SUNDAY READING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1202, 15 March 1895, Page 10

SUNDAY READING.

MAKING CHARACTER. By Rev. William Birch, D.D. Father, give me the portion of substance which thou has intended for me at my coming of age. Father, make me as one of thy hired servants. . . My son! —Luke xv., 12, 19, 21 (modernised version). A truly religious character is the grandest ' argument to prove the possibility of religion. An enthusiastic “ eleven ” or “ team ” of churchmen working in harmony to draw other people to their level and, in business, known as men whose labels, scales and words did not cheat would mightily influence their neighbours for good. Though there are, of course, many such religious persons, yet, because they axe not recognisable in daily life,’the world keeps aloof from ..churches which profess to manufacture them. The-.-teaching of the crucified Jesus, however, is not theological quackery, professing much and doing little, but the formula of religious principles, which give moral and spiritual health to everyone who follows the conditions. The church is not meant to be a bot-house for exotic plants, which are sickly when placed in outside' ground, nor should it be a hospital for convalescents and cripples; but, rather, a progressive school, which teaches up-to-date truths, a drill-shed where one may acquire the art of receiving godliness and conquering sin, and a spiritual home, which .nerves us bravely and sweetly to live .our life as we believe God means it to be lived. But subsequent speculative doctrine has almost hidden from view the simple, original teaching of Jesus, and we have not yet grown out of pagan childhood. To bring us to “divine service,” the church has still to employ gorgeous ceremonial or frighten us with the threat of future pain. Are we much stronger in character than when Abram cried to Jahveh, “ What wilt Thou give me ?” or when, with temporal things in view, Jacob said, “If He will give me this and that, then shall Jahveh be my God; and, out of His gifts, I will surely give the tenth to His worship and the poor.” In other words, “ Pay me for or frighten me into it, and I will be religious.” When the younger son came of age, his chief thought was not how to help his father, but what he could get out of him — “ Father, give me my share of the substance ; I mean to leave thee.” But when he had disgraced his name and lost his fortune, it showed a growth of true character to return home, ing, “ I am not worthy to be thy son, and ask only to be near thee ; make me as one of thy hired servants.” The selfish “As I am thy son, give me the substance ” was inexperienced childhood; but the submissive “ make me into’thy servant” was the come-to-himself wisdom of a man. The god in the father could only reply, “ My son!” I. What is character? It is not profession ; for ordinary men are not so good as they profess to be. Does a bishop practise what he preaches?—“Follow the light, pot the laptern,” might woU end many a

sermon. If we see bad strawberries on the

basket-top, may we not expect worse at the bottom ? —and when our great poet says, “assume a virtue though you have it not,” he only expresses the common trait or mask of hypocrisy. Religious character, however, needs no mask, and uses only the veil of humility and modesty. •It is a bent or trend to be righteous and unselfish; and assumes to be so because it is so. In the three first gospels, especially those according to Matthew and Mark, the most reliable record of His teaching, our Lord calls us to personal goodness and righteous conduct; and, while it is admitted that He bears our blame, it is foreign to His idea to act as our proxy for honesty and charity. The teaching that • belief in a doctrine would save us instead of personal purity and neighbourly-righteousness has been pernicious to character; and to suppose, that at death, by a miracle, a dishonest, slandering, whitewashed, may be made pure and clasped.to -the breast of our Lord as a .tme' disciple is absurd. Carlyle deplored that emasculating doctrine; in" effect saying—“ Religion is not now a thousand-voiced psalm from the heart of man to his invisible Father; but for the most part a prudential feeling, grounded on mere calculation; a matter whereby some smaller quantum cf earthly enjoyment may be exchanged for a far larger quantum of celestial enjoyment—it is not reverence, but vulgar hope or fear.” Character is the master-passion which forms the grain of our immortal being, and shows itself to us in motives and to our neighbours in words and deeds. We are making our character true or untrue, brave or cowardly, righteous or wicked, ) unselfish Or greedy, evolving oneself into the heavenly or devilish’ life, and the sooner this heart T searching fact is preached by all ministers - the better for the .world. As the church cannot abrogate the ethical-. religious teaching of Jesus, it is obvious that professing Christians who are not doing to their neighbours as they would be done by are wilfully or blindly going forward to a self-made hell. From our Lord’s words we may rest assured that on our departure from the body the question will not be, What do you believe ? but, What is your character ?

11. The character into which we should evolve. As the blacksmith’s hammer differs in shape and weight from the mariner’s compass, yet both are composed of steel, so the expression of religious character is as varied as our faces, and though one man may slay giants and another start at his own shadow, yet in every one the character should be our copy of the image or disposition of God. In its details, true character should be (1) Decision for the right towards God and man. An excellent model is Joshua before the assembled nation, when he exclaimed, “ As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Another we take from the history of the American Civil War, when the official advocates of slavery proposed peace by giving up certain States and retaining others where coloured men and women might still be bought and sold like beasts. In reply, Abraham Lincoln slapped his big hand with outstretched fingers over the map on the table, saying with inspired decision, “ Gentlemen, this Government must have the whole !” , And how glorious the resolve to act rightly towards man, when the Northern States backed up their President in the words, “ Slavery shall cease or we will die !” (2) Intrinsic moral strength. While in

humble position and an active soldier, what stronger character than David of Bethlehem !. But he failed to make moral strength a second nature, and was only pure while he had no opportunity or wish to degrade himself. When Kb appointed others to lead his army into battle and lounged in the way of temptation, how terrible his fall ! But, placed in the daily vicinity of a similar and more powerful allurement, what impregnable strength in Joseph to exclaim, “How can I, who am in the presence of God, grieve Him by doing this wickedness !”

