The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1900-04-25


gave up! And then TO think of how
little his church is doing to obey his
last command to 90 and disciple the
nationsw
Philip went back through the av-
enue on which the churches stood.
When he reached Calvary church. he
went up on the steps, and, obeying an
instant impulse. he kneelcd down on
the upper step and prayed. Great
sobs shook him. They were sobs with
out tcars-sObs that were articulate
here and there with groans Of anguish
and desire. He prayed for his loved
church. for the wretched beings in the
hell Of torment, without God and with
out hope IN the world, for the spirit Of
Christ TO come again into the heart of
the church and teach it the meaning
and extent OF sacrifice.
When the cventful Sunday came be
faced the usual immense concourse.
He did not come out Of the little room
until the last moment When ne final
ly appeared. his face bore marks of
tears. st last they had flowed as a re-
lief TO bis burden, and he gave the peo-
pie his message with a courage aud
see aud love born Of direct COM
o. l'on with the Spirit Of Truth.
As he went on people began TO listen
In amazement lie had begun by Civ
ing them statement Of facts concern
ing the sinful, needy. desperate con-
ditlou Of life in the place. He then
rapidly sEctchod the contrast between
the surroundings Of the Christian and
non-Christian people, between the
workingmen and the church members.
disciples Of Jesus" he exclaimed,
"the time has come when our Master
demands of us some token of our dis
cpleship greater than the giving of
little money or the giving Of n little
work and time TO the solution of the
great problem of modern society and
Of our own city. The time has come
whr0 we must give ourselves. The
time has come when we must re-
nounce, If it is best, If Christ asks It,
the things we have so long counted
dear-the money, the luxury, the
houses-and go down into the tene-
ment district, to live there and work
there with the people. | do not wish
TO be misunderstood here. do not be-
lieve our modern civilization is an alb
surdlty. / do not believe Christ If he
were here today would demand of us
foolish things. But this l do believe
he would require-ourselves. We must
give ourselves I'm some way that will
mean real, genuine, downright and de-
clded self sacrifice. If Christ were
here he would say to some Of you, as
he said to the young man, Sell all you
J. have and give to the poor, and come,
follow me- And II you were unwill-
ing to do 1t he would say you could not
be his disciples. The test of disciple
ship is the same now as then; the price
is no less on account of the lapse of
1000 years Eternal life Is something
which has only one price, and that is
the same always. Members Of Calvary
church, solemnly believe the time
| has come when IL is our duty to go into
| the tenement district and redeem II by
| the power of personal sacrifice and
personal presence. Nothing less will
answer. To accomplish this great task
to bring back to God this great part Of
his kingdom, l believe we ought to
spend our time, our money, ourselves.
1t is a sin for us to live at our pleasant
ease, in enjoyment Of all good things,
while men and women and children by
the thousand are dying, body and soul,
before our very eyes In need of the
blessings of Christian civilization In
our power to share with them. We
cannot say 1t is not our business. We
cannot excuse ourselves on the plea
of our own business. This is our first
business, to love God and man with all
our might.
This problem before us calls for all
our Christian discipleship. Every heart
In this church should cry out this day,
Lord, what wilt thou have me to dor
And each soul must follow the COM
mands that he honestly hears. Out Of
the depths Of the black abyss Of hui
man want and sin and despair and an
guish and rebellion in this place and
over the world rings In my ear a cry
for help that by the grace OF God /
' truly believe cannot he answered nv