The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-19


tBY WILLIAM T. ELLIS)
-EADERS delight to get peep
into the authors persona
experience and through his
books. In this biography
which the Sunday school
- folk are studying we eaten
such a glimpse OF the writer: anu anu,
ineidentally. perceive the outstanding
trait of the hero of the book: rms
author. Matthew, was renegade jew,
love of money had lured him INTO tne
odious calling of tax coueG To',- aada
him an outcast There may nave peen
cxtenuating circumstances. II so, tni Is
was a capital chance to set them loL1 Ii
in the book. The lmnorI 49, ,E,ers
besides have made books about others
an excuse for writing about tneHl-
selves. -. ro+ .e+
,.,noSelf forth as the rich and benev-
olent leading citizen CT Capernauli.I7
Matthew, also called Lew, son OF Al
rhns q successful official OF caesar
He does not strut and pose IKE d
modern hunter of social lions because
he gave a big dinner to the celeprItS
of his day. Not he. He knew soIie55
thing more important than that: anu
II made him hide behind the ngure Oh
lie Master. He was a sinner, saved by
esrace An outcast, a publcan' yes
Jesus forgave and received MIN. tnae
he considered the supreme fact aooue
himself. and about Jesus So we nave
This story of Matthews own call, ana
of a great cure and great IorglV ss1
$50 ne sounds C:1rist's slogan,
came not to call the righteous Du1
The Biggest Social Factor
Next to the presence and working
II the inscrutable spirit OF the nv
ing God in the world, the Sreatsst So
cial factor of our time IS r ti1-n Ttr9t
ugly little word; it prefers lnherlteo
tendencies.'' ''unfavorable environ
1nents.' But why juSgle with laoels
when the stuff in the bottle IS the same
I'd noison9 The fact of sin is ines
capable. 1t is my business to Try TO
stlidy conten?poraneous world PROP
lens and / solemnly declare that the
one need. apparent 70 every ~ eiT 11es in
common is the need for some new
motive or power in the heart OF nu
nanitv which will break or suppiaht
that all-prolific source OF Social AiiS-
Cautious ones tried to quarrel with
the Teacher because he said TO the
naralytic whose four friends mad let
him down through the broken ROOT,
sicor he of GOOD cheer; thy sins are
forpiven.'' Jesus was then, as ever,
dealing with fundamentals. You miss
the root of societyS 'multltuoinouS
ills if you overlook that TREMENDOUS
ine Sin. social questions are all pri-
marily religious questions, because
they have to do with the heart OF maj ni,it
Roston's alert twentieth century cruz
recently made a thorough and dlscour
aging study of the city's places OF
amusement. Various reasons are SCI
forth for the debased and oenastns
character of what the inyesug ators
found on the stage of the most cul-
tured city on the continent: but the
best explanation is the old 1asnlon ts
one which this bravest of BOOKS: the
Bible. does not blink the TACT OF Sill
\ Mans Friends.
This story ie laid in the city of Cap
80 I'M, which Jesus regarded as ms
home city, and which he seems 70 nave
loved as he did not love Nazareln. "A
poor paralytic, helpless. had been
brought to the house where Jesus was
teaching. The throng was so great
about the Master that these four
friends fought their way through tne
oi1ter crowd and up to the roof, Where
thav tore aside the thatch, and let
their friend down at the feet OF the
gratified Healer and the astonlsheo
mob. -
struction to property involved in this
act Some men accidentally locked opL
of their own homes will go to a horeI
rather than smash a WINDOW pane 20
not understand that conventions are
to be followed, in ordinary clrcum-
stances, and disregarded and over
ridden in extraordinary clrcum-
Stances Every literary worker has
had a hard time convincing MS WlIe
or mother o. housekeeper, VINO pc
means his irregular hours, that break
fasts were made for man, and not
nan for breakfasts When life, health,
truth: salvation or great human ser
vice is at stake, do not hesitate 10
break rules, tear up roofs and tlout IN
tolerant conventional1ty.
IF II
a1vtic. He had four friends-fearleSs,
FAITHFUL, self-sacrificing friends. II IS
worth any kind of trouble TO Discover
a few true friends. 1t was their faith,
as we'll as his own, that saved him;
even as the faith and prayers OF many
mothers have saved their sons. WINE
we mediate upon the hfgh prNltege
of having such great friends. Let us
not overlook the immediate possipnlty
of becoming just such friends to others.
Heartening a Helper.
The public does not realize now
warmly it's servants appreciate a dls-
tinctiye expression of thanks and con-
fidence. Preachers get this oftener
than most: editors, doctors, lawyers
and public officials get it seldom. Here
is a man who has been stirring ana IN
snirinr great conventions for many
months. Yet he has not received an
average of one letter q month from
man who says, you helped me-. < Ene1
tbs committees whom he served falieo
oftener than not, in sending conven-
tional expression of thanks Every
nuhIic work has been encourages Dy
ms sort of thing: Jesus felt it keenly'
Tberefore his Joy, when, on few oc-
casions, he was greeted by faith ano
consideration.
what a thrill must have coursed
through his heart when that ripping,
rearing sound above his head inter-
rupted his address, and turned ali eyes
toward the ceiling. Then the eager
resoIlIfe faces dust grimed, of the four
friends peered over the rent they had
:-%S1,a 1-oaf and with the gentle