Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-29
HUMAN CHARACTER.
The Only Thing Man Can Take From
This World tn the Next.

! Central NJ. E. Church, Rev. Thomas Fllben
| and his congregation attending the Sixth
street Church. The choirs of the two
churches, reinforced by several volunteers,
occupied seats around the altar and the
vocalization was very fine.
| The Presiding Elder announced as his
text Matthew vii, 24-27, a portion OF
| Christ's sermon upon the mount;
Therefore, whatsoever heareth these sayings
! of mine, and doeth them, Will lken unto a
| wise man which built his house upon rock:
| And the rain descended and the floods came,
| and the winds blew and beat upon that mouse;
| and it fell not; for it was founded upon rock:
And every man that heareth these sayings OF
mine, and doeth them not shall be likened unto
| foolish man, which built his house upon the
| sand:
And the rains descended and the foods came,
/ and the winds blew and beat upon that mouse;
| and it fell; and great was the fall OF IT,
All men are builders. Some are build
ing social institutions, some mercantile
| establishments, some political organlZa-
| tons, some one thing, some another, but
all men are building character. and
! character alone determines mans position
in the universe.
| IT is NOT WEALTH, NOR SOCIAL POSITION,
Nor intellectual capabilities, but what a
man is. If pauper, he is rich in this one
| requisite, if he is true, upright honest and
right in all his relations in life. No matter
| how much wealth he may accumulate, If
he has not a good character, then is he
J poor indeed. Character determines mans
| position in the universe of God. Character
| is the only thing a man can take with him
out of this world and into the next. The
supreme work of every man is the building
for himself good character. To accom-
plish this four things are requisite
First-He wants a good plan, outlining
| that which is to be built.
| Second-If the plan does not include in
| its scope and purposes all the things for
| which it is to be erected and used it cannot
be a good building. Whatever the design
or purpose of the building the plan must
contain and make plain. The plan for a
human character is found in Jesus Christ.
We must follow his teachings. In Him we
| have a perfect model, an ideal of perfect
| human character.
HE IS THE BEST MODEL.
| You may search the annals of ancient
| and modern times for one like him, but
you will search in vain. Just as near as
we approach in our lives to Christ just so
near do we come to perfection. The souls
model-that which answers to every desire
and aspiration-is found in Christ. We
must have good material out of which to
| build, no matter what the plan of the
structure is. If the material consists of
crumbling stones, rotten timbers, untem-
pered mortar, the tiles full of holes, no
matter what skill may be employed in put
| ting it together the building will be I'M
worthy. Only good material will make a
good building. The material used in the
construction of the soul is the deeds of the
body.
THE CHARACTER OF OUR ACTIONS
Are produced by the motives that prompt
| them-supreme regard for God, or supreme
regard for self. There are no other motives
| from which those acts can flow. The only
material, therefore, from which character
can be built is the deeds done in the body,
which are supreme regard or love for God
or supreme regard for self.
The third requisite is a good foundation
upon which the building must rest. If you
were going to build house for me,
should ask you to be particular about the
| foundation. The ornamental work, the in
| terror frescoing and decorating are all mat
| tiers of after consideration-the foundation
must receive your first and most careful at
| tention. The foundation of the human
\ character is laid in Zion its stones are
! tried, its cornerstone precious, it is a sure
| foundation. Jesus Christ is the corner
stone. Rear the superstructure upon it
without fear, for it is durable; it will
stand for all time and eternity. The only
hope of humanity is Heaven not that pri-
marily, but of
| A PREPARATION FOR HEAVEN,
| Of holiness, of clean heart, of a pure
| heart. This hope can only be obtained
| through Jesus Christ. He has made us a
revelation of divine character of Gods
| goodness, and has lifted us up into the
sunlight of Gods favor.
| Fourth-Good and skillful workmanship
must be exhibited in putting the material
| together. No matter what is the condition
of the foundation or the character of the
material, if the latter is not put together
properly it will not hold. We need wis
| dom to guide our efforts and direct our en-
ergies. The apostle Paul was a master
| builder, because wisdom directed all his
energies, controlled all his efforts. What
| is worth doing at all, is worth doing well
| We need to work wisely, to the best adj
vantage, if we wish to succeed in our eff
forts and achieve the greatest amount of
| good A good plan, suitable material, sure
| foundation and superior workmanship
make good building. After awhile comes
the testing time. The elements test the
strength of the structure. The winds
| blow, the rains descend, the floods come
singly and combined, and test the capabil-
tiles Of the building to resist
THE PRESSURE FROM THE OUTSIDE.
He remembered some years ago how the
earth around San Francisco swayed to and
fro like the pendulum of clock, how its
surface trembled like tempest-tossed ship,
and rolled like the waves of the ocean, tall
steeples swayed to and fro, windows were
| oil ba
pie in the upper stories of the buildings
thought only ofthe foundation; in that and
that alone depended their safety. The
builder who had taken time dug deep for
their foundations, erected buildings of good
material with superior workmanship, saw
his building tested and pass successfully
through the ordeal. Not so, however, with
his neighbor, who had built upon the sand.
The good man, the Christian, has his trials;
he has to go through the fiery ordeal.
They will try him, test him, and reveal the
foundation of his hope when the testing
time comes. Then the building, If erected
the fall thereof. The fall of a tall building
INVOLVES LOSS TO OTHERS
Upon whom 1t descends. In proportion to
a mans influence, or the influence he has
exerted upon others, in that same proper
| ton VIII De, II SlIlui, the rum OF others,
and the greater his sin. He had noticed
men who were engaged in money-making
succeed even beyond their expectations.
After while fires, foods failures of crops,
breaking of banks. swept away all their
earthly possessions. They were sad, but
rallied again, saying, made that once,
and by the blessing of God l can do so
again. they would put forth their energies
and succeed. He had seen fond father
who had an only son, whom he had fitted
for life, educated him, gave him all the ad-
vantages obtainable with wealth and in
fluence. To his utter dismay, when his
son reached manhood, when he expected SO
much from him, he finds him
UHeRATEFUL, DISHONEST, WITHOUT CHAR,
AcTER.
II almost broke the fathers heart. How
ever, be rallied and said =" / did the best
could for him. l tried to save him. but
cannot. l can only save myself Where
character is shipwrecked there is no reeov-
ering it, no restoration. Here is a man
who has built upon the rock. No matter
what trials, tribulations and SORROWS be
may have, he can exclaim: My man.
hood is left have faith in God, hope Of
eternal life | have treasure that is laid
up in heaven, incorruptible and indebted y
/, He followed his children one by one to the
grave also, the wife of his bosom. When
the minister, in conveying them to the