Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-03-15

non Chrietian people, between the
workingmcn and the church members.
"Disciplcs of Jesus" he exclaimed,
"thc time has come when our Master
demands of us some token of our dis
ciplcship greater than the giving of a
little money or the giving of a little
work and time to the solution of the
great problem of modern society and
rf our own city. The time has come
when we must give ourselves. The
time has come when we must re-
nouncc. If it is best if Christ asks 1t.
the things we have so long counted
dcar--the money, the luxury, the
houses-and go down into the tene-
mcnt district, to live there and work
there with the people. | do not wish
TO be misunderstood here. do not be-
lieve our modern civilization is an alb
surdty. do not believe Christ IL he
were here today would demand of us
foolish things. But this | do believe
he would rcQuirc-oursclvcs We must
give ourselves in some way that will
mean real genuine. downright and de-
cidcd 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 TO the poor. and come,
follow me- And if 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
ul, n nd t.
the same always. Members of Calvary
church. solemnly believe the time
has come when it is our duty 10 go into
the tenement district and redeem it by
the power of personal sacrifice and
personal presence. Nothing less will
answer. To accomplish this great task,
to bring back to God this great part of
his kingdom. believe we ought to
spend 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 orr very eyes in need of the
blessings of Christian civilization in
our power to share with them. We
cannot say II 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 al,
our Christian dlscplcship. Every heart
in this church should cry out this day,
Lord, what wilt thou have me- to do 2
And each soul must follow the com.
mands that he honestly hears. Out OF
the depths of the black abyss of hui.
nan want and sin and despair and an,
gush 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 are willing in
great numbers to give all their money
and all their time. and all their homes
and all their Injuries, and all their &C.
complshments, and all their artistic
tastes, and all themselves to satisfy
the needs of the generation as it looks
for the heart of the bleeding Christ in
the members of the church of Christ
Yea, truly. except Il man is willing tC
renounce all that he hath. he cannot
be his disciple. Does Christ ask any
member of Calvary church to renounct
all and 60 down into the tenement dis
trict to live Christ there? Yes all.
My beloved. if Christ speaks so tc
You today listen aud obey Service
Self, That is what he wants. And il
he asks for all. when all is needed
what then? Can we sing that hyml
with any Christian honesty of heart
unless we interpret it literally?
ever tic whole realm OF nature mine,
Tia wcrc an Offering far too small;
Love So amazing, so divine.
Demands my soul, my life, my allH
1t would partly describe the effect OF
this scrmGn on Calvary church to say
what was Il fact, that whom Philip end
ed and then kneelcd down by the sid,
of the desk to pray the silence Wa
painful, and the intense feeling pro
vokcd by his remarkable statements
was felt in the appearance of the audi
encc as 1t remained seated after III,
vet 10 show itself: that result was no
visible in the Sunday audience.
The next day Philip was unexpected
ly summoned out of Milton to the par
ish Of his old college chum. His ole
; friend was thought to he dying. II,
had sent for Philip. Philip, whose af
lection for him was second only to tha
which he gave his WIFE, went at once
, His friend was almost gone. He raj
, lied when Philip came, and then 70
two weeks his life swung back an,
. forth between this world and the next
Philip staid on. and so was gone on
Sunday from his pulpit in Milton. Thcl
the week following. as Alfred gradual
~ came back from the shore of tina
/ other world, Philip. assured that h
, would live, returned home.
During that ten days absence seri
, Gus events had taken place in Calvar,
church. Philip reached home Of
! house and greeted his wife and tn
I Brother Man and William. who wa
? now sitting up in the large room.
He had not been home more than a
hour when the greatest dizziness cam
= over him. He sat up so much with hi
chum that he was entirely worn out
' He went up stairs to lie down on hi
! couch in his small study. He Instant
2 fell asleep and dreamed that he wa
standing on the platform of Calvar