The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-29

w OG unto LHbIu LAldL Cdli evil EOOUs anu
good evil; that put darkness for light,
and Hight for darkness; that put bitter for
sweet, and sweet for bitter. Isaiah 20
These are some of Gods judgments
for sin, as they We're related to the
children of Israel by one of the great
est of all prophets and teachers, Isaiah.
Most of his labors among this people
were directed towards admonishing
them to a right living if they were to
obtain peace and happiness for them
selves and for their nation. He was u
firm believer in the idea that the chill
dren of Israel were a people chosen to
fulfill Gods purposes among the ma
tions of the earth. He believed that
God had made a wonderful promise
to Abraham and to David, q promise.
conditional of course. on Israers good
behavior and proven worthiness, that
there should be at last universal
peace, with universal righteousness,
and that this most desirable state of
affairs was to come during their life
time. 1t WAS Isaiah's lifework to en-
deavor to direct the steps of the Is
raeIites in the ways that they should
go so that this promise would be full
filled. Nearly all Of his preachings to
this end were directed against the sin
full and the wicked. Often did he cry
out to them: There is no peace, saith
the Lord, unto the wicked" And he
Iabyrad almost exclusively with the
masses and not with their rulers.
In striving for such a wonderful goal,
Isaiah's efforts were in vain, but his
work was not without profit by any
manner of means. Universal peace did
not come to prevail on earth during
the life of the children of Israel. They
fell far short of showing themselves
worthy Of it. That they made progress,
under Isaiah's teachings, towards de-
sirable condition of righteousness is
not to be gainsaid Ever since the time
of Isaiah the self-same struggle has
been going on. And the victory is not
yet. There have been prophets, and
preachers. and teachers, too, who have
directed their unending and great en-
ergies along the same lines as were
pursued by Isaiah. None of them have
yet seen the achievement of anything
like the desired end But all have
helped with a great or smaller meas
ure to speed the happy day along.
Regardless of the waiting of the
pessimists, and their number is not
few nor are their voices weak, the peo-
pie on earth today are closer, though
still far away. to a universal righteous
ness than has ever been the case in
the history of all time. They will APP
proach it nearer and nearer as the
battle progresses against sin and wick
edneas in all its form. And TINS bat
tie must be carried on by the inGS. i'd
uals themselves. A nation, whether
civilized to the high degree where alb
solute freedom reigns among men, or
not, will be no better or no worse than
the average of the human beings who
make it up Until they ascend to
generally righteous state there is no
need for an expectancy that a great
peace and happiness is to prevail on
earth. or any portion of it for n long
continued period.
And 50, the struggle against sin and
wiekedness should be carried on I'M
ceasingly. The preachers and the teach
ers OF all creeds and schools are play
ing and will play an important part
in the conflict. They are the first aid
to the injured, as it were. But the best
results are sure to be attained by ev-
cry person fighting his own failings and
shortcomings with an honest desire to
them