Bf HIS STEPS.
-!What Would Jesus Do?"
:3y OHAELES M. SHELDON.
prjjitacpyW?i'te3 nd published In book form by
. ..i.tho jliiranco Publishing Co. of Chicago. ,
CHAPTER L
F rttt'brrrmtt) were ye called; because Christ
' oMufi!rtfl' for you, leaving you an example,
. tiimc ya shonW follow his steps.
! It waurFriiittp morning, and the Rev.
Henry Maxwell was trying to -finish his
Smiday morning sermon. He had been
interrupted .several times and was
A -growing nervons as the morning wore
way and the. sermon grew very slowly
T:.r t""r' .. .
iuuiy, ue cuiiea to nis wire as ne
went up stairs after the last interrnp-
f ation,-"ii any one comes after this I
- -wish ;yon would say that I am very
:tesy nn'd cannot come down unless it
... is something very important. "
' -"Yes. Henry. But I am going over
- visit the kindergarten, and you will
,v liave the honse all to yourself.
The. minister went up into his study
t and shut the door. In a few minutes
j he tieard his wife go out.
lie settled himself at his desk with a
igh Of relief and began to write. His
.' toscrt was from i Peter ii, 21.
"'For hereunto were ye called; be
viranse Christ also suffered for you, leav
: tajg you an example, that ye should fol
, Sow ,'his steps. "
Se had emphasized in the first part
iHt ihis sermon the atonement as a per
. Monal sacrifice, calling attention to the
ffact of Josns' suffering in various ways,
'. jbd his life as well as in his death. He
i gone on to emphasize the atone-
' ttnent from the side of example, giving
: illustrations from the life and teaching
Jf Jesus to show how faith in the Christ
Safiped to save men because of the pat-
Ebsrn or -character he displayed for Jheir
: ikuitntion. He was now on the third
vamd laBt point, the necessity of follow
i. ang Jesus in his sacrifice and example.
.'ille.had just put down, "(8) Steps
- .tfhnt are they?" and was about to
enumerate them in logical order when
.-.the bell rang sharply. It was one of
stlioee. clockwork bells and always went
lff bs a clock might go if it tried to
ttrike 12 all at once.
"Henry Maxwell sat at his dosk and
.frowned a little. He made no move
rmcmt to answer the boll. Very soon it
. rang again. Then he rose and walked
;wr to one of his windows, which com-
aoanded a view of the front door.
A man was standing on the steps. He
wan young man very shabbily dressed.
-f 'Looks like a tramp," said the mln
t iter. -'.'I auiJpose I'll have to go down,
i. ftTid"
no did not finish the sentence, bnt
t- went down stairs and opened the front
v5irrr.
There was a moment's pause as the
r two men stood facing each other. Then
-the shabby looking young man said:
Ttn out of a job, sir, and thought
;maybo you might put me in the way of
..getting something. "
'I don't know of anything. Jobs are
r scarce, " ..replied the minister, begin
:;nh)g to Shut the door slowly.
""I didn't .know but you might per
'Jwps be able to give me a lino to the
- -my railway or superintendent of the
t . shops or soniothing, " continued the
young man, shifting his faded hat from
.. wno hand to the other nervously.
"It would be of no use. You will
?,"uive to excuse me. I am very busy this
-.-.morning. I hope you will find some
.tb.ing. Horry I can't give you Bome
(tfaing to do hero. But I keep only a
iborso and a cow and do the work my
oir. "
The Rev. Henry Maxwell closed Ihe
. door and hoard the man walk down the
. nfc'ps. As ho wont up into his study he
saw from his hall window that the uum
- was f,'oing slowly down the street, still
' koldin; his lint between his hands.
' There was soniothing in the figure so
- defected, homeless nnd forsaken that
-., thw minister hesitated a moment as he
vuxl looking at it. Then ho turned to
'iiia -desk and with a sigh began the
svTiting whore ho had loft off.
llo had no more intornn,tim.s,1
when his wife came in two hours later
the sermon was finished, and the looso
leaves wore gathered np and neatly tied
'together and laid on his Bible, all ready
tor the Sunday morning service.
"'A queer thing happened at the kin
dergarten this morning, Henry, "said
his wife while they were eating dinner.
You know. I went over with Mrs.
