The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-20


all meu and women. -
why the Peaches Failed.
When I returned from France tins
sprinR. the fruit trees in my htue
garden were blossoming beauuiuiys
and nothing that had seen OF All the
wonderful arborcuiture OF lauSs
seemed as beautiful as these few trees
Of my own, which had planted. Tne
peach blossoms were paradisal in their
pink perfection. Day by day
watched the flowers give way to the
green pellets OF incipient Irnl.. an1 10
full size. Then, suddenly, the tree be-
ran to languish, and its leaves to grow
yellow. The unripe peaches began TO
fall to the ground. and those that re-
manned took on prematureiy the color
of ripeness ere they. too, fell to the
ground. It was very distressing to the
home-returuing householder One DAY
a neighbor saw the tree Man, your
peach tree has borers. Rave you
looked to the bark. down at the root
Too late. 1 dug down and found the
worms beneath the soil that had cut
into the bark and ruined my peach :
tree.
OF course should have known bet
ter; just as all of us who are marring
the beauty and fruitfulness and pur-
pose of our life should know that it IL
the secret. hidden worm of sin that u
spelling everything. We are as fool.
kish as the women who resort to cos
metics instead of to exercise and prop
err food to put color into their cheeks
Now that i turn my eyes daily to the
questions of MISREPRESENTATION, I
am reminded to look we'll to the roots.
Eruitage depends upon rootage. What
! is in the heart comes out on the life.
German philosophy of pride and SELF
! ishness cannot help producing Ger
| man conduct. Christian principles
and purposes alone can produce those
virtues which we simply must have IL
this war is not to have been in vain
| The Test for Religion,
With a cIear-headedness that Is not
often enough commented upon. Jesus
had a way Of going straight to the
cause of things. He said by their
| fruits shall we know them" His FREE
quent figures of the tree ttho, strange
| ~, they are not assigned for this les
SOM set forth His logic. He frankly
declared that He did not test His dis
ciples by their words, but by the kind
apostle, following the Masters exam
pie. declared that anybody might dis
4 tinguish between those who bore
| Spirit-fruits, and those who bore flesh
| fruits. Not all the pious talk in the
world can prove US spiritual. unless
we are bearing the definitely tabulated
fruits of the spirit. Paul catalogs the
two kinds of fruits. beyond all mis-
taking. quote from the Moffat trans
/ lation:
i How the deeds of the flesh are
quite obvious, such as sexual vice.
impurity, sensuality, idolatry, magic.
lquarrels, dissension, jealousy. temper.
rivalry. factions. party-spirit, envy
(Which is murder). drinking bouts.
revelry. and the like: tell you before
people who indulge in such practices
will never inherit the realm of God.
But the harvest of the spirit is love.
JOY. peace. good temper, kindliness.
generosity. fidelity, gentleness. self
control-there is no law against those
who practice such things"
Jesus himself. in the platform OF
His Kingdom. laid down the princi-
Piles which are likewise fruits of His
Spirit: the poor in spirit, they that
ger and thirst after righteousness. the
Imercfful, the pure in heart. the peace
Hlakers-these are the ones whom He
designates as blessed.
A Clarion Call to the Churches.
/. II there is any big truth within this
lesson it is that the only kind of
world which will come up to the new
, specifications for human society is one
| which manifests the traits stipulated
by Jesus. In other words, people. to
be worth living with, and to be safe
/, neighbors, must manifest the fruits of
the Spirit of Christ. We cannot any
longer stand, even in modified degree.
the fruits OF the spirit of selfishness
, and German materialism. Persons
who regard themselves as Number
One, and God and the rest of the
world as Number Two, are not only
/ second rate beings: they are impossi-
BILE members OF the commonwealth OF
democracy.
Plainly. II we are to have the fruits
, of the Spirit from people we shall have
to have the root of the Spirit in peo-
!, pie. That makes clear the supreme
, task OF the church. She must be the
, means of divinely vitalizing the roots
! of society. Only a converted world
, can be safe world. The new mind
among men that is to fulfill all our
dreams must be the mind that is in
: Christ Jesus. Only supernatural pow
er can effect the tremendous changes
which simply must come to pass in
the worlds fairer tomorrow.
Il Never since the Lord bequeathed to
her the carrying on of His work has
the church faced such a test and OPP
, portunity and task as now confront
her. She has great obligations in the
way of administrative internal reor-
ganizaticn, but all of these are bu.
incidental to the primary business OF
an unprecedented spiritual drive" to
: Introduce all mankind, at home and
, abroad. TO the Saviour whose Spirit
/ makes all Of life new