The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-25

Sr1IAs
II myself am heaven and hell"
just the same. such vaporings do
not postpone by q single minute the
inevitableness of the reckoning at the
great Assize. An old story tells of the
dog that was disturbed by the bright
ness Of the moon. So it went out into
the field and barked and bayed at the
moon: but the moon simply kept on
shining. Puny minds cry out in pro-
test against God: but God keeps right
on being God. and Judge of all the
earth. Scornful and impious young
people, who have been "emancipated''
from the old faith, laugh at the idea
OF God and reckoning. Today is
their turn to laugh; tomorrow. as said
the Psalmist, He that sitteth in the
heavens shall laugh"
1t is a real and reasonable incen-
tive to faithfulness and clean living
that we are servants of the living
God, and that a reckoning with Him
is one of the sure and unacceptable
things.
"a Better Man Than HIS Dad.-
Unless my sons become better men
than I am, both they and I must be
written down as failures. He is not
the man his father was" we some
times hear of a youth: and condemna-
ton could not be severer. Sons should
be improvements upon fathers to vim
dictate the divine principle of the in
the kingdom comes.
Not better laws, but better people,
make better state of society. What
ails prohibition enforcement? Simply
the fact that a multitude of the peo-
pie are not up to the level of the law;
and no law ever attains higher plane
of fulfilment than the sentiment of
the men and women to whom it APP
plies. Some silly folk think that if
we adopted the soviet form of govern
ment our ills would vanish. Absurd.
What we need is a higher grade of
individual life. such as the Sunday
school is seeking everywhere to pro-
duce.
Like all the words of Jesus, this
parable compacts exhaustless wisdom.
1t points the way to the Kingdoms
coming; and it points the way also to
individual Improvement Use, enlarge
and multiply your talent, whatever
that be. When we have five-talent
men increased by fidelity and efficien-
cy to ten-talent men We are, obviously,
lifting the common level of society
up to a ten-talent scale. All the best
of human qualities-initiative, cour-
age, application, fidelity-are called
into being and developed by the talent-
increasing person.
How is this land of ours growing?
The story is being repeated every day
on every hand. One ambitious person
succeeds; it may be a working girl
who introduces into her home better
furniture, piano, and a more careful
manner of dress and conduct. The
whole family is lifted up to her level
Her neighbors emulate the familys
example, and pianos are heard up and
down the street. Books and reading
and a finer social code follow The
men must earn more to maintain the
scale of life. Relatives are drawn into
the process. Every one of us has seen
IA
up merely by one persons employing
his or her own talents to the full. AS
yet socialism has found no substitute
for this tested process of democracy.
When the Auto "Knocks.-
One of the wise sayings born of
modern experience is that IAN auto
mobile knocks going up hill; but a
man knocks when going down hill"
The Pathfinder in the Lesson was the
man who was the failure. The one
talent man produced nothing but COM
plants. Just as 1.-The destruction of
the poor is their poverty" so the fail
ure of the unsuccessful is usually their
own weakness. 1t was because he was
only ene-talent man that the servant
did net multiply even what he pos
sessed. Instead, he substituted criti-
cisni of others for achievement by him
self. The poorest stick is good
"knocker."
It was not for lack of two talents
that the failure in the story was con-
demned; but for lack of attempt to do
his duty-for, be it remembered, the
increase of the talents was a duty. as
well as an opportunity In effortless,
self-pitying, bitter-souled sloth. the
one-talent servant showed himself a
simple gutter. Had he made any fair
trial he would have been rewarded.
sit Is good to know that attempted things
Are counted and crowned by the King OF
kings"
So the Master of all good work
men, laid down the principle: For
to everyone who has, more shall be
given, and he shall have abundance;
but from him who has nothing. even
what he has shall be taken away"