Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-07-12

Sthe time has come when our Master
demands of US some token of our dis
clpleship greater than the giving Of
little money or the giving Of little
work and time to the solution of the
great problem Of mo6krn society and
of our own city. The time has come
when we must give ourselves. The
time has come when we must re-
nounce. If IL is best, If Christ asks II,
the things we have so long counted
tlear-the money, the luxury, the
houses-and 90 down into the tene-
ment district, 10 live there and work
there with the people. | do not wish
TO be misunderstood here. | do not be-
lieve our modern civilization is an abb
surdity | do not believe Christ If he
were here today would demand Of us
foolish things. But this | do believe
he would require-Ourselyes. We must
give ourselves in some way that will
mean real, genuine, downright and de-
cided self sacrifice. If Christ were
here he would say to some Of you, as
he said TO the young man, Sell all you
have and give 10 the poor, and come,
follow me- And IL you were unwill-
Ing to do it he would say you could not
be his disciples The test Of disciple
ship is the same now as then; the price
is no less on account Of the lapse Of
1000 years Eternal life is something
which has only one price, and that Is
the same always. Members Of Calvary
church. | sOlemnly believe the time
has come when il is our duty TO go into
the tenement district and redeem II by
the power of personal sacrifice and
personal presence. Nothing less viii
answer. To accomplish this great task,
to bring back to God this great part OF
his kingdom, / believe we ought to
sppnd our time. our money, ourselves.
II Is a sin for us TO live at our pleasant
ease. in enjoyment Of all good things,
while men and women and children by
the thousand are dying, body and soul,
before our very eyes IN need of the
blessings of Christian civilization in
our power to share with them. We
cannot say IL is not our business. We
cannot excuse ourselves on the plea
of our own business. This is our first
business, to love God and man with all
our might.
This problem before us calls for all
our Christian discipleship. Every heart
In this church should cry out this day,
Lord. what wilt thou have me TO doT
And each soul must follow the COM
mands that he honestly hears. Out or
the depths of the black abyss of hui
man want and sin and despair and an
guish and rebellion in this place and
over the world rings in my ear cry
for help that by the grace of God |
truly believe cannot be answered by
the church of Christ on earth until the
members of that church az willing in
great numbers TO give all their money,
and all their time, and all their homes,
and all their luxuries, and all their ac-
complishments, and all their artistic
tastes. and all themselves to satisfy
the needs of the generation as 1t looks
for the heart Of the bleeding Christ in
the members of the church of Christ.
Yea. truly, except a man is willing to
renounce all that he hath, he cannot
be his disciple. Does Christ ask any
member of Calvary church to renounce
all and go down into the tenement dis
trict to live Christ there? Yes, all.
"Ny beloved. II Christ speaks so 10
you today listen and obey. Service!
Self! That is what he wants. And II
he asks for all, when all is needed,
what then? Can we sing that hymn
with any Christian honesty Of heart
unless we interpret II literally?
sswere the whole realm Of nature mine,
That were an offering far too smalli
Love SO amazing So divine,
Demands my soul, my life. my all!'
II would partly describe the effect OF
this sermon on Calvary church TO say,
what was a fact that when Philip end
ed and then kneeled down by the side
of the desk TO pray the silence was
painful. and the intense feeling pro
voked by his remarkable statements
was felt I'm the appearance Of the audi
ence as Il remained seated after the
benedictlon. But the final result was
vet TO show itself; that result was not
visible In the Sunday audience.
The next day Philip was unexpected
Iy summoned out Of Milton 70 the par
ish OF his old college chum. His old
! friend was thought 10 be dying. He
had sent for Philip. Philip. whose az
| lection for him was second only 10 that
which he gave his wife, went ar once.
His friend was almost gone, He raj
lied when Philip came, and then for
two weeks his life swung back and
forth between this world and the next.
Philip staid on, and 50 was gone one
Sunday from his pulpit in Milton. Then
the week following, a. Alfred gradual
ly came back from the shore Of that
other world, Philip, assured that he
I would live. returned home.
During that ten days absence serl-
Gus events had taken place in calvary
church. Philip reached home on
l Wednesday. He ar once went 10 the
/ house and greeted his wife aud the
| Brother Man aud William. who was
now sitting up ia the large room.
4 lie had not been home more than an