The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-05-17
not Of another man, ana this is wha I

uot VI duOtHeT man, anu tnlS is WHAT
he did:
When Sunday morning came. he
went into his pulpit with the one
thought in mind that he would simply
and frankly. in his presentation Of the
subject, use the language and the spr-
it of his Master. He had seen other
property owners during the week. and
his interviews We're nearly all similar
TO the one with Mr.. Bentley. He had
not been able To see Mr.. William Win
ter, the chairman of the trustees, as he
had not returned home until very late
Saturday night. Philip saw him come
into the church that morning. just AS
the choir rose to sing the anthem. He
was a large, fine looking man. Philip
admired his physical appearance as he
marched down the aisle to his pew,
which was the third from the front, di-
rectly before the pulpit.
When the hymn had been sung the
Offering taken, the prayer made, Philip
stepped out ut one side of the pulpit
and reminded the congregation that,
Al
week before. he would give the first OF
his series of monthly talks on Christ
and Modern Society" His subject this
morning. he said. was The Right and
Wrong Uses of Property"
He started out with the statement.
which he claimed was verified every
where in the word of God that all
property that men acquire is really
only in the nature of trust funds.
which the property holder is in duty
bound to use as a steward. The gold
is Gods. The silver is Gods. The cat
tie on a thousand hills, all land and
water privileges and wealth of the
earth and of the seas belong primarily
To the Lord of all the earth. When any
OF this property comes within the con
troll of man, he is not at liberty to
Use it rs If it were his own and his
alone. but as God would have him use
it to better the condition of life ami
make men and communities happier
and more useful.
From this statement Philip went on
to speak Of the common idea which
men had that wealth and houses and
lands were their own to do with us
they pleased, and he showed what
misery and trouble had always flowed
out OF the great falsehood and how
nations and individuals We're today in
the greatest distress because Of the
wrong uses to which Gods property
was put by men who had control of 1t.
1t was easy then to narrow the argu-
ment to the condition of affairs in
Milton. AS he stepped from the gener
nj to the particular and began to speak
of the rental of saloons and houses Of
gambling from property owners in
Milton and then characterized such
use Of Gods property as wrong and
un-C Christian 1t was curious to note the
effect on the congregation. Men who
had been listening complacently to
Philips eloquent but quiet statements,
as long us he confined himself to dis
tant historical facts, suddenly became
aware that the tall, pale faced, resolute
and loving young preacher up there
was talking right Mt them, and more
than one mill owner, merchant, real
estate dealer and even profession
al man writhed inwardly and nerv-
Ously shifted In his cushioned pew
us Philip spoke in the plainest
terms of the terrible example set
the world by the use of property
for purposes which were destructive to
all true society and a shame to civiliza-
tion and Christianity. Philip CON
trOlled his voice and his manner admi-
rably, but he drove the truth home and
spared not. His voice at no time rose
above a quiet conversational tone, but
1t was clear and distinct. The audience
sat hushed in the spell Of geuine SEN
sation, which deepened when, at the
close of tremendous sentence which
swept through the church like n red
hot flame, Mr.. Winter suddenly arose
in his pew, passed out into the aisle
and marched deliberately down and
out Of the door. Philip saw him and
knew the reason, but marched straight
on with his message, and no one, not
even his anxious wife, who endured
martyrdom for him that morning,
could detect any disturbance In Philip
from the mill owners contemptuous
withdrawal
When Philip closed with prayer Of
tender appeal that the spirit Of truth
would make all hearts to behold the
truth as one soul, the audience remain
ed seated longer than usual. still under
the influence Of the subject and the
mornings sensational service. All
through the day Philip felt a certain
strain on him, which did not subsde
even when the evening service was
over. Some of the members, notably
several of the mothers, thanked him
with tears in their eyes for the morn
ing message. Very few of the men
talked with him. Mr.. Winter did not
come out to the evening service al
though he was one Of the very few
men members who were invariably
present. Philip noted his absence, but
preached with his usual enthusiasm.