Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-10-25
CHARACTER is
BASIS OF LIFE
Those Who Fail to Exhibit God
Like Qualities FAN Short
of True Manhood.
SERMON BY REV. F. E. SHULT
'..ReIigion and business Must Go
Hand in Hand, Says Speaker
Golden Rule Advocated.

1.-The Estimate of a Man; or Honor
and Nobility in Human Conduct, .
was the subject of sermon delivered
Hast evening at the Spencer Memorial
church by the pastor, Rev. F.. e.
Shut. In part, Rev. Shut said:
God created man in His own i'm
age. hence manhood is ideal, and in
so far as man fails to exhibit the
God-like in his character does he fall
short of true manhood. The highest
lobject of life is the possession of a
true and noble Christian character.
The foundations of civil security. the
progress and civilization of nations,
depend upon individual character.
| Especially is that true in our own
nation, where every man is a ruler at
the ballot box, or should be, and
would be if political bossism and cor
rHpt politics could be swept away.
| character is power in a much higher
sense than that knowledge is power,
| for corrupt character becomes only
more obnoxious as you add knowl-
edge, but the true Christian eharac-
| tiers. plus knowledge, becomes a
double force for the uplifting of hui
mainly.
Character Only Asset.
"How have the truly great attained
to the honored positions they hold?
Not by rank, for many have been of
lowly birth; not by wealth. for the
inheritance of not a few has been
poverty; not by talents, for many
were not noted for genius in this
respect. Character. noble manhood
rather than any of these, has fire.
quently made people of moderate
powers to surpass the brilliant and
wealthy even in the competition and
jealousy of public life. Tennyson
has said, Better not be at ALL than
not be noble, for one rudy drop of
manly blood, the surging seas out
weigh
1T is manly and honorable to be
true to ones convictions. We often
meet people who do not know where
they stand on any question or what
they believe Others do their think
ing for them. They agree or disa-
gree just as occasion seems to favor.
Then others have convictions but are
afraid to make them known.
Ought to Have Convictions.
Some fear opposition, some fear
ridicule, some are afraid of being
boycotted and therefore merely
drift with the majorities. | would
rather suffer at the hands of vicious.
unserapulous and unworthy men than
to not possess convictions of my own
and feel it my right to stand by them,
both in my public and private life.
Everybody ought to have convictions
and be courageous enough to express
them. We deprecate, however, the
disposition to not give the other fell
low the same right to his opinion or
conviction that we claim for our own.
Let us not knock the other fellow
reason together.
Great Battles TO Fight.
at is honorable to conquer sinful
propensities. Some people have
greater battles to fight than others.
1t seems easy for some to be good; it
is hard for others. Some have been
born and reared amidst environments
of crime and sin. These qualities,
so unfavorable, have taken possession
of their very nature. For them to
overcome this is a great battle, Get
tysburg.
Even Jesus Was Tempted.
There is honor in overcoming
temptations. To deny that we are.
subject to temptations is to show that
we are not familiar with life. Even
Jesus in his nobility and holiness,
was tempted. There is no sin nor
dishonor in being tempted, but it is
sin to yield to temptation. Men and
women who can overthrow the dyna-
mic appeals of the kingdom of hell,
the subtle appeals of unworthy Sc
ciety, and the enticing appeals from
their own natures, are to be honored.
Let us not forget that the counsel,
assistance and example of Christ, are
the best instruments by which temp
tation may be overcome.
Honor in Sacrifice.
cit is manly, and if you please,
honorable, to make sacrifices. The
world has al@ays honored heroes.
The greatest heroes the world has
ever known are self sacrificing he
roes. The men and women that God
and humanity delights in honorins
are they who live unselfish lives. In
ancient writings. Moses stands out as
a brilliant example. In new tesla
ment, writings, Paul stands out. es-
pecIally attractive because of his self
Why is motherhood SO sac
red TO us? There was a time in the
worlds history when motherhood
was craved by every wife. Today.
we would not tolerate an unkind
word, let alone an insult TO the sac
red title of motherhood. And why
is this? Because in self sacrificing
toll, self forgetfulness expressed in
the woeful nights and in the anxious
hours of babvhood and childhood, she
did not forget to be there in tender
est love. sympathy and care.
GOODIES. sR..I.. a, life