Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1905-01-19
tECAME MILLIONS

The men who gather statistics tell
us that 1905 finds something like l,430.-
900, 900 persons inhabiting the world.
OF this number the largest group, re-
ligiously. call themselves Christians.
They aggregate 477,0S0,15S.
What "A romance is wrapped up in
that simple statement of the present
day size of the Christian church. one
mind of all the jewellers upon earth
bear the name of the Iowly NaZarene.
whom here we see, in the present UNI
u school lesson. calling to himself
HIS first humble followers. the Begin
ming of the church which has foy cen
turtles been the most potent force in
human life.
1t seems . far cry from that time
TO the present, from the day of small
things to the day of world triumphs.
Consider the billions of persons who in
the past twenty centuries have fol-
lowed in the train of Andrew and John
and Peter and James and Philip and
Nathaniel. Even ut the end Of the
first century. when John the aged
wrote this record, with "a %vividness
which reveals the depth of the impress
sion made upon his young mind by
the call of Jesus-he ever remembered
the very hour of the day-the number
of disciples had increased to about half
IL mllllon.
Wonderful past word has been the
winsomeness of this Jesus, calling the
choicest spirits of earth tn His fellow
ship. And His power 20 make disciples
has increased with the centuries, so
that today countless eager feet ar.
more ready To follow Him than were
those six Galilean fishermen. whose
great faith has given them first place
in the roll of the saints. What men
will not do for gold or glory in the
way of service. suffering and sacrifice.
they gladly undertake for the love of
the One whose presence commanded
the discipleship of these half dozen
young fishermen of old. For Christi
anfty today. ms twenty centuries ago.
is at heart simply the loyal following
of Il Person.
A Surrender That is Success.
The hairy prophet of the Wilderness.
John the Baptist. still figures in the
lesson. He stood by the bank OF the
Jordan. two of his followers. Andrew
and John, by his side. and when he
saw Jesus approach he cried. Behold,
the Lamb of God" That was the bust
ness of this great f~orerunner: to point
men to the Coming One. For this he
lived; it was the one thing for which
his life stood.
-vesy life points somewhere. 1t has
a trend which Is its real message to
men. A life's general direction is more
influential than its individual deeds.
Some persons whom you meet quicken
your baser self: they point downward.
Others there are. like the late Maltbie
ID. Babcock. whose memoir has lately
come rom the press. who evoke all
that is nob n worthy in every ma
turc they touch. This unconscious in
1luence is ALWAYS at work. One cannot
pass on the street a ~serene-faced. spjrit-
illumed Quaker without experiencing
an impulse toward a better life. Ev-
erybody Is II tingerboard: happy are
they n like John. point to the Lamb
or God. which taketh away the sins OF
the world.
John paid Il high price for his mes
sage. Let none think this noblest SER
vice was without cost. BY directing
his followers to Jesus he lost their dis
ciplcship himself. 1t was a
great surrender. but John was
a great spirit. He had the
sublime courage to say--and this
is the supreme test of devotion to a
cause-"He must Increase. 1 must de-
crease" To give up ones rights, to
relinquish first place. and take second
IS real heroism; n possible only to
those who have been touched by the
spirit OF Jesus.
1t is here that most of us balk What
hinders the MO of some nations to-
day. except the prideful unwillingness
OF the lesser to MERE themselves into
the greater? Yet. by a divine law. life
so lost is found: John the Baptist has
his true greatness by virtue of his self
a~bnegatory to Jesus.
A Friends Best Gift to Friend.
Did John realize that when he point
ed his young friends to Jesus he intro
duced them to immortal fame and in
fluence. to a place of honor and power,
ana to the realization Of their highest
capabilities? Doubtless he knew some
thing of the pang of the parent who
gives up a son from the old home in
that he may go Off to college,
services. But he did the very best for
them: he gave them of his best and
he set them in the way OF developing
their best.
More than passing strange is 1t thai
friends n o v for each other IL real
VIII yet withhold the sharing OF their
Dest-thetrs spiritual ideals. theirs hopes
and their ambitions. He is the best
friend who. by giving of his best self.
cvokes his friends best. Why should
1t not be natural and reasonable for
one friend to do by another as the
Baptist did for John and Andrew. and
as the latter did for their brothers,
commend them to the Saviour IN whom
all ties of love are strengthened and
purified and exalted?
Ways Of Winning.
Thus the band Of disciples which
has continued in ever-growing num-
bers unto this day had its beginning.
John and Andrew. were won to Jesus
by the Baptist's testimony. On their
teacher'e word they accepted the new
conner AZ the Messiah. and later. by
personal experience. were led to know
Him to be all that the ~forerunner had
proclaimed. Sharing his temporary
abode for a day. their hearts were so
flled with enthusiasm for the new
Teacher that they set forth to tell those
dearest to them Of their wonderful dis
cOvery.
Thus the first converts OF Christian
ity were made by Individual work.
John leading his two disciples to
Christ. and they In turn bringing their
NEWS AND NOTES.