Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-26
raE PROGRAM OF THE NEW
ORDER.
The International Sunday School Les
son for August 20 is "Paul on
Christian Love-" Corinthians, 10:
lis.
BY WILLIAM t. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM t. ELLIS.
The widespread social unrest is one
of the portentous signs of the present
time. It affects not merely America
and Europe, but even the older ma
tons of the Orient. So marked has be
come the feeling of popular FESTIVE
ness in the United States that even
the far secluded United States senate
has felt it. Along with this social I'M
rest, has gone an increase of popular
power in government which assures
to the reformer an increased measure
of expression. There are undoubtedly
serious changes impending in the So
cial order. To that truth no careful
student of the times can be blind.
But how are these changes to come
and what will be their nature? Here
arise perplexities. Will the new order
be some one of the multiform phases
of Socialism? Is a new government
scheme to remedy all the ills of the
day, and to satisfy all the loudly
voiced longings of the people? Prob
ably not, for the simple reason that
the deepest and most permanent fac
tor In life is human nature. When
royalty fell before Communism in
France wild orgy Of selfishness, vim
diotiveness and personal aggrandize-
ment ensued, for human nature re-
NAMED the same under the Commune
that 1t had been under the Monarchy.
Before we can hope for any success
full or permanent amelioration of hui
man society, there must be a change
in hn n of
and women.
The Best for the Basest.
Once again the question arises, how
That is concern for the professor in
the university and for the men Of the
street. 1t is so abstract and detached
theory, of no interest to the plain
people. The best means of improving
human nature lies behind every one
of the so-called burning social ques-
lions. Right here we link today to
the apostolic age in Corinth We find
the Apostle Paul giving counsel OF
perfection to the rottenest city of his
time. Corinth, whose debasement was
a proverb, had yet been made over,
in a portion of it's citizenship, by the
teachings of Christian missionaries.
Now, to this city, which practiced the
basest perversious of love, Paul gives
his sublime truth Of the supremacy
of the highest form of love. This
new religion" which Paul prcpounded
was several leagues in advance of the
latest theories and prophecies of the
most ADVANCED thinkers.
If people would give less serious
heed to the day-by-day sensations of
the news dispatches, and read their
Bibles more, they would quickly per-
ceive how tremendously it's program
tor new order surpasses the latest
innovations and theories. The New
Testament scheme Of life is not merely
religious, but reasonable as well. 1t
has the advantage over others in that
1t has been tested, and it has worked.
Conditions for it's proving could not
be more adverse than they were in
Corinth yet there, in that bestialized
city, this Gospel erected beautiful
fraternity of men and women who
lived by the royal law of Christ.
The Finest Love Poem.
The Corinthian background should
ever be kept in mind in reading Pauls
letters to his friends in Corinth. Dur
ing the year and half of his sojourn
there, these converts had become very
dear to the apostle. In writing to them
about the things that were most
worth while, and the gifts and graces
ly chose the one virtue Of love and eX
allied it in this most majestic of al
the love poems in human speech:
ST speak with the tongues o.
men and of angels, but have not love
Y L -
changing cymbal. And If 1 have the
gift of prophecy, and know all mys
teries and all knowledge; and if
have all faith, so as to remove noun
tains, but have not love, am moth
Ing. And if I bestow all my goods tt
feed the poor, and if l give my body
to be burned, but have not love, i
profiteth me nothing. Love sufferetf
long and is kind; love envieth not
love vaunteth not itself, is not puffet
up, doth not behave itself unseemly
seeketh not its own, is not provoked
taketh not account of evil; rejoicetl
not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceti
with the truth; beareth all things
believeth all things, endureth al
things. Love never faileth: but wheth
er there be prophecies, they shall .,
done away; whether there be tongues
they shall cease; whether there b.
knowledge, 1t shall be done away
For we know in part, and we prophe
sy in part; but when that which j
perfect shall come that which is il
part shall be done away. When l wa
child, spake as a child, | felt as
child, / thought as child; now lha
am become a man, I have put ava
childish things. For now we see in
mirror darkly; but then face to face
now / know in part, but then shah
knows fully even as also was fun
known But now abideth faith, hope
love, these three; and the greatest c
these is love"
A New Word.
The word which is the refrain {
this sublime passage was new wor
In Greece. The average reader doc
not stop to consider how Christia
missionaries everywhere have to col
new words. The languages of the pei
pie to which they go do not have tn
terminology for the lofty sentiment