The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-13

John the Baptist" Luke 1870.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS
''Oh, We who hold the written clew
To all save all unWritteu things,
And half a league behind pursue
The accomplished fact which fiouts ana
Look. to your knee your baby brings
The oldest tale since earth began
The answer to your Worrying
Once on time there was man.
He single-handed met and threw
Magicians, armies, orgres, kings;
He, lonely mid his doubling crew,
In all the loneliness of wings;
He fed the flame, he filled the springs
lie locked the ranks. he launched the van
Straight at the grinning teeth of things
Once on time there was man.
So Kipling voices a clear Bible teach
ing Throughout Holy Writ. and the
larger pages of history, runs the clear
record of this supreme interest IN the
man. Inventions, organizations, sys-
tens customs. laws-these are all eA-
allied by humanity, God cares less ~
them, than he does for the individual
Historians are engrossed IN many %
the interesting phases OF Bapylohldn
civilization: Jehovah seems 10 laNe
cared for it chiefly as cradle OL olle
man. Abran. from Ur OF the Cndiueeo
So also the historians center attention
1Ipo17 the eIories of the Roman Empire
at the beginning of the CHRISTIAN ED,
but the pen of inspiration plds US 1ai
TO contemplate the birth OF a pdpy ~
an old PRIESTS family The test OF ee
ervthing in life is the kind OF man II
produces. The final evidence OF Ch[i s-
tianity is the type Of manhood II mas
created
The Bigness of the Babe
Two babies bullS large in the New
Testament, and their advent was I'M
portant enough in the realms OF sloIS
for angels to be sent to earth 70 an
1l0unce Their. Heaven broke its silence
.,ir vocal Win
the tidings that babe was born one
OF these was destined to be preparer'
a forerunner, a herald; and the otheI'
to be the Saviour himself
Ever since these wonders stirred d
little Jewish world into excitement, the
babe has had a new place in the thought
Of mankind. When we look at our &c
in the large. we are aStonlSneu Dy INC
evidence of the spirit of child-conserVa-
ton Nowhere else on earth are chi
dren the objects of such loving lhtei-
ligent d many-sided care as in TINS
western world which is the pest Lrull
of the eastern eVangel- In BetnleheIh
today one may see the little children
toiling a. the working of olive WOOD
and mother-Of-pearl. as they would not
be permitted to toll in the western
world Our modern child labor laws
are a precious Offering laid at the 1eel
of the Babe. So we have compulsory
education for childhood, and laws SAFE
guarding the health of children ana
other sws to protect their morals, ana
q host of agencies to cultivate their
ideals. Great is the place OF the pape
in our modern economy
Beginning a New Line.
e Pen NAV not write of the startled
hearts of the elderly priest ZacharlaS
and his wife Elizabeth. when the an
gelic word came that the bitter VOID
in their home and their hearts was
to be Led by the advent of a babe.
Nor may we know the loving, fearrul
ana reverent preparations that We're
made for ie expected little one Zach-
ariaS because of mOmentary worn
of incredibly. had been stricken DUMP.
He was given speech when it came to
the naming of the child, for the neigh
bors protested that after the go GOO
fashion of the time, he should bear the
name of his father. Eliza beth wanted
him called John. Zacharias to every
body's wonder likewise wrote that ne
should be called John
The new name stood for a new
order. John was more than the son
of his father Zacharias. Pride of birth
when it is a stimulus OF honor and
nobility is wholly creditable, but when
it becomes mere vanity over an hon
ored name, then it is pitiable and des-
picable. Some of the persons who
boast that they are descendants OF the
great, give proof that they have de
cended very far. 1t is better to be an
ancestor of whom future generations
may be proud than to be descendant
of whom neither those who went be-
he proud. John the babe became John
the Baptist-and that was the highest
honor that could be reflected upon the
name of Zacharias.
A Fathers Song.
The other day I met a man who had
made himself and his millions-and
had unmade his sons The note OF
ioy was lacking from his life because,
though he has all that money can buy
he has no father pride in his boys
The most normal and satisfactory and
permanent source of pleasure to par
tnts is the integrity, love and prosper
fty of their children. He has missed
one of life's great bOOns who does not
know the happiness that lies in a SON
A few evenings ago a large group of
friends gave a dinner to a man, and
among these were many men of dis
tinction. but a discerning observer
could have seen that the guests eyes
wandered oftenest to a little boy seat
ed at the end of the table. He cared
more for the pleasure of his son, and
for the impressions his son was gath
ering, than for all the gracious words
OF courteous friends
ZachariaS lifted IN his voice over
the birth of his son. He was q Bible
saturated man. and so his song ma
f1ralIy fell into the language of Scrip
4ure It was a psalm of gratitude and
Of worship All his life was lived with
a Godward aspect, and so his first
thought when this supreme blessing
of a child came to him was of praise
70 Jehovah Modern critics lift their
fevebrows at the possibility of these
humble New Testament folk creating
original poetry breathing the lOftieSt
strains of Old Testament literatures
IF they were to go to the same land
today. they would find lovers express
sing their devotion in imprOviseo
songs and the bereaved wailing for
their dead in musical dirges sound
ing the virtues of the departed Be
canse this is not done in the west is
n he 6nnA In