Crown to visit the school, and just aft
ttr tho games, while the children were
t the tabU's. the door opened, nnd a
jsnng man came in, holding a dirty
hut in both hands. Ho sat down near
die door and never said a word, only
.'.looked at the children. Ho was evident
ly n tramp, and Miss Wren and her as
sistant. Miss Kyle, wore a little fright
nfl tvt first, but ho sat there very
jniotly, nnd after a few minutes he
WfVlt out"
"Perhaps he was tired and wanted
to rest somewhere. ' The same man
railed here. 1 think. Did you say he
.tijo'iod like a tramp?'
"Yes. very dusty, shabby and gener
ally .tramplike not more than 80 or 83
years old, I should say "
"The same man," said the Rev
Monry Maxwell thoughtfully.
"Did yon finish your sermon, Hon
y K" his wife asked after n pause.
"Yos. nil done. It has beeu a very
fea.y week with mo. The two sermons
et no a good deal of labor. "
They will 1h) appreciated by a large
r fcntlienee tomorrow, 1 hope." replied
fev wife, smiling "What aro yon go
Jan to preach rImhU iu the morning?"
"Following Christ 1 take up tho
atonement nnder the heads of sacrifice !
and example and then show the stens
j , , ,. v " f 1
needed to follow his sacrifice and ex-
ample.
T . ,
i am sure it is a good sermon.
rZ Sr wbnr'ri Pe?le
Rev Hp Jv M,Jn b8"31- v T-l
ft ZZlZt 1? a8 ?eiTd
LnrrJ f C-Ieful,la'
borious efforts he had made in prepar-
ing sermons for. large audiences that
failed to appear.
But, Sunday morning dawned on the
town of Raymond one of those perfect
days that sometimes come afteV long
periods of wind and rsia and mud. The
air was clear and bracing, the sky was
free from all threatening signs, and ev-
rr,minHT,,rMoii'0 ni,
wife.i: c ri "':r.:rr;r..
t"" 6 im,uun,u. v ucu iiit service
opened at 11 o'clock, the large building
was lined witn an audience of the best
dressed, most comfortable looking peo-
P in aymona.
The First church of Raymond be
lieved in having the best music that
money could buy, and its quartet choir
this morning was a great source of
pleasure to the congregation. The an
them was inspiring. All the music was
in keeping with the subject of the ser
mon. And the unthem was an elaborate
adaptation to the most modern music,
of the hymn :
Jesua, I my crosa have taken.
All to leave and follow thee.
Just before the sermon the soprano
sang a solo, the well known hymn ;
Where he leada me I will follow.
I'll go with him, with him all the way.
Rachel Winslow looked very beauti
ful that morning as she stood up be
hind the screen of carved oak which
was significantly marked with the em
Hums of the cross and the crown. Her
voice was even more beautiful than
her face, and that meannt a great deal.
There was a general rustle of expecta
tion over the audience as she arose.
Henry Maxwell settled himself content
edly behind the pulpit. Rachel Wins
low's singing always helped him. He
generally arranged for a song before
the sermon. It made possible a certain
inspiration of feeling that he knew
made his delivery more impressive.
.. People said to themselves they had
never heard such singing even in the
First church. It is certain that if it
had not been a church service her solo
would have been vigorously applauded.
It even seemed to Henry Maxwell when
she sat down that something like an at
tempted clapping of hands or striking
of feet on the floor swept through the
church. He was startled by it As he
rose, however, and laid his sermon on
the open Bible he said to himself he,
had been deceived. Of course it could
not occur. In a few moments he was
absorbed in his sermon, and everything
else was forgotten in the pleasure of
the delivery.
No one had ever accused Henry Max
well of being a dull preacher. On the
contrary, he had often been charged
with being sensational, not in what he
said so much as in his way of saying
it But the First church people liked
that. It gave their preacher and their
parish a pleasant distinction that was
agreeable.
It was also true that the pastor of
the First church loved to preach. He
seldom exchanged He was eager to be
in his own pulpit when Sunday came.
