The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-01-25
IcoNTINUED.l
..W6as Is the test Of Christian disci.

mOdlhed or changed the teStT Af Jesus
were here today. would he not call some
Of the members of this very church to
do inst what he commanded the young
man and ask him to give up his wealth
and literally follow himf I believe he
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.
I believe Jesus would demand. he does
demand now, as close following, as
much suffering as great self denial, as
when he lived in person on the earth
and said. Except a man renounceth all
that he hath, he cannot be my disciple
that is unless he is willing to do il
for my sake he cannot be my disciple.
"Wbat would be the result if in this
city every church member should begin
to 10 ..s Jesus would dor 1t is not easy
" 90 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 dc
in the matter Of wealth. How would
he spend it? What principle would reg.
ulate his use of money! Would he be
likely to live in great luxury and spend
ten times as much on personal adorn.
ment and entertainment as he spent tC
relieve the needs Of suffering humanity
How would Jesus be governed in the
making Of money! Would he take rent,
als from saloon and other disreputable
property or even from tenement prop
erty that was 30 constructed that the
inmates had no such thing as home
and no such possibility as privacy OF
cleanlinessS
''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 the bitter struggle for the bread that
tastes bitter when it is earned, on &C.
count Of the desperate conflict to get it
Weuld Jesus care nothing for them
Would he 90 his way in comparative
ease and comforti Would he say 1t was
none of his businessi Would he excuse
himself from all responsibility to remove
the causes Of such Q conditionf
"What would Jesus do in the center
Of . civilization that hurries 80 fast
after money that the very girls en-
ployed in great business houses are NOT
paid enough to keep soul and body to-
gethsr without fearful temptations, %
great that scores Of them fall and are
swept over ths 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 affectioni 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 knowsi
"What would Jesus dos Is not that
what the disciple ought to dof Is he
not commanded to follow in his steps
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 livingi What does the age
need more than personal sacrifice3 Does
the church do its duty in following
Jesus when it gives a little money to
establish missions or relieve extreme
cases Of wantf Is 1t any sacrifice for a
man who is worth 10000. 900 simply
to give $4,000 for some benevolent
worki Is he not giving something that
costs him practically nothing. 80 far as
any personal pain or suffering goes? 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 sacrifice ?
What would Jesus dot
'It is the personal element that
Christian discipleship needs to empha-
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 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. Il is the same path.
The call Of this dying century and Of
the new one soon to be is called for .
now discipleship. q 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 selfishness
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 o
revival Of the Christianity Of Christ.
We have, unconsciously, lszily, selfish
ly, formally, grown into discipleship
that Jesus himself would not acknowl-
edge he would cay to many of us
when we cry. Lord, Lord 4 never
knew you Are we ready to take up
the crossf Is it possible for this church
to sing with exact truth:
"Jesus, my cros have taken.
All to leave and follow theei
IF We can sing that truly, then We
may claim discipleship, but II our def
milton Of being Christian is simply to
enjoy the privileges Of worship, be gem