The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-04-14
-,iTY SAINTS AND
THEIR SAVIOUR.
The International Sunday School Les
~on for April 10 is ''The Cost Of
Observation-Disclosures 1885.
BY William T. Ellis.

BY William T. Ellis.
sugar on mackerel. or salt IN tea,
49,. mistakes which the palate re-
mis-. Sugar and salt are not equiva-
garts even though some few millions
al christians are tryin TO substitute
sweetness for saltiness.
christ never sent his disciples into
me world TO be sugar. They are not
meant TO please palates, but to save
ives. And that is the business Of
SALT: il bites but it preserves.
Daring to be different-courage to
ne true to ones Christian personality
j q sign of saintliness. Believers
with tang to them, ind~ividualities
uho care not a whistle about pleas
ing old Madame Grumpy, but are in
Jensely eager to be acceptable TO
Jesus Christ, are the real hop OF hu-
man society. Their business is to be
ne salt of the earth. Whatever they
;ouch, they help.
Salt-Christian salt-coSts. 1t
,epresents the high price of living
me highest life. Jesus did not make
Il TOO easy for persons to follow him:
ne insisted that they count the cost.
TO become as salt for this decaying
old earth is more expensive than talk
ing the highest degrees in a frater-
nal order or finding the Hottest place
in society. For it costs in life, in
service, in sacrifice, in hearts blood.
only those persons become salty
saints who take up a cross, lift up a
cross and are lifted up on a cross.
\ Cold DOuche For the CrOwd.
crowds were still lionizing Jesus.
l4e was the sensation of the hour
over in noyelty-loving Perea. He
ass the vogue, and wherever he went
= multitude attended him. But Jesus
knew what was. in man, and never
suffered any illusions concerning
popular favor
Therefore he feared not to be i'm
polite "indiscreet" and TO tell the
wholesome truth as we'll as that
which tickled ears. Turning to the
mob. on the occasion treated in this
lesson. he said. in effect: You fol-
lou me now. But you cannot truly
se my disciples unless you put me
nrst in your lives. Ny claim must
take the precedence of all family ties,
all cuisines considerations, all politi-
eel allegiance"
What a douche of cold water fol-
these folk who wanted to be on the
popular" side. They were follow
ing the line of least resistance, and
roeing carried forward by the current
Now this radical rabbi. not content
40 let well enough alone, must In,
xist ON supreme and peculiar claims
ste wants only those who will prefer
sim above all else: he will not bt
called Master at all unless he car
re Master in all. And hat is still
true OF Jesus Christ. He will not b,
iord of any life that will not let hin
ue lord Of all life. No divided al
vigilance will content him. Thi
calm assumption or absolute ant
singular authority vas n of TIL
most constant expressions of his con
Sciousness of his Messiahship. II,
would not accept the cap~itulation o
amy life. except on terms OF uncon
ditional surrender.
Scant comfort in this for the but
terfiy religionists who want to fiji
from flower to fiower-today, ortho
doX Christianity, tomorrow, Theo
sophy, next day Christian Science
The next day Ethical Culture, Ne1
Thought, Babism, OIL some othe
ps~eudo-oriental cult. One cannot b
an eclectic disciple and a follower Q
Jesus too. There is a divine egotisr
about Christ. His claims are III
abdshedIy absolute. His place in liz
IS frst-before the place of fathel
mother, wife. children, brothers O
sisters. Even life itself is not 20 b
considered alongside of loyalty I
Jesus.
The Sign OF the Gross.
VS. cihurilt VI IlSloiS - =
thrilled at the vision of the eminer
place which the emblem of death an
degradation and sacrifice, the eros
~ christ, has held in human affair
Tor nearly two thousand years. HUI
dreds of millions of people, scattel
ID all owe the earth, offer it Supren
allegiance. 1t holds higher place al
authority than any national emblem
~ old the Japanese Roman Cathol
converts died rather han tramp
on the cross. Within our own men
DRY native converts in Korea al
hin have accepted imprisonmer
@hd death in preference to disloyali
:" the cross. The Turkish Empire
led With the blood Of modern ma
yrs. The passion for the eros
winch has been the comfort Of lone
ana obscure Christians, and the il
splration of great armies, is a then
Tor song and story.
AS aid down by Jesus, though,