Intrigued by FP

One of my old books intrigued me by its title: Studies in the Christian Character. Written by Francis Paget (died 1911 aged 60)  a noted scholar and Bishop of Oxford , the book is inscribed :With the writer's love, January 1895.  What intrigued me was its focus on the Christian Character, which he claims receives too little contemporary attention. That's true today, too. don't you think? Which of  these characteristics which he describes as 'the coherent group of traits evinced in lives surrendered to the rule of Christ with reliance on His grace' deserves singling out ? He lists 22 possibilities though some of them are repetitions. Many you would expect to see such as: goodness (Ps 37:3), honest use of words ( Matt. 12:36), courtesy (John 2:11),  and kindness ( Lk 10: 36). 

But what particularly struck me was how he began. Did he rate this as the most significant of all?

Safeguard of judgment (The spiritual person makes judgments about all things ,1 Cor. 2:15). He wonders whether in this verse the apostle Paul is startling the Corinthians with their petty conceits 'that if they had seen the intrinsic greatness of being Christians they would have been ashamed to care so greedily for little things, such as agitated those who did not know Christ.' That they should see 'more of all that is in their reach...the distinction and dignity of their calling. Living in the power of the world to come, and conversant already with its glory,.... (the Christian) confronts this world as one who grasps the right standard of all things with a resolute and certain hold; he can scan, examine, scrutinize, and try things with the independence of one who stands on surer ground than this world knows; his is the quiet and lowly courage that springs from the sense of relation and communion with transcendent greatness; he holds his own through all glamour and confusion...for his heart stands fast and believes in the Lord.' 

I know it's 1895 language but what an arresting way to begin listing aspects of Christian character. How as spiritual people we should not respond in petty and superficial ways with knee-jerk reactions. Later he warns of he dangers of living as a thriving earthworm who misses out on the glory of  the high calling of one who see things differently because they share in the mind of Christ. Which is never petty nor superficial.  Let's resolve not to be thriving earthworms!