Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1904-01-14
GREAT MANS MESSAGE.
Tho Teaching Of John the sapti.


Tho Teaching Of John the Baptist"
a country that for generations had
been barren of any great hsures was
producing two e. the one time. Up
in Galilee o. Il carpenters bench toiled
one Whose greatness was more than
human. the commissioned redeciNt!' bf
the race. Down in Judea, In the will
derness, was his second cousin John
six months elder, living h hermit life
of q mystic, IL seer, a prophet.
The first was a Nazarene, the second
a Nazarite, one bearing the name from
his home town. Nazareth. and the other
from the ascetic vow which he had
taken. the sign of which was the I'M
shorn head and unshaven face. Jesus
was a man of the town. John a man of
the desert. Jesus prepared himself by
close fellowship with and knowledge of
his fellows, John by separation and
silent communion with nature. The
one was quiet. gentle. cultured: the
other was rough. uncouth in appear
ance and unsparing of speech. Johns
peculiar mission required in him a
rugged vigor, an independence of
thought and life, freedom from con
vential restraints. and n simple. stead
fast and unfettered devotion to the
single aim.
A MAN WITH A MISSION.
The peculiar privilege-and 1t was
an endowment and equipment as well
of knowing himself to be the one
sent into the world for a definite work
was granted to this hairy man In the
rough raiment and leather girdle.
whose diet was that furnished by the
wild locusts and honey. John wus from
the first under the constraint of a great
purpose He was one of those happy
men who knew his life work. To ac-
complish 1t was the consuming pas
sion of his soul.
To be the servant of n great cause,
to be able to fling all ones powers UNI
r~eservedly and fearlessly into some no.
bile endeavor-that is. to draw the
sting from life and to know the sweet
ness of existence which only Gods
soldier servants understand. The man
of all men to be envied. IL we may
envy anybody. is he h has found
his work N is spending himself in It..
VOICES AND ECHOES.
The world is full of echoes, common
report has 1t, but 1t hears few voices.
This John the Baptist was a voice. He
came not like the rabbits, saying that
Rabbi This meant that Rabbi That
said that some other rabbi thought so
and so. His was a clear. fresh and
positive voice. with an original mes
sage
AS 1t always has done and always
will do, the world heard, stopped and
thronged to listen. This new tone was
compelling. II was different from the
smooth one with which the syna-
gogues echoed, and it was perhaps UNI
.couth: but 1t betokened personality.
The snobs sneered. because the preach
er's clothes were not correct; the rich
tried to be patronizing because of his
evident poverty; the enthusiastically
prone held up hands Of horror at his
hofowodnvV 1,,sf ctfl fhn ~n~~lo
and heard. and needed. and went away
new men.
Because he was a strong man Johns
head was not turned by these %thronging
multitudes. He overcame the subtle
temptations Of popularity as he had
overcome the more elemental tempta-
lions in the wilderness. He would pur-
chase no mans favor by silence or
soft words. He did not hesitate to
wreck his chances of becoming court
preached by the denunciation OF royal
sins. There was no demagoguery about
him, and he az freely upbraided the
ommOn people as ne did the pharisees.
AN uNsPARlN0 PROPHET.
To .call names at the devil when ne
Is on the run Is easy, and makes votes.
But to loo unblinkingly into the in
solent eyes Of intrenched evil and call
II by name, with unmistakable blunt
ness. requires courage as real as 1t Is
are There are plenty of men, who.
from the pulpit rail Mt unpopular Of
lenses. but the thou are the man. style
OF preaching is still as rare as 1t was
In the days OF Nathan and John the
Baptist. The latter told his hearers to
their teeth the truth about themselves.
With the comfortable consciousness that
he had no job to lose. and no mans
power over him, he could enjoy the 1ux-
Jury OF speaking h whole truth with
out trying to be polite. He seemed
totally unconcerned as to whether or
not he offended men,: but he was pro-
f0undly DESTROYS of pleasing Him whose
sent man he was.
The stern gospel Of repentance which
he preached offended many. Men never
hear that style of preaching by choice.
They would rather listen to an eloquent
sermon on the dignity or man. on his
liberty to obey his own impulses, on his
irresponstbility for his brother. and
other e0tt and comfortable teachings
that do not cleave too close to their MI
pet sins.
hut such sermons do not make men
over; the~ gospel of repentance does.
The old message Of mans sin and Gods
grace Il what makes the world new.
AN ANCIENT REVIVAL.
The whole countrywide came to hear
this prophet-preacher who needed no
other pulpit than the banks Of the Jor-
81 Gamers hair. Even ySrusa III ~
forth III multltudes to hear him
pyte1te, phArioeea. rabbits. soldiers, tax
oAtheret1 and tho cOmOn rabble. For
them AZ Mike he had the one inIlexlble
ss1neeeAGe sHepent-the KingdOmsls a
hand. S1g0lQus mesGn1e 81
Schei5uedJ nlMdAn4A changed character
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