The Topeka state journal., 1906-06-02

little band that day beneath tae sLao-
ow OF Mount Hermon- Truth had oeeh
taught to them for when the NOliO
was not ready.
Getting Ready for the Grave.
The man who sits down to write his
last v-itI or to write the letter to dear
ones which shall be read only aAteI ne
mas gone from earth, is engaged IN
concerned to talk of an inevitaple
death: vet this was the delicate TASK
Of Iesus How warm and renGer MS
heart must have been to TINS uttlS
band of friends as he told ne must 20
into Jerusalem and suffer many thfnSs
Of the elders and priests and scrlbes'
and the third day be raised up. -
was necessary that these friends should
know what was to come to pass that
when it came TO nass. they shoulo re-
member his words concerning Il
Put they did not understand; bess
friends seldom understand our deepest
moods. r-ve a Peter, whose great con-
fession had lust won such high pra.s-s
from Jesus, had not grasped tne i'ili
n aanirg OF the Messlahsnlp- ne anu
his companions were thinking upon
DIie pia1.e ard Jesus upon another-
Forgetting tho danger of intrudlag
into anuther's sacred personality, anu
irving to hinder one from following
his oyvo life summons. Peter impetu-
ously tried to lCbuke his master, say
ing. s'Re it far from thee. Lord; this
shall never II unto thee 1t Is nara
10 accent for oar friends another lie
plan laan the conventional one Whseh
we have il our own minds. Friepas
often prevent one another from Decom-
ing their best. He is an enemy TO our
highes- welfare who Would hold us
back rom sacCifce Ine adVlce -
Peter. howc..e~ we'll meant was me
conventional. co.nmonplace advice 9I
the ordinary, selfish person
With quick and unequivocal rebuke'
Jesus turned upon eter. and uttered
the humbling words. Get thee behind
me. Satan; thou art a. stumbling oIock
unto me for thou mlndest not the
things Of God, but the things OF men
Yes, ones best friends NAV become
the Representative OF humanity
worst enemy. in besu, ing 'lli. ll1IIl rom
his loftiest purpose. The parents VINO
have turned their sons aside from lne
ministry or their daughters from the
mission field, or the friends VINO nave
enticed friends into the humdrum OF
business. when they would have chosen
to follow an ideal Of human service.
are in exactly the same situation as
Peter; ey incarnate the tempter. Je-
sus did not hesitate to treat snarply
and with apparent rudeness all VINO
would interfere with his mission. He
held 10 the sacredness of his call with
something like impauence- Ihus, III
the temple court and at Cana he re-
buke5 his own mother He SET lhe
worlds great servants the loIty ex-
ample of saving himself for his highest
end Not his to choose the easy lot. the
line of least resistance, the sphere OF
comfort and self-indulgence. He had
heard his own call: he alone was re
sponsible for answering it.
The Sign of Conquest.
Hard had it been for the disciples to
learn of Jesus expectation of cross
for himself; now he tells them of
cross for each Of them. eff any man
would come after me. let him deny
himself and take I'D his cross and fol-
low me-" The way to sovereignty is
by sacrifice. All thrones are reached
| through a via Dolorosa.'
A recent picture in the windows Of
the art stores is entitled THE TIVE
Crowns. It shows q young king. in
the full flush of youth with ruddy
riding white charger and surrounded
by his knights His armor is of gold
and many Jewels are in the diadem
which is upOn his head. Crowds ac~
claim him as he passes. and from bai~
comics fair women are strewing flow
ers upon his head and upon his path
way. The glow Of power and triumph
are in every line of the young kings
/ bearing. He does not notice that up
! on the wall which he passes there
/ hangs a life size statue of the greas
and gaunt Crucihed One. upon whose
I brow is a crown of thorns. The artist
means to show that real sovereignty is
! represented by that crown of sacrifice.
rather than by the youths crown o.
success.
The principle of the kingdom, eter-
nally applicable, is here laid down
/ by Jesus. that whoever would save his
1 Hfe, shall lose il; whoever shall lose
his life for his sake, shall find it; and
] that it profits a man nothing If he
! gains the whole world and forfeits his
/ life Before Jesus gave US the example
of sacrifice he gave us the teaching of
sacrifice. They are noblest who serve
! the most The way into the secret of
/ life. the way into the heart of the Son
of Mary himself. is along the liinty,
cruel road where one staggers car
rying a cross to some Calvary.
That was the principle upon which
/ the church was esta blished; when she
has shown that same principle the
church has conquered. Even in our
own time the martyrdom of Christian
missionaries in China and in the South
Sea islands. have quickly resulted in
a rich harvest of lives for the kingdom.
Faith in Christ, confession of Christ,
and sacrifice for Christ. are still foun-
dation stones in the eternal temple OF
God.