Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-07-22
THE MANLINEss OF CHRIST.
How Jesus Raised the Ideals OF Man
hoOd-Hhs Was n Strong and
Heroic Spirit.


tive describing the betrayal of Jesus
is the self-poise of Jesus when the band
of men and officers from the chief
priests and Pharisees came to appre-
bend Him. We venture to say that the
words in which His bearing is described
in this crisis have given as much COM
fort and support to men in peril and
temptation as any words in literature.
There breathes through them the Sc
renity and peace of another world.
Manliness may be defined In many
ways, but, however lovable and win
some we may make 1t, we always feel
that there is something strong and res
olute and courageous about a genuine
man. A manly man is not weak or
tickle or timid. We are SO apt to dwell
upon the love of Christ that we are
sometimes I'm danger of forgetting that
His conduct enlarged and corrected the
ideals of men as to those very qualities
that we associate with the ideal OF man
hood. Christ was not mere senti
mentalist. He was n clear-minded, res
olute and courageous man. He con-
fronted implacable enemies without
CONSERVATION. He stood His ground
and maintained His claims when a few
weak concessions or evasions would
have saved His life.
It is good for us in our day to realize
this. The Christ OF the Fifth chapter
of Matthew Gospel is also the Christ
| of the Twenty-fifth. While He calls
| men to n life of benevolence, He calls
them to strenuous and manly service
against wrong, against oppression,
/ against unfaiEness, against impurity.
There are wounds to be made as well
| as wounds to be healed. And though
He commanded Peter to put up his
sword, He just as plainly foretold that
| awful catastrophe of the fall of Jerusa-
lem, which was in a real sense to be
His own act, veritable coming OF the
Son of Man to the world. Our day
greatly needs an adequate presenta-
ton of this phase of our Lords char
acter. Every portrait of Jesus errs on
the side of effeminacy. Not one coun.
tenance attributed to Him gives Him
the strength and resolution and genu.
inc manly quality which the evangelists
without exception represent Him as
having.
And it is only from such C point OF
view that we gain true impression o.
the love of Christ. It is not the love OF
a soul that is merely compassionate anC
tender. The love of Christ is the love
of strong and heroic spirit. 1t is TIT
love of One who is supremely devoted
to righteousness, and to whom wick
edness is supremely hateful. 1t is no
the love of One who simply desires TIT
, happiness of the objects of His affec
ton, but the love of One who supreme
? " desires their righteousness and thel
the happiness that springs out of right
? / eousness.
And the fellowship to which Chris
, | invites men is not the fellowship o
those who love ease and self-indul
! gence; it is the love of brave an
2 strenuous spirit. He does not call me
: | merely to be saved, but He summon
them into partnership with Himself
in work, in peril and. suffering, that tn
= kingdom of God may be victorious i
the earth. Follow me, and will max
= you fishers OF men," He said in one {
His first invitations, and His last con
mand was that His disciples should G
into all the world and conquer it.
true picture of Christ would win thoI
sands of brave and earnest souls int
1 allegiance to Him, who are not won
k the distorted and sentimental repr
sensations of Him--Boston Watchmal