The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-03-19

" 'i'C y 4t~SUHS. as We'll as a time :
FOR fasting. The Teacher who had
hallowed the wedding feast at Cana
sahctlhed the joys OF life, as we'll as
us duties. Indeed. Joy itself may be
a DUTY. The Cues at the publican's
Ieast has a message 10 our time con-
cerhIns w~ell-rounded living.
The Ffnancier's New Job.
There is a prosperous business man
IN Philadelphia who has given up
n making Of an income, in order
70 devote all his time to furthering
the cause OF missions. He thinks he
has been promoted. Certainly he is
in the goodly fellowship Of the
Apostle Matthew. That is what he
did. A prosperous member Of a
despised class of t~ax-collectors, Mat
thew was one day sitting at the re-
celpt Of custom-in his office, We
you'd say nowadays-in the thriving
city OF Capernaum. What thoughts
filed his mind Of his social ostra-
cism, a of his calling. We may
not know. He was a Jew, whom loye
OF money had shut out from good So
c1ety. for. unlike our own times, so
ciety then inquired how d man made
his money before it admitted him to
social avor. The tax-collector rep
resented the hated Roman power, and
as the position was farmed out TO the
highes bidder. there ensued no little
oppression Of the poor. While Mat
thew unused, Jesus, the celebrated
new teacher and healer, drew Nigh.
He and his message We're doubtless
required him to be up to date in all
things.
To the b~oundless surprise Of the
tax-collector, the Master halted, ad-
dressed him, and invited him to join
the little group of his disciples.
h an event for an unexpected
hour. So it is with life. We never
know what God has in waiting for US
around the next corner. One person
who reads these words may meet
for the first time his future wife be
fore morning. Another may near Of
the loss of a dear one. This man
will get a promotion in business, that
one a discharge. Half the zest of
living is an it's unexpectedness. And
he who is ready for Christ, is ready
for everything.
A conventional citizen Of Caperna-
UNI would have advised Jesus that
Matthew was beyond the pale. But
God does not judge us by this worlds
standards, and he seems ever to have
a peculiar interest in the man upon
whom society turns its back. So
the Master called Matthew. In get
ting him what q boon lay in store for
all the world. That unlikely, world
ly-wise man Of affairs became a stead
fast disciple, and the author of the
first Gospel. There was a historian
hidden in Matthew. He had POSSIBLE
tiles which only Jesus could see.
That is the wonder that is being
wrought over and over again. The
acceptance Of Christ means the be-
ginning Of d new and unsupported
career.
For Matthew himself that apparent
surrender won immortality Of name
and influence. He seemed to be Civ
ing up prosperity to become the wan
dering disciple Of Il new Teacher
with an uncertain future. Instead
Of the failure which his practical
friends predicted, he won such a sue
cess as ZONES to only a few men
in an age. If more young men today
could be made to see the divine phil
osophy Of un~selfshness, the supreme
gain Of losing their lives for the
Kingdoms AXE we should hear less
!. about the dearth of Christian lead
ers. Life lived by the Matthew pro
gram is surest success.
| Knowing The Big Crowd.
: Most of us see only our own crowd
We are not cosmopolites. The bank
} er talks with bankers; the preacher
I ers' meetings.; the W~orkingmen NEE
l only Workingmen. That way com
D class lines. Now for the Weakling
\ who is not sure Of himself, and i
. afraid Of compromising his social po
sition, it is prudent to flock will
birds Of his own feather. But TO
' the big, real man, the Jesus type Q
8 personality, it is important to kee]
in touch with all kinds of people
Wise was the word, Il am a man, an,
S nothing that is common to man ca
be alien to me-" Says the late San
e Walter Foss, in his familiar lines,
Q Let me live in a house by the side o
the road, where the ace Of me.
go by:
The men that are good, and the me
that are bad, as good and as ba
n az I.
# would not sit in the scorner's sea
d nor hurl the cynic's ban:
o Let me live in a house by the sid