There was an exhilarating half hour
for him as he stood facing a church full
of people and knew that he had a hear
ing. He was peculiarly sensitive to
variations in the attendance. He never
preached well before a small audience
The weather also affected him decided?
ly. He was at his best before just such
an audience as faced him now, on just
such a morning He felt a glow of sat
isfaction as he went on. The church
was the first in the city. It had the best
choir. It had a membership composed
of the loading people, representatives
of the wealth, society and intelligence
of Raymond. He was going abroad on
a three months' vacation in the sum
mer, and the circumstances of his pas
torate, his influence and his position as
pastor of the first church in the city
It is not certain that the Rev. Henry
Maxwell know just how ho could curry
on all that thought in connection with
his sermon, but as ho drew near the
end of it he know that he had at some
point in his delivery had all these feel-
"'?s. ma entered into the very
nis nonirnt. ft miifnt
have beeu all in a few seconds of time,
bnt ho had been conscious of defining
hia position and his emotions as well as
if he had hold a soliloquy, and his de
livery partook of the thrill of deep per
sonal satisfaction
The sermon was interesting. It was
full of striking sentences. They would
have commanded attention printed.
Spokeii with the passion of a dramatic
utterance that had the good taste never
to offend with a suspicion of ranting or
declamation, they wore very effective.
If the Rev. Henry Maxwell that morn
ing felt satisfied with tho conditions of
his pastorate, the parish of First church
also had n similar fooling ns it congrat
ulated itself on the presence in the pul
pit of this scholarly, refined, somewhat
striking face and tigwe. preaching
with such animation and freedom from
all vulgar, noisy or disagreeable man
nerism. Suddenly, into the midst of this per
fect accord and concord between preach
er and audience, there came n very re
markable interruption. It would be
difficult to indicate the extent of tho
shock which this interruption measured.
It was so unexpected, so entirely con
trary to any thought of any person
present, that it offered no room for
argument or, for tho time being, of re
sistance. The sermon hnd come to a close. The
Rev. Henry Maxwell had turned the
half of tho big Bible over upon his
manuscripts and was about to sit down
as the quartet prepared to rise and
slug the closing selection,
OREGON CITY COURIER-HERALD.
All tor Jesus, all tor Jesus,
All my being's ransomed powers, '. , '
i u . .
. when the entire congregation '
aaA v th, .
was star
tled by the sound of a man's voice. It
iaiiiu uum fciio imi tuo cuuruu, xroin
I
nn-mn f 4-1 41. - 1 1-
Betae the startled congregation real-
ized what being done thfe man had
reached the open space in front of the
P-Pit and had toned abont. facing
the people
i i , , , .
i vo uwu wuuucrmg since i came
in here they were the words he used
T fl' . Wea tram
1 "n , 2
TI f l " 8ervicftJ1 l m
n . a . m n f!J a?.d 1 m
?ffeCt y Armless. But if I die as
' lm;re 18 every imeiinooa l snail in a
few days, i
want the satisfaction of
thinking that I said my say in a place
like this, before just this sort of a
crowd."
I Henry Maxwell had not taken his
' seat, and he now remained standing,
leaning on his pulpit, looking down at
the stranger. It was the man who had
come to his house Friday morning, the
same dusty, worn, shabby looking
young man. He held his faded hat in
his two hands. It seemed to be a fa
vorite gesture. He bad not been shaved,
and his hair was rough and tangled. ' It
i was doubtful if any one like this had
I ever confronted the First church within
I the sanctuary. It was tolerably familiar
' with this sort of humanity out on the
street, around tne railroad shops, wan
dering up and down the avenue, but it
had never dreamed of snch an incident
as this so near. '
There was nothing offensive in the
man's manner or tone. He was not ex
cited, and he spoke in a low but dis
tinct voice. Henry Maxwell was con
scious, even as he stood there smitten
into dumb astonishment at the event,
that somehow the man's action remind
ed him of a person he had once seen
walking and talking in his sleep.
No one in the church made any mo
tion to stop the stranger or in any way
interrupt him. Perhaps the first shock
of his sudden appearance deepened into
genuine perplexity concerning what
was best to do. However that may be,
he went on as if he had no thought of
interruption and no thought of the un
usual element he had introduced into
the decorum of the First church service,
and all the while he was speaking
Henry Maxwell leaned over the pulpit,
his face growing more white and sad
every moment. But he made no move
ment to stop him, and . the people sat
smitten into breathless silence. One
other face, that of Rachel Winslow,
from the choir seats, stared, white and
intent, down at the shabby figure with
the faded hat. Her face was striking at
any time. Under the pressure of the
present unheard of incident it was as
personally distinct as if it had been
framed in flra
"I'm not an ordinary tramp, though
I don't know of any teaching of Jesus
that makes one kind of a tramp less
worth saving than another. Do you?"
He put the question as naturally as if
the whole congregation had been a
small private Bible class. He paused
just a moment and coughed painfully
Then he went on.
