The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-08-10

istry of the Gospel.
The self-denial of which the Mas
ter speaks in the text is not to be
thought Of as an impulsive act, or as
a spasm OF self-forgetfulness, but rath-
er as habit Of life. The self-denial
to- which he refers Is more than I'M
selfishness in meeting emergent de-
mands. 1t is more than liberality in
times of special public need; it is in
reality a matter of daily practice. The
Master no doubt places special empha-
sis upon "daily" when he says, eff any
man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily,
and follow me-" A self-denial which
is less than a fixed principle Of life
and less than daily practice cannot
usher a man into the comradeship of
Christ in service. If ever we follow
him truly it is in the way which he
here describes.
In the day of our nations glory and
power, with the doors Of Christian OPP
portunity wide open in every land, we
have failed to enter fully into the
Masters plan for his world. Christ
has been too largely shut out Of the
life Of the American people through
a gradual yielding to the subtle temp
tations of great prosperity. We have
accepted with Indifference his great
commission and have put forth but
meager effort to evangelize the ma
tons. The love Of luxury and ease
has produced such softness and self
Indulgence in the churches Of Amer
lea as renders difficult the response
to challenge which demands heroic
selfsdenial and seIf-abnegating service
The American people have, however,
been brought by the exigencies of war
to the practice of self-denial, self-sac-
rifice and liberality in giving to an ex-
tent unprecedented in our history.
Splendid has been the response to the
nations call for men and money. Both
are being offered without stint. The
moving of the American heart in pity
for human suffering. and the new eval-
uation of physical strength and moral
power, have led the American people
to pour out their wealth in order to
feed the hungry, heal the suffering,
comfort the Borrowing, and to equip
and protect our soldiers in both moral
and physical efficiency. In the awful
school of war we are learning lessons
of great moral value.
The peril is that after the war we
may lapse again into the softness and
needless self-indulgence of other days.
Weary of self-restraint and self-denial,
1t will be easy to rush again to the
| frivolities and pleasures Of the world
| and to the luxurious living to which
the American people have become so
| accustomed.
In such return to selfishness, self
indulgence and self-love, there are i'm
minent perils to our nation and to the
cause of Christ. Against such peril
our people must be protected. This
can best be done by keeping before
them the Masters great world-pro-
gram: The enterprise of foreign mis-
sions. 1t alone Of all human enter
prises carries the full moral equiva-
lent of war. It alone makes a like ap-
peal to that of war-to love, to 10y
atty, to courage and self-sacrifice. The
missionary enterprise alone presents
the utmost appeal of love to God and
Of love to our fellow men. 1t devel-
ops as no other obligation or activity
| the sense of the Fatherhood Of God
and the consciousness of the brother
hood of man. If we would preserve in
the heart of this nation the finest, the
noblest, the best products in human
character of this great war, we must
make of America great missionary
nation, fired with passion for world
wide service. To this end the churches
of America must be held to vision
of the Masters missionary program
for the world. They must be led to
see that victory for the allies is but
partial victory and the worldwide
peace which the allies demand but
a temporary peace, unless we hold the
salient. already driven into heather
darkness, and resolutely drive on to
fullest success in the foreign mission
enterprise. There is no possible basis
Of permanent world-peace which does
not take account of Christ and his
kingdom on earth.
1t is of supreme Importance, there
fore, that we hear with new interest
and resolution ihe Masters challenge
to self-denial. Having learned in wal
through love of country the meaning
of willing self-sacrifice, let us now
for love of Chriet learn the full mean
ing Of following him In sacrificial sery'
Ice.