The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-02

Luke 12:1-3; Josh. 24:14.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
sincerity is life's passport.
We must be honest with ourselves
before we can be honest with God A
decided character is a first require
1nent in him who would help push out
ward the borders of Gods kingdom.
If we are to count for Christ and
righteousness in the world, we must
first count as men, CipherS only COM
plicate the problem of life. We who
are sons of God, princes of the blood
royal, should live the strongest, COM
pIetest, and most powerful life. For
1t is by our strength, by our power ana
by our attractiveness, that the gospel
the world
Strong characters all have strong
convictions. They are accustomed TO
the use of the short and mighty Yes
and NO And their Yes" means
ives" and their mo- means no They
dare to disagree with anybody and with
everybody, if their consciences SO nc
tate. Majorities have no terrors Ior
them. To them it is a small matter
whether they are praised or not; but
1t is a great matter whether they are
right or not.
Better be hated for ennity than de-
The average person needs an lnAu
sion of strength. He Is 1ncllned 10
weakness His temptation is to be part
of a conelomerate crowd, when he
should be an Independent, individual
personality. Instead of standing out
in sln-crowned manliness, against ig-
noble tendencies, he becomes craven
follower of them 1t is easier for him
to be good-natured and compliant than
to be right and peculiar Yet VINO
ever would quit himself like man
must be strong; for strength Is the SUI
preme seal of manhood
"Thou must be true thyseh
If thou the truth wouldst teach.
Even God despises the lukewarm.
The shifty servant of policy who is al
wavs fearful of offending one SIDE or
the other who wants to keep on the
good side of the Lord and at the same
time be neighborly with satan ana ms
Followers, is even more odious in the
ewes of God than he is in the eyes OF
right-thinking men. Only they are re-
spected who are out-and-out Tor some
thing.
He who walks ahead in straight
line makes a plain path for feet that
would waver.
The times cry for men and women of
honesty and steadfastness. Men and
women who can be tied to as friends;
men and women who are loyal to all
their obligationS; men and women Oh
clear-cut convictions and constancy:
such are at once the joy and hope OF
the race.
There is a deal of shaky patriotism
in these days It leans toward self-in-
terest and party expediency. 1t cares
more for local interests than for ma
tional welfare. 1t considers the gov
eminent less as a subject to be prayed
for than as an object to be preyed
upon 1t lacks controlling and definite
princfpIe At bottom its primal i'm
pulses may be right, but in the execu-
ton of these it is far from being
strong and clear-eyed. Our nation
needs Just now and needs sorely, decf-
sion of character in her sons and
daughters; a decision of character
which will speak plainly and work
vigorously for the preservation of those
ideals which are synonymous with the
hallowed name, America
y
Many life failures are In conse-
Quence Of lack of honesty
Weakness of will always works woe.
y
The vacillating are vanquished.
The church seriously needs today
Christians who know how ''to stand"
saints; its call is for disciples who
change not, but who in their devotion
to Christ and his kingdom are decided
and constant The victory of the
church is to come through the divinely
given strength of its members, by
truth of the gospel of the strong Son
of Cod.