The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-03-05
THE SEEN AND THE UNSEEN
BY MARY T. LATuRAH.

BY MARY T. LATHRAH.
In any such moral struggle rs the tenn
perance reform involves, he misses the |
suolimest vision who sees only the hui
man forces engaged, with the human
probabilities of success and therefore
stands trembling between eXpediency
and righteousness in choice of methods.
Any contest which touches the king
dom of Christ, the welfare OF humanity,
and the salvation of souls must of neces-
sity sweep out into the unseen, and ay
hold of spiritual forces.
Where is the strength ofthe liquor oil
garchy of this country? Appetite, avar.
ice, greed of power, political policy, all
these and more ARE the seen forces To be
overcome; but back of them is Il satanic
conspiracy to ruin men in this world
and i'm the other, and To overturn the
kingdom of God and of His Christ.
Every blow struck by this power, there
fore, is in open, bitter opposition to all
Jesus came TO accomplish. Not satanic
influences, but Satan himself, bears rule
in this gigantic National inquiry.
Wherein lies the power ol ,he temper
ance movement? Truth uttered by
trenchnant pen and eloquent lips, to
which the world must needs pause and
listen. Organizations composed OF men
who are willing to be counted for that
truth; and organizations of women, who,
by prayer and social influence, speak to
advance it. All these and more, but
back of them, in them, breathing
through them, Is God himself.
Not Divine influences, but Divinity in
person is on the field where eternal
right is at stake, and souls are lost or
won.
So this great reform, like those which
have gone before it, arrays not alone the
armies of earth, but other and greater
armies darken the air, just beyond the
line of our vision; while this contest,
which stirs our hearts, moves Heaven
and hell.
Satan cannot unconcerned look on al
cohol's destruction. Christ cannot UNI
concerned look upon the slaughter OF
souls through alcohol. This puts the
battle beyond flesh and blood among
municipalities and powers
Now set Republican and Democratic
party politics, the tricks of political
shysters, the value of office, and shall
low sophistries of evil legislation under
the steady blaze of Gods judgement
thrown OH one side, with the shadowy
gloom of retribution on the other, and.
see how they look.
Face bravely all the truth now and
here, for between that blaze and gloom
every soul shall stand to give account,
unless revelation is deluSlon, and the
Gospel preached from thousands of pull
pits III this Christian Republic snare
and sham.
In such Il realm as this, traversed by
such forces, Expectancy" has no place.
A Choice of evils" is an impossibility.
They may find room in the short-lIved
calculations of men, but never where
the kingdom of light and the empire of
darkness meet i'll decisive contest.
The truth admitted, then, and what
Christian hesitates To admit II? That III
such moral struggles the unseen are the
mightiest forces engaged, there follow
two inevitable conclusions. First, the
final victory however long DELAYED must
be with God and for the right; second, if
We win i'll the visable and human part of
the warfare, we must come to that sue
cess by the same Divine principles
which are victorious in the realm of
sri-itss..l ro~~or.s ,-s.t.siio oar OWL.
They always WIN who side with God"
is not only the trust of the Christian
heart, but is the lofty belief of the pa
triot and student of history.
God is on our side, said comfort
ing friend to President Lincoln in the
darkest days of the civil war. 81 am
most concerned to be on Gods side"
was the solemn reply of the heartsore,
weary man who was ahead of his coun-
try's thought, and therefore misjudged.
GOD with men is not simply Il pOssi-
bility, but fact, where any evil is to be
overthrow, and His power at hand
makes victory assured. "What is the
condition of His presence" must there
fore be the question of supremest mo-
ment to those who desire to see the tenn
perance reform move on to the conquest.
In finding this We turn from half
truths and vain reasonings of men to in
quire what the Lord says for Himself in
this matter.
Come out from among them, and be
We separate; touch not the unclean
thing, and ! will receive you" This Is
the enlistment order, if we are going
with God into the war.
Absolute separation from the evil,
which is to go down, Is the first condi-
| ''touch not"
"The unclean thing is in the land of
judgment and destruction; like Sodom,
it waits the fire of just Indignation, and
those who have completely with it must
suffer when the storm shall fall.
Come out" ''be separate;" 'touch
not" Can this mean to "work with all
parties?. to compromise on "high Ii
cense?" to "taX and regulated" and, in
order to reach the last method, and find
not the right, but the dttdiRdble, 90 on
casting the ballot for those whose high
est ideal is to regulate" and thereby
perpetuate the ''unclean thing?" Re-
member we are seeking the Divine side
of the battle.
The mighty necessities of this hour
and tins question are not lonely in the
worlds history.
So Israel was separated from other
nations to accomplish Jehovah's will.
So Moses went to the gate with the cry
of separation, when the camp was de-
filed by the worship of the golden calf
So Gideon found his dauntless three
hundred who conquered by clamps,
pitchers and devout war-cry. In this
way moral victories have always been
| reached.
History bears witness that the devil
has never been beaten by his own wea-
pons. From behind his own defences,
the prince of evil comes to defeat alone
by the artillery of Heaven, and they
DEVILS camp.
There is a deal of jelly-fish talk about
good people agreeing upon the princi-
pies of the temperance reform but diff
fering about methods, as ifthat were a
very innocent matter, TO be treated with
silent charity; but the sin of these good
people lies in the choice of methods
The liquor-trafiic is social evil consId-
cred by itself. 1t is Il political evil
through the compromise legislation
which sustains it, To these PROPOSE
tons most good men agree. A wrong
method of treating this acknowledged
evil is their sin.
We are at the hour when one tre-
mendous thing in this reform is meth
cd. "Come out, ""be separate, ""touch
not" ID the method in the unseen whe re
the Lord of Host is leading TO victory.