As he went on, people began to listen in amazement.  He had begun by giving them a statement of facts concerning the sinful, needy, desperate condition of life in the place.  He then rapidly sketched the contrast between the surroundings of the Christian and the non-Christian people, between the working-men and the church-members.  He stated what was the fact in regard to the unemployed and the vicious and the ignorant and the suffering.  And then with his heart flinging itself out among the people, he spoke the words which aroused the most intense astonishment: 

“Disciples of Jesus,” he exclaimed, “the time has come when our Master demands of us some token of our discipleship greater than the giving of a little money or the giving of a little work and time to the salvation 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 renounce, if it is best, if Christ asks it, the things we have so long counted dear, the money, the luxury, the houses, and go down into the tenement district to live there and work there with the people.  I do not wish to be misunderstood here.  I do not believe our modern civilization is an absurdity.  I do not believe Christ if he were here to-day would demand of us foolish things.  But this I do believe He would require—­ourselves.  We must give ourselves in some way that will mean real, genuine, downright and decided self-sacrifice.  If Christ were here He would say to some of you, as He said to the young man, ’Sell all you have and give to the poor, and come, follow me.’  And if you were unwilling to do it 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 two thousand years.  Eternal life is something which has only one price, and that is the same always.

“What less can we do than give ourselves and all we have to the salvation of souls in this city?  Have we not enjoyed our pleasant things long enough?  What less would Christ demand of the church to-day than the giving up of its unnecessary luxuries, the consecration of every dollar to His glory and the throwing of ourselves on the altar of His service?  Members of Calvary Church, I solemnly believe the time has come when it is our duty to go into the tenement district and redeem it by the power of personal sacrifice and personal presence.  Nothing less will answer.  To accomplish this great task, to bring back to God this great part of His kingdom, I believe we ought to spend our time, our money, ourselves.  It is a sin for us 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 in need of the blessings of Christian civilization in our power to share with them.  We cannot say it is not our business.  We cannot excuse ourselves on the plea of our own business.  This is our