The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1900-04-11

leries People whom he had assisted
at one time and another were scattered
through the house. mostly In the back
seats under the choir gallery. His own
membership was represented by men
who. while opposed to his idea of the
Christian life and his Interpretation OF
Christ. nevertheless continued to go
and hear him preach. The incident Of
the sections application for member
ship and his rejection by vote had also
told somewhat in favor of the minister
Many preachers would have resigned
after such q scene. He had said his
say about It and then refused to speak
or be interviewed by the papers OH the
subject. What it cost him in suffering
was his own secret. But this morning.
as he rose to give his message in the
person of Christ, the thought Of the
continued suffering and shame and
degradation in the tenement district,
the thought of the great wealth In the
possession Of the church which might
be used almost TO transform the lives
Of thousands OF people If the men Of
riches in Calvary church would only
see the kingdom Of God in its demands
on them.-this voiced his cry TO the
people and gave his sermon the slgnih-
cameo and solemnity Of prophets in
! SEPARATION.
"Sec" he exclaimed as he went on
| after drawing a vivid picture or the
miserabl. condition Of life in the
buildings which could not be called
/ homes. "scc what a change could De
/ wrought ly The use Of few thousand
| dollars down there. And here this
morning In this house men are sitting
| who own very many Of those tenc-
mcnts. who are getting tle rcnt from
/ them every month, Who could. without
suffering 0lc single sorrow. without
dcpHyir- themselves Of one necessity
or even Wury of life SO change the
surroundings Of these people that they
would enjoy Ga, physical life God
gave ttcl aud De able TO see his love
in the lives OF his disciples. Oh, my
brethren, 8. not this your opportunity?
What Is money compared with human
ity? What is the meaning Of our dis
cipleslip unless we are using what
God has given us 20 build up his king
dom! The money represented 10y this
church could rebuild the entire tcnc-
mcut district The men who own these
buildiugs"- lie paused as II he had
suddenly become aware that he might
be saying an unwis2 thing. Then.
after a brief hesitation, as If he had
satisfied his own doubt, he repeated:
"Thc men who own these tencments-
and members Of other churches be-
sides Calvary are among the owners
are guilty in the sight Of God for al
lowing human beings made In his i'm
age TO grow up in such horrible sur
rouudings when it is in the power Of
money 10 stop it. Therefore they shall
receive greater condemnation at the
last, when Christ sits on the throne of
the universe to judge the world. For
will he not say, as he said long years
ago. i was an hungcTcd and ye gave
me no meat. naked and We clothed me
not. sick and in miserable dwellings
reeking with filth and disease and ye
drew the hire of these places and Wis
tied me notT For are these men and
women and children not our brethren?
Verify God will require it at our
hands, oh. men of Milton, If, having the
power to use Gods property so rs to
make the world happier and better,
we refuse to do so and go our ways
careless of our responsibility and self
ish in our use of Gods money
Philip closed his sermon with an ac-
count of facts concerning the condition
Of some of the people he himself had
visited. When the service closed, more
! than one property owner went away
secretly enraged at the minister's bold
and as most of them said and thought,
"impertinent meddllng in their bust
ness" Was he wise? And yet he had
| been to more than one of these men
in private with the same message. Did
he not have the right to speak In pub
| lie? Did not Christ do so? Would he
not do so II he were here on earth
again? And Philip, seeing the great
need, seeing the mighty power of mon
ey, seeing the Indifference Of these men
to the whole matter, seeing their de-
termination to conduct their business
! for the gain of 1t without regard to the
condition of life, with his heart sore
and his soul indignant at the suffering
he had witnessed, came into the church
and flung his sword of wrath out of Its
scabbard, shifting at the very thing
dearest OF all things to thousands Of
church members today-the money, the
property, the gain of acquisition-and
he smote perhaps with a somewhat I'M
wise energy Of denunciation, yet with
his heart crying out for wisdom with
every blow he struck, Would Christ
say It? Would he say itT' And his
sensitive, keenly suffering spirit heard
the answer, Eyes, believe he would"
Back of that answer he did not go In
those days so rapidly drawing to their
tremendous close. He bowed the soul
Of him to his Master and said, "Thy
will be done"
The week following this Sunday was
one Of the busiest Philip had known.
With the approach Of warmer weather,
great deal Of sickness came on. He
was going early and late on errands of
mercy to the poor souls all about his