The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-19
Was the Text From Which Rev.
MyrOn Reed
Addressed a Large COngrega-
tiOn Yesterday.
PETER WASNO COWARD
He Says, But Was One Of the
Mass
Commonly DenOminated and
Others.

Denver. April 19.-Rev. Myron Reed
preached to a large cOngrega ton yes
terday moning at Broadway temple
And Others was his subject. This
common place phrase ordinarily en-
ployed to designate people who are
not of enough Importance to be more
particularly mentioned, furnished the
basis of an eloquent sermon on behalf
OF the struggling poor
Text, Luke XIII, 27 and 48; And
there followed Him a great company of
people and women which also beWailed
and lamented Him.
And all the people that came tOgeth-
er at that sight, beholding the things
that were done, smote their breasts and
returned"
When the church and state conspire
together to put a good man to death it
Will not be an easy thing to make
roll of his friends. Average human ma
ture does not like to be associated with
q lost cause and a dead captain have
much sympathy with Simon Peter
when he said: I know not the man."
He had seen Jesus doing nightly work,
raising the dead, sitting the sea. cast
ing out devils. This was the man he
had followed. He confidently expected
to see Jesus cast out the Romans and
bring back the old glory to Jerusalem.
When Jesus told him to put up his
sword, when He submitted himself to
be captured and to be led away to a
farce of a trial and a death on the
cross, that was enough for Peter. The
cause had collapsed. What good for
Peter to say, L know the man, I am
his disciple" A brave man is willing
to die for some one or something, pro-
vided there is a certainty that his death
Will help some one or something. A
brave man Will even volunteer on the
chance that he may help a friend or
cause; risk the venture of a forlorn
hope. But Peter said to himself: What
is the use" Give him a chance, a
fighting chance, and I have no doubt
Peter would have done all man could
And then consider that it was right.
That Of itself takes half the courage
out of man.
Peter was worn. tired. dazed with the
situation do not understand why he
should be deemed a coward. If he was
a coward, what were the others? He
was one OF two who had Kept near
enough to his Master to be questioned.
He followed to the porch Where were
the rest? 1 can see grounds of excuse
and pardon for the fault of the bewild-
cred disciple. I would even justify him
but for one thing. He did not justify
himself. He went out and wept bit
terly-"
Will weep until we come into a new
country of no tears; neither shall
there be any more pain But they
never weep bitterly over what could
not be helped
But if Peter came a little short. for
one memorable moment, of being the
ideal hero, what shall we say of Nico-
demus. a disciple who came to Jesus
by night, and of Jospeh of Arimatheaa
disciple in secret? Both these men were
men of wealth and influence. 1t is writ
ten of them that he did not, on the
trial of Jesus, consent to the verdict of
death.
Neither are these towards. There are
times when not to consent to q thing
requires courage. In the circumstances, .
to go as Joseph of Arimathea did, and
peg the body of Jesus, and take it
fenderly and wrap it in linen and lay it
TO rest in his own tomb, in his own
garden, requires a courage of q high
kind
What shall we say of the people who
bewailed Him when he was dying, and
who smOte on their breasts when He
was dead2 Understand, here was n
man killed by the church for "blasphe-
my and by the state for treason No
matter how you feel, every dictate of
pohcy Will say to you, Keep your
mouth shut" Keep your hands STILL
Keep your thoughts to yourself But
1t appears in an incidental way that
Jesus had many friends more or less
quiet And it remains to be supposed
that he had many more entirely quiet
Because only one of ten lepers healed
returned to give Him thanks, do not
hastily Judge that the nine ever for
got Him. Sometimes a benefit is so
great that one hesitateS to acknowl-
edge it. Because he cannot do it ap-
propriately, in full measure, he de-
clines to do it at all.
Charles Reade tells us the expert
ence of a man in Glasgow. His bust
ness was shoe making. His recreation
was saving drowning people. For pur-
ed and worked with a window looking
out on a dangerous dock First and
last he saved 10 people from death by
drowning He had an original fashion
introduced by himself, of Selling per
son helpless in the water 1t was by
gong to the bottom of the Clyde with
hlTn and then walking ashore with the
burden. oh, the sweetness of it, he
said. But he said: Seldom anyone
ever restored to breath and life and in
the sight of the sun ever thanked him.
Just got up and walked away" After
ward, when he was about to meet them
on the pavement they would cross the
street to avoid him. This might be ex-
plalned IN a mean way. The debt was
50 great-the debt of life-that thanks /
We're imbecile and money was an insult.
NothIng would do but life for a life " /
ana Tor that there was no present op- /
portunity- For that reason the saved /
We're silent a the time and lodged him
aIterWard The obligation was felt but /
II was too great. It is possible to do |
ZOO much for mean man.
Then there are many reasons vbv
one can nave no complete census of his |
friends Many are shy. think a great /
oeal ana say little When you do not |
need them they do not announce them /
selves They wait for an emergency
w men the multitude are singing ho- /
sauna and filling the Jericho road with !
pam branches, Joseph of Arfmathea is /
silent and quiet. When the hosannas /
nave faded out of the air and the palm /
branches are withered, and the multi 1
tude have gone away, then Joseph |
comes boldly to Plate and begs the |
body of Jesus
And other people" It is a phrase.
but see il ofen. It signifies a name /
less mass that are beginning to speak /
and are to become the power in the
earth. You have noticed that in the
report of meetings, social and political, |
names are mentioned of social and DO
ltical significance, and the prase comes
and Others or land many others"
renenhar that Daniel Dnf1ccI1e.r.trr