And now more than during any of the ages gone, Christ's words ring in our ears with twenty centuries of reverberation, 'Whosoever will not deny himself and take up his cross, he cannot be my disciple.'" Of all the sermons on Christ and Modern Society which Philip had thus far preached, none had hit so hard or was applied so personally as this.
The Goldens went home from the service in a towering rage.

"That settles Calvary Church for me," said Mrs.Golden, as she flung herself out of the building after the service was over.

"I consider that the most insulting sermon I ever heard from any minister.

It is simply outlandish; and how the church can endure such preaching much longer is a wonder to me.

I don't go near it again while Mr.Strong is the minister!" Philip did not know it yet, but he was destined to find out that society carries a tremendous power in its use of the word "outlandish," applied either to persons or things.
When the evening service was over, Philip, as his habit was, lay down on the couch in front of the open fire until the day's excitement had subsided a little.