Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1905-02-16
WHEN MEN FiNJ LEVEL.

Kipiing's Ship That Found Herself"
came to that knowledge in the storm.
Trouble tests; ii is the acid which
proves whether ones metal be gold or
brass. Before the presence OF "A real
SORROW all artificial distinctions among
men flee away. The king at his sons
bier ia no longer "a king, but only an
anguished father.
The nobleman who figures centrally
In the story which Is today's Sunday
school lesson moved in another world
from Jesus. He was in Society
Jesus was beyond the pale, with the
other poor people. The humble abb
would doubtless not have been a well
come guest at this hig officials resi-
dence. the two was an in
superable social barrier; and ii would
have been an insult to the nobleman
to ask which one of the two was the
greater.
Hut when trouble came. and when he
was face to face with an elemental
grttf-Such "a passion as moved in the
breast OF a father in the stone age
the nobleman was forced to take his
place as a suppliant at the feet of
Jesus. Then the men found their re-
spective levels, and II was the great
one who was looking upward. For all
his hope for the health of his son lay
I'm the compassion of this ond work
Ing Teacher. Men get along pretty
well I'm the serene days without relig-
ion, and they even affect to look down
upon the preacher; but when death
comes knocking at the doc of their
homes they send for the man of God
in IA hurry. As the epigrammatist has
put II, Some men have to be thrown
Nat on their backs before they will
look up to heaven"
Tho Really Great Questions.
The president Of the United States.
who Is famous as a preacher. has re-
Gently pointed out that the real living
issues" are not those which concern
the tariff. the trusts, international
treaties. and like questions of state
craft; but that they are rather those
problems which concern the home, the
family. and the moral character of the
individual. If II mans wife Is lying at
the point of death he cares little
whether a high or low tariff is In eff
feet. The conduct OF a first born SON.
who Is inclined to be wild, the progress
OF an only daughter at school, the cum
ming ways of IA new child or grand
chtld-these are matters of greater mo-
ment to a nan than any of the busi-
ness deals to which he devotes his
days.
What did Herod's chief steward care
about his title or position or honors.
foundiy interesting subject in all the
world to him was the sons health.
Nothing else counted In his sight just
then. And 1t was In this intensely
human attitude that he approached
Jesus for succor. The Master would
not have cared about any question Of
title or property; but he could not re-
sist the appeal of II needy spirit. For
1t Is as such that men have access to
God; not as kings n lords and aris-
tocrats and plutocrats. but simply as
living souls craving help.
The 7riefest Biography.
Peter condensed h biography OF
about doing good Service was His
life mission. He could not resist an
appeal to help people. THIS father
found the softest side of the Master
when he came s~upplicati~x assistance.
We are nearer to loo IN our need than
In our self sunicienc,. The publican's
prayer for help 81 heard while the
pharisee's boast OF self suficiency IL
wasted. The best possible credentials
for approaching God IL q consciousness
Of necessity and helplessness.
So. g1eat was this fathers sense of
urgent need that he same up from the
ctty OF Capernaum, where his home
waa, to the town of Cana, when he
found Jesus was there. The story Of
h first miracle at Cana. when the
water was made wine. was ~undOubted-
~ familiar to him. and he knew that
onlv such supernatural power as was
then displayed could save the little one
who lay at the point OF death. He did
not walt for Jesus to come to Caper-
naum; he FULFILLED the first condition
OF e miracle ~ doing everything in his
own power to bring about the desired
result. Ofncial etiquette might have
required that he send a servant with
. message to the Healer to come down:
but parental owe could not wait upon
he ways of ceremony. Indeed. in his
ema1MeANk rsN AAk v~-..- -A-.e
come down to Capernaum at once. we
see the s~elfishness OF sorrow: ne had
not thought of the possible WEAKNESS
OF Jesus, or anything else than his
own great need, which he believed the
Master could supply. Patients show
small confederation for doctors.
The Worlds orsat Nssd.
The story Ii altogether q lesson in
faith. That is why 1t Is told. With
all his shortcomings the nobleman real
" believed In Christ. He had that
genius for faith which is the deepest
quality OF rare spirits. The cynicism
Of ancient Rome. which likewise curses
else tn enc had been swept away
by the torrent OF his grief. The nobie-
man displayed that which the Son Of
Man say He will seek In the earth
when He returns again-faith.
e must be granted that much OF the
culture Of day runs to q shallow
cynicinm. The average man Of the
werad ial inclined to sco0 At piety. at
honor. - Innocence. at virtue. He does
not belteve In people: he does not be.
iieve e himself, He thinks he d wiser
Says, ana counts himself vastly SUPER.
lor T. the humble folk who still hold to
= Old faahloned God ana to the old
4 1Aohloned virtues. Yet he will admit
eAt ~ Ards little In life to enjoy: