Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-12-07
OUTWARD AND INWARD MAN.
BY Rev. ". r. Hilton

BY Rev. ". r. hilton.
The outward man perishes. There
is no help for it. The body should be
properly cared for One has no right
TO abuse it, We are in duty bound to
live IN harmony with the laws of our
physical nature, SO that We may con-
Time the work of life to the end. But
with all the care we may take these
bodies will wear out There is a vital
communion between goodness and
health, but goodness is no guarantee
Of immortal youth
Medical science has been a great
blessing TO the race, but there comes
time when the skill of the physician
is of no avail. One may seek the in
vi yorating Influences of mountain at
mosphere, or the stirring experiences
of voyage at sea; enc may get the
best there is in so-called Christian sci
ence. magnetism or any other form of
suggestion--do this, and more, if you
will, but, Notwithstanding all, the out
ward man will perish. The saint will
live longer than the sinner, but yet
time Will bring the same fate to both
alike.
But, when this is said, is all said?
Is the whole story told? Alas, it is
the whole story in the case of many.
The body is worn out; its work is done.
The glory of former days is faded. A
physical wreck is all that remains.
Prospect there is none, and the retro
spect is full of bitterness. Paul said,
Our outward man perishes, but that
was not the whole of his experience.
The cheering word was yet to follow:
Our inward man is renewed day by
day There you have the secret of
his optimism. Some men glory in their
physical strength. They rejoice in
brawny muscles, which strengthen and
harden day by day. This, and this only,
is their boast. They seem not to be
aware of the presence of the inner
man.
This inner man, which Paul in an
other place calls the hidden man of
the heart, is our noblest possession. 1t
is, indeed, our very selves, the image
of the Eternal stamped upon us. But
it is sad thought that oftentimes we
do not appreciate our highest gifts
We treat them as the meanest of all
our possessions. We are careful for
our bodies and our miEds-they must
be brought into subsection and rigidly
trained But the soul is banished.
1t is crowded into one obscure cor
ner of our being and its claims are
wholly ignored.
God has planted within us the in
stinct of eternal life. Indeed, it is
more than an instinct This inner man
of which we are speaking US made
to endure His desires and capacities
are not compassed by time. Why,
then. do we crush and throttle him?
1t is said that among migratory birds
there Will be occasionally a bird hatch
ed that lacks the migratory instinct.
When in the fall of the year his mates
take their flight to the southland he
screams after them, but does not fol-
low. He fingers until the north winds
begin to blow and is lost in the wintry
blasts. Every man has the instinct
of eternal life There is not one with
out it. But how often is that instinct
cast out and trampled upon! Daily we
see about us friends and neighbors
taking their flight to the land of the
best We mourn for them, yet we re-
main unmoyed. We set our affections
on the things of the present; we feed
and pamper the outward, man, while
the tuner man is neglected and stifed.
Pauls ground of rejoicing was the
inward man. Day by day he was be-
ing renewed. And why should he not
make this the ground of his rejoicing?
We confess that the present life is but
for the moment; that the tabernacle
which we now inhabit is passing away
and that we must shortly leave all
earthly possessions. We confess that
the soul alone is eternal and that it
alone is capable OF infinite enjoyment.
If we are wise. if we are consistent
with our profession Of faith, our boast
too. will be in the inner man and his
daily renewal Our attitude toward
God. toward the truth and toward all
that makes for righteousness will be
such rs to insure growth. They that
wait upon Jehovah shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with
wings as eagles they sail run and
not be weary; they shall walk anG not
faint"
THEPOSSIBLE PACE.