Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1900-06-20

say about II ana then refused to speak
or be interviewed by the papers on the
subject. What 1t cost him in suffering
was his own secret. But this morning,
as he rose to give his message In the
person Of Christ, the thought of the
continued suffering and shame and
degradation in the tenement district,
the thought of the great wealth In the
possession Of the church which might
be used almost to transform the lives
Of thousands Of people If the men Of
riches in Calvary church would only
see the kingsom of God in it's demands
on them-this voiced his cry to the
people and gave his sermon the sisnifi-
canoe and solemnity of a prophets in
spiration.
"Sec" he exclaimed as he went on
after drawing vivid picture of the
miserable condition of life In the
buildings which could not be called
homes. ''see what change could be
wrought by the use Of few thousand
dollars down there. And here this
morning In this house men are sitting
who own very many of those tene-
ments, who are getting the rent from
them every month. who could. without
suffering one single sorrow. without
depriving themselves of one necessity
or even luxury of life. so change the
surroundings Of these people that they
would enjoy the physical life God
gave them and be able to see his love
in the lives Of his disciples. Oh. my
brethren. is not this your opportunity!
What is money compared with human
ity? What is the meaning of our dis
cipleship unless we are using what
God has given us to build up his king
dom: The money represented by this
church could rebuild the entire tene-
ment district. The men who own these
buildings He paused rs if he lad
suddenly become aware that he might
be saying IN unWise thing Then,
after brief hesitation. as if he had
satisfied his own doubt. he repeated:
''The men who own these tcnenents-
and members Of other churches be-
sides Calvary are among the owners
are guilty IN the sight OF God for al
lowing human beings made in his I'M
age to grow up in such horrible sur
money to stop it. Therefore they shall
receive greater condemnation ut the
last, when Christ Sits on the throne of
the universe to judge the world. For
will he not say, as he said long years
ago. ! was an hungered and ye gave
me no meat, naked and We clothed me
not, sick and In miserable dwellings
reeking with filth and disease and ye
drew the hire of these places and Wis
tied me not? For are these men and
women and children not our brethren?
Verify God will require it ut our
hands, Oh, men of Milton. if. having the
power to use Gods property so us to
make the world happier and better,
we refuse to do so and go our ways
careless of our responsibility and self
ish in our use Of Gods money"
Philip closed his sermon with an ac-
count of facts concerning the condition
of some of the people he himself had
visited. When the service closed. more
than one property owner went away
secretly enraged at the minister's bold
and, as most of them said and thought.
'impertinent meddling in their bust
ness" Was he wise? And yet he had
been to more than one of these men
in private with the same message. Did
he not have the right to speak in pub
lie? Did not Christ do so! Would he
again? And Philip, seeing the great
need, seeing the mighty power of mon
ey, seeing the Indifference of these men
to the whole matter, seeing their de-
termination to conduct their business
for the gain of it without regard to the
condition of life, with his heart sore
and his soul indignant at the suffering
he had witnessed, came into the church
and flung his sword Of wrath out of it's
scabbard, shifting at the very thing
dearest of all things to thousands Of
church members toslay-the money. the
property, the gain of acquisition-and
he smote perhaps with somewhat un-
wise energy OF denunciation. yet with
his heart crying out for wisdom with
every blow he struck. "Would Christ
say 1t? Would he say it?" And his
sensitive, keenly suffering spirit heard
the answer, eyes, believe he would"
Back Of that answer he did not go In
those days so rapidly drawing to their
tremendous close. He bowed the soul
of him to his Master and said. "Thy
will be done?
The week following this Sunday was
one Of the busiest Philip had known.
With the approach of warmer weather,
a great deal of sickness came on. He
was going early and late on errands Of
mercy to the poor souls all about his
own house. The people knew him now
and loved him. He co1nforted his spir
it with that knowledge as he prayed
and worked.
He was going through one of the mar
row courts one night on his way home,
with his head bent down and his
thoughts on some scene Of suffering,
when he was suddenly confronted by
a young man who stepped quickly out
from Swallowed corner, threw one
arm about Philips neck and placed his
other hand over his mouth and at
tempted to throw him over backward.
1t was very late. and there was no
one in sight. Philip said to himself,
"This is the attack of which was
warned" He was taken altogether by
surprise; but, being active and self pos
sessed, he sharply threw himself for
ward, repelling his assailant's attack,
and succeeded in pulling the mans
hand away from his mouth. His first