Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-20
True Beauty and
How to Get 1t
TEXT, Prov. x1xi. 1887.
Sermon by
NV. FLOYD w. TOMKINS.

There arc many kinds of beauty. ac-
riding to human judgment. There is
Ne beauty OF the face. with it's per-
ct features and it's bright expression
here is the beauty oi the body, with
balance and strength There as the
:autv OF life. with it's service and It's
efulness. But the beauty which God
rsircs. and for which He looks, is
q beauty Of the heart. Man luokcth
the outward appearance, bu. tho
ord lookcth OH the heart" q. Samuel,
~, -. Character Is that which God
fmands. and character means the CON
Fcration Of the whole being to the
rvice Of God. In love and I'm loyalty.
This beauty of character shines out
the face of the one who possesses it
I'd Is reflected I'm his life. y very
pmcly person who Is beautiful
hrfstian will become TO those who
how him beautiful in face and figure
Gorge Macdonald pictures many per-
Pns who are imperfect In their physi-
organism and yet who are wonder
lilly beautiful because OF their faith
1d love. While we are not to despise
htural beauty, and indeed we arc
Ellcd upon to care for il If God has
Zen pleased to grant il; nevertheless.
must never rely upon IL as the real
ling or as that which can commend
to God. ! suppose in Heaven. where
| things are perfect. those who have
fnsccrated their hearts TO God here
earth and tried to do His will. will
beautiful I'm every way, and all that
ars US here will bc taken away there,
imperfections will be removed. for
hen we wake up after His likeness
rive after true beauty here on earth.
nd then at last we shall have the joy
entering into Heaven and seeing
ir King.
uST FIRST Of ALL
HAVE AN IDEAL
To gain beautiful character we
ust. first Of all, have our ideal, and
liz ideal is not vague dream. but il
given to us in tho Bible as SIC study
life OF Jesus Christ. II has always
enled to me such wonderful bless
E. aside from all the other blessings
sulting from the life and death OF
'sus Christ, that we have Him pic
red to us in the Gospel, so that we
ay love Him and. loving Him. may
.come like Him
AS read OF His words and works.
ople. and as sec Him through the
ges OF the Bible in His moments Of
ruEgle and isola ton, as in .he will
rness. or In the hours when lie went
way by himself 10 pray. I feel that
have before me the divnely human
ing whom God would have me imi-
tc We often make a mistake in try
3 to initiate each other. and the mis-
hc lies in the fact that We arc Sc
citing an imperfect model II the
,.st would paint rose. he tries 10
"a ;he most perfect rose. II the sculp-
would make perfect form. he
es 10 and as his model one who is
thout defect. If would be really
autiful. ] cannot pattern myself af-
those around me. even the most
aut:fu! OF them. because they all are
perfect. | must pattern myself AT
+ the one perfect being who ever
;ed on the earth. my Friend. my Sa-
or. my Brother. my King, Jesus
lrist OF Palestine.
There are two or three elements
hich must enter very largely in the
ltivation Of beauty as We keep our
es fixed on the great example. First.
ere must be constant communion with
i'm. Prayer and praise may no, seem
us to be powers TO create beauty OF
aracter. but they are very powerful.
hd the man OF prayer grows. without ,
sc the Divine Being to whom he
-ays.
ORSHIP BRINGS Us
INTO CONTACT WITH GOD
one OF the blessings OF worship. both
lblic and private, is that it brings
directly into spiritual contact with
I'D, and this blessed association with
Mich we are honored fashions us SO
at we grow more and more like
i'm, We are told of the apostles that
ople took knowledge OF them that
ey had been with Jesus. I do not
ink this means merely that the apos-
IS followed the teachings and habits
their Master. although this was
,doubtedIy true: but il means that
character of their Master was re-
ctcd in them. Let us remember that
aver is not merely asking God for
mething. but it is living near TO
i'm and so becoming like Him.
We must remember again that cheer
ess and hope and all the graces OF
Spirit, when they are cultivated.
We much 20 do with our growth in
auty. :, gloomy, respondent, sad
rson cannot be beautiful in Gods
eh;. because he is forgetting that
8 Best Friend loves him and il car
for him. a person who complains
life and sees only the hard and bar !
places where his feet are tread |
cannot be beautiful, because the |
es Of his understanding are closed, |
I'd he refuses TO see the goodness and |
ercy which are all around him. Still
orc is 1t true that yielding to sin
ust destroy beauty or keep it from
veIopmcn,. There are many sad !
,nes about sin, the saddest of all |
ing that II grieves God and enters |
70 tho cruciflxion OF Christ: but it is |
so sad to realize that when NE love |
&c our beauty is marred. and instead |
partaking of the glory Of Gods |
turc we are sinking into ugliness |
ID ruin.
ow THOUGHTS MAY he
vITALIZED INTO ACTION |
Every unkind word we speak. nay
cry mean thing that we think, at
cts our possible beauty and throws
back in our progress. Aaron Mar
Crane. in his little book called |
,ieht and Wrong Thinking" shows
ry clearly how thoughts. even al
oush they may not vitalize into ac-
IN, nevertheless affect character and
n up or cast down, according as the
oushts are good or bad. the one who
inks.
Another agent in developing beauty
a.