The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-01-16
IN HIS STEPS.
"What Would Jesus Do?"
, By CHARLES M. SHELDON.

: By CHARLES Nj. SHELDON.
copyrighted and published in book form by
the Advance Publishing Co. of Chicago
The bishop said to himself thatnight
while Rachel was singing that if the
world of sinful, diseased, depraved, lost
humanity could only have the gospel
preached to it by consecrated prima
donnas and professional tenors and altos
and bassos he believed it would hasten
the coming of the kingdom quicker
than any other one force. "Why, oh,
Why" he cried in his heart as he lis
| tened, "has the world 8 great treasurein
song been SO often held far from the
poor because the personal possessor of
voice or fingers capable Of stirring di-
vinest melody has SO often regarded the
gift as something with which to make
money? Shall there be no martyrs
among the gifted ones of the earth7
Shall there be no giving Of this great
gift as well as of others2"
And Henry Maxwell again, as before,
called up that other audience at the
| Rectangle, with increasing longing for
a larger spread of the new discipleship.
What he had seen and heard at the set
Element burned into him deeper the be-
lief that the problem of the city would
be solved if the Christians in it should
once follow Jesus as he gave command
ment But what of this great mass Of
humanity, neglected and sinful, the
very kind of humanity the Saviour
came to save with all it's mistakes and
narrowness, its Indebtedness and loss
of hope-above all, its unqualified bit
terness toward the church? That was
what smote Henry Maxwell deepest.
\ Was the church, then, SO far from the
Master that the people no longer found
him in the church? Was it true that
the church had lost it's power over the
\ very kind of humanity which in the
early ages Of Christianity it reached in
1 the greatest numbers? How much was
true in what the socialist leader said
about the uselessness of looking to the
church for reform or redemption be-
cause of the selfshness and seclusion
and aristocracy Of its members?
4 He was more and more impressed
!. paratively few men in the hall, now
being held quiet for awhile by Rachel's
voice, represented thousands of others
4 just like them, to whom church and
a minister stood for less than saloon
or a beer garden as source Of comfort
ahappiness. Ought it to be sol If the
church members were all doing as Jesus
would do. could it remain true that
armies of men would walk the streets
|, for jobs and hundreds of them curse
! the church and thousands Of them find
in the saloon their best friend2 How
far were the Christians responsible for
this human problem that was personally
illustrated right in this hall tonight?
Was it true that the great city churches
would, as rule, refuse to walk in Je-
sus' steps SO closely as to suffer. actual
ly suffer- for his sake2
Henry Maxwell kept asking this ques-
ton even after Rachel had finished sing
ing and the meeting had come to an
very informal. He asked it.while the
little company Of residents, with the
Raymond visitors, were having devo-
!, tional service as the custom in the set
Element was. He asked it during con-
ference with the bishop and DIR. Bruce
which lasted until o'clock He asked
it as he lneeled again before sleeping
, and poured out his soul in his petition
> for spiritual baptism on the church in
: America such as it had never known.
He asked it the first thing in the morn
ing and all through the day as he went
, over the settlement district and saw the
life Of the people SO far removed from
. the life abundantly. Would the church
members, would the Christians, not
: only in the churches of Chicago. but
throughout the country, refuse to walk
in his steps it, in order to do SO. they
r must actually take up cross and fol-
low him?
This was the one question that con-
9 tinually demanded answer. He had
planned, when he came to the city, to
] return to Raymond and be in his own
t pulpit on Sunday, but Friday morning
! he had received at the settlement a call
from the pastor Of one Of the largest
churches in Chicago and had been in
\ vAoOA w LII U1Ao Pu1p4o 4OA pOpAA AOAA4A6
: and evening services.
1 AT first he hesitated, but finally ac-
: cepted, seeing in it the hand Of the
Spirits guiding power. He would test
: his own question. He would prove the
: : truth or falsity Of the charge made
. against the church at the settlement
3 meeting. How far would it go in its
J. self denial for Jesus sakeP How close
q would it walk in his steps? Was the
!, church willing to suffer for it's Master
Saturday night he spent in prayer
nearly the whole night. There had new
y er been SO great wrestling in his soul,
!, even during his strongest experiences
: in Raymond. He had. in fact, sentered
g upon new experience The definition
' Of his own discipleship was receiving
s an added test at this time, and he was
being led into larger truth Of his
{ Lord.
The great church was filled to it's ut