Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 237, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 October 1912 — The Great Appeal [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Great Appeal

By Rev. E. O. Sellers

Dbedor cTEwnina D.oataa* ci Moodr BN* Imtiiute, Oacaso

TEXT: "Com* Unto Me.”—Matthew U.i “■ • _ The great appeal of Jesus Is to thei Individual. He does hot mention.

“class consciousness.” /He does not say, “Admire Me*, Worship Me,” but, “Follow Me.” Hls appeal is not based alone upon his ethics, his miracles, nor the beauty of hls character. Our response must be Individualistic, not; by doing movements, nor by giving our assent to declarations and pronouncement a Jesus expects our

loving obedience. We do not come to a dogma, a creed, a church, but to n man; and more, to a God-man —one who knows —a loving, sympathizing Friend.

There is also a universal note In this appeal. Jesus 'ls the only universal man to whom all men turn and In whom they find a mutual point of contact. Crushed beneath a load of despair men blindly seek oblivion. Heathenism offers a future of oblivion or else of voluptuous ease. Jesus says, "Come to Me and find rest.” No paralysis of the soul but eternal activity and growth. The Invitation Is to all who fulfill the conditions, though all may not respond. Yet this appeal Is restricted to thos* that labor. All labor Is profitable, but the talk of the lips tends to poverty. An Idle man has more conceit than the combined reasons of seven men. Labor results not alone In profit, but in weariness. As a tired, child at the close of day finds rest, comfort and counsel in its mother’s arms, so we may find rest “In him.” Jesus saw that the root of unrest Is mental, not physical. Attention Is being called to the alarming Increase of nervous disorders the cause of which we are told Is riot, in any large measure, a physical one. A disordered brain Is far worse than a diseased, body?

There are two kinds of rest spoken, of in this passage, rest found, and rest given. This is the rest given. . The rest of faith (the gift of God), the knowledge of forgiveness, of assurance of our acceptance “in him.** The labor of his disciples shall be heavy laden, bear much fruit, and with it he will "give you rest.” The appeal of Jesus is two-foM, service and instruction. We learn by doing, and logically his first appeal la a call to service, “take my yoke upon you." We are attached to a load with another, he bearing half. It is in this school of experience that we are to learn. Jesus sets no premium upon Ignorance. He is the great examplar of what a teacher ought to be and of how to teach. The following out of his command “to teach all nations” had been one of the distinguishing features of Christianity. ' “Learn of Me.” The world has sat at his feet for nearly two thousand years and has yet to fathom the depths of his knowledge, to measure the breadth of his compassion and love, or to scale the heights of his idealism and his character. '

The meekness of Jesus is not an anemic sentimentality. It does not lack virility. It is not a passionless emotionalism. He came to bring a sword and to set families at variance. He was lowly in his coming, and meek as he bore the oppression of his people Israel and the sins of the race, but he set into motion those force* that were stronger than all of the Caesars. True force is not blatant and self-assertive. Efficiency and effectiveness are in the electric wire, but who can see or hear that marvelous force? So Jesus was silent, but hia meekness was that of the world's most mighty force. “And ye shall find rest” This is rest found. The rest of satisfaction, of right relationship, of knowledge, and of fellowship. It goes on to the deeper experiences of communion. His yoke fits. There is no maladjustment What though the body be tired? Our souls are at rest in him. What though the burden be heaVy? He is bearing and sharing it with us. This knowledge brings rest to the weary souls of men. f If we are to save the world for God it will not be by wealth, not by education, by ecclesiasticism, not by mere numbers of adherents to the church, not by philosophy or theology, but by preaching and living the Gos- - pel of the Kingdom. Jesus knew the test ,of experience, comfort beneath the, load. He knew the rest of harmonious relationships. At the carpenter’s bench, as a teacher and a healer, and as a law-giver, he spoke from the standpoint of experience. Jeans knew that the busy occupied life to the safe life. So it to that his appeal continues to challenge the world. “Hither to Me. - Learn, serve, “for My yoke is easy and My burden is light** Love known not the meaning of irksome service.