The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-08
BY WILLIAM t. ELLIS.


S:1S-17; 4:1-11.
BY WILLIAM t. ELLIS
@HE battleship Utah, the larg-
ia est warship afioat was
launched few da.s ago;
but before she is accepted
or put into commission she
must be tested. So with the
machinery that is to go into her; tne
severest proving must be given 1t be-
fore the government will take 1t over
Likewise with her guns; they' TOO
must be tried in every possible way 70
see il they are fit Although POS
sessed of the form and stature OF
warship, the Utah must overcome the
strenuous tests which bar her entrance
upon a warship's career.
So IL is with man. Youth. grown
to manhoods estate, must prove lts
manliness. Until he has come throusn
some great testing, we can not be sure
that the Young man has entered INTO
manhood's inheritance. As with war
ships, so with men; their mettle must
be demonstrated. A somewhat tragic
fhase of the life of the boy VINO. ar
rived at wears Of maturity, goes forth
into the world, is that his knowledge
of men and of himself is so largely
theoretical, rather than experimental.
Even his religion may be of the not
house variety, never having been sub
jected to the chilling blasts of the
world of actualities. Afterward- there
comes into his voice the note of Ger
titudc, and he treads as one VINO
knows himself and his work. He hao
been tried OUT and he has made
At the outset OF his public career
Jesus proved his mettle. Equipped
bv the ecstatic and transporting spir-
itual experience of his baptism, ana
by the soul-wrenching wilderness OF
battle with temptation, he went 1orth
to his work of teaching and healing
and helping, confident in his own pow
ere He had been tested, and he had
come forth victorious. Other tempta-
tions would assail him, of course, but
Satan had done his worst, and IN VAIN
Standing by the Best.
The greater linked itself with the
lesser when Jesus went down to Jor-
dan and joined himself to John the
Baptist He sets an example of stand
ing by the best in sight and not Spurn-
ing it because it is not better. Some
men refuse to join church because
the church is not big enough or good
enough Waving all consideration OF
the modesty or accuracy OF his dag
nosis of the church, it is to be pointed
that a person betters himself, the
world and the cause he joins by iden-
tifying himself with the best ne can
find. The Baptist's ministry was in
adequate, butt it was headed right.
Therefore Jesus yielded allegiance to
This was a kind of following the
fashion which has sound warrant.
There is a sense in which conformity
10 existing usageS is the real mark OF
greatness The person who breaks
loose from all the established con-
ventions dressing in unusual fashion
and assuming to be a law unto himself
in all social relationships, is not usu-
ally a great man, but only a freak.
The wise person employs as his we'll
trained servants who help smooth
liee's course for him. all the social
tsages of the sphere in which he finds
himself If he is in New York. he
conforms so far as is proper to New
York ways; If in China, to Chinese
Rot very different in the matter of
religion. The sensible man can get
along very we'll with any one of the
the weak. the vain and the sentiment
tai who fiock off into peculiar and SUI
perior sects. which consider them
selves above all churches. Jesus was
baptism. In that experience he had
the approval Of the opened heavens
and the Fathers voice. This is my
beloved Son. in whom am well
pleased"
The Price OF Peace.
Straightway, following the leading of
the inner Light that was ever his guide
the wilderness Of testings. He had to
be alone for this ordeal; as, indeed, the
soul is always alone In its crisis hours.
Here, after forty days of hunger, he
underwent the proving OF his humanity
as well as the testing OF his divinity.
Born the Prince Of Peace he began his
reign with struggle.
thus was figured forth the eternal
truth that the way Of God is a way of
war. Rev Charles Brown states the
hA0 nc
through wrestling with principalities
and powers. The pure life is won by
the man who will take to him the whole
armor OF God. The pure faith and
rola, and Luther, and the early Sepa-
rhtists, who will fight corruption and
superstituion and priestcraft, and en-
dllre scorn and suffering and martyr
dom to right the wrong. Justice in the
commonwealth, between class and
school, man and man, will come
through men who are not afraid of
strife. So let US aim after a peace that
is based on the will of God-the peace
heart. 1t will come as the life is over
hauled, cleansed. and reformed, and it
Will come then to abide.'
1s There a Devil?
The devil has gone out of fashion, but
not out of business. It is not considered
good modern form or good modern the
ology to recognize a personal devil.
These footprints over the days news
papers are, II you please, merely marks
OF the struggle of the human soul in
it's evolution upward. Yet some of Us
who are not keen on theology seem &c
see that the evolution which leaves out
God and the devil is a devolution,-or q
devil-ution. Pinned down to a choice
between a definite devil. a malign per-
sonaIity invested with the power Of the
pit, and human nature that is innate
" devilish. I prefer to take the devil
himself, and save my faith in mankind
If 1t is the way of human nature to dc
the deeds that make up so large a part
of the DAYS news. then want to move