St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-02-27

WI tMM 6Q11HHG4W lie responsibilities
SVTEMsfu and obligations
RIk EHV .vN and possibilities of
a4a =. Sa life. They are
- ~ ready to bear their
share Of the bur-
uen OF domestic. and social, and DO
luical life. and are wholesome fac
To-: in the business world. The IMPRESS
oi tnelr lives is felt upon the commune
" IN which they live, and their influ-
ehce' like the ripples on the bosom of
'he lake, extends in overwhelming cir
eies from the center of private life to,
'hA circumference of the life of the ma
tion. People whose lives are strength
10 the acme. a safeguard to the COM
munlty and bulwark. to the nation.
Feop!e or whom it can be said that the
world is better because they have lived,
ana for whom when death has cut short
their careers there is sincere mourn
ing. Men and women who use their
tlMe and abilities and resources to
wholesome and profitable ends; who do
not dissipate their energies upon the
mere sensual and fleshly desires and
apoehses. Men and women, in short.
whom the world esteems and honors.
and whom God loves.
OUCH was the young man who came
y to Jesus In the incident from which
our text is taken. He was a superior
type OF young manhood. He was of a
high moral character. Unlike so many,
many youcg men, probably Of his own
day, and certainly Of to-day, he avoid
ed all OF the indiscretions and excuses
and sins of youth. Notwithstanding the
fact that he was very rich, and hence ex-
posed to great dang rs and temptations
which so often prove the undoing of
rich young men, he fOund,nO time to sow
wild oats, but earnestly sought the high
est and best in life. What an example
he is to the rich youth of to-day! Like
Daniel of old, although surrounded by
every luxury and the means to gratifv
every within and desire, he had purposed
in his heart that he would not be defiled
with the unclean and unwholesome and
undesirable things about him. A Jew
ish youth, familiar with the law, doubt
less the words Of the Psalmist: Where
withal shall young man cleanse his
way? BY taking heed thereto according
to Thy Word" had exerted an influence
over him which had made him strong
to choose the right. He knew the law
of God, for when Jesus quoted it he was
able to respond that not only did he
know the commandments, the frame
work of all the law, but he had kept
those commandments from his youth up.
He had honored his father and his moth
er. What a noble son he. must have
BEEN How proud they must have been
of him. What store they must have
set by him. He had never stolen from
or defrauded his neighbor. He had
never been a tale bearer, witnessing
falselyeagainst others. He was strictly
honest in word and deed, and he did
not forget the rights of his neighbor.
That was a good deal for rich young
man to be able to say. But he could
make these claims in sincerity of heart.
He was your pure type OF the moralist,
and, thank God, there are good many
people HI INC Woi1u WIZ ooA0no W 1880
class.
n ND "Jesus, beholding him, loved
II him." am glad that Gods Word
did not fail to record this attitude OF
Jesus towards this splendid young man,
for it emphasizes the fact that moral
wortnsis held in high regard by GOD
and that He has love for the moral
lat which is genuine and tender. And
here we must distinguish between the
moralfst who is such at heart and the
moralist who is only such In pretense
and when the eyes OF his frlenos are
nnon him. That this young man be-
loneed to the former class Is certain,
for the eye of Jesus was quick to detect
any hypocrisy or sham. and he was
bold to expose and denounce such, ana
If the young man before us had not
been genuine 1t would not have been
possible to say that Jesus beheld MIN
with loving eye. The ahypocritlcal
pbar;sees were Jealous moralists, and
delighted to parade their virtues and
hide from the gaze of the world their
secret corruption and sin. And they
have left in the world to-day numer-
ous seed. Men and women who make
a nretense OF loving virtue and profess
ing to walk in the paths of honor and
ractitude but whose lives in the shadow
If secrecy and obscurity are sadly at
variance with their profession. Men
ond women who stand high IN the es-
toan of their loved ones and friends,
hut men and women about whom 1t can
not be said, as in the case OF this young
man. that Jesus, beholding them, loves
them. - But Jesus loved this young man
because of his real worth, because ne
was sincere in his love for the good
and nure and the highest and best In
life He loved him because he recog-
nized the supreme authority OF Gods
law and in so far as it was possible.for
him to do, lived it out in his life. Jesus
loved him, and He has not ceased to love
those who possess. such characters.
reneat it again, that we find warrant for
believing and claiming that God be-
holding the genuine moralist has Tor
him special and real love.
-UT this is not saying that Jesus
* believed that this young man was
..orfect. or that He was satisfied with
pohA~~ of J;fo and living. in