Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-06-21
THE UNSEEN HAND.
By Henry E. Cope

fight ever on the side of the right.
True. things do not always look that
way. Sometimes NapOleon's sheer ABOUT
God always being on the side OF the
largest battalions seems to nave truln
in it. But ere long we see the large
battalions swept away before the
strange. unaccountable, and irresistible
power Of an insignificant body having
truth and God on it's side.
The man who takes up the struggle
for truth, who puts his hand 10 Tile
sword for the oppressed, for the rlgnt'
finds himself holding a two-handled
weapon, and if he grasps firmly the
one hilt it is as though there were an
omnipotent hand grasping the other'
He who fights worthily, in lifting pat
tie, never fights alone. Often he may
seem to stand with none to aid, but
one mightier than he Is with him.
It is not that some omnipotent per-
son steps down from a throne in the
heavens and plunges into the battle; IL
Is that every time a man steps out Tor
right and truth he places himself in
accord with eternal spiritual forces
that give themselves to him and his
work. 1t Is not that God comes to tght
for a man so much as that man fnds
himself fighting beside God; entering
this battle. he sees that where he
thought none had been serving the
heavens had long been waging the con-
test.
1t is so easy, like old Elijah, to think
that you alone are left to witness TOT
truth, to feel the loneliness of standing
for things noble and worthy, to become
oppressed with the hopelessness of the
minority in which you find yourself.
When real and concrete things press
upon us and their uproar is in our ears
we become deaf and blind to the
greater forces that from the beginning
of time have been working for the
best.
Every great reform has looked like
a losing movement; it has begun with
most insignificant minorities; it has
met with violent and well organized
opposition; it's supporters have often
been faint-hearted, and yet ultimately
1t has overcome always. AS men have
fought on they have found an unseen
hand grasping the sword beside theirs.
We all need this sense of God with
u.s. helping US in our lives. This gives
courage and confidence. 1t does not
mean weak reliance upon heaven to do
things for us; it means entering on the
things that look impossible because we
know that. if they are right, every
great force in the universe will COOP
crate with us.
This is the fine sense in which the
human enters into partnership with
the divine This determines whether
we may call our work divine or not.
It is to be judged. not by whether 1t is
pleasant or looks respectable, but by
whether it Is the work in which we
know the Lord of all can lay his hand
to the tool or weapon alongside Of our
hands.
With a consciousness like this, one
can attempt anything; nothing is long
er impossible. The practical question
Is not, "can this be done?" but fought
this to be done?" Is it such a task
as will enlist the cooperation of the
eternal spirit Of truth and right? With
the cry of Gideon on their lips, men
have Jared forth facing fearful odds;
their hands have fallen from their
swords, but the unseen hand has car
ried them on until the cause is won.
The Almighty, who would have love
and peace and righteousness to prevail,
needs your hand for his sword; the
sword of the Lord is vain without Gid
con- Ideals and spiritual forces may
exist, but man must be their realiza-
tons, their visible hands, Gods work
waits for you to put your hand to the
sword you will find his already there
This helping hand is always unseen:
spiritual things are strange, indefinite,
and often apparently unreal. God cannot
be reduced to figures nor to material
elements. This hand that works with
ours may mean one thing to one and
another to another. What we all need
is to simply grasp the great fact Of the
spiritual forces that strengthen every
good resolve, that give vigor in every
good work, and give victory at last to
the right.
WHAT IS HELL?
By Rev. Russell H. Conwe11, d. D.
Text-"And in hell he lifted up his
eyes.''-Luke xvi. %.
There is a vast difference Of opinion
concerning this awful state of fiery
torment about which 1 read in this six
teenth chapter of Luke. But whatever
the difference of mere opinion may be-
the awful fact will ever remain the
same Ny opinion may be an error;
your opinion may be an error but one
thing is sure, namely. that as we live
my friends, this is a very important
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