The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-16

SOcials, not for money-making pur-
poses, but solely to promote the self
realization of the organization
The churches which expect to have
crowds of worshippers merely by the
fact of opening their doors, may take
q lesson from Ezra's procedure. He
was Ezra, the great leader, and all the
people had special reason to give heed
to mis- words, but he organized and
planned for this rally as thoroughly as
the laymen make ready for a Men and
Religion campaign. 1t was not q one
man meeting; Ezra had with him q
corps of assistants, judiciously placed
He was after results, and not after
reputation for himself. The occasion
was a prepared one, an anticipated
one, and an enthusiastic one. for the
'get together spirit had hold of the
people.
sAnd Gave the Sense.''
A man was speaking upon the pos
sibilities of Mesopotamias cotton crop,
but he took it for granted that his
hearers were more familiar with
geography than was the case. so he
was not surprised when a friend said
to him, "a man was telling me about
your speech upon the possibilities of
cotton in China" The speaker had
not been careful to make his hearers
understand, which is as truly the
speakers responsibility as it IS the
listeners. Most persons listen to the
Bible without expecting to understand
it as they understand the newspaper.
Their knowledge of Mesopotamia is as
hazy as their knowledge of the Hit
titles. or the lands of Paul's journeys
A Sunday school teacher who exhibit
ed with pride a map of Bible lands
showing Ur of the Chaldees as down
in the land Of Edom was not very
much embarrassed when the mistake
was pointed out. This assumption is
that all that pertains to the Bible is
somewhat vague and conjectural. One
does not expect to comprehend the
Bible as he does a book of travels or
a history or a novel.
That state of mind was given a
severe jolt by Ezra. who in this great
Bible-reading assembly had the law
read so that the record runs, And
they read in the book of the law dis
tinctly, and they gave the sense. so
that they understood the reading" No
other book is read so unintelligently
as the Scriptures. Philips question to
the Ethiopian eunuch might well be
repeated to many Christian at his
private devotions, 'tUnderStandeth thou
what thou readest?"
Often the Bible is treated as a sort
of charm or incarnation, to be read
because there is virtue in it, but not
because it is understood. Some folk,
following this good-luck method, open
their Bibles at random for their daily
reading, trusting to be guided thereby,
though it is usually the bookbinder,
pages at which the volume will open
most easily. The only Bible reading
that is worth the time spent upon it,
is Bible reading which gives the read
er the sense of what he has read.
Otherwise, one might as well read last
years almanac, or a volume Of cunei-
form inscriptions.
The Speaker Who Made a Hit
At a great Philadelphia convention
a few years ago a professor in I1aver-
ford college read the Scripture lesson
have forgotten even the names of the
distinguished speakers of the evening,
but 1 have not forgotten how Rufus
NJ. Jones read the thirteenth chapter
Of Corinthians, as If it were living lit
erature, and as If he meant it every
word. That, 1 fancy, - the sort of
reading of the Pentateuch which the
multitude of Jews alongside of the
water gate heard that day so long ago
Small wonder they Wept and shouted
lament" and bowed themselves to the
earth in contrition, and listened for
dear life for six short hours. No ser
mons are long when they are messages
of life, from living men to living men.
Emotion? OF course there was emo
ton. There is always emotion when
hearts are deeply stirred. There is
emotion when a man tells a woman of
his love. There is emotion over the
birth Of the frst-born. There is emo
ton at the death-bed. There is emo
IlOn Wnen d country , call - HedHu W
patriots. The stirring of the deepS al
ways produces emotion, and the aca-
demic objection to emotion in connec-
ton with religion is little less than
absurd.
The lesson of this whole lesson is
obvious 1t Is that the surest way to
the most abiding religious revival is
by the study of the word Of God. Give
the people the Book, and they can do
without an evangelist. The entrance
of the Word gives light and life and
and peace. The people who have come
upon a revival Of Bible study have the
best reason to be glad and grateful, |
as the Jews after the festival of study
of the law. They celebrated because |
they had learned anew the Pentatuch; |
how much greater should be the cele- |
bration of those who have the living |
gospel as their light and their |
strength