The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-10-16
METHODIST SOCIAL UNION.
Rev. Edwin Fl. Hughes on Portraits of
Christ"


The Young Peoples Methodist Social
Union celebrated it's anniversary in the
vestry of Chestnut street church last
evening. The immense room was hlled
to OVERLOOKING with the members OF the
Union, it's friends and others interested,
not only in the association, but deslrous
to hear Rev. Edwin H. Hughes, the
brother of Rev. Matt S. Hughes, pastor
of the chufch, speak ON Portraits OF
Christ" Mr.. Hughes is pastor OF a
chucrh at Newton, Mass, and is not
stranger to the. Methodists of Portland.
Rev. Matt S. Hughes, the. president of
the Union, presided. After instrument
tai music by Miss Griffin, selection
was sung by the Glee Quartette ofChest-
nut street League. Rev. MIR. Ross OF
South Portland read the Scriptures
Then Rev. DR.. Hanson, of the Baptist
church at Skowhegan, offered prayer
Rev. Mr.. Hughes gave brief statement
of the society and it's objects, during
which the offering was taken, and was
followed by the congregation singing
"Blest be tine tie that binds.
President Hughes then humorously in
troduced his brother as the speaker of
the evening, saying there was gentle
man about to address them of whom he
might say good deal that was fatter-
ing, and perhaps he might say some
things that not so fattering, but he
should make his inroduction brief. Then
~ Df ha for
ward and said that was all right, but he
and got the Chestnut street pastor where
ne wanted him, and he would tell lit
tie story. He said when Matt and him
self were little boys, in West Virginia,
they went fishing one afternoon and he
caught all the fish. Then Matt got mad,
and Selling his string of fish and rod,
started off leaving his own rod behind
with the line in the water. The speaker
took MATHS rod and pulled up the line,
and on the hook was the biggest fish
caught in that region for many day.
He called out to Matt, who came back.
and to his credit be it said, didn't take
it away from him, and he marched home
with the fish, the envy of all the village
boys.
Mr.. Hughes then proceeded with his
subject, Portraits of Christ. g 3. IL was
most fervent, imprisoned appeal for the
majesty, the sweetness. the kindEness of
our Saviour. sHegreferrsd 10 the fact
that nowhere in the books of the New
4Testa ment@is there any per sonal de-
serIptioil of Christ. If it had been in
tendedsto lave given one doubtless there
would have been one. 1t is not possible
to put your hand on the map and say
here Jesus was born, or there Calvary
stood. This may be proyidential. He
referred to the beautiful character of
Christ when He said, Suffer little
children to come unto me-" We are al
ways apt to form our own ideal of any
great characer; to picture to ourselves
how he looks. In these modern times
the newspapers print portraits of the
great men of the day, and the person
loo king at it must put the soul behind
it. Every one has in his mind portrait
of Christ, formed either from pictures
or from their own ideal. We are all
mental photographers. There we should
have our portrait worthy of the Son of
God. There are portraits that are carl
catures. Such are some of those of Christ.
The photograph of dead person always
struck the speaker as awful-it lacked
the soul. So with some portraits of
Christ. FSSG &c u II
The speak or then referred to. the two
portraits Of Christ painted in the 18th
century, hthe one founded ON the story of
A bdurrass, king of Mesopotamia, and
the other on that of Vernica. Then the
speaker took up the three portraits that
nave become celebrated, those of Leon
ardo in the "The Last Supper, nof Muril-
10, Correggio, and host of Others. But
these portraits were all offensive to him.
They represented an an effeminate man,
always sad. Now, to him there was
nothing more offensive than a womanish
man or a mannish woman. He believed
that the true portrait of Christ should
be that of man essentially masculine;
man with an eye that awed, as his
did in the many scenes where he is pre-
sented in the Bible; man whose smile
was of the kindliest. The modern pic
lures of Christ are far more acceptable
than those of the medieval ages. The
speaker didn't believe the theory that
Christ never smiled. He beloved that
the opposite was the case. Take your
Concordance and see how many times
he said, rejoice" and then tell me he
never smiled. A great stress has been
laid on the passive virtues of Christ,
but His was not passive nature.
In conclusion, Mr.. Hughes said, if you
would read what Christ was like turn
to the first chapter of Revelations and
see what John says, the beloved apos-
tie whose head had reclined on Jesus
breast.
A vote of thanks was extended Mr..
Hughes for his eloquent lecture, Rev.
DR.. Blanchard gave the benediction, and
a social evening followed.