MUCH is said of the meek and mighty Nazarene as our High Priest. Mortal mind likes to be hand-and-glove with a high dignitary after he is proven such; without meeting, on its own part, the requirements necessary to precede the honorable association. In other words, it ever aspires to might before meekness; and the proverbial result of getting carts before horses falls with the same mathematical precision here as elsewhere. The true associate of an high priest must himself be an high priest, or on the way to become one. What, then, is the training needful for an aspirant to such companionship? What was the training essential to graduate the "chiefest among ten thousand", the one "altogether lovely"?
If we would become associates of the Nazarene, we must each begin where and as he did; for, efforts to outstrip by taking unfair advantage at the start ever prove abortive, effecting naught but delay of successful beginning. Moreover, forced and abortive effort is always painful, because unscientific. Bungling, not Science, causes discord. To stand squarely in a grade and class where one hundred percent, is the daily achievement, yields solid comfort of uninterrupted progress; but, ah! the torment that follows in the wake of blind or ambitious assignment to a high class unwarranted by present attainment. However Herculean the struggle, to stand is impossible. Hourly failures become the rule until wise assignment be made by Intelligence. For these reasons, regardless of all ambition concerning the remote though possible high-priesthood, let us begin squarely where Jesus began.
At the outset, he came not to intellectuality at the inn — but directly into the stall of recognized animality. There in the barn, amongst camels and cattle, began the mighty work that covered one-third of a century. Material or merely intellectual conception of the lowly-born, could see only an exceptionally bright, winsome child lying out in the stable. The wise men recognized the advent of the potent spirit of true peace, which, coming to and lying in each individual manger, is to uplift and regenerate the race. The wise men of to-day, also, recognize the fact that the Prince of Peace comes as a babe in the manger; and that, however much mortal mind might like to do otherwise, it is needful to take the first steps first, leaving the tenth, fiftieth and one-hundreth of maturer demonstration to follow naturally and in order. These steps actually taken, it becomes safe to look toward the cross; to note, on conspicuous occasions and before great emergencies, the conduct and example of the High Priest.
