Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-10-12
Character.
Chicago, Oct. lst, 1881.

Character.
Reputation is what man is supposed to
be -characer is what God knows him
to be. A saint may be ill -reported-a
villain may be esteemed sanity. A good
man may be "under a cloud" many
years, while bad man may be upheld as
a model of excellence and integrity. Or
dnarily reputation and character corre-
spond, but now and then goodness is per-
secuted until escape is found at the gate
way of death, and hypocrites may succeed
until the mans soul is exposed in the light
of eternity.
Character, whether good or bad, is a
product. The soul has its tendencies from
the beginning. Probably each soul has
Inherited inclnations. Bodies of unborn
children are deformed by processes beyond
human control, and all the more may
fathers conduct and mothers dsposi.
tion begin before birth to tell upon the
character of offspring.
And the months of infancy and the
years of childhood are fraught with influ-
ences that tell upon character. Long
before the child comes to conscious self
responsibility be is taking shape and di-
rection in character. He comes to and
rosses the line and enters the region of
accountability to find himself wrought
upon by many and diverse influences. The
highest and also the worst possibilities
are set before him, yea, are felt to be in
him. He has already been helped heaven
ward-and already been pushed hellward.
He is what he is-a bundle of contradic-
tions-a creature hitherto, nOw a moral
being and accountable for his own destiny.
The seeds of character are sown-a mix
ture of wheat and tares-but it is for him
self to determine "what shall the harvest
be-"
The factors in the case include all that
has obtained in his nature up to his age of
responsibility. his own will and effort
hereafter and the grace Of God and the
enmity of Satan.
No man can forecast the result in any
case. The most favored have gone to the
bad, and jewels have come forth from
least promising circumstances.
But there is a result and that result is a
character in every case. Each succeeding
year marks progl ess and increasing
progress toward this result. Character
is daily developing or becoming establish
ed. Every decade of years marks a
strengthening of tendencies. Radical
changes of character are rare after middle
life. The tendency is toward fixed,
unchanging, unchangable moral state.
No man can escape this tendency and its
result. In the grace of God the soul
sooner or later steps into Heaven naturally
or as naturally crosses the threshold of
perdition.
And character is the principal, person.
al result of all earth time work and
experiences. There are other results, as
good or evil done the world made better
or worse. influence, blessed OF baneful,
exerted and outliving us. But the char
acter attained is the one personal possess
sion forever.
And all present motives and purposes
and efforts and experiences crystallize into
character. The farmer not only plows his
land Dut he cultivates his own soul, well
or i'll. The lptor chisels marble and al
the same time makes his own soul noble
or less noble. Every man in every walk
in life is constantly working out his own
destiny as every word and act and cherish
ed thought and feeling lessons or increases
his moral worth and wealth.
In nothing else can a man be so en-
rched or so impoverished as in character.
And it becomes the one right idea OF life
to wit-to convert all earthly things and
experiences into the pure coin of excellent
character. Some men are in their most
prosperous days when property is taking
wings, when friends are passing away.
when health is failing. 1t is good for the
soul to t" live by faith " and "grow In
grace" And other men are in their
greatest adversely when all goes we'll in
worldly matters. 1t is fearful to forget
God and lay up treasures on earth only.
When is it we'll with soulP While re-
sisting temptation. patiently enduring
trial, walking by faith when sight is de-
MED, doing duty. making sacrifice, suffer-
ing losses in Christian spirit and for the
Masters cause. In these things good
character becomes better and takes on
trength and the man is enriched, exalted,
nnobled.
The right philosophy of life will then
convert all gains and possessions into
character. One man sells a property for
a thousand dollars-a good bargain, so
called. Another man loses a similar piece
of property by fire or flood" great
loss," say some hut great gain, it may
be. Jobs heavenly possessions rapidly
multiplied as messenger after messenger
came telling of flock and herd taken
away. In the grace of God the loss of
property is better than its accumulation,
sickness better than health, difficulty and