The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-11
The Great Decision.
Terse Comments for January IL, BE
come a Christian!-Why Not p"
Matt. 4:17-25.
(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS)

(BY WILLIAM Il. EI1lS.)
Even a crowded life holds few real
ly notable events between the great
adventures of birth and death. Com
monty these are but two-the meeting
with God in that definite, personal eX-
perience called conversion; and the
meeting with the other life whose be-
ing becomes merged with ones own
in love and wedlock. Not everybody
is given to know these two conscious
experiences, which are the mountain
peaks between the unconscious events
of entering and leaving this mortal
life. Some persons go through their
earthly existence without ever know
ing that aH-embracing, alI-transform-
ing experience which we call becom-
ing q Christian. Conscious relation
ship with God is entirely out of their
experience. Which means that they
have never looked upon life from it's
highest mountain peak, that of real
lied fellowship with the Father
through His Son. And to miss this is
human being.
All the essential and abiding ques-
tons of character and conduct are
commonly decided before a person
reaches the age of 81. The greatest
of questions, s'What shall 1 do then
with Jesus, who is called the Christ ?"
should be answered once for all in
youth.
To become a Christian is to be-
come Christ's man-to accept His
will as life's law and His work as
life's mission.
A rough but workable classification
of people is THE Putters-Off'' and
the 'Do-It-Nows." The former usu-
ally graduate into the class of
''Never-Do-Its." Every reason that
should constrain one to become
Christian operates in behalf of i'm
mediate decision.
Conversion is step; but the
Christian life is a way.
A new estimate of two worlds is
given to the person who sincerely
tries to see through the eyes of
Christ.
ing up and a going up-these are
progressive steps in the experience
of diScipleShiD.
Ships that drift oftener find rocks
than Ravens. The life that merely
drifts along. leaving to mayhap the
question of becoming a follower of
Jesus, is likely to strike disaster that
may be all but irretrievable. Sound
judgment dictates that one should
give Careful, democratic ana tnOrOuSn
thought to the subject of his rela-
tionship with his Creator. Every
person owes it to himself to enter,
bare-souled and alone, that awesome
chamber of decision where God and
man meet to settle the profoundest
concerns of the soul.
What has made the Scotch such a
potent people? The traveller finds
Scotsmen wherever in the world civ
ilization has penetrated. They are
leaders among men, and in all fields.
Why? Assuredly one reason is that
the people of this little Northland
have come to maturity and stability
of soul-fibre through religion. God
is the most present of all realities
to the Scot. The concerns of the
eternal life have ever engrossed him
more than the activities of this-and
nobody has accused him of being in
different to this present world. But
religion, the sense of God, the condi-
ton of the spiritual nature, is surely
the deepest factor in the life of Scot
land.
Without pessimism, it is to be con-
fessed that our day is laying undue