The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-30
lconformed until She has lost her lever

EconIormed until she has lost her lever
age.
Possibly the Men and Religion cam
pafgn, now beginning, will develop the
prophet for whom some are praying
A hard forehead and stiff heart" will
confront him, as in EzekiePs day. Yet,
as in China and Korea, where Pastor
Ding Lii Mai and Pastor XII have ap-
peared to their people with the clear
word of truth, it may be that the
hearts of the people will respond to the
heaven-blessed message. The watch
man upon the walls, about whom we
whether the inhabitants gave heed or
not Thus saith the Lord holds good
regardless of mems listening. A meas
ure of disregard for mems opinions is
an essential quality in the prophet.
Wheels Within Wheels.
How the message came to Ezekiel
and how he delivered it, make hard
reading. This is not an easy book
Like the apocalypse, it is bewild deringly
full of imagery. Some of these figures
of wheels and wings and faces, are diff
ficult to comprehend. They belong to
the time of the writing, though the
truth they convey is eternal. On the
BabylOnian and lAsSyrian sculptures
winged human figures, and forms half
man, half beast, are common. The
imagery was clearer then than now.
For be it remarked that Ezekiel lived
and propheSied in Babylonia, on the
banks of one of the great irrigation
canals. His tomb, high conicaI tow
er, is shown there to the present day.
The antiquity of familiar phrases is
illustrated in his prophecy. Thence
comes our familiar saying, wheels
within wheels" Likewise, from this
same source are derived the symbols
of the four EvangeliSts the eagle for
St. John; the lion, for st. Mark; the OK,
for St. Mathew; and the man, for St.
Luke.
Another common allusion to this
prophecy in religious phraseo1ogy is
that of eating the Book. The Prophet
Ezekiel was prepared for his mission
by being instructed to eat the roll of
the law-his own life had to be sat
urated with Gods truth before he was
qualified to speak Gods message. Only
the taught can teach. Bible-filled
Christians are the ones to instruct the
world! otherwise. if they speak from
mere human wisdom, they will have to
compete with all worldly philosophy.
So some teachers and preachers
Wcnder why they cannot hold interest
by their dissertations, which are mere
ly poor limitations of the editorials in
the daily newspapers. It is the THUS
saith the Lord that gives power. Be
filled with the word and then your
words will fill mems ears. And there
is no power that will fortify a man for
hard tasks like the Book of God.
''Stand ON Thy Feet"
"Son of man, stand on thy feet and
will speak with thee" That was the
preparatory word that came to Eze-
kiel. A man must be a man, an up
standing, fearless man, before ever
God will commission him. Jehovah
does not make messengers of squirm-
ing worms of the dust. It is the men
who dare to be their best and do their
utmost whom he helps to become bet
ter and do more. And if ever there is
a wit
head erect. unf1inchingly facing the
world, it is when he has received a
from God and is going to de-
liver it.
Whittier has imaginatively described
Ezekiel's sentim ents when called to his
holy office:
The burden of a prophets power
Fell on me in that fearful hour;
From off unutterabIe woes
The curtain of the future rose;
saw far down the coming time
The fiery chastisement of crime
With noise of mingling hosts, and jar
Of falling towers and shouts of war,
1 saw the nations rise and fall,
Like ire-gleams on my tents white |
wall
Ger my spirit dark and slow
The shadow crept of Israel's woe
AS if the angels mournful roll
Had left its record on my soul,
And traced in lines of darkness there
The picture of it's great despair
1.-THE difference between the sheep
and the pig" says an old commentator,
is that though both may fall into the
mire, the sheep either scrambles out
himself or bleats until he is helped |
out; while the pig just lies there con-