Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1835-03-12
NIaCELI.ANY.
TIE GENrLEMAN-rmE CHRISTIAN

TIE GEN rLEMAN-rIiE CHRISTIAN
Some twenty-eight years bygonc,
first heard of the since far celebrated
Lorenzo Dow. IL was I'm the town Of
Wheeling and the narrator was gen
ueman from the vicinity Of Nashville,
IN Tcnncsscc.-An auditory OF ten or
a dozen. all as uniformed of Lorenzo
Dow as myself, listened 10 him. lie
narrated some Of Lorcnzo's cccentri-
cities, IN personal appearance and man.
ncr, and he ESPECIALLY gave the heads
Of a Discourse "a. had then recently
heard from the preacher. in which he
took by way OF text, The Geafiemaa
md The CI1isfian.' Twas then young
man, and forcibly impressed with much
OF what was narrated, though persuad-
ed II was more the sentiments Of the
narrator than Of the preacher.
About two months afterwards, Jour
ncsing from Morgantown, Virginia, To
Washington. Pennsylvania, I learned
on the way that Lorenzo Dow was 10
preach on the evening Of the day at
Washington. ipushcd my horse and
made Washington at early candle light.
! was told preaching had commenced,
and fastened 10 the court house. The
instant the preachers voice struck nv
ear, ] perceived he was repeating his
discourse upon the text of the gentle
man and the christian The verisimil-
itudc could not be mistaken, for the
heads Of that discourse as narrated at
Wheeling, had sunk deep into INV
mind. But the matter was tenfold
more impressive coming from the lips
of LORENZO Dow himself.
He described the gentlcman-he be-
longed 10 no class of society exclusive
ly-hc constituted one of no exclusive
class-his characteristics were disrc-
gard OF sclf-respcct and Kindness
for others-hc was no pragmaiic bah
bler-not one whose mouth was always
open, his cars always closed. He was
man whose first consideration was for
the comfort Of others-making himself
secondary in every thing. He could
not be selfish, Inc was innatcly generous
-he would do, and he would suffer
he never cXactcd-hc never rcmcm-
bered that he had donc a service, for
he never felt that his service was Of
value Ia be remembered. Ills humili-
ty was n conspicuous as his kindness.
But he was not all things 10 all men.
though he was in all things and 10 all
men a gentleman. He never submit
ted To base complianccs, but he never
avoided or refused civili;ies, that soft
encd the prcjudices or prcconceivcd
opinions of those with whom he was
brought into contact. lie maintained
that men OF this description were to be
found from the lowest to the most cle-
va,cd. And this, he said was the true
character of the christian.
lie pursued the parallel in the has
tory Of the Saviour. Ills conformity
to the iormallties OF the Jewish church
his association with publicans and
siincrs--his controversy with the doc
tors of the tcmplc-his association with
poor fShcrmcn-his humiliation and
death. lie continued the parallel in
the character and conduct Of 81. Paul,
and he concluded by an appeal to the
auditory, IL the true gentleman and the
true christian were not Of near kind
rcd, If not one and the same character,
the rule Of life on both being. in the
main, tina; Of the Saviour's principal in
junction, " do unto oiAcrs as you wouiJ
they sboNId do unto you."
Cincinnati G0-eife.