The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-07

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The Lineup Of Lie.
ss 1ptsFnatsonal Fsp1us Sunday Scacoi Lsssoa :oa
BY WILLIAM T. ELI4Is.)
After all ana after All.
Since ever the world began,
Just two have lived. and tive have died.
In lowly mien, in lordly pride.
1he rogue and the honest man.
After all and after all,
The classes are but two;
And both still know as they knew before.
The things that they ought to do.
After all and after an.
Escape 1t we never can:
Only the choice OF one have we.
And you must be and must be
a rogue or m honest man.
John Randolph Stidman.
The incisive mind OF the new Teacher
from Galilee, who was great in His sim
plic1ty, thus lined up society. The only
line he ever drew was vertical. between
the good and the bad. the sheep and
the goats. No horizontal lines for him.
separating men into upper classes. mid
die classes and lower classes. He set
humanity into two caps. the wicked
and the godly.
And the test of where one belongs is
his attitude toward Jesus Himself. He
that IL not for Me IL against Me-" No
body can dodge that classification: 1t
10 easier to escape the income tax col
lector than this inevitable grouping.
Everybody must count S.ther for or
against Christ; which means, also.
either for or against the things Tor
which Christ stands. Every life has
Ap1Pt Afpoptfnrn n t0ndanCY. let II De
toward Christliness.
The snarl OF the Critics.
The particular day about which we
are studying had been a busy one Tor
Jesus and His helpers. They had no
time 30 much as to eat. Friends ana
kindred tried to hinder Jesus from
spending Himself SO lavishly for the
many needs Of this insatiable mob. But
that compassionate spirit had mercy
upon everybody except Himself.
The one dramatic event Of the day
was the casting out Of a demon from
q dumb man. so that his speech was
restored. The lips long sealed were
opened. We wonder what the first
words of the emancipated spirit were?
Gratitude to the Healer? The name OF
a loved one? Incoherent enthusiasm!
The enthusiasm of the liberated man
was not shared by some members OF
the crowd and onlookers. They were
the critics and the backbiters. who al
ways see the worst in the better, the
evil in the good. They belonged to that
large group who always look for the
lowest motives in the deeds Of public
men. ANY reason but the true and the
noble will serve them. So these wise
acres winked knowingly and leered.
"Ah, He casts out demons by Beelze-
bub the prince Of demons" This was
devil work. they claimed, and one more
proof that Jesus had demon.
t1~n nxv3v
Nowadays it is dreadfully unfash-
ionable to believe in the devil. Yet the
Bible, which is strangely Indifferent to
passing fancies, insists that there IL a
devil-an evil personality or power out
side of man which besets him and drags
him down.
Some folks who live in a clois-
tered world Of books, deny this. Not
so those who are at close grips with
life. The latter must choose between
q diabolical human nature or else an
evil spirit of power which is mans
worst enemy. To all who know life,
God IL real and the devil is real. And
the issue Of all time is between these
two.
The old negro's definition of cleo
ton IL not far astray. without the
dialect the story goes that the negro
being held to choose who will be king
of your soul. Both God and Satan
are candidates. You are the only
voter. And whichever way you vote.
that is the way the election goes"
Reduced to its simplicities. life is a
choice between God and Satan.
C0nf0unding the Critics.
The story was Jesus favorite way
of meeting criticism. To the charge
that He was an ally OF Beelzebub. He
answered in terse, graphic words, "Ev-
cry kingdom divided against itself Is
brought to desolatiOn: and q house
divided against a house fa1leth." AS
heard q preacher In q rescue mis-
sion-down. whore. they believe abun-
dainty in satan-say the other day.
.'The devfl is united; hut the church
1s divided"
The only man who can cast out
devils IL a stronger man than the
devil. Nobody can break into Satan's
house and destroy his work except
Christ. The proof that He does so is
SUFFICIENT evidence that He is the
deadly foe OF Beelzebub. Casting out
demons was not the kind of work
calculated to make the Prince of
Darkness happy.
.'For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe:
And armed with cruel hate.
On earth Is not his equal.
Our riving would be losing:
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man Of Gods own choosing.
Oost ask who that may be?
Jesus Christ. It Is He;
Lord 8abaoth II His name
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle
Whatever overcomes the evil of life
10 of God. The friends of God should
stand together by all that stands for
good. There has been a colossal fail
ure here on the part Of the church:
her support has not always been an
assured asset Of righteousness. Con-
slider. for instance, the publishers of
newspapers who have fought and suf-
fered for common righteousness: but