The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-10-26

The ~self-denial of which the Mas
ter speaks in the text is not to be
thought of as IN impulsive act, or as
q spasin of Undergraduates, but rath-
err as a habit of life. The self-denial
to which he refers is more tf.an I'M
s~elfishness 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 NJ doubt places special empha-
sis upon "daily'' when he says, IF any
man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily,
and follow me-" A ~self-denial which
is Iess than a fixed principle of life
and less than a daily practice cannot
usher a man into the co%mradeship 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 np-
%portunity wide open in every land, we
have failed to enter fully into the
Masters plan for his world. Christ
nuS DCCh IOO idiSCis SHuI odL u liz
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
lions. The love of luxury and ease
has produced such softness and self
TnI,1nnnna in tho od1nr0hnS of Amor
lea as renders difficult the response
to a challenge which demands heroic
self-denial and self-abnegating service.
The American people have, however,
been brought by the exigencies of war
to the practice of se%lf-denial, self-sac-
rifice and liberality in giving &c an ex-
tent unprecedented in Or history.
Splendid has been the response to the
nations call for men and money. Both
are being offered without stint. The
moving CT the American heart in pity
for human suffering, and the new 0vel-
uation of physical strength and
power, have led the American
to pour out their wealth in or,
feed the hungry, heal the suffering,
comfort the sorrowing, 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 se%lf-deniai,
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 a return to selfishness, self
indulgence and self-love, there are inn
minent perils to IL nation and to the
of Christ. Against such a 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. 1t 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 Goo
and the consciOi .ess of the brother.
hood of man. If we would preserve in
the heart Of this nation ths finest, the
noblest, the best products in human
character of this great war, we mus
make of America a great missionary
n"tion, fred with a passion for world
e service. To this end the churche:
america must be held to a visor
The Masters missionary program
for the world. They must be led It
see that victory for the allies is blu
a partial victory and the Worldwide
peace which the allies demand blu
q temporary peace, unless WE hold tn
salient already driven into heather
darkness. and resolutely drive on t.
fullest success in the foreign mission
enterprise. There is no possible bash
of permanent world-peace which doe
not take account of Christ ard hi
Kingdom on earth.
IT is of supreme Importance, there
fore, that we hear with new interes
and resolution the Masters challenge
to self-denial. Having learned in wa
through love of country the meanin'
of willing self-sacrifce, let Us nov
for love of Christ learn the full mean
in of following him in saoriflcial ser,
ice.