The Washington herald., 1909-08-21
The Programme Of the New Order.

y Iaul on OnIlsIlRn Love. / corinthians
xiil-l3
The widespread social unrest is one OF
the portentous signs Of the present time.
1t affects not merely America and Europe.
but even the older nations OF the Orient
So marked has become the feeling OF pop
ular restiveness in the United States that
even the far secluded United States Senate
has felt IT, Along with this social unrest.
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 social 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. VIII the new order be some
one Of the mutiform phases OF socialism?
Is new governmental scheme to remedy
all the Ills OF the day. and to satisfy all
The loudly-voiced longings OF the people?
Probably not, for the simple reason that
the deepest and most permanent factor
IN life IS human nature. When royalty
fell before communism in France, a wild
orgy OF selfshness, vindictiveness. and
personal aggrandizement ensued. for hui
man nature remained the same under the
commune that it had been under the
monarchy. Before we can hope for any
successful or permanent amelioration OF
human society, there must be a change
tor the better IN the nature OF men 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 man Of the street
It is no 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-caIled burning
social questions. Right here we link TO-
day 20 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 its citizenship by the teach
ings Of Christian missionaries. Now 10
this city, which practiced the basest per
versions of love. Paul gives his sublime
truth Of the supremacy Of the highest
form OF love. This new religion" which
Paul prOpounded was several leagues in
advance OF the latest theories and
prophecies Of the most advanced" think
ers.
II people would give less serious heed to
the day-by-day sensations Of the news
dispatches. and read their Bibles more.
they would quickly perceive how tremen-
dously its programme Cor a new order
surpasses the latest innovations and the
ories. The New Testament scheme Of
life is not merely religious. but reasonable |
as we'll IL has the advantage over others |
In that IL has been tested. and il has
worked Conditions for it's proving could !
not De more adverse than they were in |
Corinth, yet there, in that bestlalized |
city, this gospel erected a beautiful fra
ternity Of men and women who lived by
the royal law OF Christ
THE FINEST LOVE POEM
The Corinth background should ever
be kept IN mind In reading Paurs letters
TO his friends in Corinth. During the year
and a half Of his sojourn there. these con- I
verts had become very dear 20 the apostle !
In writing to them about the things that /
were most worth while. and the gifts and /
graces 10 be coveted earnestly. he delib- +
erately chose the one virtue OF love, anI
exalted Il in this most majestic OF al the I
love poems IN human speech:
If I speak with the tongues OF men /
and Of angels. but have not love, I am /
become sounding brass. or a changing /
cymbal And II / have the gift of 1
prophecy and know all mysteries and all /
knowledge; and II have all faith. so as I
to remove mountains. but have not love. !
/ am nothing. And II I bestow all my
goods TO feed the poor, and II I give my /
body 70 be burned but have not love- 4
II prohteth me nothing. Love suffereth |
long, and is kind: love env!eth not: love /
vaunteth not itself, Is not pUffed up doth |
not behave itself unseemly. seeketh not I
It's own, is not provoked, taketh not ac. /
count Of evil. rejoiceth not in unright- |
eousness. but rejoiceth with the truth 1
beareth all things. believeth all things, /
hopeth all things. endureth all things
Love never faileth; but whether there be /
prophecies. they shall be done away. /
whether there shall be tongues. they shall |
cease; whether there be knowledge Il /
Shall be done away. For we know in /
part. and we prophesy in part: but when /
that which is perfect is come. that which |
IS IN part shall be done away When I |
was child I spake as a child. I felt as
a child, / thought as a child: now that I /
am become a man, have put away child
ish things. For now we see In a mirror.
darkly; but then face 10 face: now I |
know in part; but then shall know fully
even as also l was fully known But now
aoideth faith. hope. love. these three; and
the greatest OF these Is love"
A NEW WORD
The word which is the refrain OF this
sublime passage was a new word in
Greece. The average reader does not stop
20 consider how Christian missionaries
everywhere have 70 coin new words. The
languages Of the people TO which they
go do not have the terminology for the
lofty sentiments represented by Chris
uanity At this time there Is a debate
among the missionaries in China as to
what Chinese words shall be used for
God and for Holy Spirit" II IS suR-
gestive 10 consider that whole bodv
OF ethical and spiritual conceptions have
been given speech around the earth by
the teachers of Christianity. Thus Christ L
introduced into human speech a word
which II had not possessed before. The
old English version rendered this word
as charity" which to-day. OF course l.
IS utterly inadequate. because of the mar
row meaning that has become attached TO
charity
There were several words for love" in
the cultured Greek speech Of the time
out the one which Jesus and Paul en-
ployed Is never found IN the classical
Greek authors. This 'love" which he
apotheosized is the the word which else
where in the New Testament is used as a
synonym for God. Il is a great out
giving selfess passion. II Is love with
out thoughts OF self-interest. II is love
that serves and sacrifices. The very
word Is interpreted best by Pauls own
treatise upon IL In the epistle quoted
This kind Of love is opposed to all for
nalism and mere ceremoniousness. II
Is possible for one 10 be a professional
worker in charitable and phiianthronIc