The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-06

spiritual experiences, with people
thronging to study the Bible. attend
There never was such q day Of
Christian dominion as. today. With
Appropriateness il the facade Of the
hast put all things under His feet"
Today. as of old. faith IL the VIC
tory" God is having his way in the
world Well for those who march
with Israel, rather than jeer with
Jericho.
Does Religion Really Pay?
Terse Comments for December z, The
Ideal Christian. xii. His Rewards"
Psalm /.
(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.)
Pay day proves whether or not the
position Is worth while. The day OF
dividends determines the value OF the
investment. The rewards OF renglon
ness. The topic faces the truth that
the Christian is to be rewarded. The
study of how and when makes q fruit
full theme for anybody's consideration.
Like everything else. they get most
out of religion, who put most into it.
The old Psalmist pictured the
righteous man as a tree. The analogy
is interesting. The tree that succeeds
is the growing tree. it is blessed with
life. And life, full, forceful. unhin-
dered life is itself a reward. Such a
tree bears fruit or gives shade. 1t Is
life with an output. The recompense
of holy life is the fruit Of holiness,
no account can be kept OF the travel
ers who are sustained and sheltered
beneath. the shade of a good mans
life. In the nature Of things. 1t is i'm
possible for any person to be- reward
ed by an exact knowledge Of the good
he does in the world. That sort of
bookkeeping has to be left to heaven.
Little children may be rewarded
with q stick Of candy but as they
grow older the rewards they prize
most are less tangible and material.
the word Of approval, the smile of
favor, the bestowal of companionship.
the gift of love-these are the most
valuable forms Of recognition. So it
is with the rewards OF the Christian.
Simply to merit the Masters
Blessed" and to be conscious of His
approval, is itself a goal of holy liv-
ing. We want less the gifts of the
Lord, than the favor of His face. To
please God is to win the richest re-
ward. x
Then only the Master shall praise US,
And only the Master shall blame:
And no one shall work for money;
And no one shall work for fame:
But each. for the joy Of the working.
And each, in his separate star,
Shall draw the thing as he sees 1t,
For the God Of Things as They Are.
-Kip1fng.
There Is a new commercial talking
machine on the market that is fairly
mysterious. 1t does away with tho
old wax cylinder. Instead, there are
some three miles OF sensitized wire.
The dictator may record his words IN
other room. at her convenience, the
secretary will transcribe them. But
the most marvellous part OF the mech
anism Is the way wherein, by pressure
on a button, the electric fluid clears
those wires of speech, SO that they
may be used over again and an en-
tirely new record written upon them
That is like the gospel truth Of for
! giveness, which is the Christians first
reward. In a way that we cannot un-
derstand, the mighty electric force of
the Divine Spirit wipes out the record
Of sin. The past is blotted out. The
| life Is given q fresh start. For the
forgiven man, all things are made
new. The life that once answered to
l
ness. That is the reward Of the Cos
pei Of grace.
| Success" the magazine, was q FAIL
ure; and many Of the lauded '.suc-
cesses," which a few years ago filed
our literature were, when more truly
understood, only failures. The sue
cess which abides. and stands all the
tests of the searching white light of
| publicity, here and hereafter, is that
Of a holy life which has ministered to
the world. Not every Christian Is 4
success. in tho way he planned; but
| no man ever kept faith with God and
his fellows and then registered fall
ure. He may die poor and unknown,
but he has won the sort of success
| which pleases the angels. =
| A holy life is its own reward.
| slang phrase speaks of certain
persons as dead ones" The figure
persons walking our streets who are
dead to all that constitute real life. On
the other hand, the Christian has in
herited that royal promise of the Sa-
vior Il am come that We may have life.
and may have 1t more abundantly.'
He is in the slang phrase a live one.''
He abounds in vitality. He is the pow
er Of an endless life. Amid men he
lives the life that Is ever now eternal.
Nm anemic impoverished creature he,
for In his spirit wells up the very full
ness of life.
A charming story by Mrs. Burnett.
called THE Secret Garden tells how
/ several persons entered into new hap
I piness and vitality through their ex-
! perience in a garden of which the
world knew nothing. The tale sug-
| gests the phrase. "a life hid with
i Christ In God" This secret exper-
fence OF divine fellowship IL one of