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

sheets. the supremacy of Siberia's re-
sources over AL the other great Janus
Canada, Australia, Argentine ana
Americas west-and its primary neeu
of education It is getting people, Tor
the government is pouring in peasants
Ivy the myriad; but they are people
without educa ton. There are no DOCKS
in the rolls Of luggage that they carry
with them. Give Siberia an open Blole'
and the education which always follows
in the wake of the Bible, and you VIII
have sn empire that viii WELD an IT.
calcuIabIe influence in the vorid-analfs
of a few generations hence.
At a railway station IN the cenleI OIL
Siberia there was a man selling Bibles,
and in him seemed to see the great
power Of the land tomorrow Ihe long
haired and unkempt priests whom
noticed travelling with the Immigrants
did not make the impression on me
that was made by this man with the
Book that makes nations. Renslon Is
neither permanent nor Transforming
except as it is a religion based upon an
intelligent knowledge Of the Book py
the plain people. Sometimes Christian
missions have failed and been blotted
out, Christianity being succeeded by
heathenism: but never has this peel
the case where the people have been
given the Bible. This IS starving
fact in the history Of missions
The NIosIem Lament.
are the Bible natiOns-thOse whose peo-
ple read and honor the Book. That IS
q big fact about contemporaneous his
tory which should be used in the STUDY
of this present lesson upon the place oA
the Book in the life of judah. me
greatest of the world powers Is Britain,
a nation whose king and leaders joined
q few weeks ago. in celebrating the
tercentenary of the translation OF thS
King lanes Version. More influential
A.fr an 4 hn ~
nations vet commonly rated after hef
as a world power, is the United states,
which has been declared by its highest
judiciary to be Christian nation, ana
they do popular novels. Great ana
growing greater Is Germany, the land
Of Martin Luther
railing rapidly from her ancient po-
sition among the nations IS france.
md there are others than students OF
,-eifeious conditions who will attribute
This TO the decline of Christianity
nnnour the people. Russia plays no
oart in the world at all commensurate
-vi4t, her MAGNITUDE and geographical
,oosftion because her people have not
the Book, and because her oInclaIdoiu
has not that righteousness Whlcn e&-
alteth a nation. Japan mas suaoeils
sprung to a prominent place III III
world but those who know most about
the nation understand how rellglous
conditions at home imperu the nd
tion's standing abroad. Then there
are the little nations ike SWeoeh,
Norway and Denmark which are sfedl
in world influence because tnel peO-
ple are men and women of the BOOK,
A Scotsman in the east was ralins
at religion. not long since, declaring
that Christianity had caused most u
the wars of history. that 1t had Deeol-
ten a race of hypOcrites, ana mahlls
a number Of the other vague ana TOOL
ish statements of the same trend undI
are much in vogue among persons WY WY
are more prone to repeat the ldteSe
thing they have heard than they are
to do any solid thinking for them
selves. Naturally, I pointed him to his
own land of Scotland, whose people
NAV be found in all the remote places
~ fhe earth. That nation is a product
Of Christianity or it is nothing III
moment my friend had retreated from
his vague congratulations as ne Cul'-
templated the Influence or the blDl1
upon Scotch character
This big national look at the suhJect
is Illuminating. When one talks win
Moslems about world-analrs' ne Hlus
a curious lament, and source OF bitter
ness. with all his pride aud preten-
sions the Moslem is bound to admll
that the world today is ruled by the
Christian nations. The lands or the
hook are tie lands of power. TIE sing
Mar greatness Of the Hebrews arose
from, their being custodians OF a. spec
ial revelation from Jehovah
Young Kings Great Find.
The reason we look at the nations
in respect to the Bible IS because our
lesson deals with the romantic discov-
erv of the Book of the Law by King
Josiah in his repairs upon the temple.
These strange finds have a fascination
upon most minds, but especially upon
the minds of youth A the present
time there is considerable excitement
in Jerusalem and throughout Turkey
generally, because certain excaVators'
digging for the treasures of David, tol-
lowing the lead of a cryptogram in an
ancient book, have been accused OF
carrying away relics from beneath the
Temple area, where now stands the
Mosque Of Omar. Jerusalem, and that
Temple area, is still a realm of mys-
terry and possibility to the scholar
with a spade. 1t even yet yields great
surprises, as in the day of King Jo-
siah.
The better ever leads to the best.
Josiah was repairing the temple a
good deal and he came upon a long
hidden and forgotten copy of the Law.
The scroll was at the bottom of a
chest of temple money. The money was
OF less Importance than this greater
treasure which it Ecealed- Fol
many years the services in the tenn
pie had been neglected, and what re-
ligion remained was largely tradition
al. The ancient danger is an evel
present one. Each generation mus
have its own book--the same Bible il
all case, but made new fer each indi-
vidual by personal discovery. Tradi-
tional religion is insufficient. To bt
a Christian merely from habit, anc
the influence cf environment, is tC
run the risk of having no vital Chris
tianity at all with which to with
stand the shock of unexpected assaults
and temptations.
A Rock "a Power
It is a great day for any young per
son. when like Josiah, he discovers
this book which gives life to nations
and individuals. There is no Othe
source Of power equal to it. Or