The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-07
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
By w. T. ELLIS
BY w. T. ELLIS

the hill called Golgotha. The cruel
fixion gave the world its symbol OF
mans hope and Gods mercy
In its deepest heart mankind cneI-
ishes the vicarious motives. what IL
will not do for 1aw-it will do Tor love.
Paul would not surrender his lawfui
rights-except in his brothers serv-
ice. Sacrifice is at the corner stone
of even pagan religions. Even the
North American Indian has his legend
of an annual offering of the fafrest
maiden of the tribe upon Niagara's
crest as Precipitation of the god OF
waters
The chivalry of manhood and wom-
anhood makes eager response to the
appeal to sacrifice. Herein lies the
secret of success of the temperance
movement. Men will never be dis
suaded from drinking by hearing and
seeing the horrible effects of strong
drink: but for the sake of the weak.
the strong will abstain. The life that
most clearly bears the stamp of the
divine upon its character is most de-
sirous of avoiding an occasion of
STUN bling to a brother.
Self Excusers Versus Doors.
Terse comments on the uniform pray
er meeting topic of the Young Feo-
pies Societies Endeavor.
etc.-For September 8: Are You
q eS-but EXODUS 4.l-1f
1 have just returned to my type
writer from conversation with
| man eminent in the affairs of China;
for 1 am writing in Picking. The ma
| tional capital is iE chaos. Petty poll
| tics and cowardice threaten not only
| the disruption of the nation. but also
the life and property of the city. One
clear way out lies open, if the man
| most concerned will take it. When L
put the plan UP to him he said. Yes
| case the but is sheer personal
| cowardice. His weakness will shame
his children's children, and he himself
is missing the opportunity Of life
| time, but he is a seif-excuser, one OF
the host of people who are more skill
| ed in finding reasons for not doing
things than for doing them.
Moses was offered a great opoor-
| tunity by God. His was the chance
to deliver his people from their
Egyptian bondage. But he shrank
/ from the commission. God, had to
work miracles with him before he
ceased to be a "Yes-but'' type OF
man.
Great doors are never self-excusers.
! They are too busy accomplishing
things to waste time in explaining
why they have never done other
things.
; Butts buttress nothing
This beheld, or dreamed it in a dream
There spread cloud of dust along plain !;
And beneath the cloud, or in 1t, ragged
A furious battle, and men yelled, and
swords
Shocked. upon swords and shields. A
Wavered, then staggered backward, hemmed
by foes.
craven hung along the battles edge.
. And thought, Had sword Of keener
steel
Blunt thing i"--he snapped and flung it
And lowering crept away and left the field.
Then came the kings son, wounded, sore
And weaponless. and saw the broken sword,
| Iiilt-buried in the dry and trodden sand,
And ran and snatched 1t, and with battle
Lifted afresh he hewed his enemy down,
And saved a great cause that heroic day.
Edward Rowland Sill.
IS prince 5sconl .shrdletacmfwypap
An excuse is a towards substitute
for a deed
No habit cuts into character more
insidiously than this one of making
excuses for ones self. 1t IS child
| of self-pity, which is the most malig
nant disease that afflicts the soul of
man. Everybody can give some ex-
cuse for not doing what he has not
! the courage to do. Ability to frame
excuses is no mark of intellectual
ability; the youngest child IS skilled
at it. Every whimpering, whining,
covering weakling that falls into the
hands of justice can present what
seems to himself a sufficient excuse
for his misdeeds. Men excuse them
selves for murder, for adultery, for
theft, for treason; because this habit
, of self-excu1pation vitiates both the
. intellectual and the moral qualities.
Call self-excusing cowardice, and
it's grip will soon be broken. 1t takes
,, bravery to be a doer. AS Carlisle says,
"A deal of talent is lost to the world
!. for want of Il little courage"
There comes time when no ex-
cuses are offered. Then the voice of
of justice takes its place, and the vic
tim knows that his punishment is
right. That is the day when we all
stand before the judgment seat of
' Christ. Wickedness and unwilling
I ness will then be speeches. And If
! we could anticipate the clear light
of the day of final adjudication we
; should perceive that self-excusing 10
r unworthy of us and of our possioil-
I tiles
. The man who is sure that he cam
! not do things is right-but the rea-
. son lies in his character, and not ir
. his powers.
So nigh is grandeur to our dust,
So near is God to man,
When Duty whispers low, "Thou must r.
The Youth replies, u can"
DINNER STORIES