The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-12-14
hat Would Jesus DOl"
By CHARLES n. SHELDON.
IcoNTINUED.1

ly-'I have not yet been able to satisfy
myself. either. in obeying my promise.
but have at last decided ON my course.
in order to follow it. shall be obliged
to resign from Nazareth Avenue
church
II knew you would" replied the
sishop quietly. "and came in this
evening to say that shall be obliged
to do the same with my charge"
DR.. Bruce turned and walked up to
his friend They We're both laboring
under repressed excitement
"Is it necessary in your casef" asked
Bruce.
"Yes. Let me state my reasons.
Probably they are the same as yours.
In fact, l am sure they are. The
bishop paused moment. then went on
with increasing feeling:
"Calvin, you know how many years
l have been doing the work of my posi-
ton, and you know something of the
responsibility and the care Of it. l do
mot mean to say that my life has been
lfree from burden bearing or sorrow.
but l have certainly led what the poor
and desperate of this sinful city would
call very comfortable-yes, a very
luxurious l have q beautiful
house to live in, the most expensive
food, clothing and physical pleasures. l
have been able to 60 abroad at least
dozen times and have enjoyed for years
the beautiful companionship of art and
letters and music and all the rest of the
very best have never known what it
meant to be without money or its
equivalent, and l have been unable to
silence the question of late. What have
suffered for the sake Of Christi Paul
was told what great things he must
suffer for the sake Of his Lord. Max
wells position at Raymond is well TAX
en- when he insists that to walk in the
steps Of Christ means to suffer. Where
has my suffering come inf The petty
trials and annoyances Of my clerical life
are not worth mentioning as sorrows or
suffering. Compared, with Paul or any
Of the Christian martyrs or early disci-
pies, l have lived a luxurious. sinful
life, full of ease and pleasure. cannot
endure this any longer. have that
within me which Of late rises in over
whelming condemnation Of such fol-
lowing of Jesus. l have not been walk
ing in his steps. Under the present sys-
tenn Of church and social life l see no
escape from this condemnation except
to give the rest Of my life personally to
the actual physical and soul needs OF
the wretched people in the worst part
of this city"
The bishop had risen now and walked
over to the window. The street in front
Of the house was as light ss day. and
he looked ont at the crowds passing,
then turned. and. with passionate ut
terance that showed how deep the vol
canic fire in him burned, he exclaimed:
"Calvin, this is q terrible city in
which we live. Its misery. its sin, its
seiishness. appall my heart, and have
struggled for years with the sickening
dread of tho time when l should be
forced to leave the pleasant luxury of
my official position to put my life into
contact with the modern paganism OF
this century. The awful condition of
the girls in the great department stores.
the brutal selishnees Of the insolent 80
! ciety. fashion and wealth that ignores
all the sorrows of the city, the fearful
curse of the drink and gambling hell,
the wall Of the unemployed, the hatred
Of the church by countless men who see
in the church only great piles Of costly
stone and upholstered furniture and the
minister as a luxurious idler, all the
vast tumult Of this vast torrent Of hu-
manity with its false and its true ideas,
its exaggeration Of evils in the church
and its bitterness and shame that are
the result of many complex causes-all
this as q total fact, in its contrast with
the easy comfortable life have lived.
fills me more and more with sense OF
|. mingled terror and self accusation. !
have heard the words Of Jesus many
times lately. 'Inasmuch as ye did it not
unto one of these least, my brethren,
We did it not to me- And when have !
personally visited the prisoner or the
desperate or the sinful in any way that
has actually caused me suffering !
Rather l have followed the conven-
tional, soft habits Of my position and
have lived in the society Of the rich.
refined. aristocratic members Of my con-
gregations. Where has the suffering
come inf What have suffered for
Jesus sakes Do you know. Calvin
the bishop turned abruptly toward his
friend-"I have been tempted OF late
to lash myself with scourge. If l had
lived in Martin Luther's time, / would
have barred my back to o self inflicted
torture"
DR.. Bruce was very pale. Never had
he seen the bishop or heard him when
under the influence Of such passion.
There was sudden silence in the room.
The bishop had sat down again and
bowed his head DR.. Bruce spoke at last:
Edward. ! do not need to say that
you have expressed my feelings also. ]
have been in a similar position for