(3) Courage to profess the truth. Though one disciple of Jesus betrayed Him, another denied, Him and the rest forsook. Him, yet at least one woman was true to the last. Through her tears, Mary Magdalene messaged her love to her crucified Lord, and was the . onlf sympathetic soul who JoleSseilHim when He died. In the presence of sneering friends or a mocking world, to dare to do what we believe God would have us do is as sublime a courage as can be witnessed in heaven.

(4) Righteous in conduct. “Will you buy some , fine gooseberries, just plucked from my mother’s garden, to help pay the rent?” The banker’s housekeeper carries the basket into the house, while the boy whistles to the sparrows, who seem to know him, with their heads first on one side and then on the other. The housekeeper returns with the basket half empty, and, handing over the pom, remarks, “ Supposing I have cheated you?” “Oh, I’m not afraid, ma’am,” says the boy; “you would get the worst of it.” “Why,, what do you mean?” “Well, you know, ma’am, I should only lose some of the gooseberries, and you would be stealing ! Dqn’t you think, ma’am, you would get the worst of it ?” How painful and shameful when a man cannot be trusted unless someone looks over his shoulder! It is because honesty is not grafted in children. Is not righteousness towards others a more beneficial acquirement than a smattering of ancient Greek? One of the grandest spectacles ever beheld by our Creator is not the gold spire on a marble cathedral or the procession of a thousand robed bishops, but the religious man who in a corner of the church humbly bows bis head before God, and who in his business does not cheat, tells no lies, whose word is as good as his bond, and, seeking help from heaven, honourably and unselfishly does as he would be done by. My impression is that angels take off their crowns and stand bareheaded when such a man enters heaven.

(5) Graciously - gentle in the home. Edison has a scheme for oiling ships to make them slip through the water at onethird quicker speed. Would not human ships on the sea of life go easier were our character oiled in love ? During courtship John carries the basket and will not hear of Jane going- home alone; but soon after marriage iri too many instances she is expected to carry the basket and walk alone. Too many of our Johns put on graciousness like a waterproof coat and do not weave it into their character, with the result that as they grow older, instead of evolving into the noble, they devolute into the churl. On the other hand, during courtship, Jane runs to the door, for only herself can properly receive him; but after marriage, in some instances, there is no face at the window for John. Wife, if you would retain his love and increase it, show that John is longed for and expected. Keep up the thoughtful kindness of courtship, and it will become as natural as breathing. And should not our sons bp as

T~\ ' gentle to their own sisters as to other people’s sisters ? Let us make the loveliest place out of heaven one’s home, v (6) The spirit of brotherhood. ■>— True brotherhood means the right adjustment of oneself to others, based on the divine truth that as we are equally the children' of our heavenly Father, every man has a God-given right to a just share of earthly blessings. This, of course, cannot bri' accomplished until the ruling majority is prepared to be brother to those who need, our sympathy and love. Meanwhile, the tendency of the newspaper editorials is towards peace and good will, and I thank God that our leading press is steering us in righteous and merciful ways. The World is being gradually leavened by the teaching of Jesus, and in a bungling way, with an occasional fall, we are surely advaneing ; toward the goal of brotherhood.” ' 111. The encouragement to evolve INTO THE HIGHEST KNOWN CHARACTER. Christ reveals the axiom that, if willing, we shall become as pure, righteous and unselfish as our hpavenly Father. God is like an almighty revolving wheel, with connecting bands to turn the weavingloom of every man’s character. If, like the prodigal son when he asked to be made as one of the hired servants, we lovingly surrender ourselves to God, the Christengineer will connect our wheel with Omnipotence, and we shall weave righteous unselfishness and courageous truth. As science proves that God can create a germatom and evolve it into a man, so He has made it possible to evolve every believer in the teaching of Jesus into a pattern-of God.

Let us begin with the children. If, as His slave, we merely feed, clothe, amuse aiid cushion-the child, he will grow up a thing of putty, who greedily runs after novelties, tries to get every new fangle, and lacks the grit, and vim and the backbone of wholesome men. Train the child to deny himself for others’ sake. When you induce, him to lend or give his toy or apple to his sister or a poorer boy, he may immediately regret it, and frighten the street with screams ; but persevere in laying the foundation of a true character, and. it will certainly come. Do not despair of saving your own child! Let the be rarely or never used —it might turn the boy into - the sneak who tells lies to conceal his faults from you. God wants yotir child to be made into as gentle, bravo and true a man as Jesus. Brothers, in conclusion, let us be stinfulated to co-operate with eternal principles in evolving oneself and the children into the highest character known to us. By daily practice we can take to duty as a horse to his oats, be as firm in our adherence of what we believe is truth as a limpet to the rock, and as unselfish to our relatives and the helpless stranger as a mother to her child. Let it be made as clear as noonday that we abhor immodest talk; with a mighty “hiss” drive indecency from the stage; in the church and our home do not tolerate anyone, however rich, who has wronged a woman or ruined a brother-man unless he has made restitution; and, by the truth and courage of our unwavering precept and graciously expressed daily life, let us show to the world the character of God.