The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-03

What the Church Folks Are Thinking
Abouf and Doing. Religious NegUS
From EVeFygUheres
NDAY- SCHOOL LESSON AND YOUNG PEOPLES roPIc.

lives dear unto themselves, for the sake
of truth and honor and love and coun-
try and their fellow men, It is a truth
for the times that there are many con
sideratons which take precedence of
mere existence. Better die nobly than
live dishonorably.
Prom the Towers Height.
Faith is not a toy but tool. Good
people need to pray. like David. to be
delivered from presumptuous sins It
is a real temptation to make a play
thing of ones faith. to exercise it for
display. and to ask of God that which
viii neither honor him nor help US
man should never pray to be car
ried anywhere that he can walk him
self. When in spirit Jesus was taken
to a lofty wing of the temple and told
to cast himself down, merely to test
Gods keeping care, he saw the point,
though. as many OF his minions have
since done, the devil tried to befog
MIN by quoting Scripture His swift
answer turned the attack, Thou shalt
not make trial of the Lord thy God.
petty and frivolous attitude toward
God and religion, an unthinkiHg famil-
iarity and irreVerence. ali come within
the modern scope of this second temp
tation.
These ''ImpracticaI'' Preachers.
The tWentieth-century form of the
third ordeal of Jesus is the tendency
to live ones life on lower than a
higher basis, to be something less than
ones best self, to seek the world S
practical methods rather than the
programme of faith.
The trouble with these preachers is
that they're so impractical, said an
experienced public man, at the begin
ming of Philadelphia's recent reform.
What they ought to do instead of
holding prayer meetings and preaching
sermons and adopting resolutions, is to
go see Durham Today Durham is
defeated. dishonored and oveIthrown
boss, and the ministers who followed
the "impractical' method of appealing
to God and to the high principles of
the voters have seen right triumph
magnificently. Beware of Shortcuts
to life's goals, they are always across
ground marked mo trespassiug." The
right way, Gods way, is the only one
that promises sure and safe arrival.
Naturally, the devil contended other
wise. He showed Jesus all the king
doms of the world. and the glory of
them, and then proposed a practical"
way of winning them. He wanted a
sort of a 'gentlemens agreement" .
such as the giants OF high finance adopt
in taking possession of the earth. You
recognize my rights and sphere and I'll
recognize and protect yours. Thus,
continued the willy one. you will get
all that you want, without WIZ. You
will escape the bitterness of yOllr min
istry, you will not have to enter Geth-
semane nor walk with bleeding feet up
the finty road to Calvary
This call to compromise was the
greatest temptation of all; it usually is
still. On the instant it aroused the
quick seorn and indignation Of Jesus,
and he sent the tempter Sinking away
with a ringing Get the hence, Satan. .
Not very polite. that. I wish people
were not SO polite to the devil and to
evil. Sin-not the sinner, but sin
needs to be treated with plain words
and actions. Call the devil by his
proper name. Don't dodge Or parley
or make excuses when dealing with
evil. but speak out with a ring to your
tones. If some of the famous
men who are now in the pill
lory of public condemnation had
early heard their lying called "
ing and their stealing called stealing
and their in1delity to trust called rank
dishonor they might have been halted
on their downward course. The fact
is, too many of use care more for po-
likeness than for probity; we would
rather be pleasant and popular than
pure and powerful. If you want to
see the tempter's back, and to know
the sweet ministries of the angels
whom God sends to all overeomers,
call the devil Satan. He cannot stand
up and do business under his own
name and in his true gtIise.