Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-08-28

scription. You have no right TO call
yourself an atheist or so TO label an
other simply because old descriptions
are rejected. He is the true atheist
who seeks to bury his life in the dust
and away from the divine. He may be
well informed ON theories OF the divine;
he may be that dangerous person the
piously orthodox atheist.
The man who makes this life of ours
an empty thing. who robs this world of
its beauty and glory, who steals from
lifes song the note that the morning
stars sang together, the heavenly chord,
is simply he who despoils life Of the
| divine, of its ideals, its hopes, it's sub
lime sacrifices, who casts the cynics
| sneer over YOUTHS dreams. over loves
devotion.
1t may make little difference whether
you can agree with your neighbor III
your descriptions of the divine. 1t
| would be an unfortunate thing if your
| idea OF that infinite life and love could
| be so localized and stationary as to per-
nit of satisfactory description. The
| thing that ma tiers is whether to that
neighbor you yourself are revealing
something of the divine and the etern-
ally good and true.
We need to pray to be delivered not
| from intellectual atheism; that will
| hurt no one. We need TO pray TO be de-
| liyered from practical atheism, the life
that denies the divine; the heart that
| empties itself of the high and holy by
| it's avarice, it's passion for the things
| that are low and debasing. We need to
seek to escape the diabOlic delusion Of
| the life that acknowledges the fact of
God and yet denies his likeness in the
| living.
You and your neighbor might quarrel
| forever as to your conceptions of God.
| but let each one seek to express that
| ideal of the divine in the daily doing,
| and you shall find yourselves walking
| in the same way, bound on the same
errands, and your feet shall carry you
| together to heavens door as you seek
| the ways of the needy and the sad and
suffering.
| This world needs God. 1t never will
| be satisfied with pictures of that great
spirit of love and life. 1t will know
| God only as we show that love and
| life. We might well spend less time
preaching about God If only we would
practice that for which our ideals of
God stand. If that word means to you,
as more and more it must mean to men,
infinite goodness, tenderness, helpful
ness. affection, then the measure OF your
| faith in such being and such qualities
| is your own projection of them into the
| world. 1t is time that we ceased to
| quarrel over definitions and descrip-
tons of the divine and began to do the
deeds divine.
VISIT THIS VINE"
By Rev. S. L. Grigsby.
Text-"Return, we beseech thee, o
God of hosts: look down from heaven,
| and behold, and visit this vine.'--
| Psalm 80: II.
In appealing to God there is an i'm
piled turning unto him. This is Il
| y
| ing are to be secured ''Turn We unto
me- saith the Lord of hosts, and / will
turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts >
| SO the church awakened to Il sense OF
! her shame and neglect, and her great
need, turns; and then her appeal
proves not i'll vain, as she pleads Re
| turn, we beseech thee. q God Of hosts :
| look down from heaven, and behold.
| and visit this vine. and the vineyard
which thy right hand hath planted
| The church owes it's existence to
I his agency. This vine he himself hath
| planted. On another occasion, as he
| expostulated with Israel. the Lord
| said. Il had planted thee noble vine,
wholly right seed; but then art thou
| turned unto a degenerate plant, of a
| strange vine unto me" But not only
does the church owe it's existence to
him: he has made it the object of his
special care. He gave himself for it -
purchased it with his own blood -
| he is the king and head thereof, and
| by him were it's officers and ordinan-
oes appointed.
II the condition of the church, 10
| cally. or i'll general, should at any time
be such as that described by the
| psalmist if there should be lack Of
efficiency. or fruitfulness. if divine
| favors should be turned into judg-
| ments. as an expression of Gods dis
| pleasure on account of the unfaithful
| ness of his people; then let her be
| quick to recognize her desolation, and
prompt to appeal for help to him, who
loved the church. and gave himself
| for it; that lie might sanctify and
| cleanse it with the washing of water
| by the word, that lie might present il
| to himself a Siorio $ church. not hay
| ing spot. or wrinkle, or any such thing