The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-06

miniOn. Her wonderful roads ran eN-
| eryWhere. Her language and law had
been imposed upon the remotest bounds
| of civilization The Jewish people had
been scattered everywhere under the
safe shelter of the Roman law. A
I marked quickening and reStleSSn eSS
| had accompanied a moral and religious
/ decadence. Whoever has visited the
ruins of POmpeii. or who has read
"Quo Vadis" and Darkness and
I Dawn knows how ripe and ready the
world was for something to happen.
The Man for the Hour.
Historians have repeatedly pointed
out the peculiar preparation of events
for the coming of the Christ, who was
TO be a greater king than Caesar, and
WELD a sway beyond the dream of any
one then living The Supreme Power
which prepared conditions was busy
also preparing the man. Thus, We
have this story of the annunciation of
the birth of John the Baptist, who in
the flesh was second cousin to Jesus
himself. Mary and Elizabeth being
cousins.
The Importance of this event-the
rnerest commonplace incident neigh
bors would call twas lost upon all
beholders Few understood the super
natural message which had come to
the father, that to his home son
should be born. Zacharias was
of his calling, within the temple itself,
when the heavenly messenger brought
him this message, SO well nigh incred-
ible that to his childless wife Eliza
beth. who was herself one of the
daughters of Aaron, should be born a
son whose mission should be that of
the promised herald of the Messiah.
When a Child Is Born.
What day of days it is in every
home when the first child is bornl To
every parent of imagination come Wis
ions of possible career for his son,
who shall be so much greater than
his father, and do all that his father
has failed to do. The babe is forever
a synonym for possibility. The think !
ing PERSONS heart is always stirred |
when he looks into a cradle. There |
may lie the future teacher or leader |
Of humanity.
over the whole world today the sig |
nificance of the birth of John the Bap- |
list to history is being studied. May |
we not tarry for a moment to recall /
its purely human significance, to the /
home of the hungry hearted
priest and his wife? It meant much
% Zacharias, but it meant more to
Elizabeth To his vision had been
brought the possibility of his offspring
Is prophet; to Elizabeth's heart came
he vision of a child just a warm, soft,
helpless human baby to whom she
vas to be mother. Wise indeed is the
word. "a child in the house is a we'll
)ensive furniture, or oriental rugs. or
ch paintings or beautiful table ser
ice in a home. is the presence of
title children-the surest source of
oy and the best discipline of life; for
he training of children is the truest
raining for men and women.
A Career for a Son.
There is a message for these ambi-
ious times in the angels presentation
f a career for the new child whom
e announced Fathers and mothers
re spelling their children today by
making life too easy for them, and by
gliding up to them selfish ideals of
uccess. To get, to have, to display.
lese are the fashionable standards of
uccess.
The angelic program for the
romised son of Zacharias and Eliza
eth was the antithesis of this. John
Mould be great because a servant. His
fe was to be spent in hardness and
srvice. He might not have a good -,
me'-but he should proclaim a good I
me for all the world. His life was to
elong. not to himself but to his fell
'wmen. and to his Master. He was to
We and to die for the sake of the
orld's welfare. Now, as then, that
the highest type Of success. h