Willmar tribune., 1900-03-07


talking about himself In order to make
his wife come to the defense. Il ought
to have been a locomotive fireman
a 4. "'The idea. Philip Strong! man
who has the gift Of reaching people
with preaching the way you dol
'.The way reach Mr.. Winter. for
example!'-
''Yes. !" said his wife: ''the way you
reach him Why. the very fact that
you made such man angry Is pretty
good proof that you reached him.
Such men are not touched by any ordi-
nary preaching" s.. 49,. a
$50 you really think have 4 little
gift at preachiug" asEed Phillip slyly.
"a little gift! 1t is great deal more
snan little, Philip" ...
aren't you little preiu:'iced. Sa-
rah?"
mo. sir am the Spverest critic you
ever have in the congregation. Ii you
only knew how nervous you sometimes
make me: When you get started on
some exciting passage and nsakea Ses
ture that would throw stone image
into fit ana then begin to speak Of
something in Il different way. like an
other person. and the first know l am
caught up and hurled into the subject
and forget all about you"
THANK YOU" said Philip.
"What for?" asked his wife. laugh.
ing. 'l'or forgetting you?
Il would rather be forgotten by you
than remembered by any one else" re-
piled Philip gallantly. And you are
such delightful little tlatterer that ]
feel courage for anything that may
happen"
"It's not dattery: it's tSuth. Philip. |
do believe in you and your work. aud |
| am only anxious that you should sue.
| ceed here. l can't bear to think of
trouble in the church. 1t would almost
kill me to go through such times as we
sometimes read about
1--WE must leave results to God.
am sure we are not responsible for
more than our utmost doing and living
Of necessary truth" Philip spoke cour.
ageously.
"Then you don't feel disheartened bg
this mornings work?'
! "No. don't know that do. I'm
very sensitive. and | feel hurt at Mr..
Winters threat of witldra wing his
support. but don't feel disheartened
for the work, Why Should |? Am |
not doing my best?"
! II believe you are Only. dear Phil.
ip. be wise. Do not try to reform
everything in a week or expect people
to grow their wings before they have
started even pinfeathers. 1t isn't nat
ural''
''Well. won't" replied Philip. with
q laugh. Better trim your wings. Sa
rah; they're dragging on the floor"
He hunted up his hat. which was one
of the things Philip could never find
twice in the same place, kissed his
wife and went out to make the visit
at the mill which he was getting ready
to make when Mr.. Winter called.
To his surprise, when he went dowr
|
he discovered that his sermon of Sun
day had reused almost every one. Peo
pie were talking about it on the stree
an almost unheard of thing in Mil
ton. When the evening paper came
out, it described in sensational para
graphs the Rev. Mr.. Strong's attack or
the wealthy sinners Of his own church
! fa 10 ho
twas very much wrought up over th'
sermon and would probably make i
uncomfortable for the reverend gentle
man." Philip wondered, as he read
at the unusual stir made because ;
preacher of Christ had denounced al
undoubted evil.
"Is it, then," lie asked himself. ''sucl
a remarkable piece of news that a min
lister Of the gospel has preached from
his own pulpit against what is withou
question an un-Christian use OF proper
ty? What is the meaning Of the churcl
in society unless it is just that? Is i
possible that the public is so little &C
customed to hear anything on this sub
ject that when they do hear it it is il
the nature of sensational news?'
He pondered over these questions a
he quietly but rapidly went along witt
his work. He was conscious as tn
days went on that trouble was brew
ing for him. This hurt him in a wa.
hard to explain. but his sensitive spiri
felt the cut like a lash on sore place
When Sunday came, he went into hi
pulpit and faced the largest audienc
he had yet seen in Calvary church. A
is often the case. people who had hear
of his previous sermon on Sunda
thought he would preach another lk
it again. Instead OF that he preache
sermon on the love of God for til
world. In one way the large audienc
, was disappointed. 1t had come
have its love of sensation fed. an
, Philip had not given it anything of th
kind. In another way it was profound
. ~ moved by the power and sweetnes
Of Philips unfolding OF the great sui
ject, Men who had not been inside c
church for years went away though
fully impressed with the old truth {
Gods love and asked themselves whs
, they had done to deserve 1.-THE yer
thing that Philip wanted them to asl
The property owners in the churc
!, who had felt offended by Philips SCI
mon of the Sunday before went ava
from the service acknowledging ths
!: the new pastor was an eloquet
Il preacher and a man of large gifts. l
the evening Philip preached agai