The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-15


The international Sunday School Les
son for June 16 is "Christ's Wit
ness of John the Baptist" Matt
u:2-1e.
CBY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.)
dramatic scene was witnessed Il
Carnegie hall, New York, few weeks
ago On the same platform, in II
presence of the religious leadership 81
North America, sat DR.. Josiah Strong.
DR.. Washington GLADDEN., DR.. Walter
Rauschenbusch, and Rev Charles
Stelzle. These men had been for years
as voices crying in the wilderness pro-
claiming the social mission of the
church of Christ. They had been Of
ten disdained and condemned, and even
their loyalty to the old gospel doubt
ed. But in this great hour they CAM
to their own, for the truth or theli
teaching was attested alike by con-
sentative and liberal; and what hey
once proclaimed as a singular message
is today the accepted program of the
churches of Christ in America The
occasion reminded one of the vindict-
ton of John the Baptist, which is the
story of today's Sunday school lessoi ..
The man who goes before, the fore
runner, whose business it is to clear
the way for the master coming afler,
has to bear the brunt of conflict and
the shock of opposition. John haC
known the wilderness life; opposition
the end of it apparently, had been
prison. InSidiously the temptation came
was it worth while; had he not made
a mistake? In highest heroism he had
dared all enmities; now he must die
We naturally recall, in connection with
the Baptist's story, the lines of Mrs.
Charlotte Perkins Stetson:
"A man must live We justify
Low shift and trick and treason hi',E
Inv
Life at such cost you have to buy?
In what religion were you told
"A man must live"
There are times when a man must die.
Imagine for a battle cry
From soldiers, with a sword to hold
From soldiers, with the flag unrolled-
The towards whine, this liars lie,
"A man must live!
The Preachers Doubts.
pathetic picture is this of an in
spirer depressed. The preacher of truth
in doubt is a tragic figure, and YET
not an uncommon one. John in grim
Macherus. on the other side of JorGan
the object of mighty Herod's vengeance.
had time to brood upon all things; and
insidious questionings haunted EDS
mind. Partly this was physical; day
in the open air would have cured It
For all that 1t was none the less zeal
and an experience through which all
sensitive spirits are called to pass
Self-distrust is prompted by loneliness
and hardship. The prison conditions
were calculated to challenge Johns
gertrude.
Even into the isolated dungeon OF the
Baptist had penetrated the news OF
the work of Christ. The message OF
prophet and his teaching flies far ana I
fast. Never a new exponent of re-
vised religion comes to these SHORES
that his fame is not heralded on the
wings of the wind. I once asked
company of English speaking Japa nese
men, in an interior japanese CITY, |
71-hather the name of Jesus was known |
throughout the land, and they were
of one opinion that everybody in Japan |
had heard of Christ. We talk loose
Nv about the millions of heather VINO |
have not heard of Christ. but as a
matter of fact, at the present tlIne
there are comparatively few to whom |
the name of Jesus is not known, al
though they have no understanding OF |
His gospel.
what perturbed John was the lack of
kirgly state about the Messiah whose
advent he had heralded. The full truth |
about Christ is greater than even the
preacher of it understand. 1t is Won
derfully true that 1.-The half has never |
been told" even the messenger OF the
Master does not comr- ehend the en-
fire import of the good news he bears
John was limited in his understanding |
by the old Jewish notion of the Mes
siah's character. Therefore he sent |
messengers to Jesus to inquire II He
was in truth the Coming One, or If
there was still another to be expected
The New Gospel.
over Sir Christopher Wren's grave /
in St. Paul's is a Latin inscription
meaning, IF you would see his monu-
nent. look around" The work is the
best tribute to the worker. Thus Jesus
said to Johns meSSengers-and we
might dwell upon the fidelity of these
friends of the Baptist who stood by
him even in his imprisonment-that
they should behold His works and bear
hack to their Master the news of what
their eyes saw That is a practical
way within every mans grasp, of
studying the genuineness of Christian
ity These are they which testify of
the power of the Redeemer-"the blind
receive their sight, and the lame walk.
the lepers are cleanSed and the deaf |
hear, and the dead are raised up, and
the poor have good tidings preached 10
them.''
One point in this standardization of
Jesus is truer today than ever before:
preached to them. The social passion
of the Saviour has come to animate
anew His church. The episcopal adj
dress of the bishops to the recent gen.
eral conference to the Methodist Epis-
copal church dweIt most vigorously up
on the social aspects of Christianity
The church is today going after the
last and lowest of men with a mes
sage of hope and health. The inge-
nulty of Christendom is being exercised
to devise ways of reaching the utter
most passion for tie poor is COM
Ing to be a tombstone of Christian
zeal. Not only is the church interest
&c to bear to them the GOSPEL of eter-