St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-09-26
searching testing of Coo. The strong
young man is the superior young man.


whatever else he may have, has not SOU
life, has not soul health. Aas not SOU
vlgor. He may not be alive to his lack
He may be Indifferent to his need He
may doubt the reality of his souls need
out 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-
tons 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. it's pleasures, it's ambitions.
lies the soul, cold and stiff in death!
Would you hope to find your superior
young man in one who was thoughtless-
ly or wilfully furnishing living tomb
for his poor dead soul?
J \ 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 SUI
perior type Of young manhood. Life
which has its source in Christ; health |
which comes from the nourishing of |
the soul on God and His Word: |
strength which comes from exercise |
snto goodness; "for bodily exercise
profiteth little; but goodness is profit
able unto all things, having promise Of |
the life that now is, and of that which
is to come"
men who are strong! Young
! men who have overcome! It takes
me strong young man to win the VIC
tory over sin. It is the strong young
man who is the successful foe of the
wicked one. The superior type of
young man must Of necessity be the
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
,iency and honor. 1t is a constant
warfare for the strong young man il
le would keep in fighting trim. The
ievil is aggressive and active The
'oul cannot sleep ut its post. It can
lot be Indifferent to the advance of the
oe. David hasted and ran when the
liant Goliath advanced upon him, for
le knew that to hesitate or delay was
Q lose his supreme opportunity Of
ending the stone crashing into the
orehead of the giant. Soon he would :
ave the visor of his helmet lowered
s he Joined battle, and the only vul- !.
cradle point which David could reach
nth his missile would be cut of. I.
\ TOTE that the indwelling Word Is .
Y the link which joins the strong :,
Dung man to the victory. II have
'ritten unto you, young men, because
e are strong, and tho Word of God
bideth in you, and We have overcome
1e wicked one" The indwelling
1ord is the secret of strength. The
salmist asks: Wherewithal shall
pung man cleanse his way?" And
luckily answers his own question by
nelaring: by taking heed thereto
,cording to Thy Word" 1.-The Word
God is quick and powerful, and
harper than any two-edged sword,
ercing even to the dividing asunder
soul and spirit, and of the joints and
arrow, and is discerner of the
oughts and intents of the heart"
he young man of the unclean heart is
condition OF weakness. The ex- 1:
llsive power of Gods Word is needed
cleanse the heart, while that same
ord girds with strength aud equips
r the battle. Jesus put Satan to
ut by His thrice-repeated: 1T is n
ritten." The devil can stand un-
nching and unscathed before the fire
the guns OF human word and human NJ,
ort, but let the thunderbolts of Gods tie
ord be turned upon him and he bill
axes hasty and ignominious fight. i'm
Id Satan must admit defeat before irr
Q strong young man in whom is
iding the Word of God. He is the ri
perior young man, for both in this st,
e and in the life to come he is VIC ma
'ious, yea ne is more than conquer So
through Him that loved him. and ret
We Himself for him. Would .5ou not Tor