The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-27


pathy that reveals itself in action.
Need say that prayer is the medium
through which you will be in con-
slant communication with Him Rev
Nathan Bailey, Baptist, Providence, r.
RIPENING OF CHARACTER.
Character is a fruit that is ripened
py daily toll and unrem1tting care. In
dustry must lift the spade; prudence
must guard against unseen enemies;
prayer must call down rain and dew
from heaven; the soul must have the
summer atmosphere. These rich fruits
do not come by chance. Character is
an achievement, and the church is
mune with God under the boughs of
the trees.-Rev. DR.. Newell Dwight
Hills. Congreg egationalist Brooklyn.
SOULS SEARCH FOR GOD.
Prayer is the souls search for God
and the souls communion with God.
Prayer is an instinct, and instincts lie
beyond and below reason. We learn
to reason; instinct is inwrought. The
prodigal prayed all the way home,
practicing his petition, but began to
commune when he met his father. Pc
tition is the least part of prayer. The
more we know of God the more we
pray to God. The nearer to God we
get the more we cars be in COM
ford, First Christian Church, Brook
line, Mass.
GREAT NEED OF ALL.
Moral and spiritual courage is need
ed by every one to enable one to do
duty, undertake responsibility, face
fering, repel temptation, protest
against injustice, right wrongs and
overcome evil with good. Too many
persons are degraded by fear-fear of
losing a job, fear of not making mon
ey, fear of failing to get into society.
fear Of the power of a boss or a po-
litical organization, fear of remote
and unlikely disasters, cringing fear of
John Clarence Lee, Universalist, Phil
adelphia. =~
GLORIOUS PRIVILEGE.
To teach men how to really live. to
reveal to men the Importance of the
things of the lower life, to satisfy the
deepest needs of that which is highest,
to bring men into the consciousness of
God, is the cpurch's difficult and glori-
Gus privilege Persuade men to live in
the highlands of the soul. Teach them
the tragic consequences of starving
and stirling the soul. Convince them
that the inner life of the soul when
nourished, strengthened and energized
gives real life. Demonstrate to the
world that the man who has been with
God in the highlands of the soul will
take God with him. down into the
lowlands and you will prove to the
world that not only is the church
worth while, but that it is the impera-
tive necessity of this and every age
Rev. DR.. r. N. Hardy, Congregation
al, Quincy, Mass.
REGENERATION THE NEED.
Regeneration and not reformation is
what the world needs. 1t is a radical
and permanent change wrought in the
spiritual nature of man by divine pow
er, using the word as the agency. 1t
is a renewal of the will and more than
a simple change of purpose in the sin
ner's mind. 1t is a revolution OF the
moral disposition which determines
the mind, accompanied with an en-
spiritual things. The work is divine
and from above, renewing and
renoVating. The man born blind can
not even conceive of the kingdom of
sight and it's marvellous beauties and
powers: so the natural man is unable
to receive the things of the spirit of
God for they are to him fool1shness,
and he is unable to know them be-
cause they are spiritually discerned.
The infinite spirit of God alone can
create a new heart and renew within
a right spirit, for in "some heavenly
alembic snowy white from crimson
brings and stamps his name on each
king" 1t must be character, not Gull
ture; formation and not reformation:
The divine necessity for this spiritual
birth or importation of divine life is
found in the words of the Great
Teacher ''That which is born of the
flesh is flesh, and that which is born
of the spirit is spirit" The reason
for this divine change is in mans sin
full nature, personal impotency ana
lack of spiritual knowledge.-Rev. Dr.
John Lee Allison, Presbyterian, Wash
ington.