The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-10-20
SPOKE In TRINITY N. B.
c. b. WILLIS ADDRESSED LARGE
CONGREGATION.

He Was Formerly Secretary Of the New
Haven Y. N. C. A.-NOw Located ta
sIiIwaukes-Many Interesting Points
Brought Out In the Discourse.
A large congregation assembled al
Trinity Methodist church yesterday
morning to hear an address by Clarence
B. Willis, secretary of the Y. II. C. a.
of Milwaukee, Wis. Mr.. Willis was the
secretary of the New Haven Y. NJ. C. a.
twenty years ago and was really the one
who gave the local association its sue
| secretaryship Of the Milwaukee associa-
ton as result of his earnest and sue
cessful work In New Haven and he has
filed the position in that city with
great credit to himself and success to
the association.
Mr.. Willis took his text from the Cos
pei of st. Matthew: 'If any man would
be My disciple, let him deny himself
and take uD his cross and follow Me"
SELF denial" said Mr. Willis, zig one
of the most abused virtues of the day.
Men deny themselves, but their denial
is for their own personal gain. I
would not trade my stomach for that of
one certain millionaire for all the
money there is in this world. Yet this
man has sacrificed Gods greatest bless
ing, health, for the sake of gain. He
puts some of his money to- charitable
purposes but his sacrifice was not of the
kind required by Jesus Christ. We may
have to deny ourselves many pleasures
to help others, but such pleasures sink
into oblivion when compared with the
great and glorious pleasure one finds in
helping others to live better and
nobler life
Mr.. Willis alluded feelingly to his
early days in New Haven. He told Of
some of his boyhood experiences in the
Methodist church and particularly to
his attendance at the class meetings.
Some Of the old and familiar faces
that once were conspicuous at the class
at the class meetings were conspicuous
by their absence. Death h'' claim
ed them since Mr.. Willis city.
The growth and prosperit. trinity
Methodist church were subjects for
congratuIation and Mr.. Willis express
ed his sincere qualification at seeing so
many of his old friends in the congre-
cation.
The second point in the discourse was
in reference to taking up the cross"
Mr.. willis spoke Of the husband who
leaves home every morning, returning
l. ;rhk iy,o ISno
for the sake Of his family. This Is
taking up cross, in one sense" said
the spaker, "but the father and mother
take up these crosses willingly. Why,
I remember that when ] used to go to
class meeting, when small boy, some
of the older folks would get up and
say, "Pll take up my cross and speak
for Jesus Think how ridiculous that
sounds and think of such spirit pre-
vailing in Christianity to-day. 1t Is
the same as If should say to you, were
my wife sitting here. Well, I'll take up
my cross and speak for my Wife Think
of the people who think that speaking
for Christ is taking up a cross. Truly,
we all of us have to bear crosses, but
they do not consist in doing those
things which Christ gives us to do. The
woman whose husband abuses her and
the children whose father abuses them
are in a position to bear crosses and
they do bear them. Give me the man
who drinks, give me the man who gets
drunk occasionally in preference to
the man who abuses his wife and chill
dren.'
In speaking of the portion of the text
that referred to the following Of
Christ" Mr.. Willis likened the following
~ Christ tc the child following a mar