"I lost my job ten months ago. I am
a printer by trade. The new linotype
machines are beautiful specimens of
invention, but I know six men who
have killed themselves inside of the
year just on account of those machines.
Of course I don't blame the newspapers
for getting the machines. Meanwhile
what can a man do ? I ' know I never
learned but the one trade, and that's
all I can do. I've tramped all over the
country trying to find something. There
are a good many others like me. I'm
not complaining, am I? Just stating
facts. But I was wondering, as I sat
there under the gallery, if what you
call following Jesus is the same thing
as what he taught. i
"What did he mean when he said.
'Follow met' The minister said'' here
the man turned about and looked up at
the pulpit "that it was necessary for
the disciplo of Josus to follow his steps,
and he said the steps were obedience,
faith, love and imitation. But I did
not hear him tell just what he meant
that to mean, especially the last step
What do Christians mean by following
the stops of Jesus? I've tramped
through this city for three days trying
to find a job, and in all that time I've
not had a word of sympathy or comfort
except from your minister here, who
said he was sorry for me and hoped I
would find a job somewhere. I suppose
it is because you get so imposed on by
the professional tramp that yon have
lost your interest in the other sort. I'm
not blaming anybody, am I? Just stat
ing facts. Of course I understand you
can't all go out of your way to hunt up
jobs for people like me. I'm not asking
you to. but what I feel puzzled about is
what is meant by following Jesus. Do
yon mean that yon are suffering and
denying yourselves and trying to save
lost suffering humanity just as I un
derstand Jesus did? What do yon mean
by it ? I see the ragged edge of things
a good deal. I understand there are
more than 500 men in this city in my
case. Most of them have families My
wife died four mouths ago. I'm glad
she is out of trouble. My little girl is
staying with a printer's family until I
find a job. Somehow I get puzzled
, when I see so many Christians living
in luxury and singing, 'Jesus, I my
cross have taken, all to leave and fol
low thee, ' and remember how my wife
died in a tenement in New York city,
gasping for air and asking God to take
: the little girl too. Of course I don't ex
pect yon people can prevent everv one
! from dying of starvation, lack of proper ' Passive. He talked with considerable
j nourishment nnd tenement air. But hesitation. It was evident that some
' what does following Jesus mean ? I ' Krent ill' struggled in his thought for
; understand that Christian people own utterance, bnt it was not expressed in
a good many of the tenements. A mem- j ,Ue theme he had chosen for his preach
j lnr of a chnrch was the owner of tho j ,nS- 14 ws 'r the close of hia sermon
one where my wifo died, and I have j tuftt ll 'san to gather a certain
1 wondered if following Jesus all the strength that had been painfully lack-
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22,
way was true In his case. I heard some
people singing at a church prayer meet
ing the other night,
"All for Jesua, all for Jesus,
All my being's ransomed powers,
All my thoughts and all my doings,
All my days and all my hours,
"and I kept wondering, as I sat on
the steps outside, just what they meant
by it. It seems to me there's an awful
lot of trouble in the world that some
how wouldn't exist if all the people
who sing snch songs went and lived
them ont I. suppose I don't under
stand. . But what would Jesns do ? Is
that what you mean by following his
steps?' It seems to me sometimes as if
the people in the city churches had good
clothes and nice houses to live in, and
money to spend for luxuries, and could
go away on summer vacations end all
that, while the people outside of the
churches, thousands of them, I mean,
die in tenements, and walk the streets
for jobs, and never have a piano or a
picture in the house, and grow np in
misery and drunkenness and sin. " The
man gave a queer lurch over in the di
rection of the communion table and laid
one grimy hand on it. His hat fell upon
the carpet at his feet. A stir went
through the congregation. Dr. West
half rose from his seat, bnt as yet the
silence was unbroken by any voice or
movement worth mentioning in the
audience. The man passed his other
hand across his eyes and then, without
any warning, fell heavily forward on
his face, full length, up the aisle.
Henry Maxwell spoke, "We will con
sider the service dismissed." He was
down the pulpit stairs and kneeling by
the prostrate form before any one else.
The audience instantly rose, and the
aisle was crowded. Dr. West pro
nounced the man alive. He had fainted
away.
"Some heart trouble," the doctor
also muttered as he helped to carry him
into the pastor's study.'
