The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-18

| be commended by holy life that is
| numoIe. Shamefully abused as they
were, Christian and Faithful vet con-
| Quoted themselves in such a manner
that citizens of the place were won to
| their way.
| With all its briIliancy and pomp
and extravaganza and gayety. Vanity
Fair harbors more unhappiness than
any other spot on earth.
On many of the great thorough
Tares or Vanity Fair-the board walk
! at Atlantic City. Broadway at mid
night. Picadilly at fredericksburg
time-I have noticed that one may
see more rouge than spiritual peace;
more faces made smooth by massage
and cosmetics than are made sweet
by the outward shining of an inner
| light.
World Eeverybody must be his own
Columbus. The temptations of Vanity
FAR are as fresh as though they had
not not n LED my myrlads .. sstray. Bnnyan
fore is an ancient thing of long stand
ing, and very great Fair The
stated Wise Man could cry, There is
nothing new under the sum-" but to
youth everything is new. The lure of
the world Is as powerful for him as it
| was for the first young man to face
toward a. city. Everybody must fight
his own way through the experiences
or life. Fond parents often try to
shield their children from the dangers
of the world. All in vain. Whoever
would live a real life in a real world
must make the grand experiment for
| himself.
To some persons the glitter of the
life of pleasure is supremely seduc-
tive. They esteem the highways of
on earth. To 'see life and to be
seen amid life, to have and to excel,
to excite emulation and envy, to be
"somebody"-that is the genuine and
not uncommon conception of happi-
ness entertained by many persons.
With maturer wisdom, the pre-em-
inent value of things spiritual is per-
ceived. The love of true hearts, quiet
ness, peace with God, and the simpler
joys, are realized os of first i'm
portance. Concerning the pride of life.
and the desire of the eyes, ripe wis
dom says. Vanity of vanities."
On the way to Vanity Fair the Pill
grim met Talkative, a character still
not uncommon, whose religion found
vent only at his lips. He was a good
talker but poor doer; he could glib
ly conform to the prevailing speech
of the occasion, but he could not stick
to the pilgrim way to the City Celes-
tial.
The pilgrims, Faithful and Chris
tan, seemed barbarians'' to the peo-
pie of Vanity Fair. Their walk, words
and works, judged by local standards,
appeared outlandiSh and incompre-
hensible. That was to be expected
Nothing is more futile than a carnal-
minded mans efforts to appreciate a
religious persons viewpoint esprit
ual things are spiritually discerned."
The wisdom Of this world will always
1F
ishness. If a young Christian thinks to
square his ideals with the world s
standards, he would better learn at
once that his task is vain. It is for
him to remember that HE that judg-
eth me IS the Lord and that the only
opinion for which he need care is that
of 'the Father who seeth in secret"
The Christian who shops in Vanity
Fair is likely to have some of his
treasures stolen.
Gay apparel, mirth, music. feast
ing, and innumerab1e pleasures all
mark the outward appearance of Van
ity Fair. But in truth it is cruel and |
selfish beyond description. The way
the world of pleasure treats its COM |
panions who are "down and out" may |
be learned almost any day in the po-
lice courts of the great cities. or in |
the rescue missions. The daily wreck |
age of one such thoroughfare of Van |
ity Fair as New York's Great White |
Way is horrible to contemplate. The |
cruelty and fa1sity of Vanity Fair to-
wards the two pilgrims of Bunyan's |
allegory is not overdrawn. Solomon |
expressed it in words that every boy
and girl should be made to commit to
memory: There is way which
seemeth right unto a man; but the /
end thereof are the ways of death"
When a Christian finds himself de-
string more of the world, it is a sure
sign that he needs more of Christ
SEVEN SENTENCE SERMONS.
If you want to serve your race, go /