Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-11-11

Would he go his way in comparative
ease and comfort3 Would he say it was
none of his businesss Would he excuse
himself from all responsibility to remove
the causes Of such conditionf
"What would Jesus do in the center
of civilization that hurries 50 fast
after money that the very girls en-
ployed in great business houses are not
paid enough to keep soul and body to-
gether 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 business that ig-
nores all Christian duties toward them
in the way Of education and moral
training and personal affection? Would
Jesus If he were here today. as a part
of our age and commercial industry.
feel nothing, do nothing. say nothing.
in the face Of these facts. which every
business man knowsf
"What would Jesus dof Is not that
what the disciple ought to doH Is he
not commanded to follow in his stepst
How much is the Christianity Of the
age suffering for himf Is it denying it.
self at the cost Of ease, comfort. luxury.
elegance of Gvingf What does the age
need more than personal sacrifcef Does
the church do its duty in following
Jesus when it gives little money to
establish missions or relieve extreme
cases of wantH Is it any sacrifice for g.
man who is worth $40. 900, 600 simply
to give $4,000 for some benevolent
work3 Is he not giving something that
costs him practically nothing. so far as
any personal pain or suffering goesf Is
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 sacrifce'
What would Jesus doH
'It is the personal element that
Christian discipleship needs to empha-
size. The gift without the giver is
bare. The Christianity that attempts
to suffer by proxy is not the Christian
ity Of Christ Each individual Chris
tian. business man. citizen. needs to
follow in his steps along the path OF
personal sacrifice for him. There is not
a different path today from that OF
Jesus own times It is the same path.
The call Of this dying century and OF
the new one soon to be is called for
new discipleship. new fellowship OF
Jesus. more like the early. simple, apos-
tolic Christianity when the disciples
left all and literally followed the Mas.
ter. Nothing but discipleship Of this
kind can face the destructive sel6shnesa
of the age with any hope Of overcoming
it. There is great quantity Of nom.
inal Christianity today. There is need
of more Of the real kind We need
revival Of the Christianity Of Christ
We have. unconsciously. lazily, selfish
ly. formally. grown into discipleship
that Jesus himself would not acknowl.
edge. He would say to many Of ua
when we cry. Lord. Lord. I never
knew you. Are we ready to take up
the crossa Is it possible for this church
to sing with exact truth
"Jesus. ! my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow theef
IF we can sing that truly. then we
may claim discipleship. but if our def
milton of being Christian is simply to
enjoy the privileges of worship. be gen.
erous at no expense to ourselves. have
a good. easy time. surrounded by pleas.
ant friends and by comfortable things.
live respectfully and at the same time
avoid the worlds great stress of sin and
trouble because it is too much pain to
bear it-if this is our definition OF
Christianity. surely we are long way
from following the steps of him who
trod the way with groans and tears and
sobs of anguish for lost humanity;
who sweat. as it were. great drops OF
blood: who cried out on the upreared
cross. My God. my God. why hast thou
forsaken me3'
"Are we ready to make and live
new discipleshipf Are we ready to re-
consider our definition of Christianl
What is it to be Christian1 It is to
initiate Jesus. It is to do as he would
do. It is to walk in his steps"
When Henry Maxwell finished his
sermon. he paused and looked at the
people with a look they never forgot
and at the moment did not understand
Crowded into that fashionable church
that day were hundreds Of men and
women who had for years lived the
easy. satisfied life Of nominal Chris
tianity. "A great silence fell over the
congregation. Through the silence there
came to the consciousness Of all the
souls there present knowledge. stran-
ger to them now TO years. Of Divine
power. Every one 1pected the preacher
to call for volunteers who would do as
Jesus would do. but Henry Maxwell
had been led by the Spirit to deliver
his message this time and wait for re-
suits to come.
He closed the service with a tender
prayer that kept the Divine presence
lingering very near every hearer. and
the people slowly rose to 90 out
Then followed q scene that would
have been impossible If any mere man
had been alone in his striving for TO