The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-11
- WlLIIAA1 7. 80

BY WILLIAM T. Ellis
ErratIc snd wst,3.fx lives are such be
caD.se hey are accent1ic Tie. 5a to say.
in ire parlance Of the Tua chine shop,
ttleS are "out OF tr5l-..''. II9g.ir c5sUter is
not rightly fixed; 'xhsy arc OF their
axis. Anybody can see that neither
shG Ell nor a life, can run smoothly and
usefuly If it is not. affixed TO its proper
center A short cut to the solution of
most of our pefpiexities is to get right
at the center. Fix the. fundamental
things first. This is the philosophy
which underiies the popular maxim,
Get right with Cod For If a person
be right with good, If his spirit be
steady and serene, and in harmony
with the Divine Spirit. everything else,
somehow seems to fall into orderly
array. The jarring, creasing and
straining which cumber life disappears,
and new, rare peace suffuses his be-
ing.
1t was. old Augustine who said, in
profound wisdom, 20 Lord, Thou hast
are not at rest until they rest in Thee. >
The spirit that Is out of harmony
with God, is also out of harmony with
its environment and with its fellows.
- y -.-
of people in our land and time have
awakened to the truth that many Of the
things for which We have been spend
Ing our lives are not worth while. The
frantic chase after money, and the pur-
suit of pleasure as Iife-goal in ITSELF
are seen not to be satisfactory. They
are not worth what they cost. Wealth.
luxury, soStentation have been repudi-
ated az the supreme good even by those
who had spent most for their attain
nent. This accounts for the pOpulari-
ty of such books as Pastor Wagner's
and Mr.. Benson's. 1t in part explains
the great interest in open air life and
in nature study. It also must be reck-
oned as at least in measure account.
able for the growth of New Thought"
Christian Science, Spiritualism, The
osophy, and the other cults which dis
parage things material. Every keen
discerner Of the signs of the times
knows that there is abroad in the land
a widespread, intense and persistent
cropping after some better scheme of
life than the material world offers. This
is the hour when the church should be
steadfast in declaring the invitation of
her Master, Come unto Me, all We that
labor and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest
The part OF wisdom is to live for those
objects now which will be worth living
for thousand years hence
The hymns of the Church have been
truer TO the ideals of Christianity than
have the members of the Church. Thus,
all Chrfstendom sings, in its favorite
hymn,
"Thou, o Christ, art all I want,
More than all in thee find
The sufficiency of Jesus, as life's
friend, solace and Inspiration, has al
ways been preached. But few of US
practice it. We exert ourselves to at
tain the world goals as ardently- as If
we had nothing better or beyond. Our
conduct has not squared with our creed
Yet in our heart of hearts, when we
best know our best selves, and can
read our deepest souls, Christians have
been true to Christ, and have hungered
after, him with a great hunger. Take
the world, but give me Jesus" is, in
it's ultimate experiences, the cry Of the
Christians spirit.
Concededly. most lives are toe
small. A notable fact about those
is that their circumference is largest
The love of Christ begets love for the
whole world. Many persons have
found themselves redeemed from
smallness and sordidness and petit
ness of spirit, and lifted into world
embracing interest, by uniting them
selves to the cosmopolitan Christ.
The crossroads of all history-tht
center of human life as a whole:
the knoll outside of Jerusalem's ole
wall where stood a cross bearing ths
form of the Man who bore the sir
of race.
Just as a multitude of people are
treating pimples and blotched com
plexions with cosmetics and salves
when they should be remedying thu
diseased condition of the blood o.
which these outbreaks are symptoms
so a still greater multitude of persons
are treating the isolated cares ant
perplexities and troubles of life, whei
they really should be getting to tn,
root of the matter. which consists O
spiritual relationships. A heart RICH
with God remedies most of the ills o
life.
Our solar system continues on 1T
orderly way because the sun is IT
fixed center. Christ Is the sun of tn
soul.
Life is not acquired, but impaired
it is not something earned, but some
thing given. All the springs of a
Christians spiritual life are in Hin
who called himself the True Vine
Let US use on earth the geometr,
RZyzSz ~ - ssNzsssA