The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-02

ham ana MOSES IeQulIC0 q oSAA
moral life; and every generation thar
has ever lived has found it a strain
to adhere to a high code OF morality.
Especially great was the temptation
to abandon this in the case OF the
Children Of Israel, because on every
hand were the seductive lures OF
fashionable idolatrous immortality.
War News From an Old Book.
The old proverb, Like priest. like
people," has many illustrations In this
book of the Judges. When they had
strong leadership the Jews did we'll;
but there seemed to be little staying
power in the mass of the people them
selves.
This is called the Book Of the
Judges, but that word Judges does
not mean administrators OF the law.
The judges were the deliverers, the
defenders, the champions, the rulers.
the heroes. There was little of the
judicial quality; for instance. in Sam
son, yet he was one of the judges.
These rugged pioneers were history
making men.
The time they covered between the
death OF Joshua and the crowning of
Saul is still a question Of discussion
among scholars, for it is not easy to
tell how many OF the events described
were simultaneous and how many
were successive. The period Of time
is given as from one hundred and
fifty to three hundred years by vari-
Gus authorities.
This old Book, concerning whose
writer or compiler we know nothing.
links up wildly to the present day,
because of the war in the ear east
Familiarity with the Book Of the
Judges gives q better understanding
Of the present conflict along the east
ern coast of the Mediterranean than
the cablegrams in the daily neewspa-
pers. Here we find Jerusalem and
Hebron and GAIA emerging in history.
The new battles that impend are COM
prehensible in the light of these old
conflicts. The student of the Bible in
these days has a great advantage over
his IMMERSED neighbor when the talk
turns to the most romantic phase of
the present war.
Wanted-a Man..
Because it is so crowded with tales
Of personality, the Book Of Judges is
one of the worlds storehouses Of ro-
nance. Here are dramatic episodes
heaped up with lavish hand-stories.
alas. they are mostly unfamiliar to the
average company. Every one Of them
breaches the old, old homily of every
days need of a strong man. They
hold aloft the banner, 'Wanted-a
Man"
In the coming years lessons from
the formative history Of the ancient
people who are newly attracting the
worlds attention, followers Of the In
ternational Series should find great
messages for present-day living, both
as individuals and as a nation.
The Lineup of Life.
Terse Comments on the Uniform
Prayer Meeting Topic of the Young
Peoples Christian Endeav-
or, etc-for January 3.-Who Is on
the Lords Side?-Matt. 0:32-39.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
Decide. and then be decided. The
persons who are forever unsettling and
resettling points that ought to be set
tied once, for all are neither comfortable
themselves nor a comfort to anybody
else. We may call them the wobblers.
They cannot be counted upon for long
by either side. The Bible has piercing
words for the double-minded man.
who lis unstable in all his ways" The
cause Of Christ demands disciples who
will be out and out for Him. The wit
nesses who truly confess Him before
men are those who stand on His side
seven days a week and three hundred
| and sixty-five days in year-includ-
ing election day.
| Some vows are for keeps. When a
| IL uS lIldu IlLII1eS MS vows are 1OI
better Or for WORSE" he does not have
one eye on the divorce court. So when
sincere spirit accepts Christ as Sa-
viour and Lord, he has entered upon
life contract. Thenceforth, in every
| stress of circumstance. and in all vary
ing conditions. he is Christ's man; and
would as soon think Of being false to
his wife or his own father as to his
Lord. In the great lineup of life Christ
can count only on those who are on
His side in all kinds of weather.
At a street corner where there was
a street car switch two men waited fol-
a car, not knowing which direction the
oncomfng one was bound. Notice
which way the motorman is looking
said one; the car will go in the direc,
ton the man looks" So it was. And
so it is in a larger realm. The life fol-
lows the eyes, Desire determines des-
tiny. Character is a consequence of in.
clination. The life that is ever look
Ing unto Jesus is going on toward
would stand on the Lords side need the
mind Of Christ.
They who are in-and-in with Christ
are always out-and-out for Him.
II asked the New Year for some motto
/ sweet,
asked and paused: he answered soft
i Gods will to know
"'Will knowledge then suffice. New
Year, I cried:
; The answer came, Nay. but remember
too
/ Gods will to do
Once more asked, rs there no more tt
Il tell?'
Yes; this one thing all other things above
Gods will to love-"
q A recent incident in the universit.
club of a large western city has hat
rather wide consequences. 1t was tn
annual club night, and rather
convivial occasion. Various men wer'
being called upon to respond to toasts
and the tOasts were being pledged IL
champagne. 1t came the turn of I
foi l.. ait - oC