Henry Maxwell and a group of his
church members remained some time
in the study. The man lay on the couch
there and breathed heavily. , When the
question of what to do with him came
np, the minister insisted upon taking
him to his house. He lived near by and
had an extra room. Rachel Winslow
said: "Mother has no company at pres
ent I am sure we would be glad to
give him a place with us. " She looked
strangely agitated. No one noticed it
particularly. They were all excited over
the strange event, the strangest that
First church people could remember.
But the minister insisted on taking
charge cf the man, and when a carriage
came the unconscious but living form
was carried to his house, and with the
entrance of that humanity into the
minister's Bpare room a new chapter in
Henry Maxwell's life began, and yet no
one, himself least of all, dreamed of the
remarkable change it was destined to
make in all his after definition of Chris
tian discipleship.
The event created a great sensation
in the First chnrch parish. People
talked of nothing else for a week. It
was the general impression that the
man had wandered into the church in a
condition of mental disturbance caused
by his troubles and that all the time he
was talking he was in a strange de
lirium of fever and really ignorant of
his surroundings. That was the most
charitable construction to put upon his
action. It was the general agreement
also that there was a singular absence
of anything bitter or complaining in
what the man had said. He had through
out spoken in a mild, apologetic tone,
almost as if he were one of the congre
gation seeking for litht ou a verv diffi
cult snb.ioi't
The third day .,; l. iv..:. -..,!
the minister's horse -:. v: :i i;r r'-r d
change in his ci:'. ,.-u ri'. ii:c...r
spoke of it and i.ili ini i Ur.. S;.trr
day morniii he still l.ii -eu r1.. although
he had nightly failed us the voek drew
near to its close Hundny morning just
before the clock struck 1 he rallied and
asked if his child had come The min
ister had sent for her as soon as he had
been able to secure her address from
some letters found in the man's pocket.
He had been conscious and able to talk
coherently only a few moments since
his attack. "The child is coming. She
will be here, " Henry Maxwell said as
he sat there, his face showing marks of
the strain of the week's vigil, for he
had insisted on sitting up nearly every
night.
"I shall never see her in this world,"
the man whispered. Then he uttered
with great difficulty the words: "You
have been good to' me. Somehow 1 feel
as if it was what Jesus would do."
After a few moments he turned, his
head slightly, and before Henry Max
well could realize the fact the doctor
said. ."He is gone. "
The Sunday morning that (irwnrd on
the city of Raymond was oxi.ttiy likv
the Sunday of the week before Hom y
Maxwell entered his pulpit to face one
of the largest congregations that had
ever crowded First church. He was
haggard and looked as if he had just
risen from a long illness. His wife was
at home with the little girl who hud
come on the morning train an hour aft
er her father died. He lay iu that spare
room, his troubles over, and Henry
Maxwell could see the face as he opened
the Bible and arranged his different
notices on the side of the desk as ho had
been in the habit of doing for ten years.
The service that morning continued a
new element No cue could remombei
when tho minister had preached in the
morning without notes. As a matter of
fact, he had done so occasionally when
he first entered the ministry, but for a
long time ho had carefully written out
every word of his morning sermon and
nearly always his evening discourse as
well. It cannot be said that his sermon
this morning was very striking or im-
1901.
ingat the beginning. He closed the . uenfy .Maxwell calmly closed th
BiWe, and, stepping out at the side of a f Prayeil e organ-n.-
u. iTi i a i 1st beean his postlude immediately aft-
f. toiir tn tbm .W th remarkable
scene of the week before.
''Our brother" somehow the words
sounded a little strange coming from
Henry Maxwell's lips "passed away
this morning. I have not yet had time
to learn all hi? history. He had one sis
ter living in Chicago. I have written
her and have not yet received an an-
: swer. His little girl is with ns and will
; remain for the time. "
i He paused and looked over the house.
He thought he had never seen so many
I earnest faces during the entire paetor-
ata He was not able yet to tell his peo
ple his experiences, the crisis through
which he waa even now moving, bnt
something of his feeling passed from
him to them, and it did not seem to
him that he was acting under a careless
impulse at all to goon and break to
them this morning something of the
message he bore in his heart So he
went on :
"The appearance and words of this
stranger in the chnrch last Sunday
made a very powerful impression on
me. I am not able to conceal from you
or myself the fact that what he said,
followed, as it has been, by his death
in my house, has compelled me to ask
as I never asked before, 'What does fol
lowing Jesus mean ?' I am not in a po
sition yet to utter any condemnation
of this people or, to a certain extent, of
myself, either in our Christlike rela
tions to this man or the number he rep
resents in the world. But all that does
not prevent me from feeling that much
that the man said was so vitally true
that we must face it in an attempt to
answer it or else stand condemned w
Christian disciples. A good deal that
was said here last Sunday was in the
nature of a challenge to Christianity as
it is seen and felt in our churches. I
have felt this with increasing emphasis
every day since, and I do not know
that any time is more appropriate than
the present for me to propose a plan or
a purpose which has been forming in
my mind as a satisfactory reply to
much that was said here last Sunday. "
Again Henry Maxwell paused and
looked into the faces of his people.
