The Republican journal., 1896-12-31


But wealth is not character. A man en-
tiers into the business marts of the world.
He speculates in stock and soon amasses
a great fortune and can cash his check for
one, tive or even twenty millions. But
some OF his transactions have been QueS
tlonable. Men do not have confidence in
him. tie may live in the most sumptuous
style, build costly mansions, and in many
ways attract the attention of his fellow
men, but unless he has character as we'll
as wealth they have no great measure of
respect for him. There are men who
have great wealth and broad character,
but their numbers are few considering
the number who are wealthy. True
greatness does not consist in riches.
Wealth can never give character.
Again, it does not consist in talent Let
me give an illustration that is often re-
peated in life. young man enters into
school life. He is endowed with natu-
raj abilities and rapidly out ranks his
companions and passes into the high
er classes. He graduates with high
honors. He enters college and becomes
the acknowledged leader of his class
and at an early age he leaves the col
lege, having finished his course of studies,
and enters into his chosen profession.
Here his talents are recognized and at a
bound he reaches the topmost round in
the ladder of success. The eyes of his
fellow men are constantly upon him and
they delight to do him honor. He mar
ries one who is beautiful and accomplish
ed. His home seems to be an ideal home,
so cheerful and hal Ply are its surround
ings. But amid his success he has one
thing. He has allowed a deadly element
to enter his life. He sips the poison cup,
and suddenly the crash comes. His talents
are of no value now. His associates turn
away from him. He sinks to the lowest
depths of iniquity and she who has stood
faithful to him amid all, is at last obliged
to seek refuge in her fathers house.
Talent is not true greatness. Man must
have more than this to be truly great.
1t is not profession. To be
successful as a lawyer, to stand at the
head of the medical profession or to enter
the ministry does not clothe man with
greatness. He must be a man in himself.
And ii certainly is not station
that makes a man great. A man occu-
pies the highest station in the world. His
power is felt ON every hand. At his COM
mand immense armies march into sur
rounding nations, to conquer or to hold
them in subsection and collect tribute.
He has great wealth at his disposal, and
is honored as a king. Yet men have no
real respect for him. He is entirely des-
titute of character. He has no respect for
others or himself He fires the Capital
city of his kingdom and then tiddles while
it burns. Then. to further satisfy the
cravings of his base nature, he charges an
inoffensive sect called Christians with the
crime and ordering them thrown into the
arena of the great Amphitheatre to be
torn in pieces by wild beasts, he sits and
gloats and eXults in the terrible scene be-
fore him. Nero had station but he lack
ct! character. Station never yet made a
man. 1t was not Abraham Lin
coin the lawyer, it was not Abraham Lin
coin the president OF a great nation, that
men honored and loved but it was Abra-
ham Lincoln the man. 1t was because
they recognized his manhood, that the
employees of the cotton mills of England
refused to pass resolutions asking their
government to raise the blockade he had
placed upon southern ports in the great
conflict between North and South, though
starvation was staring them in the face.
The honesty of purpose, the integrity of
character, his loyalty to the cause of hui
mainly, won their respect, They recog
nized the man, they believed in him and
would willingly remain die for Iris sake
1t was the character that was embodied
in the man that gave Lincoln his place in
history Character has been de
fined As power and success" but
these definitions are not sufficient. for
power and success are the productions
of character. Character as it touches
humanity is Gods ideal of manhood 1t
Is being Just what God created. Cod
like man. Men fall tar below this ideal
because they allow their animal nature to
control their lives, yet it is possible for
every man to become truly Gud-lilze in
character, by seeking to build upon the
principles that made Jesus Christ the
ideal man. These principles are inherent
God, love to man, and love to self.
Love to God is the natural.desre of
man to worship. His whole nature Graves
for the companionship of superior Being
Even the most benighted heather has a
longing in his heart for a God and mani
tests it in the worship of idols. The
craving Of mans inner life is after that
which is higher and holier than itself,
which is exterior to its own life and
which it, in its intelligence, recognizes as
God Love to man is the de-
sire to live in harmony and peace with
our fellow men. 1t is only when the
baser elements of our nature control,
that we find ourselves out of harmony
with them. This principle is in the life
OF man but is too often overcome by the
spirit of selfishness. True love to our
fellow men rejoices with them in their
prosperity and sympathizes with them in
their affections. 1t will even at times
sacrifice self for their sakes. 1t desires
the same measure of success, of joy and
happiness for them, that it Graves for it
self
The third principle is love to self, and
this is the third law that completes the
law of self-respect. Therefore, Sd, love
thyself.
True love to self is the appreciation of
those God given abilities that are inherent
within us and of the possibilities in de-
veloping them. Self love is not selfish
ness, though the world often confounds
the two. 1t is that desire to cultivate the
highest and noblest character possible. 1t
is the germ from which springs lofty am
billions and high ideals in life. AS it rec
ognizes the law of natural righteousness
within itself, and by it's self knowledge
discerns those elements that are opposed
to this law, it seeks to rise above the base
ness of the lower nature. 1t will cultivate
only that which is pure and good and will
cast out that which is evil 1t will seek