Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-08
LIFE ON HIGH LEVELS.
Terse Comments Upon the Christian
EndeaVor Topic for April II, "Risen
With Christ" Col. 8: Ia.
(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIs.)

(pI w LILLIAN L. EllLlS.)
There has been much talk of the
strenuous life and of the simple life,
risen life. Existence Is on too low u
plane for good living. All the MAS
mas and murkiness Of the lowlands
contribute to unhealthful living. A
real and practicable and substantial
reform, of most far-reaching signifi-
canoe, would be for individuals 10
rise to higher level of living. That
is the way Christianity has wrought
all its wonders. 1t has lifted up men
and women, one by one, to a loftier
life. They have given free play to
the elevating impulse of the Divine
Spirit; and they have identified their
personalities with that of the Lord.
Low practices, low standards, low
ideals have then become superseded
by the ideals Of Jesus. Their rule OF
conduct, mostly unexpressed, is "Foi
me to live Is Christ
The only noble thigh life" is that
which is lived on the Hottest levels
Of altruism and service and sacrifice.
To give up is the first step toward
going up.
Niagara's great power is now en-
ployed to run the street railways and
propel the machinery of scores of cit
les and towns throughout Canada and
the states. That same power, howev-
er, is also employed to light the
m a yn nj 10 1,
toiler's single sewing machine 1t is
not too great for small tasks. SINH
larly the exhaustless power Of Gods
helping Spirit is sufficient for small
achievements as well as for great 1t
enables one Christian to control his
temper and another to die martyrs
death at the stake. AS Paul points
out, 1t is good to help man to be
temperate and also to help him
achieve transformed character
Some curious and interesting
changes are made in the American
revised version Of the Bible, over the
King James edition. In a number o.
significant instances the verb has
been changed from the active to the
passive form. Thus, in the passage
which forms the basis of the present
study, the familiar words of Paul. IF
ye then be risen together with Christ,
seek those things which are above"
have been made to read, IF then Sc
be raised together with Christ" That
Is to say, the active agent is not man,
but God. Man does not rise Of him
self with Christ; he simply lets him
self be raised. The power is all cf
God. 1t is mot l. but Christ" as Paul
elsewhere says; or Christ In you, the
hope of glory" Only by the super
natural does it become possible for a
mortal to attain unto the Christ life.
Christians are sharers; they share
the humiliation of their Lord, and
they share his resurrection, and, like
him, they share themselves with the
world.
Only a triumphant Christ can give
person victory over his own baser
self.
For liberty did Christ set you free
liberty to be and to do the best. lib.
erty to rise above the old self and in.
to an ever enlarging newness of life
The other day met stranger at
hotel table in an Ohio college town
He wore Brotherhood button and ]
addressed him. He had been sum.
moned from his distant home to the
bedside of student son seriously i'll
The boy had looked on death calmly,