There were some strong, earnest men
and women in the First church. The
minister could see Edward Norman,
editor of the Raymond Daily News. He
had been a member of First church for
ten years. No man was more honored
in the community. There was Alexan
der Powers, superintendent of the rail
road shops. There was Donald Marsh,
president of Lincoln college, situated in
the suburbs of Raymond. There was
Milton Wright one of the great mer
chants of Raymond, having in his em-
ploy at least 100 men in various . shopa
Thirn wn T)r Went, wlm nltVinnwrt
There was Dr. West, who, although
still comparatively young, was quoted
as authority in special surgical cases.
There was young Jasper Chase, the
author, who had written one successful
book arid was said to be at work on a
new novel. There was Miss Virginia
Page, the heiress, who through the re
cent death of her father had inherited
a million at least and was gifted with
unusual attractions of person and in
tellect. And, not least of all, Rachel
Winslow from her seat in the choir
glowed with her peculiar beauty of
light this morning because she was so
intensely interested in the whole scene.
There was some reason perhaps, in
view of such material in the First
church, for Henry Maxwell's feeling '
satisfaction whenever he considered his
parish as he had the previous Sunday.
There was a large number of strong in
dividual characters who claimed mem
bership there. But as he noted their
faces this morning Henry Maxwell was
simply wondering how many of them
would respond to the strange proposi
tion he was about to make. He con
tinued Blowly, taking time to choose
his words carefully nnd giving the peo
ple an impression they had. never felt
before, even when he was at his best,
with his most dramatic delivery.
"What I am going to propose now is
something which ought not to appear
unusual or at all impossible of execu
tion, yet I am aware that it will be so
regarded by a largo number perhaps of
the members of the chnrch. Bnt, in
order that we may have a ' thorough
understanding of what we are consid
ering, I will put my proposition very
plainly, perhaps bluntly. I want volun
teers from the First chnrch who will
pledge themselves earnestly and honest
ly for an entire year not to do anything
without first asking the question.
'What would Jesus do?' And after ask
ing that question eat-h one will follow
Jesus as exactly as he knows how, no
matter what the results may be. I will,
of course, include myself in this com
pany of volunteers and shall take for
granted that my church here will not
be surprised at my future conduct as
based upon this standard of action and
will not oppose whatever is done if they
think Christ would do it. Have I made
my meaning clear? At the close of the
service here I want all those members
of the church who are willing to join
such a company to remain, and we
will talk over the details of the plan.
Our motto will be, 'What would Jesus
do?' Our aim will be to act just as he
would if be were in' our places, regard
less of immediate results. In other
words, we propose to follow Jesus' steps
as closely and as literally as we beliovo
he taught his disciples to do. And those
who volunteer to do this will pledge
themselves for an entire year, begin
ning with today, so to act."
Henry Maxwell paused again nnd
looked over his church. It is not easy
to describe tho sensation that such a
simple proposition apparently made.
Men glanced at one another in aston
ishment. It was not like Henry Max
well to define Christian discipleship in
this way. There was evident confusion
of thought over his proposition. It was
understood well enough, but there was
apparently a great difference of opinion
as to the application of Jesus' teaching
and example.
I er the benediction, and the people be-
gan to go out. There was a great deal
of conversation. Animated groups stood
all over the church discussing the min
ister's proposition. It was evidently
provoking great discussion. After sev
i eral minutes Henry Maxwell asked all
who expected to remain to pass into
j the lecture room on the side. He him
' self was detained at the front of the
church talking with several persons1
there, and when he finally turned around
' the church was empty. He walked over;
to the lecture room entrance and went
I in. He was almost starjtled to see the peo
ple who were there. He had not made
up his mind about any cf his members,
but he had hardly expected that so
many were ready to enter into such a
literal testing of their discipleship as
now awaited them. There were perhaps
50 members present Among them were
Rachel Winslow and Virginia Page,
. Mr. Norman." President Marsh, Alex
, ander Powers, the railroad superintend
ent ; Milton Wright, Dr. West and Jas
per Chase.
