The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-10
By WILTTAM n. ELIIs.


By WILLIAM IT. ELLIS.
is great day for man when
he perceiVes the broad. ethical
and spiritual significance OF his
daily tasks Scarcely greater IS
the day when through faithful
ness, he is promoted to a larger
and higher service Because success is
as truly an intelligent filing of our ap-
pointed place as rising to a larger.
This is a story of how such promotion
came to four fishermen long ago, by
the shores of blue Galilee. To them,
as to everybody. success came-a sue
cess that made them immOrtal" while
they were about their humdrum daily
work. From being tOilers of the deep
they became fishers Of men: from lead
ershfp in the Capernaum fishing col
ony they rose to leadership in the
whole world.
a Man and His Following.
The setting of this incident is in
teresting. 1t does not follow closely
on the heels of last weeks Sunday
school lesson. More than a year inter-
wened, most Of it spent in Judea. At
ter the temptation Jesus had accepted
the discipleship of the six by Jordan.
but they had not yet given up their
daily employment to be with him con-
Etantly. although they had been with
him at Cana when ne performed his
FIRST miracle. Tt was within this year
that=he cleansed the temple. and had
his famous discourse with NicOdemus.
and the other with the woman Of Sa-
maria. he had healed the nobleman's
son and had been rejected at Nazareth.
s'He came unto his own and his own
received him not"
Thenceforth he made his headquar-
1ers at Capernaum which was the
largest city of Galilee. The lake at
that time was the center of a popu-
lOus community. Capernaum was the
densest region of Galilee. The sea it
self bore four thousand boats upon it's
hnEonT Crowds attended the X
Of Jesus; wherever he went he had a
large following. Some We're drawn by
his words and some ei3y5 his signs or
miracles. He was a distinct person
aiity. and personality always attracted.
In the thrOng that attended this Won
derful man, were the curious the sick,
the needy, the heart-hungry. His Win
SoueDess and eagernesS to help drew
TO him people with all kinds of needs
a-type of the way the whole world has
since crowded toward him in response
TO his invitation, Come unto me. all We
that labor and are heavy laden. and I
viii give you rest
A Unique Pulpit.
one of the suggestive phrases of
present-day religious work is the va
riesy OF pulpits from which the gospel
81 being preached Dr. n. ID. Hills,
EnG stands In Henry Ward Beecher' s
pulnit speaks every week from the
end Of a cart on a Brooklyn street cor
ner. Other distinguished ministers
8LanQ on work DeuCheS and packing
boxes in shops and address the men.
Theater meetings, saloon meetings,
meetings in halls-WhereVe men may
be gathered to hear the old gospel
there it is considered proper to set up
a pulpit. After ALL anywhere is a pull
pit for the man who has heard the
Woe is me if I preach not the gospel. -
Tt is the message that makes the pull
pit and not the pulpit the message. For
this modern adaptation of the gospel
to the times there is warrant in
Christ's example. Even the laymen,
who, IN unclerical ways, are telling the
story by a diversity of agencies that are
one Of the extraordinary developments
of cOntempOraneous Christianity, find
their justification in Jesus preaching
by the seaside.
The picture is an attractive one. The
crowd about the Master was so great
that he was forced to take to a boat
and push out little from shore. Then
free from the jOstling crowd he was
able to address the crowd who stood or
SAT upon the inclined sea shore Last
ingly recalled this scene. BY the lake
Pennsylva mia, an assembly of Christian
ing service was upon the shore of the
lake. The speaker stood on a. small
landing and most of the congregation
gathered on the hillside in front OF
him. Scores came in canoes and boats
ana clustered around the wharf. With
those surroundings it was easy to talk