Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1900-03-09

that Jesus himself Wgxld net acknowl-
edge He would say 60 many Of rs
when we cry. Lord. Lord. i never
knew you. Are we ready to take up
the crossr Is il possible for this church
to sing with exact truth:
"Jesus my cross have taken,
AL 10 leave and follow theei
"If we can sing that truly, then We
may claim discipleship, but IL our def
milton Of being Christian is simply to
enjoy the privileges Of worship, be gen
erous at no expense 70 ourselves. have
a good. easy time, surrounded by pleas
ant friends and by comfortable things
live respectfully and at the same time
avoid the worlds great stress Of sin and
trouble because ii is too much pain to
bear lift this is our definition Of
Christianity. surely we are long way
from following the steps Of him who
trod the way with groans and tears and
sobs of anguish for lost humanity;
who sweat, US il were, great drops Of
blood who cried out on the upreared
cross. My God my God. why hast thou
forsaken met'
care we ready to make and live .
new discipleshipf Are we ready to re-
consider our definition Of Christiant
What Is 1t TO be a Christiant It Is to
initiate Jesus. II is to do as he would
do. 1t is to walk in his steps. "
When Henry Maxwell finished his
sermon, he paused and looked at the
people with look they never forgot
and at the moment did not understand.
Crowded into that fashionable church
that day were hundreds of men and
women who had for years lived the
easy satisfied life Of a nominal Chris
tianity A great silence fell over the
congregation. Through the silence there
came To the consciousness Of all the
souls there present knowledge, stran-
ger to them now 70 years OF Divine
power. Every one xpected the preacher
70 call for volunteers who would do as
Jesus would do, but Henry Maxwell
had been led 10y the Spirit to deliver
his message this time and wait for r
suits TO come
He closed the service with tend
prayer that kept the Divine presence
lingering very near every nearer and
the people slowly rose TO go ont.
Then followed n scene that would
have been impossible if any mere man
had been alone in his striving for re-
suits
Men and women in great numbers
crowded around the platform to see
Henry Maxwell and to bring him the
promise of their conservation to the
ii 4 40
was voluntary, spontaneous move
ment that broke upon Maxwell's soul
with a result he could not measure. But
had he not been praying for this very
thing2 1t was an answer that more
than met his desires
There followed this movement a
prayer service that in its impressions
| repeated the Raymond experience. In
the evening, to MAXWELL intense JOY
the Endeavor society, almost to mem
ber came forward. as SO many OF the
church members had done in the morn
ing and seriously, solemnly. tenderly.
took the pledge 10 do as Jesus would
do A deep wave of spiritual baptism
broke over the meeting near its close
that was Undesirable in its tender,
| joyful, sympathetic results
That WAS a remarkable day in the
history of that church, but even more
70 in the history Of Henry Maxwell He
| left the meeting very late. He went TO
| his room at the settlement, where he
was still stopping and after an hour
with the bishop and DR.. Bruce, spent in
joyful rehearsal of the wonderful
events of the day, he sat down to think
over again by himself all the experience
he was having as Christian disciple.
He kneeled to pray as he always did
now. before going TO sleep, and it was
while he was on his knees this night
that he had "a waking vision of what
might be in the world when once the
new discipleship had made its way into
the conscience and consciousness OF
Christendom. He was fully conscious Of
being awake. but no less certainly did
| il seem to him that he saw certain re-
suits with great distinctness. partly as
realities of the future. partly as great
longings that they might be realities
and this Is what Henry Maxwell saw in
this waking vision
He saw himself first going back to the
First church in Raymond, living there
in "a simpler, more self denying fashion
than lac had Vet been willing to observe.
because he saw ways in which he could
help others who were really dependent
on him for help He also saw more dim
ly that the time would come when his
position as pastor of the church would
cause him TO suffer more, on account OF
growing opposition TO his Interpretation
of Jesus and his conduct. but this was
vaguely outlined Through it all he
heard the words my grace is suffi-
cient for thee. g"
He saw Rachel Winslow and Virginia
Page going on with their work of serv
ice at the Rectangle and reaching ont
loving hands of helpfulness far beyond
the limits of Raymond. Rachel he saw
married to Rollin Page, both fully con-
secrated to the Masters use. both fol-
lowing in his steps with ali eagerness
intensified and purified by their love