Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-03-19
In HIS STEPS.
"What Would Jesus DO?"
By CHARLES NJ. SHELDON.

the lecture room as on the two prev1Ou:
Sundays He had asked all to remain
who had made the pledge of disciple
ship and any others who wished to be
included. The after service seemed now
to be a necessity. As he went in and
faced the people there his heart trem-
bled. There were at least 200 present.
The Holy Spirit was never so manifest.
He missed Jasper Chase, but all the
others were present. He asked Milton
Wright to pray The very air was
charged with divine possibilities What
could resist such baptism of power
How had they lived all these years
without it?
They counseled together, and there
were many prayers. Henry Maxwell
dated from that meeting some of the
serious events that afterward became a
part of the history of the First church
of Raymond. When finally they went
home, all of them were impressed with
the joy of the Spirits power.
Donald Marsh, president of Lincoln
college, walked home with Henry Max
well.
81 have reached one consclusion,
Maxwell, - said Marsh, speaking slow
ly. Il have found my cross, and it is a
heavy one, but shall never be satisfied
until l take it up and carry it. -
Maxwell was silent, and the presi-
dent went on:
''Your sermon today made clear to
me what I have long been feeling
ought to do. What would Jesus do in
Mo 1oO
repeatedly since [ made my promise. I
have tried to satisfy myself that he
would simply go on, as l have done, at
tending to the duties of my college,
teaching the classes in ethics and phi
losophy. But l have not been able to
avoid the feeling that he would do
something more. That something is
what l do not want to do. 1t will cause
me genuine suffering to do it. I dread
it with all my soul. You may be able
to guess what it is.
Yes; think 1 know" Henry Max
well replied. ''It is my cross too.
would almost rather do anything else. -
Donald Marsh looked surprised, then
relieved. Then he spoke sadly, but
with great conviction:
class of professional men who have al
ways avoided the duties of citizenship.
We have lived in a little world of schol
arly seclusion, doing work we have en-
joyed and shrinking from the disagree
able duties that belong to the life of
the citizen. | confess with shame that
have purposely avoided the response
bility that l owe to this city personally.
/ understand that our city officials are
corrupt, unprincipled set of men,
controlled in large part by the whisky
element, and thoroughly selfish, so far
as the affairs of city government are
concerned Yet all these years [, with
nearly every teacher in the college, have
been satisfied to let other men run the
municipality and have lived in little
world of my own, out of touch and
sympathy with the real world of the
people. What would Jesus do?' I have
tried even to avoid an honest answer.
I can no longer do so. My plain duty is
to take a personal part in this coming
ELECTION, go to the primaries, throw the
weight of my influence, whatever it is,
toward the nomination and election of
good men and plunge into the very
depths of this entire horrible whirlpool
of deceit, bribery, political trickery and
saloonism as it exists in Raymond to-
day. / would sooner walk up to the
mouth of a cannon any time than do
this. dread it because hate the touch
of the whole matter.
81 would give almost anything to be
able to say, Il do not believe Jesus
would do anything of the sort, but I
am more and more persuaded that he
would. This is where the suffering
comes to me. 1t would not hurt me
half so much to lose my position or my
home. 1 loathe the contact with this
municipal problem. / would much pre-
fer to remain quietly in my scholastic
life with my classes in ethics and phi
|losophy, but the call has come so plain
ly that / cannot escape: Donald Marsh,
Follow me. Do your duty as a citizen of
Raymond at the point where your citi-
zenship will cost you something. Help
to cleanse this great municipal stable,
even if you do have to soil your arts
tocratic feelings little. Maxwell, this
is my cross. l must take it up or deny
my Lord. -
"You have spoken for me also," re-
piled Maxwell, with sad smile. "Why
Should I, simply because am clergy
man, shelter myself behind my refined,
sensitive feelings and, like a coward,
refuse to touch, except in a sermon pos
sibly, the duty of citizenship? 1 am I'M
used to the ways of the political life of
|the city. 1 have never taken an active
part in any nomination of good men.
There are hundreds of ministers like
ne- As class we do not practice in
lthe municipal life the duties and privi-
&eges we preach from the pulpit. What
would Jesus do? 1 am now at a point
where, like you, am driven to answer