The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-02

SnoAs, Sinners and . Saviour.
The International Sunday School LES.
SON for May Is The Prooieal
Son."-Luke 15:11-S2.
fRY WILLIAM T. EILIS.)
A Chinese illustrated version OF THU
ProdigA1 Son story lies before me a. !!
write: The pictures are inteingio.e, y =
home Of the Chinese gentry with an
upper class old man handing over to
his pig-tailed son a quantity OF silver
a0hoes the old Chinese currency. Next
the youth, in his best Chinese raiment.
Weeps. The "far country Is a tea
house, where the youth IL feasting and
arinking with a dancing girl. Next ne
= shown as q tatteredr CtAnese beggar'
cut amid the Chinese groves, herdtne
Chinese pigs. Then we see him bare
footed and in rags, being greeted by
His father outside the Chinese gate OF
the old home. He is being clothed IN
ne NET p Rie tHn,cai a Chinese fashion. is
= feast OF the gentry. older men, his
We scarcely need a Chinese version
. prove the universally OF the story.
fifteen minutes on the cify's main
street tonight win show prodigals
1resped in the latest fashions. There
Sre Thousands of fathers whose last
S1houelat tonight will be OF wandering
sons. who are playing the tooi. ~r rTr
ence Of society than this one OF the
NV VINO. needless Of the hopes CEN
tered upon him.. and lacking sense ana
character, turns his back upon nome
and love goes forth to see me-
Tho Worlds Most Famous Story. Z
One school Of literature demands
fiction without a moral teacnine. N ="
illustrate a great truth. The reason
FOR its relation lies in the two SEN
fences which introduce these three
parallels Of grace. These are the Key
TO the narrative: without them It's
meaning may not certainly be unlock
ed. Here is the significant introduce
tion: Nov all the pubhoam ana
sinners were drawing near unto MIN
for to hear him. And both the Fnarl-
sees and the scribes murmureds say.
inT. This man receiveth Sinners and
eateth with them"
This was the reproach Of Jesus then;
M IL His praise now. He cares 1or the
common people; ! once 1G:sr aear c.me o' to
found an intellectual aristocracy.
Jesus came to found no aristocracy,
except Of holiness. and tnat py It's
very nature il no artstocracy' Dut q
humble, self-effacing brotherhood OF
people unaware of their own goodness
His kingdom is not a selection OF the
self-righteoug, but q reunion OF the
lowly. sincere, penitent ana neart-
hungry. A sinner. sorry lor ms. SIN.
- surer of a welcome with God than
the proud and eelf-assertfve Pharisee.
This In the meaning Of this parable,
which Farrar calls, IA divine epltome
Of the wandering of man, and the love
Of God. such as no literature mas ever
euualied. Put in one scale all that
Confucius or Sakya Mount or ZOroas-
ter or Socrates ever wrote or said
and they wrote and said many beauti-
ful and holy words-and put IN the
other the Parable Of the Prodigal Son.
and can any candid spirit doubt which
scale would outweigh the other IN
eternal preciousness ?"
When Youth Plays the Fool.
The central figure of this story Is
n green youth; he was an unripe
soul. He thought that the old man.
was SLOW" that the home life was
dead" and that he knew 1t all"
which last was a sure proof of his i'm
maturity. Nobody is so distrustful OF
his own infallibility as the man of
knowledge and wisdom. This youth ,
was still in the veal period.
He got his share of the family for
tune and played the fool with 1t in
'sthe far country" until it was gone
and he was reduced to the lot pc
culiarly loathsome to Jew. that Of
eWineherd. At last, SO hungry that
he was minded to eat the very food
Of the swine, he came to himself
and went home. This experience. bit |
ter and deep, made man of him. |
True, it perpetually saddened his life.
and left ineffacable scars and robbed !
him of the purity which is the sweet |
ct fountain of joy: but this was the |
price he paid for his folly. The man
Who 'sows wild OATS in youth will |
reap tares in his old age.
THE bird with the broken pinion |
Vanver a0a red aN high again.
Living with the pigs, the Prodigal |
Son learned what it is to be a man. !
He came to himself; he had been |
beside himself before. And when any |
man comes to himself he comes to
God.
Getting Ones True Measure.
1t Is the man without a dollar who |
prodigal had spent all. famine over |
took him in hurry. This seemed a |
hardship but it was the beginning of
the youths real prosperity. He be-
gan to be in want which was good |
for him. for it stripped him down to !
h1D real worth. Now came his chance |
to prove himself; for the first time |
he was fairly on the scales. Prior to |
this he had been weighed along with !
his money bags and with his fathers !
influence: now he would learn what he |
was really worth. The revelation was
Wloll worth while.
The hard test of circumstances
proved the young mans market value |
60 be only that Of q swineherd. What !
. fall was there! This young ex-
Quisite, this liberal giver of lavish
foasts. only a swineherd! Still it is
better for a man to know what he
really is worth, however great the
Hardship entailed, than to live COM
4ortably under an illusion. The best
thing the world does for any one of us
q to give us just estimate of our
OWu powers. 1t would be the great
81 fortune that could befall many a
young fellow who goes speeding about
in his automobile to be brought into