The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-16


uninteresting, if such there
be, would do well to jour
ney to the nearest metropol-
itan railway station, or to
q steamship pier on sailing day. He
would find his indifference strangely
stirred by the manifest tragedies OF
farewells. partings and sundered
lives. The heart break of these last
words and last embraces appeals to
the most stolid. Life is full of these
vital leave takings.
Jesus had come to one of them,
in the passage which the Sundey
schools now are studying. This ex-
perience of Peters confession and OF
the TRANSPORTATION which will be
considered next week have been
called, 1.-THE Passion of the North
crises beneath the shadow OF
snow capped Hermon. Then he faced
in all its vivid and inexorable reality,
the fact of the cross. In his agony
of spirit he shared his burden with
his friends and leaned upon them for
comfort in a fashion that make the
humanness of Jesus near to us all.
His hunger for appreciation and ms
insight are close kin to the exper-
iences of all sensitive souls.
''They Say"
''They say" so many things that
''they'' may often be disregarded.
Not always, though, even Jesus was was
SOnc1COuS ABOUT pubic OplhAoA' -
kept himself aware of the real
thought of his time, as every leader
must do. who do men say that
the son of Man is?'' he asked his cab
met in confidential session. The an
swer-that he was John the Baptist,
or Elijah, or another prophet-shoWeo
how much opinion may be mistaken.
Commonly we judge men at less tnan
their real value: On the Whole our
leaders are probably credited below
the worth of their best selves. Jesus
was more than even his most san
guine adherents believed him to be.
''It doesn't matter what one thinks,
runs the loose remark. Quite the
contrary; on every subject of import
ance it does matter tremendously, ana
most of ali what one thinks OF CHRIST
The statement may be made IN all
boldness that Jesus Christ is today the
worlds most living issue; and what
men think of him is of tremendously
greater concern than what they think
of socialism or the tariff or the labor
question or the race question or the
trust question or anything else.
Thoughtful persons will not miss
the meaning of the fact that North
Americas most cosmopolitan conven-
ton was that which brought the
worlds Sunday school workers to-
gether a few weeks ago in Washington
Even more rneaningful was the epocn-
al gathering in Edinburg last month.
when the captains of the Kingdom OF
heaven gathered from the remotest
corners of the earth, in the greatest
church council ever held since men
began to date their calendars "A. ID.
And both of these great conventions
had the personality and love of Jesus
for their central thought. We can al
most hear today's wonderful answer,
echoing from the whole world, TO that
repeated question, who say We that
Impulses Clear Sight.
no business. if YOU must, with the
cold. careful, calculating man; but for
a friend seek out the fervid, enthusi-
astic, impulsive one. Philip might DO
for the secretary of the cabinet OF
Jesus, but Peter was its militant NOV
ing spirit. The warm heart often sees
more clearly than the deliberate mind,
for truest vision belongs to love.
Peter stumbled, you say? Yes, but
he also gloriously stood. The heart
like his may have moods, but the
lonely and love hungry know how
comfortable it is to lean upon.
1t is sweet to the ear of the bur-
dened and soul wrought Teacher to
hear Peters swift, sure answer, "Thou
art the Christ, the Son of the living
God" Peter was Jew, and he knew
full we'll the portent of this confess
sion, though the significance is nearly
lost upon US who have always es-
teemed the words Jesus and Christ as
synonymous. Clear as bullets song
rang Peters declaration; he bore wit
ness that he believed this man with
whom he had travelled more than
two years to be more than man, and
none other than the long expected
Messiah of the race. Would that all
of the disciples of the Nazarene in
our own day had Peters clear faith
The Comfort for a Lecturer.
only the teacher who catches the
flash Of genius and understanding
"A the eyes of one cut out of many
commonplace pupils can appreciate
f111 CHI
heart of Jesus at these words of
Peter. He had been sad, lonely and
misunderstood. The burden of Cal
vary rested heavily upon his heart.
ETshs solitary way which he had walked
had wearied him sorely. But to be
understood by friend that is COM
fort indeed. 1t is good to recall that
the Peter of comprehending sympathy
azement we had realized.
The inventors Eureka is no more
1ubilant than the realization by Jesus
that his disciples-at least in person
true significance of his mission. Up
to this point he had been leading
Them. For this purpose he had open
ed his heart
minded himself and his friends that
this revelation had come from the
rather in Heaven. He never lost his
confidence in the co-working of God.
me witness bearing had been by the
rather to Peter, before it was given
by Peter to the Son. No spiritual
truth is ever discerned, except by di-
vine1y Impaired insight.
The Bedrock Confession.
The bedrock of witness bearing is
the foundation upon which. next to
the chief Corner Stone, the Christian
church is built. Let the Redeemed
A 81 the Lord say so' is the one suf-
j hcfent program for the propagation
81 the evangel. The free utterance
Of the saved, saves the world. Is it
anv wonder that Jesus called Peters
confession rock foundation and
stones?
We'll says DR.. c. E. Jefferson: "Our
cities are crying for rock Christians.