Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1900-02-09

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walking ~ ought to walk in his steps
In this action judge no otapr rlil..a
tiers and pass 40 criticism Oh othrrs
discipleship, hat | feel as you do Ito
a closer contact with The sin ana shane
and degradation Of this greet city i
must come personally. and / know that
10 do that | must sever my immediate
connection with Nazareth Avenue
church | do not see amy other way for
myself To suffer for his sake ~ / feel
that | ought - suffice
Again that sudden silcnco fell over
.lcse TWO men It wac uo ordinary ac-
ton they were deciding They had both
reached the same conclusion 10y She
same reasoning, and they were too
thoughtful too well accustomed To the
measuring Of conduct, 10 undore. innate
the seriousness of their position
"What is your Flan?" The bishop IT
last spoke gently, looking mp with his
smile that always bcautiGed his face
The bishops face grew in glory now
every day
My plan, replied DR.. Bruce slowly,
sis in brief, the putting of myself into
the center OF the greatest human need
| can find in this city and living there
My wife is fully in accord with me
We have already decided TO find Il resi-
dence in that part of the city where we
can make our personal lives count for
the most.
Let me suggest a place. " The bishop
was on fire now. His fine face actually
glowd with the enthusiasm of the
movement in which he and his friend
were inevitably embarked He went on
and unfolded plan OF such farreaching
power and possibility that DR.. Bruce
capable and experienced rs he was felt
amazed at the vision Of greater soul
than his own.
They sat up late and were as eager
and even glad as if they were planning
for trip together 10 some rare land Of
unexplorcd travel Indeed the bishop
said many times aiterward that the
moment his decision was reached to live
the life of personal sacrifice he had
chosen he suddenly folt an uplifting, rs
if great burden WAS taken from him
He was exultant. so was DR. Bruce
from the same cause
Their plan "a il finally grew into n
workable fact Was "a I,-L,., Lo.A.-,
more than the renting Of Il large build
in formerly used a., = ,,...,..o,;.,, a.
brewery, reconstructlng II ana living
in it themselves in the vcfy heart ot
territory where the saloon ruled with
power. where the tenement was its
flthiest. where vice and ignorance and
shame and poverty were congested into
hidcous forms. 1t was not now idea
II was an idea started ny Jesus Ct rist
when he left his Father house and for
sock the riches that were his in order
TO get nearer humanity and by bccom-
ing part Of its sin, help T. draw In
manity apart from its sin. The uniVor.
sity settlement idea Is not modern. 1t is
as old as Bethlehem and Nazareth. and
in this particular case il was the near.
est approach 10 anything that would
satisfy the hunger of these two men to
suffer for Christ There had sprung up
in them at the Same time Il longing that
amounted TO a passion TO get nearer the
great phys!All poverty and spiritual
restitution of the mighty city that
throbbad around them How could thoy
do this except as they became a part
Of it, as nearly as one man can become
a part Of another : misery Where was
the suffering 10 come in unless there
was an actual self denial of some sortr
And what was TO make that self denial
apparent to themselves or any one else
unless il took this concrete actual per
sonal form of trying to share the deep
est suffering and sin Of the city,
So they reasoned for themselves, not
judging others. They were simply keep
ing their own pledge to do a. Jesus
would do. d. they honestly judged he
would do. That was what they had
promised. low could they quarrel with
the rcsult2 They were iyrosistibly com
pcllcd 20 do Whist they were planning
TO do
The bishop had money of his own
Every one in Chicago knew that the
bishop had handsome fortune DR.
Bruce had acquired and saved by liter
III WI tsl ! lttl Oll III N'llllf'N lADll W III
his parish duties more than comforta
BILE competence This money, large
part of il the two FRIENDS agreed to pat
at once into the work mott Of it INTO
the furnishing OF a .sttls1iont house
Meanwhile Nazareth Avenue church
was experiencing something never
known before in all Its history The
simple appeal on the part Of its pastor
to lis mcabes ~ 4s.s.,s ve.ld 90
had created u sensation that still con.
tinued The result of that appeal was
very much the same rs in Henry Max
well ! church in Raymond, only Na2a
reth Avenue church was far more arts
tocratic, wealthy and conventional
Nevertheless when one Sunday morn
ing in early summer DIR Bruce came
into his pulpit and announced his resig
nation the sensation deepened all over
the city, although w. Srace had al
vised with his board Of trustees. and the
movement ne INTENDED was not a mat
ter of surprise To them
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