Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-12
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR HOUR
Conducted by Grace Livingston Hill-Lutz.
For Sunday, August 10, 1895.
topic: The Building of Character" II Pet
i:1-11. Jude xx:2l

A'i''' he buiIuihH OF Character. II Peter
ELL; Jude Xxx: 81.
II Peter, /. Simon Peter, servant and
and an apostle of Jesus Christ. to them that
have obtained like precious faith with us
through the righteousness of God and our
Savior Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto
you through the knowledge of God. and of
Jesus our Lord,
B. According as his divine power hath
given unto us all things that pertain unto
life and goodness, through the knowledge
of Him that hath called US for glory and
virtue:
e. w hereby are given unto US exceeding
great and precious promises that by these
We might be partakers of the divine nature
having escaped the corruption that is in the
world through lust.
o. And beside this giving all diligence. add
10 your faith virtue; and to virtue knowi-
edge;
=. And to godlness brotherly kindness:
and to brotherly kindness charity.
aSo,i f&r II, II these things be in you, and
ABOUND, they make you that ye shall Meth
er be barren nor unfruitful in the knowl-
edge OF our Lord Jesus Christ.
y. But he that lacketh these things is
blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath
sins. '''' Wv
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren. give
diligence to make your calling and cleo
ton sure; for if ye do these things, we shall
never fall
IL For so an entrance shall be minfstered
unto you abundantly into the everlasting
kingdom of Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.
Jude 20. But ye, beloved. building up
yourselves on your most holy faith, praying
in the Holy Ghost.
81 Keep yourselves in the love of God,
ia nf
Christ unto eternal life.
The Lesson.
To start in with this sinful nature we
have and try to build up beautiful char
acter is discouraging. Many have given 1t
up entirely and are drifting along content
with doing few good things. We fail and
iall, and say, What is the use?" But to
try to build up a lovely character on our
own sinful nature Is like trying to build a
mouse upon foundation OF sand The fret
niue WIND That comes along overthrows II
Gou mas given US something better than
thdt LOT foundation, and that is our faith
IN Jesus christ Upon such a foundation
man may build up with confidence a lovely
character. The secret OF this is the ev
ceedlng great and precious promises which
make US partakers of the Divine nature
Ihlnk OF II! You may have today TO help
you over the hard places piece of Chrlst's
righteousness Virtue), His calm self
control temperance, His patience, His
Godlikeness, His love of every ono W.
nave not much OF those things in our own
natures, and that is why II is so utterly
dlscouraging to try to build anything beau
tful out of our materials; but He has said
that just as much of Himself as we need
ana want, We may have, to help us out in
the way. 80
Thomas Carlyle says:
instead of saying that man is the crea-
ture of circumstance. Il would be nearer the
* he Of
circumstances. Our strength is measured
by our plastic power. From the same ma
terials one man builds palaces. another
novels: one warehouses, another villas: brick
and mortar are mortar and bricks until the
architect can make them something else
Thus 1t Is that in the same family in the
a stately ediflce, while his brother. vacllat-
ing and incompetent. lives forever amid
ruins the block OF granite which was an
obstacle in the pathway of the weak be-
comes stepping stone in the pathway of
the strong
Building is not done in a day, and we
cannot think TO rise suddenly and make out
OF worthless, self-centered life, all at
once. a sanity character. We must be
sure of our foundation and then build slow
ly. carefully up adding virtue to virtue
through the knowledge of Jesus. This
knowledge of Jesus is the principal thing;
it helps in. all the others. Daily study the
one great. perfect Character, and you will
daily find yourself more able to grow like
Him. Add to your faith In God the purity
of Jesus. If you see in your heart some
vile or evil tendency, say to It that Jesus
IS to live In you, and IT must depart for
He cannot bear anything evil. You must
be firm with any evil habit. You cannot
give 1t a seat by your hearth even for an
hour 1t must be turned from your heart
utterly. Do you falter? Do you feel you
have not strength? Where are the prom
ises? Quick, bring one. God Is faithful
who will with the temp tation also make a
IN pscanp'' Claim that 70
to Him for His purity. ask Him to give YOU
His hatred of all that Is vile.
And so with all the others Notice where
you are lacking. If you do not know go
ask Him. He will show you. Build all the
weak places strong. fortify yourself against
a day of temptation.
The test of a chain is the strength of its
weakest link. The true test of char
acter is the test of its weakest places. Get
to your weak places and fortify them. For
instance: You call yourself a temperance
man. Are you? Temperance means self