An Ideal Young Man
“I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth.lehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.” — I Sam. xvi. 18.
What a magnificent assemblage of qualities! What element is omitted that can secure success! Here is personal attractiveness, “a comely person.” Here is business-like sagacity, ‘’prudent in matters.” Here is athletic vigour, “a valiant man of war.” Here is social accomplishment, cunning in playing.” Here, finally, is the spirit of religion, “the Lord is with him.” The young man thus described is David. He is dowered from every direction — by nature, by art, by experience, by heaven. And yet, after all, the remarkable thing is not the number, nor even the variety of these qualities. What strikes me most is their seeming oppositeness. They are not the qualities which we should expect to find united. Personal attractiveness often interferes with prudence; we say, in common speech, that such a man gets his head turned. Devotion to art naturally detracts from muscular vigour; the man of the study is not apt to be the man of war. Finally, such a blaze of human glory often obscures for a time the other world and holds a veil over the face of God. Is there anything that can unite these qualities, that can make them act in harmony? Yes, there is one thing which can; it is love. Love can join all these varieties. Love can make comely; it can kindle even a plain face into glory. Love can make strong; it can put valour in the heart and power in the sinew. Love can make prudent; the wisdom of the serpent may lie in the harmlessness of the dove. Love can make artistic; it is itself the very essence of beauty, the very soul of loveliness. And love can make religious; its thirst for the beautiful is not gratified below; its artistic eye seeks a better country. In love all fulness dwells.
Strong Son of God, Immortal Love, descend in Thy fulness upon the spirit of youth! Bring into the heart of our young men that union of qualities which, in Thine absence, are opposed! Give them the valour of the soldier — the strength that will not stoop to wrong! Give them the suavity of the courtier — the gentleness of manner which is ever comely! Give them a sense of beauty — a taste for all that is fair in literature and To6
art, that life may to them reveal its romantic joy! Give them that with which a romantic joy is often incompatible — the spirit of prudence, a power of far-seeing, a judgment calm and clear! Give them, above all, a pious soul — a reverence for what is righteous, a hope for what is holy, a trust in what is true! Forbid that they should associate Thy religion with unmanliness! Forbid that they should say, “It is unheroic to ask help from heaven “! Teach them that Thy help makes heroes! Teach them that the leader of men is the leaner on Thee! Teach them that there is none so brave as he who lies on Thy breast, none so wise as he who bends to Thy will, none so courteous as he who has sunk self at Thy cross! Light them by the love of Thee! Thy love alone gives an all-round manhood. It has the courage for Calvary, the wisdom for temptation’s wilderness, the manner for the marriage feast, the fervour for the fields of beauty. It is grave without gloom, free without frivolity, prudent without prudishness, pious without pretension, calm without coldness, winsome without weakness, trusty without truculence, winged with radiance and yet weighted with responsibility. Be ours Thy spirit of manhood, O Lord!