The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-05
~ wILLIAM r. ELLIs.

and Prayer Matt. 6:1-15.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
-IN q sinister sense 1t is o1ten
E said that man is leading
"do1ble life Oftener this
is true in a beautiful sig
nifi.ance. Everybody whose
life is large and broad ana
deem and high lives two lives: one in
the world of things, which all OF man
kind may see. and the other part near
the source of power, which no man
knows. To find the explanation OF
every great life we must trace 1t back
to these hidden springs, where the
character is formed in fellowship with
great ideals and with God rms oou-
BILE life, one in the world and the
other in the closet of prayer and com
munion and study, is consciously COW
eted by every seeker after Christ
like character. 49,.
There may be some sort of salts
half of which is submerged in the mlre
of evil; but there is an infinltey
sweeter satisfaction in having great
and noble secrets from the Worlo'
which are shared only Wlwtn Goa. a
certain Baltimore man, whose WISE
benefactions have reached Literally al
around the world, was really palneo
when it became public that ne nao
done a monumental work In ASIA he
said, ''Having people know this takes
awav the peculiar satisfaction from IL:
Before it was my own secret ana
privilege which 1 shared with nobody
but the Lord. Now that people know
about it. the bloom of delight has gone
from it,
The statement may even be made
that il is impossible to live great llIe'
even as the world counts greatness
without the cultivation OF these Sc
cret springs of character. When L
visited Port Arthur, shortly after the
Russian-Japaaese war, l Journeyeo
out to the wintry heights of 203 Metre
Hill, where the top of that historic
mountain was literally blown on by
the fierceness of the battle that ragged
around it. There / discovered, just
over the crest of the mountain, on
the Russian side, great spring OF un-
falling water which hdd sustained
the soldiers during the conflct- 10
me il was symbolic of the battle of
life. In the thick Of conflict there Is
need for the spring that fails not tx
cept a man have for lies struggles,
sources of power that cannot ne
touched or cut off by the world. he
is in a sorry plight, indeed Jesus
pointed out this source of power IN ms
Sermon on the Mount, when he pro-
nounced the WORKS, "The Father Whlcn
seeth in secret" His conceptlcn OF
the great life was that which had the
basic parts of its nature open toward
God, and closed toward the world.
The Secret Springs.
A two-fold life is yet profoundly
inter-related. The outer life is at
fected by the inner. What man does
out in the world will be determined
largely by what he thinks in his heart.
The wise word is eternally true. LAS
a man thinketh in heart. so IS he.
If this yelled existence consists OF
communion with the noblest. most
beautiful and divine then the outer
conduct will take on the character of
the quiet hours. In this tremendous
career Jesus was sustained bv con-
seriousness of the approval of the Faith
err in Heaven. The world misJudged
him. as it always miSjudges its great
est helpers The Father understood
him. That was comfort enough.
No strong life may look for other re-
ward than this. Except it be sup
ported by this deep confidence in the
divine approval, it cannot stand stead
fast Lofty motives need ever to be
fed from the secret springs of the re-
lationship to God. If a man works for
praise or approval. he must soon quit
in WEAKNESS and disgust. Everybody
has seen the spectacle of high minded,
useful men who have turned sour be-
cause of the ingratitude and lack of
appreciation of those whom they have
helped. Even the utmost applause
that may come to a man in this world
is unsatisfactory. The desire for
praise grows by what it feeds upon.
The persons who live in the limelight
of public life, measuring their success
by the hand clippings and eulogies of
of their fellow men. are never salts
fed. They are not the ones who
show forth the peaceful face.
The other evening l Travelled on a
train with a large theatrical troupe.
whose conversation was much on 1.-THE
hand" that this or that person got
from the crowd. In all the company
there was not serene. quiet, salts
fled countenance. Fame. honor rec
ognition--these are not satisfactory re-
wards or sources of power. One must
draw his spirits substance from the
deep hidden well of consciousness
of the approval of 1.-THE Father who
seeth i'll secret"
The Benefits of Hypocrisy.
There is. and always has been. a
sort of philanthropy for revenue only.
A few days ago lawyer in the South
was declaring that he had no
time for foreign missions, be-
cause he had to give to home
sociate, who was not himself known
for any interest in foreign missions,
retorted, You know better than that
Blank. You're not doing a thing for
charity. You're simply serving your
own pocketbook. You do things be-
cause you know the money will come
back to you many fold. It's simply
good for your business. Don't you take
any credit to yourself for your thrift
mess
That was a blunt putting of a not
uncommon situation. Many business
men regularly make contributions tic
various good causes, not because they
have the slightest interest in the
causes, but simply on account of the re-
turns that they think they see for theiI
own business. Philanthropy is often a
cheap way to get distinction and ad-
vertising. Concerning all this. Jesus
said. verify they have their reward
And they have. Let us not lose
sight of that. There is a reward fol
having among men a reputation fol
piety and good works. All the hypo-
critics in the world are vindication OF