Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-01-25

tllt tlluTtH NllH'lTtW all SuppOT IC
(rhilip) could probably get a job some
where on II railroad or in n hotel,
where there was always a demand for
porters who could walk up several
flights of stairs with Il good sized
trunk.
sometimes I almost think I missed
my calling" said Philip. purposcly
talking about himself in order to make
his wife come to the defense. II ought
to have been a locomotive fireman"
"Thc idea. Philip Strong. A man
who has the gift of reaching people
with preaching the way you do!'
THE way | reach Mr.. Winter, for
example,"
Eyes" said his wife: "the way you
reach him. Why. the very fact that
you made such a ma angry is pretty
good proof that o reached him.
Such m-n are NOT touched by any ord,.
nary preaching"
"So you really think I have a little
gift at preaching" asked Philip slyly.
"A little gift! 1t is IA great deal more
than a little, Philip"
aren't you a little %prejudiced, Sa.
rahr"
mo. sir. | am the sevcrest critic you
ever have in the congregation. If you
only know how nervous you sometimes
make me, When you get started on
some exciting passage and make a GEES
ture that would throw n stone image
into a fit and then begin to speak OF
something in a different way, like an
other person, and the first ! know | am
caught up and hurled into the subject
and forget all about you"
Thank you" said Philip.
what for?" asked his wife, laugh
ing. For forgetting YOU
II would rather be forgotten by you
than remembered by any one else" re-
piled Philip CALAMITY. "And you are
such a delightful little fiatterer that !
feel courage for anything hat may
happen"
ITS not fattery: it's truth. Philip. |
do believe in you and your work, and |
am only anxious hat you should sue
coed here. | 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
I'VE 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-
a~geously.
Then you don't feel disheartened by
this mornings work.
mo, | don't know that | do. I'm
very sensitive, and | feel hurt Mt Mr..
Winters threat Of withdrawing his
support, but | don't feel diSheartene1
for the work. Why should 1? Am l
not doing my best?'
II believe you are. Only, lear Phil
ip. be wise, DC not try to reform
everything in a week or expect people
to grow their wings before they have
started even pinfcathers. 1t isn't nat
ural."
"Well, I won't" replied Philip, with
a 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 down
through II business part of the town.
lie discovered that his scrmon of Sun
DAY had reused almost every one Peo-
pie We're talking about it on the street
an almost unheard of thing in Mil
ton. When the evening paper came
out, il described in sensational para
graphs the Rev. Mr., Strong's attack on
the wealthy sinners of his own church
aud went on to say that the church
was very much wrought up over the
sermon and would probably make it
uncomfortable for the reverend gentle
man" Philip wondered, as he read.
at the unusual stir made because a
preacher of Christ had denounced an
%undoubted evil.
rs it, then" he asked himself, such
a remarkable piece of news that a min.
lister OF the gospel has preached from
his own pulpit against what is without
question An un-Christian use of proper
ty? What is the meaning of the church
in society unless it is just that? Is it
IS''ipiV 'hht ~ puDJN II ~ lltllt dc-
customed to hear anything on this sub
ject that when they do hear il it is in
the nature Of sensational newS?"
He pondered over these questions as
he quietly but rapidly went along with
his work. He was conscious as the
days went on that trouble was brew
ing for him. This hurt him in a way
hard to explain, but his sensitive spirit
felt the cut like a lash on n sore place.
When Sunday came, he went into his
pulpit and faced the largest audience
he had yet seen in Calvary church. As
is often the case, people who had heard
OF his previous sermon on Sunday
thought he would preach another like
it again. Instead of that he preached
a sermon on the love of God for the
world. In n way the large audience
was disappointed. 1t had come to
have its love of sensation fed. and
Philip had not given il anything Of the
kind. In another way it was profound
ly moved by the power and sweetness
of Philips unfolding of the great sub
1ect. Men who had not been inside Of
n church for years went away thought
fully impressed with the old truth of
Gods love and asked themselves what
they had done to deserve 1.-THE very
fhInn thnt Ibhitin x.-n ptaI lA, -, al.