I The pastor closed the door of the lec
i ture room and stood before the little
group. His face was pale, and his lips
trembled with emotion. It was to him
a genuine crisis in his own life and that
of his parish. No man can tell until he
is moved by the Divine Spirit what he
may do or how he may change the cur
rent of a lifetime of fixed habits of
thought and speech and action. Henry
Maxwell did not, as we have said, yet
know himself all that he was passing
through, but he was conscious of a
1 great upheaval in his definitions of
Christian discipleship, and he waa
moved with a depth of feeling he could
I not measure as he looked into the faces
! of these men and women on this occa-
It seemed to him that the most fitting
word to be spoken first was that of
prayer. He asked them all to pray with
him, and almost with the first syllable
he uttered there was a distinct presence
of the Spirit felt by them ali As the
prayer went on this presence grew in
power. They all felt it. The room was
filled with it as plainly as if it had been
visible. When the prayer closed, there
was a silence that lasted several mo
ments. All the heads were bowed.
Henry Maxwell's face was wet with
tears. If an audible voice from heaven
had sanctioned their ' pledge to follow
the Master's steps, not one person pres
ent could have felt more, certain of the
Divine blessing. And so the most seri
ous movement ever started in the First
church of Raymond was begun.
, "We all understand," said Henry
Maxwell, speaking very quietly, "what
j onrselvea to do everything in otnrdaiiy
1 .. . . r.
lives alter asKing the question, 'What
would Jesus do?' regardless of what
! may be the result to us. Some time I
shall be able to tell you what a marvel
ous change has come over my life with
. in a week's time. I cannot now. But
j the experience I have been through
1 since last Sunday has left me so dissat
isfied with my previous definition of
discipleship that I have been compelled
to take this action. I did not dare be
gin it alone. I know that I ,am being
led by the hand of Divine love in all,
this. The same Divine impulse must j
have led you also. Do we understand i
fully what we have undertaken?" . j
"I want to ask a question," said!
Rachel Winslow.
Every one turned toward her. Her
face glowed with a beauty that no love
liness could ever create.
"1 am a little in doutt as to the
source of onr knowledge concerning
what Jesus would do. Who is to decide
for me just what he would do in mv
case? It is a different age. There are j
many perplexing questions in our civi- j
lization that are not mentioned in the:
teaching of Jesus. How am I going to!
tell what he would do?" j
"There is no way that I know of, "I
replied Mr. Maxwell, "except as we:
study Jesus through the medium of the:
Holy Spirit. You remember what Christ j
said speaking to his disciples about thei
Holy Spirit : , j
" 'riowbeit. when he. the Spirit of
Truth is come, he shall guide you into
nil the truth, for he shall not sneak
from himself. But what things soever
; he shall hear, these shall he speak, and!
I he shall declare unto you the things!
that are to come. He shall glorify me, !
for he shall take of mine and shall de-l
clare it unio yta. All things whatso-'
ever the Father hath are mine; there
fore said I that he taketk of mine and
shall declare it unto you. '
"There is no other test that I know
of. We shall all have to decide what
Jesus would do after going to "that
source of knowledge. "
"What if others say of us when we
do certain things that Jesus would not
do so?" asked the superintendent of
railroads.
"We cannot prevent that, but we
must be absolutely honest with our
selves. The standard of Christian action
cannot vary in most of our acts. "
"And yet what one church member
thinks Jesus would do another refuses
to accept as his possible course of ac
tion. What is to render our conduct
uniformly Christlikef Will it be possi
ble to reach the same conclusions al
wavs in all cases?" asked President
Henry Maxwell was silent some time.
Then he answered.
"No; I don't know that we can ex
pect that. But when it comes to a gen
uine, honest, enlightened following of
Jesns' steps I cannot believe there will
be any confusion either in our own
miudsor in the judgment of others.
We winst be free from fanaticism on
one hand and too much caution on the
other If Jesns' example is the example
for the world, it certainly must be
feasible to follow it But we need to
I'member this great fact after we
kave asked the Spirit to tell ns what
Jesos would do and have received an
answer to it we are to act regardless of
the results to ourselves. Is that under
stood?" To be continued.