The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-01-15

| leave their beautiful homes ana spenu tne
money they now spend in luxuries for the
| good Of the weak and poor and sinful
| do you think Christ would presch that
n ne were in MiltonY'
| II do II has been burned into me that
he would / believe he would say TO the
members OF Calvary church: "if any
man love houses and money and society
and power and position more than me- he
| cannot be my disciple. IL any
man renounceth not all that be hath. he
cannot he my disciple. And then he
would test the entire church by Its Will
| linRness 10 renounce all these physical
! things And IL ne found the members
| willing if he found that they loved him
| more than the money or the power, he
might not demand a literal giving up.
But he would say TO them, Take my
money and my power, for IL is all mine.
and use them for the building UP OF my
| kingdom He would not then, perhaps.
| command them to leave literally their
beautiful surroundings. But, then. In some
| cases | believe he would oh, yes Sac
| rifice, sacrifice, What does the church
| in America in this age OF the world know
| about Il? How much do church members
| give OF themselves nowadays TO the
Master? That is what we need-self. the
| souls Of men and women, the living sacri-
, fees OF these lost children down yonder!
O God TO think OF what Christ gave up!
And then to think OF how little his church
IL doing 10 obey his last command 10
go and disciple the nations
Philip went back through the avenue
on which the churches stood. When he
reached Calvary church. he went up on
the steps. and, obeying an instant i'm
pulse, he kneeled down on the upper step
and prayed. Great sobs shook him. They
were sobs without tesrs-sobs that were
articulate here and there with groans of
t.A a,xL Ja aA for IN
loved church. for the wretched beings In
the hell OF torment, without God and
without hope In the world. for the spirit
| OF Christ 10 come again into the heart Of
the church and teach II the meaning and
extent of sacrifice
When the eventful Sunday came he
faced the usual immense concourse He
did not come out OF the little room until
| the last moment. When he finally ap-
peared. his face bore marks of tears. At
| last they had flowed as n relief TO his
burden and he gave the people his mes
sage with a courage and a peace and a
| love born OF direct communion with the
| Spirit OF Truth.
As he went on people began to listen
| in amazement. He had begun by CIV
ing them a statement OF facts concern
ing the sinful. needy. desperate con-
| dition OF life I'm the place. He then
I rapidly sketched the contrast between
the surroundings of the Christian and
non Christian people. between the work
ingmen and the church members. Dis
ciples OF Jesus" he exclaimed. "the time
has come when our Master demands OF
| us some token OF our discipleship greater
than the giving OF little money or the
| giving of a little work and time TO the
| solution OF the great problem Of modern
society and of our own city. The time
has come when we must give ourselves.
| The time has come when we must re-
| nounce. II II II best. II Christ asks II,
the things we have so long counted dear
4 the money, the luxury. the houses--and
go down into the tenement district, 10
live there and work there with the peo-
| pie. l do not wish to be misunderstood
| here. / do not believe our modern civ
| ilization Is an absurditv. l do not be-
! lieve Christ if he were here today would
demand OF us foolish things. But this
do believe he would require
We must give ourselves I'm some way
that will mean real, genuine. downright
, and decided self sacrifice. II Christ were
here he would say TO some OF YOU as ne
said to the young men, Sell all you have
| and give to the poor and come. follow
me. And II you were unwilling to do II he
would say you could not be His disciples.
The test Of discipleship is the same now
as then; the price Is no less on account
OF the lapse OF 1000 years. Eternal life
is something which has only one price
and that is the same always. Members
Of Calvary church. l solemnly believe the
time has come when II is our duty "a
go into the tenement district and re-
deem II by the power Of personal sacri-
&C and personal presence. Nothing less
will answer. To accomplish this great
task. 10 bring back TO God this great part
OF his kingdom. | believe we ought tC
spend our time. our money. ourselves
II Is n sin for MS TO live at our pleasant
ease. IN enjoyment of all good things
while men and women and children by
the thousand are dying. body and soul
| before our very eyes I'm need OF thu
blessings Of Christian civilization in on
power 10 share with them. We cannot
say II Is not our business. We cannot
excuse ourselves on the plea Of our owr
| business This is our FIRST business. q
| love God and man with all our might
This problem before us calls for Al
our Christian dscipleship. Every hear
| I'm this church should cry out this dsv
| Lord what wilt thou have me To do7
And each soul must follow tho com
msnds that he honestly hears out q
the depths of the black abyss of hu
man want and sin and despair and an
guish aud rebellion In this place an,
over the world rings In my ear q CT,
truly believe cannot he answered by tn
church of Christ on earth until the mem
bcrs OF that church are willing I'm grea
numbers 20 give all their money. anS
: oil their time. and all their homes. an,
all their Injuries. and all their accom-
plishmenis. and all their artistic tastes
and all themselves go satisfy the need
; of tho generation es ~ looks for th'
heart ~ the bleeding Christ IN the MON
bors Of the church of Christ Yea truly
! except n man Is willing TO renounce al
that he hath. he cannot be His disciple
Does Christ ask any member ~ Calvar,
{ church 10 renounce all and go down int
the tenement district TO live Christ there
| Yes. oil
r My beloved. IN Christ speaks so 4,
YOU today listen and obey. Service
: Self That r. what he wants And N h.
1 asks for all. when all Is needed. wha
them Can we sing that hymn with an,
Christian honesty Of heart unless We in
! | terpret II literally?
Were tho whole realm ~ nature mine
1