The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-20

An Othcr-W0rld Visitor.
OF a sudden. the world has been
stirred over spiritualism, and the
newspapers are giving as much atten-
ton to speculation and evidence con-
corning IN existence beyond the grave
as if the theme were as brand new as
the recent wireless disturba nees which
certain scientists straightway attribute
to MESA ses from Mars. (Some day
"a digger among the newspaper files
will produce, by instances such an
superficiality and eocksureness of
science" as will make us all turn
again to faith in plain common
sense)
Sir Oliver Lodge is given a credence
which is practically denied to Paul
and Luke and the other New Tesla
ment chroniclers. Conan Doyle has
been accorded a popular brevet rank
as an authority upon the supernatural
which gives him more temporal au-
thority than John the Apostle. to
whom the heavens were opened at
Patmos. There are many otherwise
sensible persons who would rather
listen to the trivialitfes Of these recent
proselytes to spiritualism, concerning
ouiia boards, slate writings. tambou-
rine-bangings. table-liftings. and me-
diums' inane messages than to read
the sublime affirmations of Holy Writ
concerning the glorious truth of i'm
mortality.
Spiritualists or the Scripture?
The clear teaching of the Bible is
that personality persists beyond the
grave. The inspired pages present a
noble picture of glorious realm
wherein the redeemed are praising
and serving the Lamb who saved
them. Our dead are with the Lord:
they are not Juggling at curtains In
the dark. trying to talk such banali-
ties as Il am with your and 81 am
happy" They know fully for they
are in the presence of Perfect Life,
Perfect Light and Perfect Love. The
teaching of Christianity concerning the
future states is inspiring and comfort
ing. and in marked contrast with the
pettiness and fragmentariness and
real bewilderment of modern spiritisrl.
If the present agitation will only turn
peoples minds to a study of the
Scriptures it will not have been in vain
= Every reader of the Bible knows
that God has at times sent his angels
and ministering spirits to do his work
in the world. That fact is no new
discovery of Sir Oliver Lodge 1t
seems implied that there is service and
growth for the redeemed in a universe
which is Taster than any of our
imaginings. This present Sunday
school lesson hinges upon an errand
fulfilled by celestial messenger, who.
defying natural laws. appeared to
Peter in prison, and carried him he
yond bolts and bars and walls and
warders. and set him free.
When King and Christian C1ashcd.
Three characters, besides the angel,
figure principally in this lesson
Peter. King Herod and the maid Rho
da- Herod was trucking, trimming
tlme-serving politician. Like the
school board which recently dropped
fthe study of Shakespeare's Merchant
of Venice" because the Jews were
disp1eased withathe character of Shy
lock, so Herod thought to catch the
Jewish vote by prosecuting the Chris
tians. James he beheaded, and Peter
he clapped into prison. His end-if
we may anticipate the order of the
text a trifle-was characteristic of him.
Sycophantic crowds were crying in
applause of his speech TT is the voice
| of a god, and not of a mani" "In-
stantly an angel of the Lord struck
him, because he had not given the
glory to God. and. being eaten I'D bv
worms. he died"
Both Herod and Peter were struck
| by an angel; for Peter, the blow
meant liberation. light, life; for Herod
1t meant death. Gods messengers are
always the friends of Gods enemies
Thus it is that immortality is a glori-
Gus expectation for the Christian; and
thing Of fear and horror to the SEN
sual, selfish. sinful person.
Herod had power to imprison
Peters body; the real Peter he could
stone floor of his cell that night more
sweetly than Herod on his purple
couch. Peace is not of the pillow,
but of the pillowed.
Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars cage"
This would he on $500
sion to recall the great souls who tri-
umphed over bondag e-Daniel, Peter,
PAUL. John the Beloved, John Bunyan,
Samuel Rutherford at Aberdeen
what fragrance of faith has filled
| the centuries from their prisons.
Whenever we sing 1.-The sands of time
are sinking" with it's refrain an I'm
manueps Land" we should recall that
, it is only an echo from Rutherford's
seagirt prison.
Most of US are shut in by some sort
of imprisonment or other; some of us
settle down to the deadened life of
convicts; whereas God means US to
be free. in spirit, If not in body. Only
morbid soul can delight in bars.
Resigna ton is not the first of the
Christian virtues; it belongs far down
on the scale of faith. below courage
and initiative and diligence. You may
he sure that Peter was the sort who
did not stop to argue with the angel
about the spiritual benefits of i'm
prisonment: he was ready to go free
at the first touch of the angels hand.
The obedience and cooperation of
Peter with the angel was fairly mill
tary.
\ Man as an Angel.
At the time of the famous so-called
Conspiracy case" when one hundred
and twenty-five Korean Christians
were in prison, a Korean missionary
was at dinner in the home of an
American newspaper man. She re-
/ counted the whole story wildly, and
then said, with some degree of CON
Germ. And, do you know. those SIM
ple-minded believers really expect
that God will send an angel to open
their prison doors, just as he did for
Peter"
That evening, upon retiring, the
newspaper man said to his wife, I'D
like to be that angel" Thereupon
! he began an elaborate and far-reach-
/ ing DroDa era nda which really freed