The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-25
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
ADVICE AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE
BENEFIT OF YOUNG MEN.
By the Rev. Charles Sturgeon Med
hurst, ID. d., Pastor First Baptist
Church, Santa Clara, Cal.
young man. I say unto thee. arise.'-

Luke vii, H.
Rejoice. o, young man, in thy YOUTH
| This is an age when to be young is more
| than ever a cause for rejoicing. Because
| the intellect Of the world has expended
| itself upon the study of youth and its
needs. and in providing for those needs
there has been pressed into service the gar
| nered wisdom of centuries.
| Thousands of years ago that eloquent
| writer whose name is a synonym for wis
dom cared so much for the young man that
! he wrote for his instruction the whole cpl
| grammatic book of Proverbs: and many of
| those rich, terse sentences the young man
of to-day may carry within his breast as
| a safeguard, talisman against the powers
of evil. 1t is because the young mans heart
is essentially the same in all ages that
these precepts touch human nature and
meet human need just as truly in our day
as in Solomon's.
Hundreds of years ago Christ spoke the
word of our text, bidding a youth arise
from the dead; and just as truly does He
speak the same quickening word to-day to
the dead conscience, the dead spiritual ma
| ture. raising many a young man to new
| ness of life.
| IleCenlly L visited a WneTe
every appliance for educating the muscular
man was assiduously used. One of its en-
| thusiasts came glowing from cold plunge.
and, as he doubled his arm and displayed
its distended muscle. he gently reproached
| an Indifferent bystander for his apathy.
| My muscles are well enough" was the re-
ply. They may be we'll enough retorted
| the other, "but they are not at their best
| be at your best, old fellow-that's my
motto.
BE AT YOUR BEST
That incisive answer supplies me with a
text. Be at your best. young fellow
"Arise!' arise to the full height of your
| opportunities. to the full measure of the
| best that is in you, Splendid as is Ameri-
can youth in mental attainment admirable
as is his record in athletic achievement
commendable as is his commercial prowess
| and energy. yet with very many there re-
mains this lack-an apathy regarding the
| development of the finer, better. subtler
| part of him-an Indifference to the fact
that the heart, the soul has room for
| growth. Are you at your best. young man?
This question Is put this morning to that
| great army of young men who are known
| as moral young men, Men VINO believe
| in God and reverence the holy Scriptures;
men who sometimes or often attend public
| worship and men who still-perhaps when
| the shadow of a great sorrow menaces
them-perfunctorily whisper "our Father
ere they seek their pillow.
| ThlS class OF our young manhood forms
our most valuable citizenship, but their
value now--compared TO that ii might be
| were their hearts animated by personal
love of Colds as the fertilizing value Of
the suns beams through clouds compared
| with these same beams when the frma-
ment is unlocked by the least vapor.
No man can rise to the full height of his
MANHOOD until mis- life is governed by a
great love. He may. indeed place a great
ambition in the place of love and mistake
the one for the other, but ambition differs
from love in that ii Is self-a ggra ndizing,
while love is self-immolating. The one
browning grace needed by our young man.
hood is the love of God as living,
| abundant growth within him-a well-spring
of joy gushing and nexhaustible.
Be retrospective. young man. Take a lit
tie time this morning and look into that
heart of yours. Tell yourself If you really
| love your Creator You respect Him, ac-
| knowledge His greatness, attend His wor-
ship and give aims, perhaps. but are your
| personal feelings for Him any warmer or
deeper than those you feel for George
Washington? Has He not remained a God
of heaven to you TO be worshiped afar off I?
| Is He the God of your office, the God of
your club, the God of your chamber? Is
he Indispensable? Can you be happy with
| out thoughts of Him? Put this test to-day
my dear friend and If you perforce must
answer all these by mo" set yourself to
work az once learn to love Him who
gave you life and all that makes life dear
| If you have enshrined within your heart
the love of a pure and noble woman, dc
not rest until beside, around, above that
holy love you place the love of God-ther
will your heart, indeed, be the abiding
place of untold riches-the love of woman
the love of God, the two loves for man to
| live by the two for him TO die by.
TEACHING BY THINKING.
You may say. How can 1 love God?'
Teach yourself to love Him by thinking
of Him. Do not wait to be Converted ir
the ordinary sense Of the term. Set you,
heart In order, garnish and adorn it with
, beauteous and pure thoughts. that it may
be the abode of Him you have invited tC
dwell within it Then open it wide anc
welcome that guest who grows dearer eacf
day until He is no longer the guest, bu
the inhabitant, the indweller for all time
and for all eternity.
Think of God in the morning. Let thu
earliest beam of light, the first twitterins
of dawn-awakened birds, the first breath o.
a new day speak TO you of Him. Let the
solemn night, the moon and stars tell YOU
their story of Him. Try to see His hand
in the everyday life about YOU Review
His blessings often and learn TO ascrib'
to Him even the smallest pleasures of YOU
daily existence.
Then study the story of the Cross-tha
more than all will teach you how to low,
God the Father in learning the sweet les
son of God the Son; and, through then
both, God the Holy Spirit will possess you
own spirit ere you are aware. Cherish it
!, then, when il comes; cultivate ii do yol
your brain. your muscle, and watch 1
grow. Use a spiritual health lift" anc
when your soul has grown strong in God
love, a new and radiant world will lie abou
you. The commonplaceness of life will b.
irradated and you will be in touch will
humanity. Your influence will grow
You are not TO live for you own idea o
things alone but you are TO live for wha
the world thinks of you-what the worl,
receives from you. When you are animate,
! by Gods love. you will become a light
, house, as il Were; your beams will fal
far, far out upon the barren waste of hu
, manity. and IT, perchance, they light SOM
wandering brother safely home, then yo,
will have one more reason for thankin.
God.
Think this over, young man, for the SAX
of the Creator who made you; for the SAX
of the mother who bore you, who ha
J prayed and wept and prayed again; for tn
sake of these and for your own sake: lie
! not the glory of your youth depart withou
: making it doubly glorious by consecratin,
IL to God. Remember now thy Creator II
the daVS of thy youth