Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-15

A few years ago, Mr.. Sheldon wrote
mis- book. In His Steps" and 1t had
an immediate and immense sale
Why Because IL tried to Indicate
what men and women would do II
they were to follow Jesus. The story
Of the printer hunting for work. and
starving in the fruitless search. is
not the product of Imagination The
story of the preacher satisfied TO say
eloquent things, learned things, beau
titul things. pleasing things, without
any direct and burning appeal, with
out any mighty and consuming CON
yictions. is too frequently true. II is
true that when men and women are
brought face to face with Jesus
Christ, some are willing to follow
him, some among the millionaires,
among the editors. among the great
business men, some gifted singers.
some noted physicians.
But what does following Jesus
mean2 Certainly not going where He
went or trying to do so. Not doing
what He did, nor trying 10 do so. Be
cause one walks on the same street.
on the same side of the street, and in
the same direction, that we walk, Il
is not 10 be supposed that he is fol-
lowing Us. We cannot do as He did
more than we can 60 whSfs He went.
1t is not in our power 10 raise the
dead, cleanse the lepers, and heal the
manned. and IL is a matter Of graft
tude that We can not for could we
do these things We might become
pulled with pride, or be tempted to
turn this power into a commercial
asset, as some others have success
fully done.
Following Him means more than
following any other The captains
of earth say, Follow me and / win
lead you to glory, to transient VIC
tory. or to defeat and death. the
issue is uncertain" The financier
says, Z will lead you to success or
failure. I am not sure" The en-
ployer says. II will lead you to pleas
ant or unpleasant employment. for
wages satisfactory or unsatisfactory,
Christ says. Follow Me. and I will
make you TO become fishers of men.
1 viii lead you into all truth"
What does he mean? Is this prac-
ticable2 Can ii be done2. VIII 1t be
the best for us and for others? In
this old world of sin and selfishness.
will not the one who accepts this In
vitation be ground to the wallg VIII
he not utterly fail and fall beneath
the Feet OF the onrushing mob?
Did Christ make a mistake? Do
we make the mistaken There is
mistake somewhere, either in him
who gives the invitation, or in those
who reject it
And yet the question is not for us.
What would Jesus do, under this or
that condition, were He in my place.
Tor we are not sure what He would do.
l may say TO a servant do as / do
and he may initiate me quite accu-
rately, work as 1 work, sing as sing.
walk as walk, and speak as l speak,
and all the time possess none of my
spirit. The imitation of Jesus may be
hollow and half-hearted One is not
a follower of Christ simply because
he does kindly deeds. speaks kindly
words and performs generous acts
Following Him means more than al;
these, it means submitting to His au-
| thority, accepting His spirit, His life.
| is purposes His disposition. Tt rneanB
| being able to say: For me to live Is
| Christ" l live, yet not /, il is Christ
| that hveth in me-" It is not doing 50
much as being, and the doing comes
| through the being. 1t is when we be-
come implicitly obedient to His VIII.
so far as we understand that will
that we do naturally what is pleasing
to Him, and go where His loving
spirit prompts us 10 go. 1t is then
that unholy pride is oyerthrown. I'M
holy ambitions are conquered. selfish
ness Is mastered, the spirit of revenge
and retaliation is held in check By
His spirit. There is then no irksome-
ness in His service and no hesitancy
in undertaking large things.
Then we learn the matchless joy Of
cooperating with HIM
We pass from the realm Of the me-
chanical TO that of the spiritual, from
bondage to liberty, and from the let
ter that killeth to the spirit that Civ
eth life. So this invitation of the
Master, expressed in the simplest
terms, is: Let him that loves me.
follow me-" We may not do the
things that He did, may not go where
He went; but we will do the things
that are brave and true and right
and we viii go where We can be the
most helpful and useful, because we
understand the meaning of the invita-
ton.