"For hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for you,leaving you an example, that ye should follow in his steps."
It was Friday morning and the Rev. Henry Maxwell was trying tofinish his Sunday morning sermon. He had been interrupted severaltimes and was growing nervous as the morning wore away, and thesermon grew very slowly toward a satisfactory finish.
"Mary," he called to his wife, as he went upstairs after the lastinterruption, "if any one comes after this, I wish you would say Iam very busy and cannot come down unless it is something veryimportant."
"Yes, Henry. But I am going over to visit the kindergarten and youwill have the house all to yourself."
The minister went up into his study and shut the door. In a fewminutes he heard his wife go out, and then everything was quiet. Hesettled himself at his desk with a sigh of relief and began towrite. His text was from 1 Peter 2:21: "For hereunto were ye called;because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that yeshould follow his steps."
He had emphasized in the first part of the sermon the Atonement as apersonal sacrifice, calling attention to the fact of Jesus'suffering in various ways, in His life as well as in His death. Hehad then gone on to emphasize the Atonement from the side ofexample, giving illustrations from the life and teachings of Jesusto show how faith in the Christ helped to save men because of thepattern or character He displayed for their imitation. He was now onthe third and last point, the necessity of following Jesus in Hissacrifice and example.
He had put down "Three Steps. What are they?" and was about toenumerate them in logical order when the bell rang sharply. It wasone of those clock-work bells, and always went off as a clock mightgo if it tried to strike twelve all at once.
Henry Maxwell sat at his desk and frowned a little. He made nomovement to answer the bell. Very soon it rang again; then he roseand walked over to one of his windows which commanded the view ofthe front door. A man was standing on the steps. He was a young man,very shabbily dressed.
"Looks like a tramp," said the minister. "I suppose I'll have to godown and—"
He did not finish his sentence but he went downstairs and opened thefront door. There was a moment's pause as the two men stood facingeach other, then the shabby-looking young man said:
"I'm out of a job, sir, and thought maybe you might put me in theway of getting something."
"I don't know of anything. Jobs are scarce—" replied the minister,beginning to shut the door slowly.
"I didn't know but you might perhaps be able to give me a line tothe city railway or the superintendent of the shops, or something,"continued the young man, shifting his faded hat from one hand to theother nervously.
"It would be of no use. You will have to excuse me. I am very busythis morning. I hope you will find something. Sorry I can't give yousomething to do here. But I keep only a horse and a cow and do thework myself."
The Rev. Henry Maxwell closed the door and heard the man walk downthe steps. As he went up into his study he saw from his hall windowthat the man was going slowly down the street, still holding his hatbetween his hands. There was something in the figure so dejec