St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-12-13
IN HIS STEPS.
WHAT WOULD JESUS Do"
BY CHARLES NJ. SHELDON.


When DR.. Bruce walked out Of the
room at the rear of the platform and
went up to the pulpit to open the Bible,
as his custom was, those who knew
him best did not detect anything I'M
usual in his manner or his expression
He proceeded with the service as usual
He was calm, and his voice was steady
and firm. His prayer was the first init
nation the people had of anything new
or strange in the service 1t is safe to
say that the Nazareth Avenue church
had no: heard DR.. Bruce offer such a
prayer during the ~ years he had been
pastor there How would minister be
likely to pray who had come out of a
revolution in Christian feeling that had
completely changed his definition Of
what was meant by following Jesus?
No one in Nazareth Avenue church had
any idea that the Rev. Calvin Bruce,
D. D., the dignifed cultured, refined
doctor Of divinity, had within a few
days beea crying like little child, on
his knees, asking for strength and cour-
age and Christlikeness to speak his Sun
day message and yet the prayer was an
unconscious, involuntary disclosure of
the souls experience such as Nazareth
Avenue people seldom heard and never
before from that pulpit.
In the hush that succeeded the prayer
a distinct wave of spiritual power
moved over the congregation. The most
careless persons in the church felt it.
Felicia whose sensitive religious nature
responded swiftly to every touch OF
emotion. quivered under the passing of
that supernatural power and when she
lifted her head and looked up at the
minister there was look in her eyes
that announced her intense, eager an
ticipation of the scene that was to fol-
low
And she was not alone in her atti-
tude There was something in the
prayer and the result of it that stirred
many and many disciple in Nazareth
Avenue church All over the house men
and women leaned forward, and when
DR. Bruce began to speak of his visit to
Raymond in the opening sentences of
his address. which this morning pre-
coded his sermon, there was an answer
ing response in the church that came
back to him as he spoke and thrilled
him with the hope of a spiritual bap-
tism such as he had never during all
his ministry experienced
81 am just back from visit to Ray
mond, DR. Bruce began. land | want
to tell you something Of my impressions
of the movement there.
He paused and his look went over
his people with yearning for them and
at the same time with great uncer-
tainty at his heart How many of his
rich. fashionable, refined, luxury loving
members would understand the nature
of the appeal he was soon to make to
themf He was altogether in the dark
as to that Nevertheless he had been
through his desert and had come out of
it ready to suffer He went on now aft
er that brief pause and told the story
of his stay in Raymond. The people al
ready knew something Of that expert
ment in the First church The whole
country had watched the progress Of
the pledge as it had become history il
go many lives. Henry Maxwell had al
last decided that the time had come to
seek the fellowship of other churches
throughout the country. The new dis
cipleship in Raymond had proved to b.
so valuable in its results that Henry
Maxwell wished the church in genera
to share with the disciples in Ray
mond Already there had begun vol
unteer movement in many of tn,
churches throughout the country, act
ing on their own desire to walk close
in the steps of Jesus. The Christian
Endeavor societies had with enthusiasm
in many churches taken the pledge t.
do as Jesus would do, and the result
was already marked in deeper spir
itual life and a power in church inhu
ence that was like new birth for tn
members.
All this Dr. Bruce told his peopl
simply and with personal interest tina
evidently led the way to his announce
ment, which now followed Felicia hal
listened to every word with straine
attention. She sat there by the side O
Rose in contrast like fire beside snow
although even Rose was as alert am
excited as she could be-
Dear friends he said, and for tn
first time since his prayer the emotio
of the occasion was revealed in hi
voice and gesture. 81 am going to as
that Nazareth Avenue church take tn
same pledge that Raymond church ha
taken. know what this will mean t
you and me. It will mean the complet
change Of very many habits. 1t wi
mean possibly social loss. 1t will mea
very probably in many cases loss c
money. 1t will mean suffering. 1t wi
mean what following Jesus meant i
the first century, and then it mean
suffering, loss. hardship. separatio
from every thing un-Christian. Blu
what does following Jesus meanf TIL
test of discipleship is the same now g
then. Those of you who volunteer /
the Nazareth Avenue church to do 6
Jesus would do simply promise to wal
in his steps, as he gave us command
ment.
Again Rev. Calvin Bruce, pastor {
Nazareth Avenue church, paused, an
now the result of his announcement