RALLY OF YOUTH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22907, 15 June 1936, Page 10

RALLY OF YOUTH

ADDRESS BY DR ROLLS Dr C. J. Rolls addressed a meeting in the Town Hail yesterday afternoon, when there were over 2000 persons present. The Rev. It. T. Dodds (president of the Dunedin Christian Youth Council) was in the chair. Preaching on the subject that the Bible was a book for youth, Dr Rolls said Joseph was a young man when he resisted temptation and retuaed to be induced to immoral conduct. Moses was a young mun when he dec.ined to be induced into tiie pomp and pageantry of the royal court oi Egypt. David was a young man when he rejected the offer of being invested with the King's armour. Daniel was a young man when he resisted the possibilities of indulging the King's victua.s. In like manner the speaker conducted the large audience through other instances of youthful courage and virtue, and Htressed the fact that Christ in His prime had called young men to be His difeaiples. St. Paul, he said, had emphasised to Timothy the need of being an example to the believers and not to allow anyone to despise his youth. This did not mean that Timothy was to be pessimistic and go about in a melancholy and depressed mood, or that he was to be pragmatic, with a self-opinionated ofticiousness, but to be true to all God intended youth should be. •

Under the heading "The Regency of the Virtues of Youth " the speaker dealt with spiritual mechanics, tiie static power of purity, the dynamic force of faith and love, and the kinetic action of words and behaviour. The appeal of Christ was not merely emotional, but volitional and intellectual as well. "The realities of the values of youth in order to be an example" were described as radiant vision, buoyant optimism, fervent emotion, and abundant energy, with a quotation from Kipling's "Somebody Said it Couldn't be Done." Lastly came " The Relevancy of the \ ictory of Youth "—" Let no man despise thy youth." Here the speaker dealt with David's seven victories in his youth prior to hie being crowned. God did not judge a man by an act, but by an attitude of life. Telling illustrations were added of Victor Smith, who achieved a solo flight from Capetown to Croydon at the age of I" years and refused £I2OO offered if he would accept a flask of whisky and a packet of cigarettes. The appeal to stand as an expression of allegiance and devotion to Christ was readily responded to. l)r Rolls will conduct his final meeting in the Town Hall this evening with an illustrated 'antern lecture on " The Palestinian Outlook."