Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-09-25
THE THREE FUNDAMENTALS.
The international sunday School les
son for Sept. 20 II ,, Quarterly Re-
x1Avs t..
(By William T. Ellis.)


(By William T. Ellis.)
There are probably more "up-to-
date" people in the world Ia this year
1913 than ever before at fany time.
Modernity Is become = master pas
sion. To keep abreast with the latest
fashions in dress, novels, plays. slang.
and amusements seems to be the life
work Of thousands OF men and women.
In their eyes anything is utterly con.
denned by being called "out-of-date"
or behind the times"
In the face Of all which IL never
the-less to be written that the days
mood In this respect II one Of shall
lowness, foolishness and danger. Many
women's future would be saved II
she could but be persuaded to give
up the mad quest after the vogue of
the minute, and cultivate the old-fash-
toned virtues Of her grandmother. The
callow youths who adorn our street
corners and poolrooms, versed In the
very last word of smart speech and
able to tell the athletic news OF the
past hour, are desperately In need OF
sobcr-minded and antiquated ideas OF
an accession OF the sort OF homely,
industry, thrift. integrity and ideal
ism which William Penn and Benja-
min Franklin and Andrew Jackson and
Abraham Lincoln have written into
American history.
The Die Three.
A deal Of the present unrest In the
world means merely that people have
slipped their moorings, and are look
Ing hither and yon for something fix-
ed to which they may tie. So we 90
back to the beginnings Of the Hebrew
nation for the three oldest and most
important obligations OF life. which ap-
ply always and everywhere. They
should help many Of US moderns to
think straighter.
All three principles are found In
the quarters Snday School lessons.
They are, mans loyalty to God as
first; his loyalty to his nation as sec
ond; his loyalty Il his family as third.
These three abide. To them all brave
spirits are true. Their outworkings
has made the most shining passages
in history. And where people have
failed in these supreme loyalties, they
have made q wreck of life.
The man or woman who, in this
year of our Lord nineteen thirteen,
is not holding steady to these three.
obligations, but Is running frantical-
" after the fashions of the hour, IL.
distorting his career into hopeless
confusion. For flrst things must al
ways be first, else second or TWEEN
tieth things will leap into the saddle
and drive the life to destruction.
In the Beginnings.
This proposition may fairly be
made: Whoever stops to think 1t Ill
about great and fundamental subjects
Is certain to think shout God, IN the
hour OF his deepest need, or IN the
hour Of his highest exaltation, man q
spirit turns toward the Deity 90 bird
toward IT. nest.
A few days ago Sir Oliver Lodge.
President OF the British association
for the advancement OF science. treat
ed In his annual address, the persis.
tence Of personality after death, ex-
pressing himself al convinced Of this
truth. His address, which has attract.
ed worldwide attention, concluded
with the words: Genuine religion has
it's roots deep down In the heart Of
humanity and in the reality Of things
.p. We are deaf and blind to
the imminent grandeur around. Us, un-
less We have insight enough to appre.
ciate the whole and to recognize IN
the woven fabric OF existence, flowing
steadily from the loom Of an infinite
progress toward perfection, the ever.
growing garment Of q transcondent
God"
This great allegiance steadies and
holds true all lesser allegiances. The
person who is loyal to God Is not 20.
ing to fail man. He will be true to
his every obligation, whether that be
to vote for righteous man or meas.
ure, or to pay his own smallest debt.
Nation, home and neighbor may count
on the person whose life 10 dominated
by sense Of his supreme duty to God
The key to the whole Exodus story ID
In the one word-Jehovah. For three
months we have been studying about
the ways Of God with man.
The Making Of Nation.
This day Of worldism is also time
OF intensified patriotism. National
consciousness, the world around, waa
never SO keen a. at present. Even
China has been shaken into wide
spread interest in the affairs of gov.
eminent. Ireland, Scotland and Wales
feel new pu1sations Of national life
throbbing in their veins. Finland and