The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-14
MEANING OF CHARACTER.



The Rev. G.. l.. Macintosh, of the Fourth
Presbyterian Church. yesterday morning
took as the text of his sermon the eleventh
verse of the twenty-second chapter OF
Revelation: He that is unjust. let him
be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let
him be filthy still; and he that is holy, let
him be holy STILL
The main subject of the sermon was
character" and many examples were
given to show that character is the basis
or spiritual preferment.
Mr.. Macintosh spoke in part as follows:
What is our destiny? What keeps us
going through the years? What keeps our
identity and preserves our spiritual in
~Glviduality? We are possessed or a mater
ial identity which is preserved by the
physical laws of nature. 1t is not so GER
tain thai there is such a thing as intellec-
tual identity. Character has been said to
be that which Is stamped upon a man, and
according to the primary def1niton OF the
word character which is from a Greek
word meaning to mark, or engrave, this
is true. But this applies only to the out
ward, material character of a man. Real
character Is that quality in a man which
stamps itself upon something else. Sur
roundings exert an influence on a nan but
likewise does character exert its influence
upon environment. If IL were true that
character is merely that which Is stamped
upon a man, ii would follow that a man
who lives in a jungle would become a
Jungle man. or If an Anglo-Saxon should
go to the heart OF Africa he would become
a savage. But man is guided by intellect
and ambition and is not completely plastic
to the mold Of environment. Man changes
his surroundings rather than being changed
by them. Men of strong character do not
bow to the force OF environment.
1T was thus with the Puritans. They
changed their surroundings. They landed on
q chnro of ~ rr - vn0ko Tho fnraSfS law n
boundless waste before them. They were
strong, they preserved their identity, they
maintained unalterably their faith in God
and the wastes became rich with the bless
ings of the harvest. This result is true of all
places where civilized man has gone; he
has nodded things, he has changed the
material aspect Of nature, and in most in
stances he has improved what he has
touched.
"A man who receives worldly honors and
preferment seems 70 possess something
substantial. He seems to be blessed; he
seems to be elevated. But a man does not
necessarily gain by material possession.
1t is that which he gains within hat adds
to the true dignity of character. A man
may be a millionaire, he may ave all
things that money can buy, but unless his
inward gain is commensurate with the out
ward, he is unhappy, he lacks the true ap-
probation of that which he has, AND is not
favored with the highest life. A man even
tually finds his place In the solution of
the problem of The universe. Character de-
termines what this place shall be, and a
poor man IL ne be of good spiritual char
acteracter will be preferred. Many men
pass for more than they are worth; many
men do not pass fer what they are worth.
But character in the end remains the same
and will finally put the man in his true
place. A mans future life depends on what
he is now and fictitious worldly values have
no weight in the final analysis. 1t is not
necessary that we think of the next world
at all times in order TO save ourselves. 1t is
essential that we live our lives in a right
Gus manner and do our work well as ii
comes to our hands,