The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-28

In China and in Turkey especially I
have been struck by the good sense
and broadmindedness and insight into
life of village patriarchs who do not
know one letter from another. In our
own land. to a far greater degree, 1
have found plain men and women
who have ripened into richness of
Judgment on a study of the Bible 1t
certainly does steady the mind and the
purposes to know the word of God
Bible students who do not yield to the
temptation to become faddists develop
spacious mindedness and the habit
of thinking patient and long thoughts
concerning men and events.
Such persons are the sheet-anehors
of our storm-tossed day. We have
grave need Of those who have clarified
their convicticns by this old book; and
who hold fast to a perception OF the
may grow panic-stricken; but not
these. Eve1I in the days of the souls
exile they perceive, with jeremiah, of
what sort is Jehovah. There are i
few sentences from the old prophets
letter to his fellow countrymen down
in Babylonia that deserve especial
consideration just now. They are an
old word for the new times. savoring
sweetly of the spirit of Jesus:
For I know the thought that
think toward you, saith Jehovah,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil. to
give you hope in your later end. And
We shall call upon me, and We shall go
and pray unto me, and will hearken
unto you. And we shall seek me, and
find me, when We shall search for me
with all your heart"
Home Again"
Every soldier who was overseas and
came nome again, every wanderer in
the worlds far and hard places, can
understand the thrill of happiness
which filled the hearts of the Jews
when the prophecy of jeremiah was
fulfilled, and they turned again to
Judah. The Psainist has best ex-
pressed the sentiment of the exiles:
"When Jehovah brought back those that
returned to Zion.
We were like unto them that dream,
Then was our mouth filled with Laughter,
And our tongue with singing;
Then said they among the nations,
Jehovah hath done great things for them.
Jehovah hath done great things for US.
Whereof we are glad"
have been over every foot of the
road that the Hebrew exiles travelled,
and it is not easy going; but the jour-
ney's end eclipsed the journeys hard
horrors of the way-part of it being
the same route recently traversed by
the deported Armenians. All roads
are easy that lead home. I remem-
Der how the Scotch soldiers took furlo
all the way from Italy to Scotland,
some carrying with them birds and
other presents for the home folk, tho
the journey by land and sea, was a
bitter one.
IBreathes there man with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said
AS home his footsteps he hath turned,
From wandering on a fofeign strand,
This is my own, my native land.
Kings and kinglets ruled the world
In the time of our lesson; but the
greatest of them were only kinglets in
the presence of the king of kings. So
Cyrus the Great-and he was really
great in character, as well as in DOM
inion-became the servant of Jehovah
in working out the return of the Jews
from exile. when you bow, bow
low" say the Chinese; and a great
man does all things greatly; 50. there
was no stint to the magnaninaity of
Cyrus, as he sent the Jews back. with
their sacred vessels in their possession
(note the absence of all mention of
the Ark of Coyenant), and with goods
and with guards and with full creden-
tials to re- OCCUPY the land of their
fathers.
Statesmen may confer, at Paris,
Washington, London. Genoa, the
Hague or Geneva, concerning the fate
of nations; but all their decisions are
subject to revision by the will of the
King of Kings, who is surely working
his purposes out for a better human
ity in a better world of peace and
brotherhood, wherein His word is the
accepted Jaw.
(Copyright. 1922, by The Ellis service.)