Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-30
A BUSINESS MANS BOOK.
The international Sunday School Les
son for January is "John, the Fore
runner Of Jesus" Matt. 3:1-12
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS
For the year 1910 twenty-five million
members of the Sunday schools of the
world will study weekly the Gospel &C
piece Of literature in existence will re-
tention. The fact is literary item
such it Is, was not written by train
ed literary worker, but by business
man. It.shows the practical mind and
diligent carefulness Of man Of af-
fairs.
Levi was, the authors name, as he
sat in the tax-gatherer's Office on
Capenaum highway. taking toll for
Herod from the fishermen and from
the rich caravans that travelled be-
tween Egypt and the East. lie know
all the wiles of the tax-dodgers. and
he could squeeze the very las. penny
of customs dues out of the reluctant
wallets of merchantmen. OF course he
was hated and despisea-She Jews
slcatI1ed the men who hired themselves
to Rome as publicans-bur the bust
ness paid. and, conscious Of his snug
o1tblS, Lew CotlIu ailolu W SuTuS HIS
shoulders over the unconcealed dis
dain of the people.
A Call and Career.
One day Levi got a vision of life's
higher, nobler possibilities, even as
many business men are catching the
same vision today. In this new light
ihe saw that money does not make
amends for dwarfed life. His de-
ij&erance and transformation and new
Hame came through the teaching Of an
unconventional Rabbi named Jesus.
I And when the latter one day babe him
join s-the little group of learners i'm
mediately associated with himself,
Levi straightway left all and follow
ed him. In answering that plan Of
life; men are elevated only as they
heed and answer the summons to seek
the concerns of the spirit.
Apparently this prosperous publican
never regretted having forsaken his
profitable business. Money ceased TO
have it's old value in his eyes. His
first act of discipleship was to give a
lavish feast to his new Master and as
sociates Then he became an itinerant
sharer of the fortunes of Jesus. He
was not front.rank apostle. We do
not find mention of any signal words
or deeds done by him. Steadilys
though, his spirit was being refined
and elevated, and he was being made
ready for the writing Of the Life OF
his Lord. He wrote as "a Hebrew of
the Hebrews" Inning clearly the
Messiah of the Old Testament Never
theless, he could not help producing
universal gospel, because he be-
lieved Jesus to be the Savior Of the
world. It would be abundantly worth
while to trace the development of the
character Of this business-man-au author;
and Of the similar effect upon every
other man, of allegiance to great
ideal. But we must hasten to the
portion. of The story set apart for the
present week.
The Makers-Ready.
A.. picturesque bit of Oriental life is
the, sayce, or outrunner, who precedes
the vehicle of a person of Importance.
I have seen him in Egypt. India and
China That function was fulfilled by
John the Baptizer. He was the fore
runner, the preparer, the make-ready.
All his great life was to be fulfilled in
introducing One greater than himself.
Some persons have thought his place
in the New Testament history a
pathetic one: it. really is glorious.
Most Of us are merely makers
ready. A sort of John the Baptist
career is the best that can be expect
ed by the average person. The mother
unless she is bitten by that madness
which makes her subordinate home
, and family to career for herself
In church or society or literature or
po1ftics) must give UP her life to MAX
sng smooth the way for husband and
children: through them she serves the
world. The teacher is only John the
Baptist to his pupils. The salesman
and bookkeeper merely further the
output of another. Church officers dc
making-ready work that the Message
may have free course. The great
Boards of the religious denominations
are but preparers for the spread Of the
Evangel The givers who support
Christian work stand in the same
relation. Happy are we if, like John
we can say concerning the Main Issue
hHe must increase, | must decrease
"What matter, or they,
Mine or anothers day,
So the right word be said,
And life the sweeter made?"
The secret of peace, as well as O
achievement, is to find ones owr
work and to fling ones life into it;
knowing we'll that the success of the
work is the success Of all who con
tribute to it.