The farmer and mechanic., 1914-02-03
THE LINEUP OF LIFE.

ueS5o 0LS0 AAA6Ass A~HO - |
BY William T. Ellis.
After all and after all.
Since ever the world began,
Just two have lived, and two have
died.
In lowiy mien in lordly pride,
The rogue and the honest man.
After all and after all,
The classes are but two;
And both are rich and both are poor,
And both still know as they knew
before,
rhe things that they ought to do.
After all and after all.
Escape it we never can;
Only the choice Of one have we,
And YOU must be and / must be
4 royue or an honest man.
John Randolph Stidman.
The iucisive mind Of the new
Teacher from Galilee, who was great
in His simplicity. thus lined up So
riety. The only line he ever drew
was vertical, between the good and
the bad, the sheep ana the goats.
No horizontal lines for him, separat-
ING men into upper classes, middle
classes and lower classes. He set
humanity into two camps, the Wlckeo
and the godly.
And the test Of where one belongs
is his attitude toward Jesus hlmsei1.
He that is not for Me is against
Me-" Nobody can oodge tnn Gas
sificstion: it Is easier to escape the
jncome-tax collector than this IN
eyitable grouping. Everybody must
count either for or against Chrlst;
which means. also, either Tor OF
against The things for which Christ
stands. Every life has drift,
direction, tendency; let 1T be to-
ward Christiiness.
The Snarl Of the Critics.
The particular day about whicf
we are studying had been a busy one
For Jesus and His helpers. Tne!
had no time so much as to eat
friends and kindred tried to hindel
Jesus from spending Himself so Law
ishly for the many needs Of this IN
satiable mob. But that compassion
ate spirit had mercy upon everybo0.
except Himself.
The one dramatic event of the da.
was the casting out OF demon iron @
dumb man, so that his speech wa
restored The lips long sealed wer
opened. We wonder what the frs
words of the emancipated spiri
were? Gratitude to the Healer! IN
name Of a loved one? fncoheren
enthusiasm?
The enthusiasm of the liberate
man was not shared by some mem
bers of the crowd of onlookers. The
were the critics and the backbiter
who always see the worst in the bel
ter, the evil in the good They DC
ionged TO that large group VINO a
ways look for the lowest motives J
the deeds of public men. Any re:
son but the true and the noble WI
n r.
winked knowingly and leered "Ah,
casts out demons by Beelzebub, IT
prince of demons!' This was devi
work. they claimed, and one MOI
proof that Jesus had a demon.
The Bible and the Devil.
Nowadays it is dreadfully VI
fashionable to believe in the dev
Yet the Bible. which is strange
indifferent 10 passing fancies. lnsis
that there is a devil-an evil pc
sonality or power outside of ma
which b ,sets him and drags hi
down.
Some folks. who live in cloi
tered world Of books, deny this. y
so those who are at close grips Wi
life. The latter must choose DetWe e
diaboiical human nature or else
evil spirit Of power which is MAJ
worst enemy. To all who know IL
sod il real and the ueVll Is fe
Aud the issue of all times is betNe
these two.
The old negro's definition of elt
tion is not far astray. Without I
dialect the story goes that the neg
said, You see, there is an eiecti
being held to choose who Will
king of your soul. Both God a
Satan are candidates. You are
only voter And whichever way y
vote, that is the way the elect
goes Reduced to its simplicltl
life is choice between God Il
Satan.
COnfOunding the Critics.
The story was Jesus favorite
of meeting criticism. To the cha
hat He was an ally of BeelZeb
lie answered in terse, graphic wol
Every kingdom divided against
1elf is brought TO desolation; ant
house divided against IL house Z