The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-02-16
THE WORLDS IDEAL
Young Man of Nazareth as a
Model for Young Men.
PROF. poTEAT5 LECTURE
BEFORE THE YOUNG MEMS
CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.
1--WE ALL Live eY OUR IofALs"
"Christ as a Sawo," Subject ~ a inc
Sermon by Rev. j NJ. Root7--
Two Large Congre2 atoms
Delighted

Wo Large CoHsTeE dtiohS
Delighted
THE Young Man of Nazareth" was
the sui lect OF one OF the best lectures
that has been delivered in this city in a
long time. 1t was delivered by Prof. w.
l.. poteat, of Wake Forest College, in
Metropolitan Opera House, Sunday aft
ternoon, before the Young Mems Chris
tan Association of this city. In addition
to the members of that Association,
large number of men not members, went
to hear the lecture and the hall was al
most filed with most apreciative au-
dience. The lecture was short, clear-cut
and sparkling with epigram.
we live by ideals, was the lecturers
first sentence. "They are our support
giving US nourishment for the attainment
of the ends of life. They are also stand
ards by which we may measure our
achievements. We all have our ideals
all So is of ideals. Many of them arc
adopted and many of them suggested by
circums tances. Now the ideal which we
may have acts very much like ia con-
tagion. A man can hardly have an ideal
without having it spread throughout his
nature and conform his life more or less
to it,"
The ideal Prof. Proteat said he had
come TO present was the Young Man of
Nazareth Jesus Christ-and he would
speak, not as preacher, but ass young
man to young men about a young man.
He explained that he had left his biolos-
ical dessecting instruments in his labor
atory at the college, Nor did he have
his theological dissecting instruments
with him either. He thought there had
been too much Of that--so much that the
result was that nothing was left-hardly
a God. He wanted to talk about Christ
plainly, simply and common-sensedly.
In doing this he called attention to
several facts about Christ.
/. That he was man.
Jesus took great pains to Empress this
fact upon the world. "The word became
flesh AMI dwelt among us.E In becom
ing a man be took upon himself all the
limitations of man and all the sinful
tendencies of a man.
2. That he was a strong young man.
Jesus Christ was sinless young man.
The difference between us and Jesus Is
that he was subject to sin but did not
do so, while we do. Sin is not hereditary,
but the tendency to sin is.
The speaker then invited attention to
the circle of ideas into which the young
man was born-the definite hereditary
beliefs, many OF them erroneous. He
said Christ recognized these beliefs, saw
the good and the evil there was in them
and winnowed the wheat from the, chaff.
The two main ideas, be said, int which
Jesus was born was, that man Is justified
by words, and the messianic idea. The
messianic idea was the most important
idea and permeated the whole life and
framework OF Palestine. He entered
into these ideas and transformed them.
Christ's dress was next described Ny
the speaker, who also told of his. loag
vigils, his meditatiens and prayers; .sof
Johns preaching in the wilderness and
his proclamation of the birth and reign
of the Messiah The baptism of the
Savior by John was also described at
length.
This, he said, was the great crisis in
Jesus life. what sort of Messiah shall
I bep' was the great question. Shall
4
glory?" That would not be Christ-like.
No "He who would be greatest among
you must be the servant OF ALL" He
became the servant of all mankind, poor
and homeless. This was the first great
temptation in tne life Of Jesus.
The second great temptation was at
the temple when he was taken upon the
Mount and offered the glories Of all the
world. The glories of this world were
not for him.
3. Jesus was AN Industrious young
man.
He was carpenter and gained his
support by manual labor. Now that is
getting to be very unpopular these days.
We only work when we are bound to.
You say you don't want any work. /
tell you you had better have the cholera,
because the cholera will kin you and not
contaminate you. Laziness and pride
will kill you and contaminate you, too.
A. Jesus was at home with himself.
The Arabs say that when a man
talks a great deal he hasn't got much
sense. 1t is one of the saddest sights l
see these days-the subterfuges young
people resort to to escape from themselves
and their thoughts They will not be
alone. If they can't talk they'll have a
newspaper. something to escape them
selves. No man can amount to much
who does no sometimes associate with
himself and talk with himself. Christ
could keep company with himself.
s. Jesus was happy man.
1t is every mans duty to himself
to get all the innocent pleasure possible
out of this life. "Be We joyful
When you see young man with a
face as long as a mules you may look out
| for his heels. Christ was happy. True
he was man OF sorrow and acquainted
| with grief, but was there ever a man on
| earth who was not? That is but another
| evidenco Of his humanity. The object OF
| Christ IN the world is to bring down the
Wv ioy Of heaven upon earth.
| au hes nature four stories high
! ys@ll. the intellectual, moral and
| ,.itHal Alliance with Christ strength
n> md supports and upholds all these
| lie possessed them all to a perfect de
~iec.
! Chi is the most interesting per
. TI.a IsPn aha nd hn