Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-20


yes" replied his wife quietly. II
will 60 anywhere and suffer anything
with you. What Is II you are thinking
| Of nOw?"
II need little more time. There IL
crisis near at hand In my thought OF
what Christ would require OF me. MY
| dear am sure we shall be led by the
| spirit OF truth 70 do what Is necessary
and for the better saving Of men,
lie kissed his wife tenderly and went
up stairs again 20 his work. All
through the rest OF the afternoon and
In the evening, as he shaped ..is
church and pulpit work, the words OF
| the Brother Man rang In his ears
and the situation at the tenements rose
in the successive panoramas before his
eyes. As the storm Increased in fury
with the coming darkness, he felt that
il was typical In a certain sense Of HIS
own condition. He abandoned the work
he had been doing at his desk. and
kneeling down at his couch he prayed
Mrs. Strong, coming up to the study
to see how his work was getting on,
found him kneelng there and went
and knelt beside him, while together
they sought the light through the
storm.
So the week went by, and the first
Sunday Of the next month found Phil
FPS Christ message even more direct
and personal than any he had brought
TO his people before. He had spent
much OF the time going into the work.
ingmen's houses. The tenement dis
trict was becoming familiar territory
to him now. He had settled finally
what his own action ought to be. In
that action his wife fully cOncurred.
And the members Of Cavalry Church,
coming In that Sunday morning, were
astonlshed at the message Of their pas
tor as he spoke 10 them from the
standpoint OF modern Christ.
II said month ago that the age In
which we live demands a simpler. less
extravaganza style OF living. l did not
mean by that to condemn the beauties
OF art or the maryels Of science or the
products OF civilization. / merely en-
phasized what | believe Is mighty
but neglected truth In our modern civil
ization--that II We would win men
TO Christ we must adOpe more Of His
spirit Of simple and consecrated self
denial. | wish to be distinctly UNDER
stood as go on that | do not condemn
any man simply because he Is rich or
lives In a luxurious house, enjoying
every comfort Of modern civilization,
every dellcacy Of the season and all
physical desires. What | do wish dis
tlnctly understood Is the belief. which
has been burned deep into me ever
since coming TO this town, that II the
members OF this church wish to honor
the Head OF the church and bring men
to believe in Him and save them In this
life and the next they must be willing
10 do far more than they have yet
done to make use Of the physical COM
forts and luxuries OF their homes for
the blessing and Outstanding OF this
community. In this particular have
myself failed TO set you an example.
The fact that have so failed is my
only reason for making this matter
public this morning.
"The situation In Milton today Is ex-
ceedlngly serious ! do not need 20
prove II 10 you by figures. II any busi-
ness man will go through the tene-
ments. he viii acknowledge my state
ments. IL any woman viii contrast
those dens with her own home, she
will, IL Christ Is a power In her heart.
stand In horror before such a trayesty
on the sacred thought Of honor, The
restitution Of the nelghborhood Is
alarming. The number Of men out OF
work Is dangerous The complete re-
moval Of all sympathy between the
church up here on this street and the
tenement district Is sadder than death.
Oh, my beloved Philip stretched out
his arms and uttered cry that rang In
the ears OF those who heard II and re-
malned with some OF them a memory
for years-"these things ought not so
TO be- Where Is the Christ spirit with
us? Have We not sat In our cOmforta-
bic houses and eaten our pleasant food
and dressed In the finest clothing and
gone to amusements and entertain
ments without number while Gods
poor have shvered on the streets and
his sinful ones have sneered at Chris
tlanity as they have walked by our
church doors?
at is true We have given money to
charitable causes. Ii Is true the town
council has organized a bureau for the
care and maintenance Of those In want.
It Is true members OF Calvary church.
with other churches at this time, have
done something 20 relieve the immedi-
ate distress OF the town, but how much
have We given OF ourselves TO those in
need? Do we reflect that 10 reach souls
and win them, TO bring back humanity
10 God and the Christ, the Christian
must do something different from the
giving Of money now and them He
must give a part Of himself. That was
my reason for urging you TO move this
church building away from this street
into the tenement district, that We
misht give ourselves TO the people
there. The idea il the same in what
now propose. But you will pardon me
II first Of all ! announce my own ac-
ton, which, | believe, is demanded by
the times and would be approved by
our Lord.
Philip stepped up nearer the front OF
the platform end spoke with an added
earnestness and power which thrilled
every nearer. a part OF the great con-
fiict through which he had gone that
past month shone out In his pale face
and found partial utterance In his I'M
passiOned speech, especially as he
drew near the end. The very abrupt
ness Of his proposition smote the peo-
pie into breathess attention.
''The parsonage In which ! am lIv-
ing Is a large, even a luxurious, dwell
ing. II has nine large rooms. You are
familiar with lis furnishings. The sal
airy this church pays me Is $1,000 a
year. sum which more than provides
for my necessary wants. What have
decided to DO II this. i wish this church
10 reduce this salary one-half and take
the other thousand dollars 20 the fitting
up Of the parsonage for a refuge for
homeless children or for some such
purpose which will commend itself to
your best judgment. There Is money
enough In this church alone TO main
tain such an institution handsomely
and not single member OF Calvary
suffer any hardship whatever. viii
move into house nearer the lower part
Of the town, where can more
easily reach after the people and live
more among them. That Is what |
propose for myself. II Is not because
] believe the rich and the educated do |
not need the gospel or the church. The
rich and the poor both need the life |
more abundan,ly. But I am firmly |
convinced that as matters now are |
the church membership through pulpit |
and pew must give itself more than |