The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-15

plan their lives effect1Vely:
we master all arts except
the highest one, the art or
living. Many men orIt
through the days with no conscious Ell
fort to direct their powers into the pest
possible channel. A little effort TO
yet ont of the accustomed rut, is all
that stands in the way OF some per
sons success. A change OF Iocauoh
is often necessary to improve one
movers despite the proVerb to the
contrary. It is hard for a great life
to win out amid small and sorofd ana
suspicious people. Even Jesus had 10
go from Nazareth to Capernaum TO
find a fertile field for the sowing OF
Everybody should seek to discover
his Capernaum. The great West IS
full of prosperous people who, hao
they remained in New England VII
lagos, would have developed into in
teresting but futile characters" With
out scope or vision. Thousands OF
young men are undergoing SLOW
atrophy of soul in restricted and I'M
conEenial positions, when, had they
hut courage Il, venture out into some
new, field, hey would find happiness
and prosperity Jesus set a practlcal
example when he turned from the hlde
bound bigotry of Jerusalem, ana the
suspicious un-eceptive provlnclallsm
Of Nazareth to the cosmopolitan city
of Capernaum, where men nao IeaLH-
ed, by contact with the outside Worlo'
the lesson of the open mind
Jesus a City Man.
There was an urgent practical rea-
son why Jesus should make Capei-
naun the scene of his mission ana MS
message. John had fallen INTO a Her5
DDS clutches. While Jesus renamed
in Herods territory he ran the same
risk 1t was prudent for MIN 10 go
TO the CITY by the sea. The move also
fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy, Which C MAJ
thew quotes. 1t was written IN Goo
pian for the Messiah that he should
early reach out to the Gentiles:
Art and literature love to depict Jes-
us amid the green fieJdS. ana E ~ tre
fheIess it must be remembered that
throughout most of his public minis
try he lived and worked in the city.
Here we find him making his nome
in Capernaum. the second most I'M
portant city in Palestine, a pushing
center of caravan routes ana an me M
portant mart of trade. Inc son Dl
Man loved to mingie with men. w me
he knew lonely mountain medltatlonS
beneath the diamond stars, he also
LIVED the feel of human CROWDS.
Sweaty toilers thronged the streets
that he delighted to walk; the flsh
market was as attractive to him as
a landscape; the chatter and d1cker-
ing that accompanied trading opened
to him vistas into the heart OF man;
Depth in philosophy can be learned
oniv bv dwelling close to men IN op-
seryation. and apart from men in med
itation. .-4-.s-.
Two Preachers: One Sermon.
There is a real apostolic succession
In all preaching of truth. Ike Ine
passed swiftly from clan TO clah, anu
from village to village, the word OF
truth is carried on by many meSseh-
gers. Truths preacners may Ial held ID
in duress by Herod, but the truth goes
marching on. The old wilderness cry
of the Baptists was taken up IN tue
teeming city by the Greater than
Jo.nwaRepent We; for the Kingdom
of Heaven is at hand DouptlesS tne
Raptist was depressed in his dungeon;
but fine message was going on. Goa
never fails to supply messensei ioi
every one who is taken away. :.
THE unity of all religious eftort is
beautifully set forth in this incident.
Men come and men go, out tne WorA
goes on. There is no man ln mus ,,nS,,
serve in apparent success, are nut
the heirs of others who may nave SerN-
cd before them in apparent 1allure.
Some foolish eVangei;lsts ana mo p phnrnh
naners about the success or thelr
fields. with the Implication, L dld
IT, What absurdity! In things splr-
ttual it cannot De neasu de an NJ" the
otberls begins. Who dare say how
rauch Of John the Baptist's preaching
persisted n the cry, Repent ye:
which Jesus sounded throughout 1"A-
flee?
The Call to a Career.
.rvvhat makes life dreary is the
amt of a Tnotive,'' said George Eliot
Macaulay repeated the same thougnt
when he declared, ''What society wants
is new motive Gons a Si.b bns mo- mo-
tive was fish. Then contemplate the
two pairs of brothers, Andrew ana
Peter, and James and john VINO
heard the call of the Teacner' wh ON
they had first followed DOWN py ltAe
II was while they were about their
daily work that the fishermen were
sonae oniy 90 those who are at dutys
T,ost They had had poor luck: at
the word of Jesus they let down thelr
nets for a phenomenal catch. Ihen ne
summonsd them ma to 3 leave nscom Ems @fish hew
~ men" Their former association
18th Jesus had not involved the sur
rander OF their accustomed calling
ana life; now he aet ana ~ p Share " his
csreer What a choice! Little did
thew dream Of what was involved
in IL. little does any person ever
dream of what is involved IN the
The most Important act in any per-
son's life is the decision to follow Jes-
us. Often it means compIete tIans-
formation of ones station and charac-
ter and calling. 1 recall a conversa-
ton with a Japanese in Toxic. who
Snid me that as soon as he became g
Christian he wanted to do something
for his country. The result was the
invention of a process of making
wood shavings, which are widely used
Tor artistic and unitarian purposes
In that case the decision for Christ
meant industry to nation
Recently there died in easel. Ill.
q woman who had beer bed-ridden fol
twenty years, yet she spent her time