart into the prison.
On another occasion Doctor Hart visited a jail, and found it apparently deserted. He could discover no sheriff, no jailer, no deputy. A man was sweeping the sidewalk, and of him Doctor Hart asked for news of the county officers. The man shook his head.
“I guess I’m the only prisoner here. The sheriff and the jailer have gone out into the country on a picnic.”
“What are you in for?”
“Oh, for murder,” said the man, nonchalantly, and resumed his sweeping.
Incredible as it may seem, this man was telling the truth, and not long afterward he was tried and found guilty.
Disobedience to parents often initiates a path leading to ruin and crime.
It was stated, at a meeting of the American Prison Discipline Society, as the result of the examinations made by that institution into the history and career of the various criminals confined in the prisons of the United States, that in almost all cases their course of ruin began in disobedience to parents. This was followed by intemperance, and that made way for all other crimes.
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Being a good citizen does not excuse causing others to sin and suffer harm.
The Rev. John Chambers, of Philadelphia, in a speech before the American Union, said:—
"A dealer in liquor was tried for some crime, convicted, and sentenced by Judge Parsons. The next day a lawyer waited upon the judge and told him he could show a defect in the proceedings wherefore the man should be released. 'O,' said the judge, 'that matter's settled.' 'But,' said the lawyer, 'he is a worthy man.' 'A worthy man!' said the judge, 'and make drunkards?' 'But,' said the lawyer, 'he is a good citizen.' 'A good citizen,' said the judge, 'and fill up our jails and almshouses and cause men to commit murder and arson, and every iniquity? That question's settled, sir, and the man must abide by the law.' The name of that judge was PARSONS, and may God send us more such parsons as these!"
Severe discipline helps children remember boundaries and develop self-control.
The Burgundians in France, in a statute now eleven hundred years old, attributed valor to the east of France because it had a law that the children should be taken to the limits of the district, and there soundly whipt, in order that they might forever remember the boundary-line.
— WENDELL PHILLIPS
True usefulness is shown by understanding the employer's real concern, not just appearances.
A young man who had worked up to the position of confidential clerk, became jealous of a new clerk, to whom his employer had just given a raise in salary exceeding his own. He went to his employer and said: “Are you not satisfied with my work and my faithfulness?” “Oh, yes,” was the reply. “Why, then, do you give this new man more salary than to me?” Instead of replying to the question, the merchant, who was a grain dealer, said: “Do you see that load of grain going by? Run out, and see to whom it is going.” The confidential man returned, and said it was going to Wilson’s place. “Run out and find out what they got for the grain.” He returned and said eighty-five cents per bushel. “Run and find out if Wilson wants any more.” He returned and said: “Yes, he wants another carload.” At this moment the new clerk came in, and the grain merchant repeated to him his first instruction: “Run out and see where that load of grain is going.” In a few minutes the new clerk returned and said: “The grain is going to Wilson’s; they are paying eighty-five cents per bushel, and want another carload.” The merchant, turning to the confidential man, said: “You have your answer. It took you three trips to find out what this man learned in one.” The new clerk had wit enough to know that the merchant did not care about where the grain was going, but if there was a probability of supplying some of the demand, and upon what terms.--JAMES T. WHITE, “Character Lessons.”
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