Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-07-20
|l77f1z( ! POPULAR I
\ 81 PULPIT /

of earth so occupied is he with the
glores of heaven. What we need is
more religion in our politics and less
! politics in our religion.
We need more men who are deter
mined that the grace of God shall be
applied to our social, industrial and ma
| tional problems, and that for our pious
lamentations about the corruption and
greed of wicked men we will substitute
labor and personal sacrifice for political
honesty and civil righteousness.
Piety and patriotism are inseparable
he cannot be a good man who is not
good citizen. He who talks of politics
as dirty business and who hopes to
enter the delights of the city above by
Ineglecting the duties Of citizenship here,
never will know what those delights
are. For will not the good Judge of all
ask him, What have you done with
your life, how much better is your
world for your" and in his silence the
voice shall say, "Inasmuch as We did it
not for one of these, We did it not for
me-"
Men are not patriotic because they
enjoy professions and picnics, or be-
cause they applaud free eating speeches
that revive buried anmosities. They
glory in the battles they never fought
and the victories for which they did
not pay. The most gallant veterans are
the men who were drafted and switch
ed around few times in a box car be-
fore peace was declared. And now in
stead of paying the price of peace by
wrestling with the problems and sacri-
fcing for the security of to-day, they
are Boosting of a past in whose glory
they had no part.
The man of religion needs to know
that the best way he can serve heaven
is by the service of earth, and the man
of patriotic spirit that he can best serve
his land by that sacrifice and devotion
which we call religion. Too long have
we gone lamenting the open sores of
our national life, while yet carrying all
the time the only balm that will heal
them, perhaps cherishing that healing
medicine as too sacred for such COM
mon, secular service.
The health of a nation depends or
that of the individuals. The best thing
a man can do for his country is to be
Il clean, honest, true and helpful private
citizen. What he is in his heart is of
more Importance than what he may say
or do in a public way. The glory of II
nation is not in possessions, but in peo
pie; not in crops, but in character, and
that which can set Alright the human
heart will heal and vitaliZe the whole
nation. The ideals of religion in the
individual lie at the basis Of the reality
Of righteousness in the nation.
If men only will do for the affairs of
their city and State now the things
they expect to do for the city celestial,
if they will be now only what they
hope to be then, the kingdom of heaven
speedily will come to the place and
time to which it belongs, here and now.
The healing for our woes, rest for our
WEAKNESS, soothing for our sorrows,
and relief for our oppressed cannot
come by legislation. All this means new
life and new life springs from within
Laws may make right paths, but the
touch Of the infinite, the dawn Of d.
vine love In the heart, and the power
Of heaven born ideals alone will give
them impulse to walk in them.