The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1914-11-29
JESUS AS "a SOCIAL AVID
INDUSTRIAL REFORMER

ones work that the doctrine Of
brotherhood demands. These are the
deeper principles. Wider relation
ship with Jesus would recognize In
the end a trial world.
His Principles Applied
All this is not to disparage the re-
former, who seeks to promote some
special end.
1t may be good thing which he
desires. He ought to expect and to
receive help and encouragement from
the Great Reformer behind the re-
formers. But thse things must be
remembered.
/. No reform can be permanent
that is not based upon moral prin-
ciples This Is why Jesus insisted
everywhere, among high and low,
rich and poor, seek We everywhere
the kingdom OF God" A man looks
upon an enterprise and asks, "How
much can 1 make out of IT." This is
a perfectly legitimate question.
He seeks for workmen to take hold
Of it. The questions they ask are:
"How much wages will you pay?
How many hours per. day must 1
labor and under what conditions?"
These questions are perfectly legiti-
mate. Now II. you seek the advice OF
Jesus as to whether you shall em-
bark upon the enterprise, or whether
you shall undertake the labor, the
question He would regard as supreme
is what will be the effect upon your
character. VIII you be a better man?
The Cry for Progress.
II. Principles are eternal. forms
are transient.
No specific form of society is neces-
sary for the realization of these
great principles of Christ
They may be practiced under all
forms of government. They may
prevail under monarchy or repub-
lie No specific organization is nee
essary. They may vitalize the pres
ent regime as well as they could a.
reign Of socialism or the single tax,
or profit sharing, or Industrial part
lership, or state or municipal own
ership. Each person or group may
arrange forms and details. II there
be the zone spirit" there may be
diversities of administration.
Inc ICY 10r Prayers
Nothing Is more pathetic, nothing
more instructive, than the disappoint
ments of history. About the middle
of the last century the cry, especially
in the old world, was for the en-
largement OF the suffrage for man
hood suffrage. That, its advocates
said, was all that was necessary for
the millennium.
The suffrage has been extended
everywhere, as It was right that It
should be, but the millennium has not
come. 1t hides among the shadows
of the future. So in this country,
reformers looked for the kingdom of
God when slavery should be abolished
Slavery was abolished as 1t ought to
have been, but neither among the
race emancipated, nor among the
race emancipating is the kingdom OF
God established. Something is lack
ing. So, II any new scheme of So
ciety should go into effect-such as
socialism, Its most ardant supporters
would be disappointed. ~
The kingdom does not depend upon
the outward. 1t depends upon rignI-
eousness. The evils OF society are
not primarily in the organization, SO
that IL the organization here changed
the evils would disappear They go
deeper than that. Society will never
be better than the individuals who
compose it. A sound ship can never
be made Of rotten timber, any more
than house can be built upon the
sands. Individual reformation must
precede, accompanying complete
all social reconstruction.
The difference between Jesus and
other reformers Is this: They cult
waited single plants. He fertilizes the
entire bed.
Jesus holds that there is something
the merchants need more than his
profits and that is the spirit of God.
Something the workman needs more
than his wages, and that is the
spirit Of God. What both need and
all need to know is that we are the
children OF one Father-that we are
brothers on the earth-that we have
a common destiny. We are made to
know God; we are made to lose each
other. All are made to live on after
the noise OF the market place is
hushed-after the factory has crum-
bled. And brethren, believe the
pulpit Is to take up the proclamation
of the kingdom OF God and carry on
the unfinished work OF the Great
Master. No principle is SO lofty, that
it may not be made to work upon
the earth. No task is so lowly that
1t may not be lifted to the skies.