Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-09

man who IL worth $4,000. 200 simply
TO give $4,000 for some benevolent
work. In he not giving something that
costs him practically nothing. 80 far rs
any personal pain or suffering gOcai Is
II true that the Christian disciples to-
day In most Of our churches are living
eoft. easy, selfish lives. very far from
any sacrifice that can be called eacri-
feet What would Jesus dor
at IL the personal element that
Christian discipleahlp needs To cmphn-
size. The Rift without the River IN
bare The Christianity that attempts
TO suffer by proxy u not the Christian
ity 81 Christ. Each Individual Chris
tlan. business man, citizen, needs TO
follow In His steps along the path Of
personal sacrifice for Him. There IL not
a different path today from that OF
Jesus own times. II Ia the same path.
The call OF this dying century and Of
the new one soon TO be- IN called for q
new dlrclplushlp, q new fellowship OF
tollc Christianity when the disciples
left all and literally followed the Mas
ter. Nothing but disciplcahip Of this
Kind can face the destructive eelnahncss
OF the ngc with any hope OF overcoming
II. There II q great quantity Of nom.
i-al Christianity today. There II need
Of more OF the renl kind We need "a
revival 81 the Christianity Of Christ
We have. unconsciously, lnzlly. SELFISH
~, formally. grown into dlsclplcship
that Jesus Himself would not ncknowl-
edge. He would say TO many OF us
when we cry, Lord. Lord I never
knew YOU Are We ready 10 take up
the crorsg IL II possible for this church
to sing with exact truth;
Jesus. ! my cross have taken.
All 10 leave and follow thccf
III We can sing that truly, then we
may claim discipicshlp. hut II our def
milton Of being q Christian II simply To
enjoy the privileges % worship. h. gen
crous at no expense to oufselva, have
q good. easy time. surrounded by pleas
ant friends and by comfortable thinga.
live respectfully and NJ the Hamo time
avoid the worlds great stress Of sin and
trouble because II IN too much pain 10
bear ii-lf this II our definition OF
Christianity, surely we are "a long way
from following the steps Of Him who
trod the way with groans ana tears and
sObs of anguish for a lost humanity!
who sweat. ~ II were, great drops ot
blood, who cried out on the uprcnrod
cross. My God, my God. why hast thou
forankcn NOR
Are We ready to make and live n
new dlHciplcshipf Are We ready TO re-
consider our definition u "a Christian
What N IL to be "a Christian II IL to
initiate Jesus. II " to do NJ He would
do. II Is to walk In his stcpa."
when Henry Maxwell finished his
sermon. he paused and looked at the
people with look they never fotgot
ana at the moment did not understand.
Crowded into the fashionable church
that day We're hundreds of men and
women who had for years lived the
easy. satisfied life " nominal chris
tinnlty. \ great silence Ten over the
congregation. Through the silence there
sau mo 10. hH lad al Ia
souls there present q knowledge. stran-
ger to them now for years, OF u divine
power Every one expected the preacher
to call FOR volunteers who would do ~
Jesus would do. but Henry Maxwell
had been led by the Spirit 10 deliver
his message this time ana walt for re-
suits to come.
lie closed the service with tender
prayer that kept the divine presence
lingering very near every heart, and
the people slowly rose TO 40 out.
Then followed scene that would
have been impossible n any mere man
had been alone IN his striving for re-
suits.
Men and women IN great numbers
crowded around the platform to see
Horny Maxwell and to bring him the
promise OF their conAccrntion To the
pledge 60 do aa Jesus would dc. II
was q voluntary, spontaneous move,
with result he could not measure. But
had he not been praying for this very
thing? II was nm answer that more
than met his desires.
There followed this movement a
prayer service that In Its impreasloni
repeated the Raymond experience. "
the evening. To MnNweifs intense JOY
the Endcavor society. almost 10 mem
b.r. came forward, a. 10 many OF III,
church members had done In the morn
Ing, and seriously. Noicmnly. tcndcrly
took the pledge to do ns Jesus would
| do 4 deep wave Of spiritual baptism
broke over the meeting near Its close
| that was indcscrbnblc In Its tender
| joyful, sympathetic results.
That was u remarkable day In the
| history OF that church. hut even NOR,
| ~ In the history Of Henry Maxwell. II,
left the meeting very late. lie went "a
| his room nj the settlement. where h,
| was stlll stopping, and after an houi
| with the bishop and DR.. Bruce, spent M
joyful rehearsal of the wonderful
| events Of the day. he sat down to think
| over again by himself all the cNperlcnc,
| he was having aH Christian disciple.
He kncclcd TO pray. M he always did
now. before going To sleep, and II wai
| while he was on his knees this night
that he had waking vision Of what
| might b. In the world when once the
| new dlaciplcship had made It's way Int
the conscience and consciousness Of
| Chrlstcndom. lie was fully conscious OF
being awake, but no less certainly did
| ID seem To him that he saw certain re-
| suits with great dlstlnctnesa, partly as
| realities of the future, parity rs great
/ longlrgs that they might b. realities
| and this IN what Henry Maxwell saw In
| this waking vision;
| He saw himself first going back 20 tn,
| First church In Raymond, living Their,
| In a simpler. more self denying fashion
| than he had yet been willing to observe