The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1903-09-04
searching testing of God. The strong
young man is the superior young man.

L
l ally must have life, and health and
muscles, and these three conditions are
requisite to the superior type OF young
manhood. These three qualifications are
possessed by the young men to whom our
text Is addressed, and mark their vital
points of difference from the other types
OF young men. Let us see If this is not
true. The non-Christian young man,
whatever else he may have, has not soul
life, has not soul health has not soul
vigor. He may not be alive to his lack.
He may be Indifferent to his need. He
may doubt the reality of his souls need,
but our final refuge must be in Gods
word to prove mans condition as well
as his need, even as our final testing must
be at Gods hand. 1t is harder to make
young men realize the deafness of the
natural soul, because they are SO full of
physical life. Death seems vague and
unreal thing, and life is SO full and prom
Using. But apart from God there is no
lasting life. The unsaved soul is dead
in trespasses and sins" The physical
life may be perfect. the natural qualifica-
lions and attainments may be of the
highest and best, but If the soul has not
been quickened into life by the touch Of
the crucified Lord. the physical body.
with its intellectual and moral attain
ments, is but the sepulcher of dead SOUL
Think of it! Hidden behind the smile of
the world, its pleasures, it's ambitions,
lies the soul, cold and stiff in death!
Would you hope to find your superior
ly or wilfully furnishing living tomb
for his poor dead soul?
A GAIN the superior young man is
n the Christian whose soul is
healthy. One of the saddest of sights
is the weak, vacillating. half-hearted
Christian. The soul has been quick
ened into life by belief in Jesus Christ
as Saviour, and then it has turned to
the weak and beggarly elements of the
world to feed upon. Did you ever see
healthy body which was deprived of
its proper food? Can you expect the
soul to remain in health that is
not fed upon its proper food? How
carefully the babe is nourished How
important it is that the babes in
Christ should feed on the sincere milk
of Gods Word, and that the full-grown
Christians should be fed on the meat
OF the deeper, fuller truths of Gods
Word. No wonder such reproach is
cast upon Christian manhood when
there are so many unhealthy Chris
tians to whom the world can point the
finger of scorn. Such were not the
young men to whom John was writing.
He was writing to strong young men
young men who belonged to Christ,
and who, by the strength of their
Christly virtues, stood out as the su
perior type of young manhood. Lif>
which has it's source in Christ; health
which comes from the nourishing of
the soul on God and His Word;
unto godliness; ''for bodily exercise
profiteth little; but godliness is profit
able unto all things, having promise of
the life that now is, and of that which
is to come"
Young men who are strong. Young
1 men who have overcome! 1t takes
the strong young man to win the VIC
tory over sin. 1t is the strong young
man who is the successful foe OF the
wicked one. The superior type Of
young man must of necessity be tho
young man who wins victories. Why
boast of strength if victories are not
to be an outgrowth of that strength?
This arm OF mine may rejoice in it's
strength, but if there is no weight to
be lifted, no burden to be carried, no
task to be wrought out, the arm soon
shows the weakening effects of mac
ton, and so is no longer the strong arm,
but the weak, powerless member,
which is unable to serve me with eff
cheney and honor. 1t is constant
warfare for the strong young man if
he would keep in fighting trim. The
devil is aggressive and active. The
soul cannot sleep at it's post. 1t can
not be Indifferent to the advance of the
foe. David hasted and ran when the
giant Goliath advanced upon him, for
he knew that to hesitate or delay was
to lose his supreme opportunity OF
sending the stone crashing into the
forehead of the giant. Soon he would
have the visor of his helmet lowered
as he joined battle, and the only vul-
nerable point which David could reach
with his missile would be cut Off
h IOTE that the indwelling Word is
Y the link which joins the strong
written unto you, young men, because
We are strong, and the Word of God
abideth in you, and we have overcome
the wicked one" The indwelling
Word is the secret of strength. The
Psalmist asks: "Wherewithal shall a
young man cleanse his way?" And
quickly answers his own question by
declaring: by taking heed thereto
according to Thy Word" THE Word
of God is quick and powerful, AMI
sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder
of soul and spirit, and OF the joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart"
The young man of the unclean heart is
in a condition of weakness The ex-
pulsive power of Gods Word is needed
to cleanse the heart, while that same
Word girds with strength and equips
for the battle. Jesus put Satan to
rout by His thrice-repeated: ut is