The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-28

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"By This Sign Conquer"
The International Sunday School Les
son for November 90 is Christ Cruel
fied."-Mark 15:21-H. Luke 23:SS-4S'
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
When visitors enter the room wnere
the Declaration of Independence was
signed, in Philadelphia, they instinct
lively remove their hats. They are II,
the presence of great and sacred
transaction. The deeps OF reVeren ~
are touched. So when we approach l.is
story of the Crucifixion we pause on! ):
bow our heads in awed meditation. Ihls
is the greatest theme that mortai P.n
ever essayed. Here is the apex U! MS
tory. Calvary is the cross-roaos u
time. At common wooden, oiooo-
stained cross on a hill outside the
wall of old Jerusalem, heaven toucn-
ed earth Even the cherubim and the
archangels must veil their faces as they
contemplate Calvary.
There never was an hour in all the
long course of time when mankind
was reader to hearken TO the story OF
the Cross and its broken-hearted VIC
tim than now, when the spirit Of the
world is crushed in sorrow. Inc
only symbol of hope on the eartn
horizon is the cross emblem.
In a sense not meant by Constah-
tine,-the first Christian Roman en-
peror, whose name is borne by the
great city On the Bosphorus which is
one of the days war centres-the cross
bears the message Of hope. by TINS
sign conquer" Only the cross and It's
message can deliver the world in this
hour of woe. The world has come to a
new Golgotha; may 1t not miss the
meaning of the cross that conquers
stubborn human pride and redeems all
Of life.
When Book and Cross Clash.
The world war is a conflict between
the empire Of force and the empire OF
sacrifice and suffering. Once again the
battle is on between the Roman idea
of imperialism and the Jerusalem mes
sage Of atOnement: and who can doubt
the issue.
For it was philosophy which caused
this present war, the latest and most
We could name the philosophers re-
sponsible. if that were wise. This So
phistry made it's appeal to mans nat
ural pride. his desire to be hard
headed" and worldly WISE and up
to-date" and scientific So the rule
of might and pride and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
and selfishness cast it's alluring spell
over the minus OF InllllOuS. II Is SdSl-
est for human nature to accept the
philosophy Of self-interest. Left to
himself. man has always gravitated
that way. Therefore this prideful mod
ern philosophy has plunged the world
into q wicked, wOeful, wasteful war be-
yond words.
Over against the might of super
armed selfishness. with its specialized
philosophers exultant in the back
ground MT the eternal -
Dol of selfishness, sacrifice and suffer-
ing. The cross will conquer, even as
the seer perceived that there was a
"slain Lamb in the midst of the
throne" of heaven. Selfish philosophy
lifted up to the worlds gaze. as Of re-
cent days. has filled men with horror
and repugnance; but from the cross
echoes the message, 81, If I be lifted
up, will draw all men unto Me-" The
Christ idea of love at uttermost cost,
the Calvary conception of man recon-
ciled to man and to God. will win
over the forward bearing and pride of
life. AS it was to the Creeks the cross
ideal seems foolishness to many to-
day: but it will emerge from this uni
versal strife triumphant. It is the
broken heart Of Christ that breaks
hearts of pride. In deepest suffer-
ing. men best understand the Man of
Sorrows Frederick Lawrence Knowles
has a fragment called "Golgotha:"
"Our crosses are hewn from different
trees,
But we all must have our Calvaries;
We may climb the height from a diff
ferent side,
But we each go up to be crucified;
AS We scale the steep, another may
share
The dreadful load that our shoulders
bear.
But the costliest sorrow is all our
own
For on the summit we bleed alone. >.
When the Auto Was Wrecked.
Argument we can withstand, but
love overwhelms us. That is a truth
in which the cross is planted. 1t is not
when seated at the head of all the
worlds teachers that Jesus wins the
allegiance Of mankind, but when
raised on the cross Of ultimate sacri-
flee and devotion. We cannot forget
that the most philosophical of organ
lied expressions Of Christianity have
been most barren Of results: whereas
the stumbling. laundering proclama-
ton of the cross has meant new life
The history of that day by the hill out
side the Jerusalem wall is ever being
repeated: the Crucified One overcomes
Roman pride, Jewish ecclesiastical
arrogance and Greek sophistication
We can say with Watts:
when l survey the wOndrOus cross
On which the Prince of glory died
My richest gain 1 count but loss
And pour contempt on all my
PRIDE
/ have a friend, a noble Christian
business man. whose religion always
takes precedence of everything else
who met with serious accident thi.
past summer. He was riding in ar
automobile with a business FRIEND
whom he had long tried to win fol
Christ. Apparently. he could max,
no impression on the thick shell o.
his indifference. Then, on this occa
sion, the automobile was wrecked, m,
friend suffering terrible INJURIES tina