Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-02-15

it's right to time and place, is meas
ured by this, does it help or inspire
men to service, does it increase the
quantity or improve the quality of
the work that they do for their world?
Men rightly ignore the piety that
satisfies itself with platitudes on the
duties Of others, or with philosophical
speculations on problems which, If they
were accurately solved, would contrib
ute nothing either to our peace, our
possessions, or our personal characters.
Yet. how many imagine that they are
profoundly pious because they cherish
properly indorsed opinions, duly GER
titled as to their antiquity.
They who profess to follow the man
of Nazareth cannot do it by sitting in
their pews or kneeling at their affairs !;
they cannot do it by dreaming of a
place Of bliss Or picturing one of tor
ment One of the first lessons he gives
his disciples is that it is not he that
speaketh the word, but he that doeth
the will, who is pleasing to God.
Nor do men do his will in any inn
pOrtant or complete sense by going to
church or serving in it's meetings or on
dained to divine orders, that is. to give
himself wholly to do the will and work
of the most high, it is said that he be-
comes a minister. If minister means
anything at all it means servant, one
who works for others, who ministers to
them The master spoke Of himself as
being among men as one who served
them. The only orthodox service is
the service of humanity.
This is religion. such a consciousness
of the reality of the infinite spirit that
you will steadily do the things that
that spirit of love is doing in this
world, ministering to men, binding up
the broken in heart, lifting the lame,
and leading the wandering, feeding the
hungry and clothing the naked, bring
ing light and love and cheer to those
that sit in darkness, you will become
feet and fingers to God.
cial garb to do this religious work: one
does not need to wait for formal ordi-
nation: whoever loves men already is
divinely ordained to serve them. One
does not need to wait for church or a
special organization the sufficient mo-
tive is deep, sacrificing love; the meth
Cd will be just what the masters was,
to go where men are and help them
After all, what this world needs is
not so much that men shall go to their
fellows with money, with clothes, or
even with employment; it needs that
they shall just go to them. The good
mixer, who mingles with men, who
knows how they live, and what they
think. how they suffer, and what they
feel. if, going amongst them, he carries
a clean heart, a love for his fellows, a
firm faith in heaven, and hope for
men. is doing them more good by his
presence than he who may send car
loads of goods.
MANY of us are worried at times be-
cause our lives seem wasted in doing
little things; we would become inn
mortal by saving our powers for some
great deed. We need to remember him
whom the world most easily remembers
and most highly honors, the man of
Nazareth. whose life was spent in triv-
ial services. doing the next thing that
came to hand, helping ordinary people
in everyday needs. Yet God was With
him. as he ever is with those who love
their fellows in sincere service.
The man who pities himself always
is pitiable.