The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-01-02

International sunday Sch0c -
Coz IN : j., The Birth OF
Inhn The Baptist ForetOld.' Luke

This western continent mas
substitutes for the old Worlu heiaiua
who. in all their plcturesquene +aias ,
,n,v figures Of speech or traVel laiee
IN most of US. The gally dressed edi9'
wb, runs before a nabOb S carriage oA
~. streets Of Cairo has been com
nented upon by many NiSiloio
Egypt. Every Chinese otnclai "no
yoes forth in state, is preceded NY :.
runners. When a foreigner makes d
FORMAL call upon a viceroy, he is not
only borne in state in a chali, puI III
10 preceded by an honorary guard VI
soldiers and, leading all, by a req
Matted official card-bearer, VINO NOUS
aloft a strip Of red paper, Dedrl.S 49,
Chinese characters the name q tho
visitor. All this is for state ana ceie-
mony. rather than for actual neeus.
The coming Of q f~orerunner TO an
nounce the ministry Of Jesus was IN
Thorough accord with the oriental
conception of kingly dignity.
Our modern heralds are the edllors
who from their Watch-toWers see me
signs Of the times; the preachers, the
psychologists, the authors, and all lne
other 'soldiers Of the common goou.
When we pause to consider it, the 1act
is thrilling that there are TO-DAY 50
many men proclaiming aloud n ad-
cent of a better era. Ihe manner anu
voice of some are as harSn as llose
or JOnn the fodBlISl, TN mn AAA'
make many structures OF existing on
ditions; but the burden Of their plea
iSgthat there is a good time coming.
The Optimistic Note.
1t is possible to become so interest
ed in a messenger as to miss ms mes
sage. The people who ak ABOUT tne
way the preacher wears his halr, ana
his pronunciation Of certain WORDS,
and peculiarities of voice and manner,
not to mention those who go into the
still more extraneous matters OF ms
ancestry, the fashion Of his Wlfes
clothes and the way he brings up MS
children. are often SO far aStray from
The mark that they overlook entirely
the fact that h is bringing a mes
sage to them. ] have heard some
persons criticize a certain young poet
for his long hair. his mannerisms, his
egOtism; and miss entirely the TACT
that he has spoken a living word TO
his day.
The outstanding act in many per-
sons minds concerning John the Bap-
fist is that he was dressed in Gamers
hair wore q eathern girdle, and lived
on locusts and wild honey. Probably
nine out OF ten Of the Sunday school
scholars would make this answer first,
when asked who JOhn the Baptist
was. Now the dress and the diet, the
manner and the method Of John are
purely incidental. Even the criticisms
that he made against his own time,
which proved him a fearless herald
of the truth, are Subordinatcd to his
real message. John was q great
optimist. He lost his head for what
shallow thinkers might call pessi
MYSTIC criticism, but fundamentally
the burden Of his plea vas the mOs1
optimistic Of news. He heralded the
good time coming, when the Prince O.
Peace should reign.
Let us not miss the real meSSapo O.
a mans life. Rising above all non
essentials, consider whittier the utter
ances and labors Of our neighbo'
trend If he counts chiefly for tn
best things, let us make sure that h
can count on us as friends, and no
as petty, carping, undescriminatin;
critics.
The Herald Of II Herald.
Mr.. Carnegie and Mr.. Edison an,
a few other men have been tryin
their hands In recent weeks at max
ing up lists Of the greatest men in tn
world. OF course, they have succeed
ed only in revealing the tendencie
and limitations Of their own mind.
Both men have signally failed to in
clude the great teachers of human
ity; the men who IA come to tn
world with a message. All hone
TO the man who invents q process 70
cheapening steel; but far create
honor to the man who
truth which cnriches manhood. Wha
the eternal power think of the reia
tive Importance of the various type
of men is shown by this Sunda
school lesson, which tells Of the hel
aid OF "A Herald. The mere fact tia
JOIN was to be himself only an az
NanAa courier. q herald Of the con
ing one. made his birth of sufticiel
Importance that an angel Was sci
from heaven TO announce it. No kin
or warrior, or millionaire. or il
Nentor. or writer, even had such di
tinction as this. Every link in II
chain of events leading up to the mi,
iStry OF Jesus was counted Of Supren
Importance in the heavenly realm.
The office OF John was that Of
tnger-toard. He came. not Ia be So,
himself, but 10 point men 10 tn. Cor
ing one. The iincer-board need II
he beautiful. but il must be straigl
Any straight stick can poin ;
iohns message summed up. "a
merely, one cometh after me I
'rted Ia those who would .Aalr hi