The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-11-20
Ar rHg METHODIST CHURCH.


Interesting Sermon by the Rev. Mr.,
Walters.
Sunday a large congregation assembled
at the NJ. e.. church to hear the Rev,
Mr.. Walters. One OF the notable feat
ures of the service wal the hearty con-
gregational singing which all seemed to
enjoy and in which all took part.
The minister took for his text, "Only
in the throne Twill / be greater than
rthou'-Genesis xv:4O, The subject being
The Power and Influence of the Chris
tian Character" He said In part:
The literature of all the centuries fails
to give us a more interesting, entertain
ing and Instructive narrative than the
Hebrew story of Joseph in Egypt.
1t contains an the charms of romance,
coupled with the inspiration and instruc-
tfon of fact. 1t is strange enough for
fiction and grand enough in its moral
effect to leave it's impress upon all sue
ceeding generations. The story Of such
fidelity to Gods moral law and It's glori-
Gus rewards canno too often be repeated
In the ears of the youth of our times.
HunJln nature is the same in every age.
The Snares placed in the path Of purity
mapped out before that Egyptian slave
are found everywhere in the path of
Americas young freemen, and the same
reasons for resistance THAT existed on the
banks Of the Nile $500 years ago obtain
today on the banks of the Columbia, in
the state of Oregon. Yea, more. The
The experience of $500 years only makes
more plain the wisdom of the Hebrew
youth in choosing the path of social
purity which became the highway to that
renown eliminating on the throne of the
Old Worlds sdhooimasters.
Our subject, therefore, furnishes us an
Illustration of the elevating influence of
a Christian character.
The word character is a generic term,
and, like many words, may be variously
used, either with or without any thought
of any moral concept.
But when / prefix the word character
with the word Christian, l mean to i'm
part 10 that word a definite meaning-a
meaning that transcends all, includes all
and permeates all these various charac-
teristlcs of national, mental and social
life of the wAtole race.
For the Christian character is at home
In all the walks of life among all the
races of mankind. Moses may be a
Jew, Socrates may be a Greek, Con-
fucius a Chinaman, Zoroaster a Persian,
but Christ is a man-with love and SYM
pathy and salvation for all mankind.
The Christian character is what the
world lis spelling for. 1t groaned for
A, 1000 years for what It at last found in
Bethldhem's babe. Fortunately for us,
we have on this coast the followers of
two great leaders of human character,
Moses and C~onfucius, and l am sure l
mad nN,,k IN tt,aplfton thalsa - onpUipoa
any Intelligent audience that neither of
these is the character that the world
wants.
The one believing in a half truth soon
changes it into a whole lie, and that
strange fate pronounced in the divine
orac,es saying ~ will make you a hiss
ing and a byword," in all nations has
not only been true; but all nations in
the civilized world has taken up the by
word of Eugene Sue, and commanded the
to move on" While, what shall
we say of the other. You need not go
to China to see China-China unmiti-
gated, debased, idolatrous, unmoved as
a rock In the ocean, with the surges of
civilization washing the walls
of their dwelling places. Here is a
character that while travelling one way
has been hooking In the opposite direc-
tion for 1900 ~years-really he has been
backward so long that he does
everything backward. He Is the dorsal
I'm of mankind. He Is a human obi
guilty. He might have attended a school
for crabs n graduated with high honor.
He represents a religion that runs back
ward to prehistoric times, and at the
sylhab,ts Kung-fu-tse his eye brightens,
for 1t means the author ct a faith that
was as old as the world, goes centuries
Christ was born. Time was
when civilized infdels Landed to the
heavens the Chinese character. That
was when he was on the other side of
the wall. Nearer viCw has broken the
encfSantments
But a Christian character Is what we
are talking about. Who does not know
and admire a Christian character when
see 1t and feel It's influence over
Character in a moral sense Is what a
man really is and not what a man may
think himself 10 be.
Character Is the real condition. and not
what a man may be reputed to be by
his associates,
Reputation may be Ekened to the pin
oornices and scrolls, while char
acter is the foundation. the corner posts,
the stills and Orders OF a mans life.
Evidently, then, the character of which
we are talking is not the natural char
lcter.
What are the marks and evidences of
me Christian character?
Flrst-TAe Christian character Is a
gentle character.
Has not the word gentleman degener-
tod cOf,aau4na Of NN .Natr Aaxyg nN1A a. -,
Iulre a tailor and a jeweler to bestow
jhe marks Of the true gentleman? May
not a true gentleman be found in home
spun and fustlan as well as ~broadcloth
fine linen? Let me remind you that
Iesus Christ was a true gentleman, not
II leisure, but OF toll. In this old book
Is written a wonderful SEN
since, THY 'gentleness hath made me
great,", and II makes all His disciples
vreat In the proportion that they posstss
gentleness.
Second-A Christian character IS a pure
Had Joseph yieAfed to the solicitations
u The tempter this sublime Lesson would
lever have come down to US that tempta-
Ion Is no excuse or apology for commit
ing sin. Sin Is a voluntary act Of a
moral agent. There are not bad IN
enough on earth or devils
nough in hell to compel a free moral
gent "a commit sin.
What T the rewards OF Christian
haracter?
First-consciousness OF self-mastery.
It is no small item for a man to be
1aster Of himself II Is a power that Is
boosted and claimed. but under
TODD oy few and possessed by less.
Z