“I should think so!  But how do you know, Philip, that those people outside were in any need of your preaching?”

Philip appeared surprised at the question.  He looked at his wife, and her face was serious.

“Why, doesn’t everybody need preaching?  They may not stand in need of my preaching, perhaps, but they ought to have some preaching.  And I cannot help thinking of what is the duty of the church in this place to the great crowd outside.  Something ought to be done.”

“Philip, I am sure your work here will be blessed, don’t you think so?”

“I know it will,” replied Philip, with the assurance of a very positive but spiritually-minded man.  He never thought his Master was honored by asking him for small things, or doubting the power of Christianity to do great things.

And always when he said “I,” he simply meant, not Philip Strong, but Christ in Philip Strong.  To deny the power and worth of that incarnation was, to his mind, not humility, but treason.

The Sunday following, Philip made this announcement to the people:—­

“Beginning with next Sunday morning, I shall give the first of a series of monthly talks on Christ and Modern Society.  It will be my object in these talks to suppose Christ Himself as the one speaking to modern society on its sins, its needs, its opportunities, its responsibilities, its every-day life.  I shall try to be entirely loving and just and courageous in giving what I believe Christ Himself would give you, if He were the pastor of Calvary Church in Milton to-day.  So, during these talks, I wish you would, with me, try to see if you think Christ would actually say what I shall say in His place.  If Christ were in Milton to-day, I believe He would speak to us about a good many things in Milton, and He would speak very plainly, and in many cases He might seem to be severe.  But it would be for our good.  Of course I am but human in my weakness.  I shall make mistakes.  I shall probably say things Christ would not say.  But always going to the source of all true help, the Spirit of Truth, I shall, as best a man may, speak as I truly believe Christ would if he were your pastor.  These talks will be given on the first Sunday of every month.  I cannot announce the subjects, for they will be chosen as the opportunities arise.”

During the week Philip spent several hours of each day in learning the facts concerning the town.  One of the first things he did was to buy an accurate map of the place.  He hung it up on the wall of his study, and in after days found occasion to make good use of it.  He spent his afternoons walking over the town.  He noted with special interest and earnestness the great brick mills by the river, five enormous structures with immense chimneys, out of which poured great volumes of smoke.  Something about the mills fascinated him.  They seemed like monsters of some sort, grim, unfeeling, but terrible.  As one walked by them he seemed to feel the throbbing