The Topeka state journal., 1909-01-02
RELIGIOUS THOUGHT.
Gems Cleaned from the Teachings of
All Denominations.

Gen1S eHleaHeQ from the 1eSeCnAHGS OA
All Denominations.
OF all friendships the sense of the
companionship of the Man of Naza-
reth is the most invigorating.-Re
William c. stinson, Reformed. New
York.
DESIRE OF THE HEART.
What is it that really is hearts de-
sire? 1t is friendship, approval, love:
1t is success, satisfaction, gladness of
soul.-Rev Dr. Leete, Methodist
Episcopal, Detroit.
JUDGING OUR FELLOWS.
We have no right to Judge our fell
low men, but we do judge them, and
oftimes our judgment is great inJus33 l:. IS
Young, Presbyterian, Brooklyn.
PRAYER.
The truest prayers are simple si-
lence. To feel God is to pray. Prayer
is the orientation of life; finding God,
as sailors find star.-Rev. DR.. Frank
Crane, Congregationalist, Worcester,
Mass.
FAITH AND POWER.
A mans power is measured by his
faith. His creed is his point of lever
age. 1t makes all the difference in the
world as to what a man believes. To
those who follow Christ, his word is
the court of last appeal.-Rev. S. G.
Neil, Baptist, Philadelphia.
HOW TO UNDERSTAND DIVINE
GOODNESS.
The true relation between us and
God is the relationship of chara cter.
We are his children; that is the deep
est fact of history. AS we grow in
goodness we come to understand, lit
tie by little, the divine goodness
Rev. J. P. Forbes, Unitarian, Brooklyn.
RELIGION IN POLITICS.
we need more religion in politics
and a little less politics in religion.
But we believe it to be within the
province of the church to enter the
domain of politics. We do not believe
as a church.-Rev. Tobias Schanfar-
Der, Hebrew, Chicago.
SOULS GOLDEN AGE.
During the mature years the hand
perfects it's tools. During these years
reason writes it's wisest books, enacts
stongs, builds its noblest temples,
achieves its most useful reforms. Ma
turity is the golden age of the soul
Rev. N. D. Hills, Congregationalist,
Brooklyn.
FREEDOM IN RELIGIOUS BELIEF.
Freedom does not mean indifference.
We are not those who declare that it
makes no difference what man be-
lieves. 1t makes all the difference in
the world what man believes. A
man who believes that God is a tyrant
will be tyrannical himself. But in our
freedom we recognize that religion is
primarily a matter of life and only
secondarily OF formal intellectual
ideas.-Rev. John Van Schaick, jr.,
Universa1ist, Washington.
PARTNERSHIP WITH GOD.
God made the wind and the water
and the tides for the use of men, We
all in partnership with God and are
entitled to use all the resources of the
firm. The newborn babe needs the air.
and there are oceans of air, but it was
not made by human hands. The farm
er utilizes irrigation, but 1t is God that
makes the grass grow, and God is busy
everywhere In the interest of mankind.
Bishop H W. Warren, Methodist
Episcopal, Los Angeles Cal
THOUGHTS AND YOUR SPIRIT.
thoughts we dwell upon are the food
and medicine of the spirit. Dwell On
the failings, injustices and infelicities
of life. and you viii have despondent,
noble, the good, the true, and your
spirit will take on the bouyancy and
elasticity of these things, and the 10y
of elevated thoughts" will be yours.
not only pass for good rhetoric, but it
constitutes splendid practical work
ing basis for every ambitious spirit
Rev. 4. Macdonald Reoch, Congrega-
tionalist, New York.
TRUE OPTIMISM
CnrlSC1dn Opt1mlSm says that all
things work together for good to them
that love God. Spurious optimism says
that all things work together for good
for everybody, irrespective of character
A man can only be true optimist as
he is a Christian. Apart from the in
tervention of God in human affairs the
world is as dry of consolation and hope
as the stony breast of the sphinx. Be
tween font and funeral, between cradle
and coffin, there is too much that tasks
and tortures the soul for us to accept
that sleek, complacent optimism which
says that this is best of all possible
worlds apart from redemption. The
cept as it is led by the Man of Calvary
The progress of man left to himself is a
quicksand progress, each strl ggle only
a worse ntanglement.-Res E. R.
Ollie, Methodist, San FranciscES
HANG YOUR LAMPS OlJT.
1t is the duty today of every Chris
tian to see that not only his own lamp
is burning, but that OF his neignhor.
and that is onsy one OF the sev. al