Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-04

rament But 1 do not dogmatize; 1 am
too feeble and too unwise. l only men,
ton things like these, and they are sug-
gestive Of profounder thoughts than L
dare trust myself to follow.
"On the same night in which He was
betrayed" so all Catholic liturgies begin
the consecrating prayer. But ii is just
as true ION the same night In which He
was betrayed" He arose from supper
laid aside His garments, took towel
and girded Himself poured water into a
basin, washed His disciples feet, and
wiped them with the towel.
TRUE MEASURE OF GREATNESS
In a reception of this strange, drama
tic act some people have, as they
fancied. fulfilled its meaning. Itself was
the fulfilment in act Of much teaching
by word. 'Whosoever will be great
among you, let him be your servant, and
whatsoever will be chief among you, let
him be your slave" For the Son Of
Man come not to be served, but to
serve" He is contrasting the Kingdom
Of Heaven with the kingdoms Of the
world, where greatness stands in lord
ship, in ruling with tyrannous mastery.
The measure of greatness, in this
Kingdom of Heaven now revealed, is
the measure of service.
And now. beyond all precept, and all
power Of words He teaches, in this SUI
prome hour, by act done, the infinite
sweep Of the law under which all men
and all beings stand-willingly and glad
| ly, and so with blessing-unwillingly and
rebelling, and so with ruin. He reveals
the foundation law Of the Kingdom OF
God, on which stands all its honors and
all its dignities
No wonder Peter, with his dim percep-
| ton of who He was, should be amazed
With our clearer conceptions, knowing who
| it was that washed-the Eternal Son OF
God and Man-were the fact not so old
and familiar to us, it would be over
| whelming. For II was a menials office
| a slaves Office to the unspiritual sight
utterly debasing. To the scourging, spit
| ting hooking, and crucifixon tie was
| brought by others. Ever so willingly borne
| they were still inflicted from without
| This washing of the feet was His owr
voluntary act, this degrading service, q
service deliberately chosen.
Let us try to understand It. TNrst
! assure ourselves that Christ came to re.
| reveal law. not to create it.; that His
| words and works were a revelation OF
| relations, conditions and duties always
| existing, whether known to us or un.
| known; that He Himself was the norma
| man under the unbroken and abiding
law of humanity; that He was not excep
| tional. nor His law of the Kingdom Of
| Heaven a new and exceptional law ere
| ated for an occasion.
| 1t Is pitiful TO see how the opposite
| conception has vltiated so much OF oul
| theology, and confused our ideas of hu
manity in making the Lords coming al
| afterthought. as II were, and breach
' and not a continuity of Divine order IN
| the word-and this against His owr
| plain words and acts. For His teach.
ing and His life are utterly natural, ac
cording TO n nature (as we call ~, in
which all laws are divine.
| Up to the heights to which men had
! climbed so far they had come by the
law of struggle and survival; by the
brute fight of getting and holding: by
competition, and the law Of supply and
demand. There had been in the revea-
ton Of the old Church hints and CLEANS
of another and a higher law-only hints
and gleams--and to be lived upon only
| among the select and chosen circle.
Here. came with the man Christ Jesus
| the proclamation of the higher and eter-
| nal law: above all the so-called laws OF
] political economy"-the law of the King
| dom of God-that all things are worth
| Just their uses 10 Others, worth no more
| that all the universe is girdled by that
golden law which binds cherubim and
seraphim, principalities and powers. as II
binds suns and stars, dewdrops and
| grass blades-the law OF use, the law OF
service-that the universe is held together
by that law, in harmony; that nothing
lives to itself nor dies to itself-least OF
all man made in the image Of God; that
no place exists for itself no strength. nc
dignity, no honor, for the enjoyment OF
any possessor; that the highest place is
the place of highest toll and care and
| profoundest suffering; that the contrary
| Imagination Is diaboic-belongs to the
heather and the blind; that he that Is
greatest in the Kingdom OF God is the
slave of all: that the Son OF Man comes
10 be served, but to serve; and this Is
the new law and the old law-the eternal
law which Is TO ,be received as the basic
iaw OF the Kingdom Of God upon the
earth. as ii is the law of the Kingdom
OF God I'm Heaven.
SO the lowest service, TO outward sight
= the most mental and debasing, "done al
for love ard nothing for reward" be-
comes divine service noble and kingly
THE LAW OF THE KINGDOM.
Slowly as the years have passed hav'