The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-26

ence above Gods glory.
For in the practice itself there is
abundant warrant in heathendom- The
most interesting fair in the city CT
Picking is in a temple Japan's great
temple at Osska has a veritable mart
CT secondhand wares in its courtyard.
have bought trinkets in the yard Of
the Mosque of st. Sophia, Constanti-
nople. Even in the courtyard of the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeru-
salem the peddlers ply their trade. But
Jehovah's house should be a house of
prayer. the Scripture says.
| If this episode in the early life of
Jesus. at His first passover. is a lesson
| in righteous indign alton and courage,
| it is also lesson in fundamental rev.
erence. Gods house is holy. He can
not be worshipped by those who 10
not bow down n spirit before Hir
as the One altogether and alone
worthy of alteration. Wise parents
and teachers who study this lessen
will have considerable to say about
behavior in church and Sunday
school. 1rreverence is a basic defect
in the character of the youth of to-
day: what Christ thinks about it IS
written large in the story of the tenn
pie cleansing.
How to Clean Up the Church.
With respect to the church of His
time Jesus was a member, but a re-
| former. He stood fast for the insti-
| tuition and fearleSSly against all who
corrupted and misused it. In His eyes
| the abuse of the Church was more
| irreverent than the exposure of it's
evils He would not counsel the COW
ering of immortality and crime on the
part of members or minister, for the
| sake of the work" Purity was dear
er to Him than pride; character more
| precious than reputation.
Now what of the Church today?
| The subject is too vast for a para
graph or two We must confess to a
| SarinI11 Of r1rnfaSSiOn liGpl
perfunctoriness; to formal1ty that
sometimes conceals and sometimes
| deadens vital spirituality; to the
blight of ecclesiastical politics, which
prevents the real life and spirit of
the Church from finding expression;
to a shrinking from many of the days
vital issues which are within the
Church's proper sphere; and to a will
full ignoing of weaknesses, defects and
defeats. 1t is rarely that a Church
gathering frankly and fearlessly faces
its tasks and it's own adequacy there
to; for it is much easier and more
comfortable to listen to glowing adj
dresses which interpret facts in a
fashion that ministers to self-com-
placency.
AS in the days of Jesus. so now, the
strength of the Church lies in the
great mass of obscure, loyal God
seeking people. There is nothing else
about a Billy Sunday campaign quite
so remarkable as its uncovering of
the hosts of heart-hungry Christians,
eager to hear Gods word and willing
to do Gods work, whatever the Sacri-
flee entailed. This is the four hun
dredth anniversary of the Reforma-
ton, and it should fill Christian minds
with thoughts of present-day refor-
4 nation. Just as in the old churches
4 of Europe masterpieces of painting or
\ fresco have been discovered beneath
4 the overlap of whitewash and CRIME,
so beneath all present excrescenses of
the Church may be found all the
beauty and preciousness of holiness
and reverence and loyalty.
The Cleanser and the Cross.
Because He embodied the best
moral sense of the nation, and be-
cause he had courage. Jesus dared
to drive out the temple merchants,
with no other warrant than that He
was right. Truth needs no creden-
tials outside of itself. Corruption is
always cowardly. 1 once knew a
crooked publisher and bogus reform
er who left home when Billy Sunday
arrived, on the plea of illness, from
which he recovered as soon as the
evangelist had left town! Nobody
needs a special commission or official
equipment to become the champion
of righteousness. Every true man is
; bound to stand against evil.
) Contemplating this drastic scene in
, the courtyard of the Jerusalem Tenn
ple-tables overturned, merchants
crowds thronging to see the excite
ment-we have thoughts of Christ as
, the cleanser of life. He has come to
cast out evil from society and from
: the individual heart Once let Christ
take possession of the hearts of the
ajority of mankind and there would
no longer be the intrusion of avarice
[ into holy places; no longer traffick-
8 ing in sacred things; no longer a
! temperance question; no longer a
e drug evil; no longer a white slave
: traffic; no longer an exploitation of
f the poor; no longer a corruption of
politics and debauchery Of justice;
, no longer unlovingness and suspicion
l and fear and hate. Only He can eff
feet this great salvation. The world
E will not be delivered by treaties or
peace pacts; the righteousness which
: is the law of Christ's Kingdom alone
l can save U.S. Life becomes clean only
when it is cleansed by the power OF
God.
Challenged by the beholders. Jesus
: gave utterance to a significant and
I pie, and in three days l will raise ii
up" He meant, as John says, the
temple of His body. Thus, at the
e beginning of His ministry. we find
e thought. All of the saviour's plans
. looked forward to the contamination
= on Calvary. He knew Himself. as the
n Baptist had acclaimed Him, THE
Lamp OF GOQ ana destined 10 De
: slain. The sovereignty of sacrifice
9 was already manifesting itself in
Him. Even in this hour of spectacu-
lar triumph, He was entering into
| His Passion. He knew that His ulti-
= mate victory lay by way of the
: Cross.
@ Youth Come to Its Own.
a Terse Comments on the Uniform
: Prayer Meeting Topic of the
= tian Endeavor, etc.-for January
s 2S: Fruits of the Christian En-
|. deavor Tree."-Rev. 22:15.
e This meeting marks the thirty
/, sixth anniversary of the formation OF
i the Christian Endeavor Society. The