The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-28
MEMORIAL SERMON.


sonal living, its worth to society, or it's ell
feet upon national honor and dignity, char
acter IL of inestimable value aud exerts an
active constant, vital influence upon hui
man affairs.
BY the oharacter man bears he must
stand or fall ia the judgment of the world.
His reputation may rise and fall upon the
breezes of changeiul popular opinion,
what he docs may be the subject of COM
ment and Of warning, what he Is can not
be altered by the force OF circumstances.
Standing true to his principles and his con-
yictions Of duty and right, his character
rer1a,ns untouched though men may play
with bis record.
SO, on the other hand, mans repute-
ton may be fair to unthoughtful observers
while his life is colored by questionable
virtues, and i'll shapen and distorted pur-
poses make up his character, nor is mans
influence confined to the intimacy of home
and the social circle in which he moves.
Beyond these the force of his life is felt,
leading and directing toward good or evil
courses.
The life of the state itself is moulded by
the silent but unerring power of private
character 1t is this character of sterling
worth, tried by the events of worthy lite
which Solomon pronounces better than
precious ointment. He gives no support
to the thought that good name not sus-
tanned by worthy life is of any especial
value.
In order, then, to illustrate the worth of
ga good name" ask you to consider.
LIST, That "a good name tends to estab-
lisa confidence between man and man.
All the relations of life show a law of
dependence. In the physical world life is
| l,t.t NluV
isms or upon outside forces. In no case
is growth possible from inherent forces
| Every substance contributes It's part in one
way or another toward the existence of
other substances. The sun, the air, the
winds and storms all contribute to the sup
port of life and lend their aid to growth.
| The auxiliary forces Of the natural world
will BIZ found on every hand innumerable.
And when we turn to the relations and
business of life how dependent we are up
on each other. Take away this law of de-
pendence and the bond of social order is
broken, nor is there any substitute for it.
See how the capitalist depends upon the
| laborer for a sal isfactofy return for his il
vestment and the laborer upon the capt.
alist for the means of support. The mer-
chant, the physician, the lawyer, the cler-
gyman, the edtor,-all look to each other
for the services which render society pos
sible among men. Indeed the most strk-
ing thing about our social life is this uriver-
sal law of dependence upon each other,
operating in a thousand directions at once
reaching everywhere and touching every
thing gathering strength, and increasing
It's efficiency as knowledge and civilization
advance. So by one unbroken chain all
the doing and thinking of n world are
hound tnupthpr Rut takn nov nnp link
from the cham and the whole is worthless
civilization degenerates TO barbarism order
and progress give way to anarchy and mis-
rule, What indispensable link in this chain
Of dependence is mutual confidence. Take
away the confidence we have in our fellows
and you remove the foundation of social
order. Where there is no confidence there
is no faith, and without faith social life
even In name does not exist. When man
loses lis faith in man that which renders
life tolerable to him Is lost. But this con
idenct, the strength of this faith in ones
fellows is dependent upon the character OF
the men with whom one deals. A trust
worthy character will inspire waning con-
fdence and start anew declining hopes.
! This good name which Solomon eXtOls will
strepgthk and render secure the bond OF
union men and society, when every
! o,ber PURGE fails. How r6Sdily men
! Ffnw Increasing hope aud uSfiaggipg
! 1teres IN failure or adversely over
u ld tried man, This)trust in
> maIiT' ing. The confidence (which a
worthy inspires when he has lived ii
! passef lay is IA never failing source OF
! hope inTjOy. Though the life ii finished
its influence lasts while loving hearts hold
the cherished name in fond remembrance
Let IS cling then with loving fervor TO the
r reco.d of the good names gone before us.
Their value in strengthening our confidence
and faith in mankind, and their aid in es-
tablishing our goings none can estimate.
I'd, "A good name" tends to secure So
cial purity.
How to make pure the springs whence
come the morals of society, is no new ques-
ton. The sage, the legislator and the phil.
anthropst have exercised their best wit
upon it. Theory, law and love have been
the much used and often abused forces en-
ployed in the solution of the all absorbing
problem. Their separate and united power
has been often and again put to the sever
est test But there is one significant fact
here. While the means used differ in kind
and influence you will observe that the re-
suit desired is the same in each case. That
is the purity of the citizan in order that the
society may be pure. We may accept this
as an axiom in social ethics to-day viz {:
That as the individual is, so will the ag-
gregate be. Make the fountain pure and
the stream flows clear and healthful. The
social life of any people takes the coloring
of the private citizen. 1t is pure when he
is pure. 1t degenerates and loses its invig-
Grating influence when his life ceases to be
impelled by honorable motives.
Everything, then, depends upon the
name a man bears. Your living, my friend,
and mine in spite of ourselves, help to give
tone and coloring to the social life around
US. IT we are untrue, that is hollow and
deceptive, If we are not controlled by high
motives and enduring hopes that is tickle
and unstable. If we are the creatures of
appetite and passion, that will decay by the
force of its own corruption. These are
self evident truths, to be sure, and use
them only TO show the dependence IT $50
cial science" (so-called) upon personal
worth.
Now it will be seen that "a good name
is precious because it is the foundation OF
all social order and purity. Who shall stop
to estimate these, the worth of "a good
manner" The lack of personal purity de-
Nseloping an unhealthy social life, has
Y wrecked many nations and threatens the
life springs of the nations, to-day Phil
osophize as you may, talk of temperance,
charity, and national honor and virtue as
you please, exert your utmost strength
and establish humanitarian societies, and
liberal schools to further your ends, the
great problem of social ethics is not solved,
while you leave the personal character of
men impure. Verify, "a good name is
rather to be chosen than great riches" and
loving favor rather than silver and gold.
8. "a good name" tends to render ma
tons life secure.
AS has been said, a mans influence goes
beyond home and associations. 1t touches
the springs of national life and character.
A nation is developed by the kind of men
she produces. But a man may say here,
the kind of men by which nation is