Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1900-01-12

cation were moved ike myself His
text MAS: What .8 tlat 10 theeY Fol
low thou me. And il v-as a most m
usually IMPRESSIVE appeal 10 the Chris
tians of Raymond 10 obey .Icjas' teach
inga and follow in r's stone. regardless
of what Others mi, In do. / cannot give
you oven the llan of tho sermon. It
would take too lore. AT the close of the
service there was The usual a ter meet
ing tlat has become r,grlGr feature
of the fir,t church Into this meeting
have cone ~ thoae who made the
2ladee g. dos Jesus woal1 Go. and The
in, H. sp.i.f .a IautaaI fellowship. con
'csi0r q1c.t,rs ~ TO what Jesus
would 90 ia ocial c"s,g and prayor
thgt tho one Ieat eu;a" If every dis.
cip."'s c.udrct may b. the Holy Spirit.
II NWcll ,-ed rae 10 come into this
m""uug. Nothing i'm all my minister's,
life CaXton has SO novcd me as thai
meeting / noycr folt the Spirits pres
enco 50 powerfully. it was meeting of
"reminiscences and of the most loving
fellowship. | was irre.is,ibly driven in
Thought back to the first years Of Chris
tiaLity There was something about all
this chat was apostolic i'm It's simplicity
and Christ imitation
81 asked questions. One that seemed
to-arouse more interest than any other
was in regard to the extent of the
Christian disciples sacrifice of personal
property Henry Maxwell tells me that
SO far 10 one has interpreted the spirit
Of Jesus in sCch way as to abandon
his earthly po-oossious, give away all
his wealth or IL any literal Way initiate
the Christians Of the order for exam
pie, Of St Francis If Assist. 1t was the
unanimous consent, however, that if
any disciple should feel that Jesus in
hi, own particular case would do that
there could be only one answer 20 the
question. maxwell frankly admitted
that he was SAIL. t. a. certain degree,
uncertain IS tn jesus probable action
whom it came 20 the details Of house
hold living tho possession Of wealth,
the holding OF certain luxurios. II is.
however, evident That very many cf
thc.e disciple have r.raato3lv carried
thor obodicrca 20 JeHu, - the cXtreme
limit, rcgardlcseo l financial loss There
IS TO lack OF courage or com istoncy ~
this point 1T Us also tru" taat some G.
the business mon who TOOK the pledge
h1No LIST great s1tn o. Mu.sy in thi
imitation OK 1esus, ana very many
h"'' st" ~ Na; der Power lo vain
able positions owing totha impo~sibi'ty
1t dong what they had been accUS-
toned 70 oo and at lie same time doing
what they i'lt Jesus would 90 IN the
same place. IN connection with those
cases II Is pleasant 10 record the fact
That many who have suffer-! n hi.
way have "a once been helped financial
~ by those who still have means. In
TINS respect l think IT Is trae that these
disciples have All things III common.
Certainly such scenes as | witnessed at
the First church at thar after service
tlds me rninE ! never saw IN my church
~ any ether 1 never dreamed that
~1ch Christian fellowship could exist in
this age OF the world / am almost in
cfeuolous rs - the witness OF my own
St llNes. sun seem to be asking myself
II IT, Is the close OF the nineteenth cen
fury III America
But now, dear friend. | come to the
# the whole c1n.tiar ~ t I"' I First
church of R8v,norj bas forced i rnon
me. Before tine meeting closed todov
stems were taken f. secure tha co-one,..
ption Of all other Christian discinIes in
this country think Henry MAXWELL