Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-05-07
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By Henry T. Cope.
The heavens declare the glory Of
God.-Ps. 1911
Life runs steady only as it has some
center. Those who are driven hither
and thither by every wind and pass
Ing breeze of adversely or even Of pub
lie opinion are those who have no
unchanging center, no certainties in
their lives. Our universe seems to find
it's fixed point in the pole star; where
can our lives find the unvariable YER
tiles?
Strange to say, the modern man Is
able to enforce his religious faith from
source that his fathers feared most
Of all; science is the latest SAY to re
ligiOn. The final word of science, the
most insistent, is that this is a uni
verse of law, that nothing is left to
chance, that all things are guided and
ordered.
Now, it makes tremendous differ
ence whether we think Of our world
as thus under the sway Of law, or
whether we feel ourselves the helpless
victims Of a blind, laundering, uncer-
tain set Of accidents, called a universe,
whether we are in world where law
reigns, where right is ever right be-
cause justice sits at the center.
Here one finds the stable, unchang-
ing foundation, the pole star Of being.
that this Is an orderly world, that the
same effects always follow precisely
the same causes, that this is a depend
able universe 1t will not mock good
sowing with evil harvests, nor fail to
follow the deed of darkness with the
doom Of death.
1t is a good thing to be able to think
Of an all-wise, tender personality who
has the reins Of human destiny in
hand, who, like a father, stoops down
in pity to his children. But personality
is ever tickle, time works it's changes,
any mind is subject to partiality. 1t
| seems a far higher conception that the
universe itself is the expression of the
life Of this all-Wise, loving, unfailing,
! unvarying Father of us all.
1t is better yet to believe, even
though blindly, that what l am as a
thinking, hoping, aspiring, idealizing
being is but a reflection of that which
is the life Of my world and the source
Of all life-better to live as in the
presence Of an eternal and infinite af
lection, energy and purpose than to
fling myself down as the dust on the
blind wheels of the world.
| may be uncertain in many ways as
to what I mean when l speak Of the
Infinite Being; may hesitate to use
| any term or even phrase here, and yet
the great, determinative fact of my
life, the motive Of my whole being.
may be this confidence that the law
that is writ SO large through all ma
ture is the law that runs through all
my universe and that that law means
justice, truth, right, and the realization
of the best hopes found in me.
Thus to see life is to find it's poise
and sanity. Life is but madness until
we find it's meaning and its motive.
The secret of strong, balanced living
is living in the presence Of the great
facts of life, seeing life large, and
whole, and far, relating ones self to
the whole Of our universe and knowing
that as orderly sane and good.
Men live daily by faith in the uni
verse, by confidence that the seasons
will return, that you can depend on
nature giving as you SOW. All living
Is based on the eternal verities of ma
ture. Why can we not read this mes
sage for our own lives? Should not
each returning day tell Of the good
ness that is ever new?
It is folly to look for some author
itative word revealing good ruler Of
the world if you do not find goodness
writ large and everywhere in the
world as you have it. Why should we
not trust the revelation of justice and
affection in nature? Why should we
not seek ourselves to learn the laws OF
life, to be in harmony with this uni
verse of law and so to come at last to
know the face of that life which has
taught us life and love through the
work of His fingers?
We need no dreams of dwelling be-
yond pearly gates; we need no promise
of paradises Of sloth or OF fairy fur
| nishings; all we need to make our lives
full, and rich, and strong is this faith
that the world is even now being made
by right and truth that no other way
than that of the right is possible to
the true man, that the love that passes
our knowledge is over all and this love
is the law for our lives and for our
living.
UNDEVELOPED FORCES.