Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-10-19
THE BURI INGTON FREE PRESS THURSDAY OCTOBER

"What would be the result if all tho
church members of this city tried to do
as Jesus would do? II is not possible to
say in detail what the effect would be,
but it is easy to say, and it is true, that
instantly the human problem would be-
| gin to find an adequate answer.
| ''What is the test of Christian disci-
! pleship2 Is it not the same as in Christ's
own lifetime? Have our surroundings
modified or changed the test If Jesus
were here today, would he not call some
Of the members Of this very church to
do just what he commanded the young
man and ask him to give up his wealth
and literally follow him2 | believe no
would do that if he felt certain that
any church member thought more of
his possessions than of his Saviour. The
test would be the same today as then.
/ believe Jesus would demand, he does
demand now, as close a following, as
much suffering, as great self denial, as
when he lived in person on the earth
and said, Except man renounceth all
that he hath, he cannot be my disciple
that is, unless he is willing to do it
for my sake he cannot be my disciple.
"What would be the result if in this
city every church member should begin
to do as Jesus would do? 1t is not easy
60 go into details of the result, but we
all know that certain things would be
impossible that are now practiced by
church members. What would Jesus do
i'll the matter of wealth. How would
he spend itY What principle would reg
ulate his use of money? Would he be
likely to live in great luxury and spend
ten times rs much on personal adorn-
ment and entertainment as he spent to
relieve the needs of suffering humanity
How would Jesus be governed in the
making of money! Would he take rent
ais from saloon and other disreputable
property or even from tenement prop
erty that was so constructed that the
inmates had no such thing as home
and no such possibility as privacy or
cleanliness?
"What would Jesus do about the
great army of unemployed and desper-
ate who tramp the streets and curse
the church or are indifferent to it, lost
in tho bitter struggle for the bread that
|
count Of the desperate conflict to get it :?
Would Jesus care nothing for them2
Would he go his way in comparative
case and comfort? Would he say it was
none of his business Would he excuse
himself from all responsibility to remove
the causes Of such condition?
"What would Jesus do in the center
of civilization THAT hurries so fast
after money that the very girls en-
ployed in great business houses are not
paid enough to keep soul and body to-
gethcr without fearful temptations, so
great that scores of them fall and are
swept over the great, boiling abyss
where the demands of trade sacrifice
hundreds of lads in a business that ig-
nOres all Christian duties toward them
III the way of education and moral
training and personal affection? Would
Jesus if he were here today, a. a part
of our age and commercial industry,
feel nothing, do nothing, say nothing,
in the face of these facts which every
business man knOws2
What would Jesus do? Is not that
what the disciple ought to do? Is he
not commanded to follow in his steps
How much is the Christianity of the
age suffering for him1 Is it denying it
self at the cost of ease, comfort, luxury,
, elegance of living? What does the age
need more than personal sacrifice' Does
the church do its duty in following
Jesus when it gives a little money to
, establish missions or relieve extreme
cases of want? Is it any sacrifice for a
, man who is worth $40, 600, 600 simply
, to give 10000 for some benevolent
work. Is he not giving something that
E costs him practically nothing, so far as
any personal pain or suffering goes? |,
it true that the Christian disciples to-
day in most of our churches are living
soft, easy, selfish lives, very far from
, any sacrifice that can be called sacrifice
, What would Jesus do?
1T is the personal element that
Christian discipleship needs to empha
q size. The gift without the giver il
bare The Christianity that attempts
, to suffer by proxy is not the Christian
! ity of Christ. Each individual Chris
. tian, business man. citizen, needs t.
a follow in his steps along the path o
, personal sacrifice for him. There is no
, "A different path today from that o
. Jesus own times. 1t is the same path
: The call of this dying century and o
:, the new one soon TO be is called for
, new discipleship. new fellowship o
Jesus more like the early, simple, apps
tolic Christianity when the disciple
. left all and Literally followed the Mas
: ter. Nothing but a discipleship of thi
kind can face the destructive selfishnes
h of the age with any hope of overcoming
= it. There is a great quantity of nom
- inal Christianity today. There is nee'
of more of the real kind We need
, revival of the Christianity of Christ
- We have, uncOnsciously, lazily, selfish
!, ly, formally, grown into a discipleshi1
= that Jesus himself would not acknowl
:, edge. He would say to many Of II
:, when we cry, Lord, Lord, Il neve
knew you. Are we ready to take II
!, the cross? Is it possible for this churcl
! to sing with exact truth:
N "Josus, | my have taken,
All to leave and follow thee?
v ''If we can sing that truly, rnen "
IS may claim discipleship, bnt if our def
q. milton of being n Christian is simply I