Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-03-29
The CruCifixino of
Philip Strong.
LoopyrIsht. 1879. By The Advance puplI.hlpr Co
By REV. CHARLES M. SHELDON

CHAPTER VI.
In spite of his determination to get
out and occupy his pulpit the first
Sunday Of the next month Philip was
reluctantly obliged to let five SUNDAYS
go by before he was able TO preach
During those six weeks his attention
was called to a subject which he felt
ought to be made the theme of one of
his talks on Christ and Modern Socie-
ty." The leisure which he had for read.
Ing opened his eyes to the fact that
Sunday in Milton was terribly desecrat.
ed. Shops of all kinds stood wide omen.
Excursion trains ran into the large
city 40 miles away, two theaters were
always running with some variety
show, and the saloons, in violation OF
an ordinance forbidding it, unblushlng-
ly flung their doors open and did more
business on that day than any other.
AS Philip read the papers he noticed
that every Monday morning the police
court was more crowded with "drunks"
and "disorderlies' than on any other
day in the week, and the plain cause Of
It was the abuse Of the day before.
In the summer time baseball games
were played in Milton on Sunday. In
the fam and winter very many people
spent their evenings in card playing
or aimlessly strolling up aud down the
main street. These facts came to Phil
ip's knowledge gradually, and he was
not long in making up his mind that
Christ would not keep silent before the
facts. So he carefully prepared a
plain statement Of his belief I'm Christs
standing on the modern use Of Sun
day, and as on the other occasions
when he had spoken the first Sunday
I'm the month he cast out Of his reckon.
Ing all thought Of the consequences.
His one purpose was 10 do just as. in
his thought of Christ he would do
with that subject
The people in Milton thought that
the first Sunday Philip appeared in his
pulpit he would naturally denounce the
saloon again. But when he finally re-
covered sufficiently 10 preach he de-
termined that for awhile he would say
nothing In the way Of sermons against
the whisky evil. He had great hor-
ror Of seeming 10 ride a hobby, Of be-
ing man Of one idea and making peo-
pie tired Of him because he harped on
one string. He had uttered his de-
nunciation and he would wait a little
before he spoke again. The whisky
power was not the only bad thing in
Milton that needed to be attacked.
There were other things which must
be said And SO Philip limped into his
pulpit the third Sunday Of the month
aud preached on a general theme, to
the disappointment Of Srea; crowd
almost as large as the last one he had
faced. And yet his very appearance
WIS a sermon in itself against the in
As had held up to public con-
on that occasion. His knee
wound proved very stubborn, and he
hnlped badly That In itself spoke
Of the dastardly attempt on
his life. Ills face was pale, and he
had grown thin. His shoulder was
sth. and the enforced quiemCsS Of his
delivery coutrastcd strangely with his
customary fiery appearance ON the
platform. Altogether that first sun
day OF his temperance in his pulpit
WIS a stronger sermon against the Sa-
loon than anything he could have spO-
Nen or written.
When the first sunday Ia the next
month came on. Philip WIS more like
his old self He had gathered strength
enough 10 go around two Sunday after
Moons aud note for himself the desc
Grafton of the day as It went on reck- /
Iessly. As lie saw It all 1t seemed to
him that the church In Milton was
practically doing nothing to stop the !
evil All the ministers complained OF /
the difficulty Of getting an evening con
rregation. Yet hundreds Of young .
people walked past all the churches
every Sunday night bent on pleasure |
going TO the thcatcrs or concerts or /
parties. which seemed 10 have no trou' [
bic Ia attracting the crowd. Espe- |
,ially WAS this true of the foreign |
population. the working element con
lectcd with the mills. IL was a com |
mon occurrence for dog fights. cock |
tights and shooting matches of various /
,lnds 20 De going on in the tenement |
District on Sunday. and the police |
seemed powcrlcss or careless i'm the I
natter.
All this burned into Philip like !
molten metal, and when he faced his I
people on the sunday which was be-
coming noted Sunday for them he /
,uiyered with the carnestness and 1
brill which always come 20 sensitive
nan when he feels sure he has a ser
non which must be preached and
Message which the people must hear
or their lives.
He took for text Christ's words.
sTbe sabbath was made FOR man. aud
il once defined its meaning as a special
lay.
ssThe true meaning Of our modern
sunday may be summed up in two
yoris-rcst and worship. Under the
lead OF rest may be gathered what
ver Is pepiful for the proper and