Middletown transcript., 1900-02-10

life by the answer to that question.
It was the inspiration of her conduct
and the answer to all her ambition.
Three months had gone by since the
Sunday morning when DR.. Bruce came
into his pulpit with the message OF the
new discipleship Never before had the
Rev. Calvin Bruce realized how deep
the feelings Of his members flowed. He
humbly confessed that the appeal he
had made met with an unexpected re-
sponse from men and women who, like
Felicia, were hungry for something in
their lives that the conventional type OF
church membership and fellowship had
failed to give them
But DR.. Bruce was not yet satisfied
for himself We cannot tell what his
feeling was or what led to the move
ment he finally made, to the great as
tonishment of all who knew him, better
than by relating a conversation be-
tween him and the bishop at this time
in the history of the pledge in Nazareth
Avenue church. The two friends were,
as before, in DR.. Bruce's house. seated
in his study.
"You know what have come in this
evening for2" the bishop was saying
after the friends had been talking some
time about the results of the pledge
with Nazareth Avenue people.
Dr. Bruce looked over at the bishop
and shook his head.
II have come to confess. went on
the bishop, THAT l have not yet kept
my promise TO walk in his steps in the
way that believe l shall be obliged to
if / satisfy my thought of what it
means to walk in his steps
Dr.. Bruce had risen and was pacing
his study. The bishop remained in the
deep easy chair, with his hands clasped,
but his eye burned with the glow that
always belonged to him before he made
some great resolve.
ssEdward''-Dr. Bruce spoke abrupt
ly-.I have not yet been able to satisfy
myself, either, in obeying my promise,
but have at last decided on my course.
In order to follow it, / shall be obliged
to resign from Nazareth Avenue
church. =
II knew you would, replied the
bishop quietly, .'and l came in this
evening to say that shall be obliged
to do the same with my charge"
DR.. Bruce turned and walked up to
his friend. They were both laboring
under repressed excitement.
''Is it necessary in your caser" asked
Bruce.
"Yes. Let me state my reasons.
Probably they are the same as yours.
In fact, I am sure they are" The
bishop paused moment, then went on
with increasing feeling:
"Calvin, you know how many years
have been doing the work of my posi-
ton, and you know something of the
responsibility and the care of it. do
not mean to say that my life has been
free from burden bearing or sorrow,
but have certainly led what the poor
and desperate of this sinful city would
call very comfortable-yes, very
luxurious-life 1 have beautiful
house to live in, the most expensive
food, clothing and physical pleasures. l
have been able to go abroad at least a
dozen times and have enjoyed for years
the beautiful companionship of art and
letters and music and all the rest of the
very best. I have never known what it
meant to be without money or its
equivalent, and I have been unable to
silence the question of late, What have
I suffered for the sake of Christi Paul
was told what great things he must
suffer for the sake of his Lord Max
wells position at Raymond is well tax
en- when he insists that to walk in the
steps Of Christ means to suffer. Where
has my suffering come in? The petty
| trials and annoyances of my clerical life
are not worth mentioning as sorrows or
suffering. Compared with Paul or any
of the Christian martyrs or early disci-
pies, I have lived luxurious, sinful
life, full Of ease and pleasure. I cannot
| endure this any longer. I have that
within me which of late rises in over
whelming condemnation Of such fol-
lowing of Jesus. 1 have not been walk
ing in his steps. Under the present sys-
tenn Of church and social life I see no
escape from this condemnation except
to give the rest of my life personally to
the actual physical and soul needs of
the wretched people in the worst part
Of this city"
The bishop had risen now and walked
over to the window. The street in front
of the house was as light as day, and
he looked out at the crowds passing,
then turned, and, with passionate ut
terance that showed how deep the vol
canic fire in him burned, he exclaimed:
"CalYin, this is terrible city in
which we live. Its misery, its sin, its
selfshness, appal my heart, and have
struggled for years with the sickening
dread Of the time when 1 should be
forced to leave the pleasant luxury Of
my official position to put my life into
contact with the modern paganism Of
this century. The awful condition Of
the girls in the great department stores,
the brutal selfshness of the insolent So
ciety, fashion and wealth that ignores
/ all the sorrows of the city, the fearful
curse of the drink and gambling hell,
the wall Of the unemployed, the hatred
Of the church by countless men who see
in the church only great piles of costly
stone and upholstered furniture and the
minister as luxurious idler, all the
vast tumult Of this vast torrent Of hu-
! manity with its false and its true ideas,
its exaggeration of evils in the church
and its bitterness and shame that are
the result Of many complex causes-all
this as total fact, in its contrast with
the easy, comfortable life have lived,
fills me more and more with sense Of
mingled terror and self accusation. ]
have heard the words Of Jesus many
times lately, 'Inasmuch as ye did it not
unto one of these least, my brethren,
ye did it not to me-. And when have ]
personally visited the prisoner or the
desperate or the sinful in any way that
has actually caused me suffering
Rather I have followed the conven-
tional, soft habits of my position and
have lived in the society of the rich,
refined, aristocratic members Of my con-
| gregations. Where has the suffering
come ini What have ] suffered fo1
] Jesus sakeS Do Won know. Calvin