The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-09-05

long time he had carefully written out
every word Of his morning sermon and
nearly always his evening discourse as
we'll. 1t cannot be said that his sermon
this morning was very striking or inn
pressive. He talked with considerable
hesitation. 1t was evident that some
great idea struggled in his thought for
utterance, but it was not expressed in
the theme he had chosen for his preach
ing. 1t was near the close of his sermon
that he began to gather a certain
strength that had been painfully lack
ing at the beginning. He closed the
Bible, and. stepping out at the side of
the desk, he faced his people and began
scene of the week before.
"Our NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the words
sounded a little strange coming from
Henry Maxwell's lips-"passed away
this morning. l have not yet had time
to learn all his history. He had one sis
ter living in Chicago. l have written
her and have not yet received an an
swer. His little girl is with us and will
remain for the time"
He paused and looked over the house.
He thought he had never seen so many
earnest faces during the entire pastor
ate. He was not able yet to tell his peo-
pie his experiences, the crisis through
which he was even now moving, but
something of his feeling passed from
him to them, and it did not seem to
him that he was acting under a careless
impulse at all to go on and break to
them this morning something of the
message he bore in his heart. So he
went on:
"The appearance and words of this
stranger in the church last Sunday
made a very powerful impression on
me-. l am not able to conceal from you
or myself the fact chat what he said,
followed, as it has been, by his death
in my house, has compelled Inc to ask
as l never asked before, What does fol-
lowing Jesus mean?' I am not in a po-
sltlon yet to utter any condemnation
OF this people OF, to a certain extent, of
myself, either in our Christlike rela-
tions to this man OF the number he rep
resents in the world. But all that does
not prevent me from feeling that much
that the man said was so vitality true
that we must face it in an attempt to
answer it or else stand condemned as
Christian disciples. A good deal that
was said here last Sunday was in the
nature of a challenge to Christianity as
1T is seen and felt in our churches. l
nave felt this with increasing emphasis
Qyyorv dow cSroo Orl I A. so 1..z-.
that any time is more appropriate than
the present for me to propose a plan or
a purpose which has been forming in
my mind as a satisfactory reply to
much that was said here last Sunday"
Again Henry Maxwell paused and
looked into the faces of his people.
There We're some strong, earnest men
and women in the First church. The
minister could see Edward Norman.
editor Of the Raymond Daily News. He
had been a member of First church for
ten years. No man was more honored
in the community. There was Alexan-
der Powers, superintendent Of the rail
road shops. There was Donald Marsh.
president of Lincoln college, situated in
the suburbs of Raymond. There was
Milton Wright, one of the great mer-
chants of Raymond, having in his en-
ploy at least 100 men in various shops
There was DIR. West. who, although
still comparatively young, was quoted
as authority in special surgical cases.
There was young Jasper Chase, the
author, who had written one successful
book and was said to be at work on a
new novel. There was Miss Virginia
Page, the heiress. who through the re-
cent death of her father had inherited
a million at least and was gifted with
unusual attractions of person and in
tellect. And, not least of all, Rachel
Wlnslow from her seat in the choir
! glowed with her peculiar beauty of
I light this morning because she was so
intensely interested in the whole scene.
There was some reason perhaps, in
view OF such material in the First
church. for Henry Maxwell's feeling of
satisfaction whenever he considered his
parish as he had the previous Sunday.
There was a large number of strong i'm
dividual characters who claimed mem
bership there. But as he noted their
faces this morning Henry Maxwell was
simply wondering how many Of them
would respond to the strange PROPOSE
ton he vas about to make. He on
tinued slowly. taking time to choose
his words carefully and giving the peo-
pie an impression they had never felt
before, even when he was at his best.
with his most dramatic delivery.
"What l am going to propose now is
something which ought not to appear
unusual or at all impossible of execu-
ton. yet l am aware that it will be so
regarded by a large number perhaps Of
the members of the church. But. in
order that we may have a thorough
understanding of what we are consid-
ering, l will put my proposition very
plainly, perhaps bluntly. l want volun-
teers from the First church who will
pledge themselves earnestly and honest
ly for an entire year not to do anything
without first asking the question,
What would Jesus dor And after ask
ing that question each one will follow