The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-27
CBY WILLIAM T. ELLIS)


1 Most of the dispatches from the
world war need Interpretation; and
many careful students of present his
tory are finding that the Bible is the
most illuminating of all books. 1t re-
veals the principles which are being
worked out in this greatest of human
upheavalS. The maps in the backs of
our Bibles are the best to study If We
would understand present military OPP
erations in Bible lands. Most signifi-
cant of all, however, is the new light
which the old Bible throws upon the
providences in the progress of events.
Bewilderment and confusion will be
the lot of the laymen who try to mas
ter all the details of the present COM
plicated world situation. One clean
trail through it all is the truth, which
underlies the present Sunday school
lesson, that God deals with nations as
with men; and that in the march of
mankind as a whole His purposes are
being revealed Even as in the an
cient history which we have been
studying for the past quarter, we saw
a nation led and defended and provid-
ed for and chaStened by an Overruling
Providence, so in the present upheav-
al of society we may discern even now
the hand of the King of kings, whose
objective is the kingdom of heaven on
earth.
Lying on the surface of the present,
of the past, we may see the propo-
sitiOn which is presented as the lesson
theme, namely, that Gods mercy was
shown to His diSObedient people. Old
Israel needed first OF all the mercy of
God. On it's merits it was a failure,
and had forfeited it's right to exist. In
its hour of pride it could have cried,
with the poet of Queen VictoriG's Ju-
bilee,
The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
A humble and a contrite heart.
I.OT nf q
Lest We forget-lest we forfeit!
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Lord God of Hosts. be with US yet,
Lest we forget-lest we forget"
''There Was Man.
For three months the Sunday
schools have followed the deliverances
of oft-slumping Israel through the pc
riod of the Judges. They have stud
led the great figures of Deborah and
Ruth and Hannah, who shine with q
new luster in the light of the days in
terest in feminism; the two great
priest-patriots, Eli and Samuel; and
the tall king, Saul, and the nobler son,
been a succession of character studies.
Written plainly upon all these BIZ
Ographies has been the truth that Di-
vine Providence and human person.
somehow does His work through men
and women who dare to be their best
selves. 1.-The rare courage of perfect
self-abandonment" was given by one
observer as the secret of Billy Sun
days pulpit power. He does let him.
self go the limit for God. Given a
man or woman who is brave enough
to shake off the trammels of conven-
tionality, and to permit the noblest
powers to have freest expression, and
the result is sure to affect society pro-
foundry. In our social and national
needs today we require no other help
this side the favor of God, so greatly
as devoted personalities. The cry
which John ]. Holland once voiced
still ascends:
aGod give us men! A time like this de-
mands
strong minds, great hearts, true faith and
ready hands.
Men whom the lust of office does not kill,
Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy
Men who possess opinion and will,
Men who have honor-men who will not lie;
Men who can stand before demagogue
And damn his treacherous batteries with
Tall men. suncrowned, who live above the
In public duty and private thinking"
When the People SIumped.
A drear monotony marked most of
the quarters Sunday school lessons, in
religious lapseS of Israel. Left to
themselves. the people slumped into
heathendom. They needed REVEALS as
truly as do we today. BY nature, they
seemed to turn away from God.
That characteristic is one which, I
fear some teachers will gloss over.
The doctrine of original sin is not pop
ular today. The pendulum has swung
to the other extreme and the popular
teachers are crying. like the serpent
to Eve, Eye shall be as gods" That
man is godlike, that sin is a delusion,
that human nature is divine, and that
it's beheStS are to be obeyed above the
Decalogue is the popular creed.
True, those who dare look all facts
in the face find a suspiciously large
number of the teachers OF this old, old
philosophy, which nowadays mas
querades under various new labels,
themselves prone to violate the fun
damental laws which society has set
up for its own protection. But what
emancipated man or woman who re-
CARDS himself or herself as divine7
The logical outcome of this popular
notion is frequently a reputation of
honor and truth and patriotism and
the service of society.
A study of the generations of Jew
ish life which the Sunday schools have
had recently in review leads us to &C
cept the truth that human nature left
to itself, slumps from Its highest OBJ
legations. The people easily forgot
GOu ; SOOOneSS ana their own nigh
estate. They turned easily and nat
ural1y to sin. They had need to cry
continually
Thy mercy on Thy people, Lord"
Give Us a King.
The folly of following the fashions
was old IsraePs greatest blunder. The
small boy who wants long trousers
and the latest thing in linen collars
and silk neckties, because ''a1l the fell
lows are wearing Them" and the girl
who is sure that to be gowned accord
ing to the mode of the minute is the
one chief concern OF life, are no new