The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-04
marked a turning point in the destiny

marked a turning point in the destiny
of France.
This obedience to the .heavenly
vision and voices is the mark OF spir-
itual greatness. 1t is the saving sense
of nations and of individuals. 1t made
Abraham ali that he became. For II
is not the naturally equipped who be-
come greatest in Gods service, but the
fully surrendered and the instantly
g. d nss Tssay s to the 'n DIVINE
speak, Lord. for thy servant heareth'
is the motto for all who would be
chosen by God. With the world to-
day in an uproar of jangling voices.
there is greatest need for those Wno
will listen open-souled to the Spirit.
drift of our wSr-taught times q new
tendency toward stressing the feh-
gion of the inner light: of the direct
word of God TO the Individual.
AS nobody else heard Joan OF ares
voices, SO only himself heard Gods
word to Abraham, calling him to a
ana great reward. s..I will bless thee
=. and thou shalt be q blessing.
Is it not fair Interpretation of history
to say that AhFehsnl. who went OUT
from Mesopotamia, arg later ent ,.S .,
er in the spirit d the Christian allies,
to whom the premise to him has been
fulfiiled third Christ. and who are
bearing a blessing to the broken ana
oppressed and suffering IN the region
which Abraham knew as CanaaE.
New vistas Of meaning open UP IN the
phrase. sIn thee shail all families OF
earth be blessed."S
Those RaEttnas.
With sympathstic hearts the world
reads afresh the story of Abraham
separation from home and old ASSOC
Citations and kindred and friends.
Love, blind, instinctiye, unreasontng
| love, wants its dear ones near. tnae
| first OF all. How often Abraham
his mission to obey voice they could
not understand. Sorrow stayed eenino
| him and went with him after this
parting: which, in its way. was not
/ unlike the milliQHs of fareWeus thas
have been spoken IN ths past year.
hearts and husbands haxs. set out for
strange lands, not knowing WHITTIER.
This was -transformRtion- expert
| ence, even as It is for our soiaier
boys. 1t made new man OF him. as
| well as marked new era for the
| world. Who can measure the conse-
quences of the going-ferth expert
ences of the young men,, who, had
they not heard the voice of country
and God calling them. would have
l DlOQQcQ Oh III liiC olA
way? These .'come-outers" are like
| Abraham, making all things new for
mankind. Every change of the old
order works hardships: but It also
marks the onward movement OF man
kind Abraham gave UP much. but
he got more; there is always a sort OF
divine mathematics about surrender
to God. ~ -
Even so a few years ago IT would
have seemed incredible that the later
| fulfilment of Gods promise to Abra-
ham should engage the attention OF
the British government. That very
wonder has come to pass within re-
cent weeks. In a new, strange, vital
sense the Promised Land of Abraham
has become a Land of Promise. ar
resting the whole worlds attention
Today the British flag flies oyer the
birthplace and the grave OF Abra-
ham. Before the quarters lessons
are ended, may we not hope that
the flag will have completed the same
j route as the patriarch followed, thus
bringing further deliverance to the
Jews, Armenians, Assyrians and other
| Christians in that romantic section of
Turkey? wherever the British flag
flies, there ID to be found succor And
safety for the poorest and the weak
est. Side by side with 1t today. in the
Holy City, flies the American flag
as the two nations cooperate in 9
mission Of mercy that wonderfully
fulfiIs one Of Gods promises to the
man who dared fo1lew him to this
limit. - - - =