The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-06-10
character, voice, features, qualities

character, voice, features, qualities
modified, no doubt, by entering into
a new human being, and into differ
emit organization-are impressed upon
our children. Not the incubation of
but much rather the forma-
ton Of principles; and of the tone of
character, the derivation of qualities.
Psychologists tell us Of the deriya-
ton of the mental qualities from the
father and of the moral from the
mother. But be this as 1t may, there
is scarcely one here who cannot trace
back his present religious character
to some impression in early life, from
one or other of his parents-a tone,
a look, word, a habit, or even, it
may be, a bitter. miserable exclarna-
ton of remorse.
sThe death of Christ was a repre-
sentation of the life of God, says an
eminent divine. "To me this is the
profoundest of all truths, that the
whole Of the life Of God is the sacri-
fee of self. God is love; love is sac
rifce-to give rather than to receive
the blessing of self-giving. II the
life of God were not such, it would
be falsehood to say that God is love;
for even in our human nature that
which seeks to enjoy all instead of
giving all is known by very differ
emit name from that Of love. All the
life of God is a flow Of this divine
sslf-giving charity. Creation itself is
sacrifce-the self importation OF the
Divine Being. Redemption, too, is
sacrifice, else it could not be love;
for which reason we will not surrender
one iota of the truth that the death
Of Christ was the sacrifice OF God
the manifestation once in time Of that
which is the eternal law Of His life. !"
There are two sides to our charac-
ter: one so evil, fallen, strengthens,
that at times it is on the brink OF
hell; and one which is risen with
Christ, redeemed in His resurrection,
which seeks the things that are above,
not those that are below; which
brings US sometimes to the very verge
of heaven; which makes US almost
feel that the breath of God is breath
ing upon us, and that we hear the
harpings of the everlasting harps. =
The true Christian spirit is one of
mingled holiness and humility-of
majesty and abasement--now with
the stride of a conqueror and g king
now captive, with the foot OF the
conqueror on his neck. Let us recog-
| nize our two selves; be humble fol
our evil self, but be thankful for oul
diviner self; and not, through affected
modesty, ignore the blessed fact that
God is with us. ssOf such one viii
I glory, but of myself will not glory.
There is certain mysterious tact
of sympathy and antipathy by which
we discover the like and unlike O.
ourselves in others character. You
cannot find out d mans opinions un
less he chooses to express them; bu
his feelings apd his character yol
may. He cannot hide them: you fee
them in his look and mein, and tone
| and motion. There is, for instance,
certain something in sincerity am
reality which cannot be mistaken
certain something in real grief whicl
the most artistic cannot initiate.
is distinguished by nature, not edu
cation. There is something in a
impure heart which purity detect
afar off. Marvellous it is how inne
cence perceives the approach OF ey
which it cannot know by experience
lust az the dove which has never see
a falcon trembles by instinct. at i
approach; just as blind man detec
by finer sensitiveness the passing
the cloud which he cannot see owe
shadowing the sun. 1t is wondro'