The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-19
Powerful Sermon By Rev. Lock-
wood Last Evening.
FALSE CONCEPTION oF CHRIsTs
RELIGION.
No Conflict Between an Ideal Type of
Christianity and Perfect Types of
Manhood-What Constitutes Cen
uine Christian Manhood.


the S7th verse of the 9th psalm
Mark the perfect man. and behold tbs
upright, for the end of that man i.
peace"
he said, in part:
Many young men have a false con-
ception of the religion of Christ
Whether this is due to their own ig-
norant and mistaken views OF the
Christian life, or whether it has been
drawn from intimate association with
men who are travesties upon the Chris
tan faith. it is difficult to say. But GER
tain it is that many young men iden-
tify Christian manhood with cant, eff
feminacy and sentimentality. 1t is a
sad error that inclines a boy to the be
lief that it is impossible for manly
man to be q Christian. L frankly con-
fess that If I could not be Christian
and still be a downright upright man,
from first to last, would not be a
Christian. 1 permit nothing to rob me
af my manhood. But, Of course. 1t is
q mistake for any boy to suppose that
there is any conflict between an ideal
type of Christianity and a perfect type
of manhood. and it is in the hope that
may render this truth more clear to
the young men present, that I enter
upon the discussion Of this theme to-
night.
When I think OF Christian nlanliness
and endeavor to form my concept Of it,
I think Of such men as Paul and Daniel
and David: as GladstAle and Garfield,
and General Lee; Of such men as Phil
lips Brooks. and Mckinley, and Bryan,
and my own grand. heroic sire. do not
need to blush when I mention these
men They are the ideal men of the
past and of the present; and their
strength is as conspicuous as their vir-
tues.
Let US inquire, briefly. what consti-
tutes Christian manhood?
First. and negatively, it does not de-
pend upon physical strength or stat
ure. Most small boys would imme-
diately deny this assertion, for they
are disposed to look upon stature and
physical proWess as the infallible
marks Of greatness. And, indeed. there
was a time in the history OF t. race
when size and strength and prowess
counted for everything But since the
invention of gunpowder, physical pro-
portions are utterly insignificant in
war, Just as they have always been in
peace. In our day brain has super
ceded Drawn. and spirit has gained the
SUPREMACY over stature.
Christian manhood does not depend
upon outward circumstance. A man is
q man. whatever his position or sur
roundings. You may dress an ignor-
ant craven in the habit of 6. king, and
set upon his brow the crown royal, and
place within his grasp the kingly scep-
ter, but you cannot make a king Of
him. He is still the poor coward that
he was, and heaven and earth could
not make him anything else Wealth
and position and the trappings of roy
atty only serve 70 render the imposter
and the weakling more contemplate;
for q man must be master of the things
about him; they must not master him.
Circumstances alter not the real worth
OF man.
Christian manliness does not consist
Of the estimates Of popular opinion The
populace follow, they do not lead. Pub
lie opinion is transient and uncertain.
The majority is rarely in the right; it
is most frequently the despised minor
ity that holds the essential kernel,
which sprouts only when true men have
died for ii, and have watered it with
their blood. No, public sentiment is
no criterion Of mans worth. Socrates
was the greatest man in Athens, but
he was woefully unpopular. and was
put to death by his fellow citizens
Paul was the greatest man and the
truest Of his age but he occupied a
eeon, and was led forth one morning
while the birds we're singing, and the
bright sun was shining, and the stroke
Of Roman sword left his headless
trunk TO rot at the city gates. Public
opinion does not now, nor has it ever, |
made or unmade man.
The positive elements of Christian |
manliness are: First, virtue. 1 use
the word in the old Latin sense. It is |
derived from the root viz, meaning |
man. From the same root come our |
words vim, meaning force, and virility, |
meaning the very essence Of manhood /
So the word virtue means the essen
tial and chars cteristic qualities of /
manhood. The word means courage,
strength, endurance. Now, whatever
other qualities a man may lack, he
must not be lacking in virtue, courage,
physical and moral stamina. In a pc \
ouliar way these are distinctive of
manhood just as gentieness and con-
stancy are par excellence the requisite
traits Of ideal womanhood. The man
who lacks in genuine masculine
forfeits his right to the title
Of manhood. Whatever else he may
lack or may possess. this he must have,
for It is fundamental to manhood.
Culture is a second requisite to Chris
tian manliness. Rude strength and
prowess are not sufficient. The rough
Is
It IS most useful when it has been
carved and polished into an Ionic or
Corlnthial pillar to support some pal
ace or temple. II Is not the blunt
shaft that carries truest and farthest.
but the polished, pointed and feathered
arrow. Culture does for rude strength
what the fire does for crude 'front.'
makes K into hardened and 'inf1exible
steel. Nothing is lost in resistance.
while much is gained in frmness and
fiber.
A third trait of Christian manliness
Is gentleness. This is a distinctively
Christian trait. The Greek exalted
culture, while the Roman defied
strength, but neither was able to blend
with these conceptions the element of
gentleness. This was looked upon as
! purely feminine quality, but Christ
wrought it into the essential fabric Of
and in such a way so that |
Z can never be cast out. In the ideal
Christian character ii harmonizes per-
,ectly with the courageous spirit We
zee this best Illustrated in the lives of
SIR Philip Sydney, who. dying from
thirst upon the battlefield, insisted that
/ dying soldier beside him should fhave
he scanty supply of water that had
been brought for the heroic knight;
II Robert Z. Lee, whose manly affec-
ion for his mother. constantly and
enderly expressed, deservedly places
lin among the kndghtly spirits of our I
Ige; of James A. Garfield, who turned
o his aged mother and pressed a kiss '
lpon her lips the first thing after as v
uming the oath Of Office that officially
constituted him president OF the Unit /
d States; and of William Mckinley,
Fho for a qua ter of a century has I
hOWn every gentle and chiva Irons at