The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-30

chores to do, whether they Ieel IKE
doing them or not. There is pro-
found significance for all students OF
pedagogy in the historical fact that
when God wanted to train the Per
feet Man, he put him into working
mans family, where he had to bear
the yoke in his youth, and learn to
labor and to live.
The Man Ahead of His Time.
In this day of political progressive
ness. when all public men are trying
to prove how representative of the peo-
pies advanced thought they are, ones
mind goes back to the Populist of
generation ago. Then they were de-
Rad and sneered at. Their party Is
dead, but their cause is won. There
were of the goodly company of fore
runners and preparers. Their consola-
ton was that sounded by the poet:
Hail to the coming singers!
Hail to the brave light-bringers.
Forward reach and share
All that they sing and dare.
Ring. bells In unreared steeples,
The joy of unborn peoples.
Sound. trumpets far-off blown,
Your triumph is my own
Ahead of the times in which he lived,
came John the Preparer. to blaze
path for Christ. His lot it was to lose
his lustre in the greater light of the
One who came after. He died a pio-
neer's death, but he lives in deathless
honor. an inspiration to multitudes, a
favorite of God, one of history's great
immOrtals. 1t is mans work to make
ready the minds of men for a greater
than ones self who shall come after.
Proving the Worker.
Down street they are putting up a
new building. Fifty men are employed
in the excavation, and a hundred men
are watching them work and finding
fault. 1t is easy to stand aside ana
criticise the procession. Some deluded
foil think it a proof of brains to be
able to find fault with the men who are
doing things. That is about as cheap
and childish an occupation as the mind
of man can undertake. To pitch in and
try to remedy conditions is both costly
and hard.
The difficult course was the one
adopted by Jesus. He criticised his
times, it is true. He is not remem-
bered for that, but for His reconstruct
ton of the times. Jesus was no stand
of critic; He lined up on the side of
the best thing in sight. Thus He iden-
tilted Himself with John and Johns
mission, and insisted upon being bap-
tized into unity with the best friends
of God in His day.
Then He went into the wilderness for
the test and the temptation. His life
was His weapon, with which to do bat
tie with the world, the flesh and the
devil, and He wanted to test the worth
of the blade. Thus He learne.- to know
Himself, and, from the beginning of
His ministry was ready for the sacri-
flee which he foreSaw to be the end of
his earthly mission. He knew Himself,
and He knew the hearts of men.
A Working Force.
Truth s greater than an organiza-
ton. Still, even truth needs a propa-
90 inc
any other than human means. So Jesus
gave His first year of ministry largely
to gathering about Him a force upon
which He could depend for the con-
tinuation of His work and words. But
as He was about His mission of mer-
cy. He was nevertheless ever alert to
discover men fit for d1scipleship. He
went about preaching and healing, but
ever with an eye open for men of apOS-
tolic potentialitieS.
That point cannot be improved upon.
The success of every worker is largely
determined by the disciples he makes
A certain minister who mad no notable
skill as a preacher, yet somehow had
a gift for inspiring young men to fit
themselves for the ministry and other
forms of Kingdom work now has dis
ciples who are doing large service for
the Master.
The final test of these Men and Re
ligion campaigns throughout the coun-
try has been the number of discipIed
men who have been left behind to car
ry on the work of the teams of experts.
Occasionally one meets a notable Chris
tan woman, like Margaret Sangster,
who has made disciples of great COM
panies Of young girls. The ranks of
Young Mems Christian associations
are full of young college men who are
earmarked with the likeness of Rob
ert z. Speer; he has made disciples
of them.
Jesus built up a body of men upon
whom he impressed His personality
Commonplace they were, but he made
them great. The Gospel is still doing
that very thing. The life of Christ
and the purpose of Christ are taking
hold of men and women, and making
them over into newness so that their
lives are impressed with something of
the character OF Jesus Christ.
Looking Over the World.
Terse Comments for March II, 1.-The
Foreign Missions of My Denomina-
ton. A Bird s-Eeye View" Matt.
2S:16-2O.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
Just at the present time, this is an
easy and desirable topic. 1t calls the