The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-28
CHARACTER BUILDING.
BY W. H. FISH.

An Essay on Living, or Character Build
lng"-read at the mid-week meeting March
FL, Ryder Chapel, Woodlawn Park.
Are you walking with the Saviour.
In the true and living way?
liz the meek and lowly Jesus
Your companion every day?
Is your life that conservation
To the cause of him you love,
Which would give you consolation
Looking at it from above?"
My friends, there is something in the
sentiment expressed in this beautiful
hymn that, to my mind, affords subject
matter for one Of the grandest sermons
on the topic Of the evening, character
Building" 1t is something worthy ear.
nest thought and careful consideration
NOT simply on such occasions as this,
but in our every day life. This ques-
ton Gam / walking with the Saviour
in the true AMI living way"-this intro
spective view of the real life-not the
exterior life, by which we are estimated,
and alas, too often underestimated, but
the life known only to ourselves and our
God. This mental, moral and spiritual
awakening to the real companionship,
whether it be of worldly affairs, and
therefore, of transitory nature, or COM
partnership of the Saviour as evidenced
by purity of life, good works and prac-
tical demonstrations of the sympathy
that affords immediate and substantial
relief therefore character building''
in the highest sense.
In nautical terms, this testing pro-
cess, would be known as dropping the
lead" taking the soundings,'' and if
we find our senses in shallow, unsafe
waters, surrounded by dangerous rocks,
it is evident we have drifted from the
channel of safety, or have lost sight of
the Beacon Light of sure and safe an
chorage provided by the companionship
of the loving Jesus.
The typical business man las certain
times, set apart for taking account of
stock and testing the merits or results
of mis- enterprise. If the books show a
debit balance to the Profit and Loss &C
count, he knows at once there is some
thing wrong; and if the result of thor
ough examination is unsatisfactory, a
change of some kind is at least
desirable.
My friends, I know of no one thing
that to my mind would be productive of
more good to each and all of us than the
setting apart an hour at the close of the
day, perhaps, for taking account of
stock mentally, morally and spiritually
asking ourselves, show have passed
the dayp What have l accomplished
in the way of good works have 1 light
ened any burdens have 1 lessened any
troublesp have 1 relieved any suffer
ing ? have / afforded any encourage
ment to others in their efforts toward
character building?' In word, have
l been walking with the Saviour in
the true and loving way ?" There pre-
sentative men Of our age, the humani-
tarians of the century, the Lovejoys,
the Lincolns, the Summers, the Gar
fields, the Ryders, were examples of
character building well worthy our
attention and study, some of them, per
haps, not protesting to be Christians;
but men whose lives were made up of
the elements that go to form the true
followers of the Nazarene. Men "whose
hearts within them burned while with
sweet compassion they were walking
with the Saviour" and whose lives
show the result of true character
building"