WELLINGTON YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5708, 16 July 1879, Page 3

WELLINGTON YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

There was a very large attendance at the Athenaeum yesterday evening upon the occasion of the inaugural lecture of a series about to be delivered under the auspices of, the above association. The lecturer was the Rev. Professor Salmond, of the Otago University, and the subject was “Samson—Lessons of Warning to Young Men.” At the appointed hour the chair was taken by George Hunter, Esq., there being also on the platform the Rev. Mr. West and Mr. Holdsworth, president of the association. The Rev, J. Paterson was also present at a later period. The proceedings having been opened with prayer by the Kev. Mr. West, the chairman briefly introduced the lecturer. Professor Saimond, in opening his subject, stated that the Bible was largely composed of biographies, and he drew a contrast between these biographies and those of our own literature, more especially our religious literature, the brevity of the Bible biographies, and the diSusenesa of modern biographies, being commented upon. There were lives of prominent men as bulky as the "whole Bible, and there were in print very minute details concerning men who may have figured in a comer, but whose names no human being will have heard fifty years hence ; whereas in the Bible we have the history of great and jnflueutial men, and men of historical significance, in a few verses sometimes, generally in a few chapters. He submitted that the writing of biographies was being overdone ; that many of them served but little purpose, and that a larger number of men might be allowed to depart in peace, without their ashes being so curiously raked up. The Bible biographies were not to be regarded as valueless in proportion to their brevity, for all that is characteristic of a man is sometimes declared in some one anecdote, or in an of his behavior on some one occasion. The Bible seized upon the crucial incidents in a man’s career, and with a simple narration of them so photographs the man that the mind readily grasps his individuality of mind and character. Another contrast between Bible biographies and those of modern days is that the former portrays actual men, while the latter deals with ideal men. The Bible saints appear to be less saintly than they really were, while in onr biographies they appear to be more saintly than most people who knew them had imagined them to be. Inmost of our biographies, not only is a veil thrown over the faults, 1 weaknesses, sins, and failures, of the hero, but in Sdrjpture all such things, even the most shameful, are told with a naked simplicity, as if the writer had never heard the saying “ de mortuis nil nisi bonum.” Some people think that biographies should be written only about good and wise men, but the Bible writer evidently judged that bad men’s lives, stained with sin, should be chronicled for the instruction of men. It was therefore to a striking warning example of the Scriptures that the lecturer purposed to direct their attention,

namely, Samson, one of the most splendidly endowed of men, but who had made only an ignoble use of his endowments, who had a high calling not unknown to himself, but which he did not execute, who succumbed to temptation, lost his sight and missed his way ; and yet withal, strange to say, who was numbered amongst the heroes of faith and the children of God. Samson’s name implied “ the shining” or ‘‘ brilliant one, and it was hoped that his career would justify the appellation. The story of his youth was summed up in the words —‘‘The child grew, and the Lord blessed him, and the spirit of the Lord began to move him at times.” Samson’s Nazarite vow was shortly considered. This vow was to abstain from intoxicating drinks and to allow the hair of his head to grow, the vow being for his lifetime. The meaning of the vow was plain, abstinence from wine meaning self-denial, self-restraint, self-purification, selfconsecration. The reason why the hair was to grow like that of a woman was not so manifest, but it appeared to be significant of meekness, humility, and dependence towards God. So long as he remained in that of mind a supernatural strength would be imparted to him, which would depart from him if he broke his vow. Fidelity to the meaning of his vow was the condition of his successful performance of his life task j and here the lecturer pointed out a lesson to young men, showing that lawless indulgence of the passions would eat away the nerve and marrow of their hearts, as Samson found out to his sorrow. The lecturer said that anyone thoughtfully reading the story of Samson must be convinced that he had gone wrung somewhere. This was at-the start, where he committed the blunder of contracting a reckless, foolish, and unequal marriage. This, Mr. Salmond considered one of the most instruc tive lessons to be derived from Samson’s biography, and he dwelt upon it at some length, warning young people against the folly of unequal marriages. He also pointed out the various other modes in which false steps were taken. Referring again to Samson, he held him up as a warning to young men not to misuse their talents, Samson so doing by his remarkable feat oil catching 300 foxes, this being an instance of misdirected energy, and of prostitution of his endowments to ignoble and inferior uses. The lecturer had known many instances of gifts being misapplied by promising young men, and he warned his hearers upon the folly of so doing. Several other telling lessons were drawn from the life of Samson, the lecture, our report of which we are compelled to greatly condense, being well received, and being frequently interrupted by applause. The rev. gentleman in conclusion made some telling remarks upon the historical credibility of the narrative, which wa regret we have not space for. A vote of thanks to the lecturer was proposed by Mr. Jas. Smith, who spoke of Professor Salmond’s readiness to lecture when requested to do so. Mr. Jas. Todd having seconded the motion, it was carried unanimously. Mr. Holdsworth proposed a vote.of thanks to the Chairman, and in doing so took occasion to refer to the difficulty Wellington labors under as compared with the more Southerncities in getting lecturers, there being less facilities for travelling from place to place in this island. It rested with the Chairman and others with him to remedy this state of affairs. The CHAIRMAN acknowledged the vote, and said he hoped to see shortly fast steamers running from here to Pioton in about four or five hours, and then the rail there conveying people from one end of the island to the other, in which case they could have more frequent visits from Southern lecturers. He said that other lectures would be given in continuation of the series, which would be duly announced. The lecturers would be Sir Wm. Fox, Rev. J. Paterson, W. L. Rees, Esq., M.H.R., Rev. J. Williams, J. H. Twentyman, Esq., and Rev. U. W, Dutton, F.R.A.S. The proceedings then terminated with the benediction.