Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-10-06

the attempt Is always mduG " HtaA
off with the hest possible material.
The influence of great names is fully
recognized. If a project is supported
by the leaders in finance it is pretty
sure to attract the wealthy. IL
statesmen and philosophers give
movement the prestige of their
names literary people are certain to
become interested. One name of
world wide reputation is good for
thousands of lesser names.
Many a noble enterprise has
persisted at its birth because put
forth by nobodys and many fraud
has been perpetrated through the
influence of powerful names. The
best laid plans of mOnarchs can be
upset by the schemes Of high Off
Gals and the annals of history are
full of examples of men who have
fallen from the very apex of world
ly greatness to the depths Of ruin
bringing down empires with them
in the crash. Laws have been nulli-
fed and nations disgraced by the
traitorOus acts of cabinets and parli-
ments.
The most remark able exception to
this universal rule took place when
the founder of Christianity selected
his cabinet. There were plenty of
rich men in Jerusalem but he
passed them by. There were pro-
found scholars and philosophers In
Judea but he had no use for them.
There were men the very mention
of whose names would have drawn
hundreds TO his standard but he
sent them no invitation. Warriors,
ecclesiastics, milionaires, teachers,
men of influence were all ruled out
at the start. And to the amaze
ment of everybody the great leader
went down to the shores of blne
GaliIee and said to a handful OF
brawnv fishermen who were sitting
on the rocks mending their broken
nets: Come and follow me and l
will make you fishers of men," The
most colossal blunder of the age
saw the shortsighted. The most ap-
propriate thing that could have
been done say the thinkers of all
time.
Because of the employment and
obsecurity of the disciples the world
is accustomed to think of them as
weak men, but the event proved
that the Christ selected the very
finest material for his purposes.
The work of regenerating this world
was to be rough work. 1t was not
within the province of men ac-
customed to dressing gown and
slippers. When chains are to be
pounded off the limbs Of slaves not
carpet knights but men OF brawny
muscles are needed. 1t was no
holiday task to which these men
we're invited. They must be Injured
to hardship able to fast if necessary,
not afraid to sleep on the bare
ground, as MUCK at home in one
place as another, capable of adapt
ING themselves to all circumstances,
having no fear of mobs, able to
take care of themselves in an
emergency.
They must also be open to convic-
ton, teachable, and free from pref
udice and preconceived opinions.
People who know 1t all are the most
difficult pupils. Their minds are
already so full of lumber that there
is no room to lay the foundation
for new building. When Michael
Angelo saw a block of marble he
saw an angel hidden IN its depths
and he took his chisel and liberated
the matchless form. The world
saw in these rough fishermen only
a company of ignorant day labor
ers. Christ saw what there was in
them and went to work to bring it
out. He saw what they were 60
ing to be under his tuition. He
knew that he could make of them
orators, theOlog1ans, educators
men whose work would endure as
long as the world stood and he
passed by the men who had become
fossilized and stereotyped in their
thought and life to implant the lv-
ing seed of an eternal harvest in
the virgin soil of their souls.
And the result justified fully the
selection. What has become of the
scribes and rabbis contemporary
with Christ9 They have persisted
from the earth their very names
forgotten. But the men who were
selected as the standard bearers of
the new religion like a crown OF
twelve stars shine in glorious luster
about the head of the redeemer.
Their deeds are known in all the