Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-04-10
SATURDAY.. MIGHT
SERMONS &Szl ~
By: #/1I/lAA
=: - "::,H
REYSAkUELW. pURv1S.D.D!
THE GOD OF THE FIRE.

see the disciples start. NO wonder
the Prince of Peace tirebrand
Queer teaching Fires the agent OF
death. not life. The world gasps with
horror III San Franciscos holocaust
Mothers earliest admonition to chill.
dren is not to play with matches. The
clang of the iron throated fire bell in
the night arouses man in terror. Mid
die ages put the devil in authority on
lake Of fire: Dante describes those IN
fernal regions in bloodcurdling strain:
Dore sketches them with livid brush
If the devil is ruler Of the region of
fire. how strange to read that our God
is God of fire! Isn't that an anon
ally? No. Fire is the chosen sign of
God from flaming sword at paradise to
flaming tongues at Pentecost. Every
new epoch initiated with fire Pillar of
fire in Wilderness fire at dedication of
tabernacle; Shekinah fire burning con
inually in temple. The figure is woven
into our daily speech. Ardent natures.
enthusiasm that kindlcs. passions that
burn. We complain of GOODNESS. icy re
serve. cold manner.
40 vegetation above timber line on
Pixies peak too cold. "I'ht utter ab
sence of heat and life in the arctic
makes our existence intolrra ble." OBJ
serves Nansen. All animal and vege
table life depends on fire and heat for
creation and development. Flowers.
nd. nj, h,;x- Ia, h.,
sun. Say. auntie." call to the Old
black nanny working in her garden.
why don't you plant your garden on
this side the house? Then us white folks
could see it from the road" "Humph,"
she grunts. 'some preachers got re-
ligion n not much else. Mawnin' sun
straks this pO'ch an in de aftanOon de
fOwah bed. Nuthin' grows on that
nawth side. Groun's too cold. Seeds
got to have wa'mth to grow" The sun
shines. blossoms come. harvest fields
bow their heads with golden grain.
orchard branches weighted with fruit.
l know church that needs warmth
Chill Of worldliness is there. Sermons
are beautiful. but it's the frigid beauty
of winter landscape. Affairs are there.
but fires are out Wish some Elijah
would challenge them to prove 1.-THE
God that answereth by fire" A cook
stove in the church basement doesn't
always mean spiritual warmth.
Fire Means Testing.
Know Americas greatest eXtrava
gance apart from drink! Fire. Las,
year more than half the value of all
the years building Millions 90 up in
smoke. Loss covered by insurance"
Never! Any more than lost sleep or
lost years can be recovered. But while
fire destroys it reveals much. When
the quake and fire were over in Frisco
what revelations. Vanity and dis
honesty in building lay bare. Pre-
tentious ornament and fiimsy construc-
ton everywhere. Say. Jim. see that
man going there? That's Smith. the
builder. All his buildings stood.'
There's eulogy. I'd rather be Smith
than commander of a battleship feet
Chinatown had a cleansing. first time
in fifty years. Stand at the kiln door
VA pottSlS. NY w you ileeu
such heatY ITO bake the impurity
out Of the clay" peer in at the men
moving like figures in Dante's Infer
no. at Steelton. "Why such great
blast furnaces?" NO steel without
removal Of baser metals and alloys"
Fire either changes or destroys.
Beacon Fires Of Triumph.
II came to bring sword" says
Christ Sometimes it's the fire of
battle There's time Of war and a
time Of peace" says Solomon. WAR
Is hell" indeed. but many a move.
ment for the betterment of humanity
has gone forward on a powder cart
Many fearful wrong has been stop.
ped only by fire and sword. The rec
ord of the sixties tells when surrender
Of Lee was announced throughout the
north. and many portions Of the south
peace fires were lighted. Men and
women shed tears Of joy about them.
No more cannons belching forth fire.
no more rife barrels splitting tongues
OF flame. Now only campfres Of
peace. Two years later England was
burning beacon fires Of jubilee in hon
or Of her queen. From Malvern Hill
the signal was given: in eight minutes
it flashed from every hill all the way
to the lake country in Cumberland
If Christ came to bring fire and
sword He also came to bring peace.
When Christ went home the fire Of
the Spirit was flung earthward. Kin
died in upper room at Jerusalem. ii
soon spread through the city. then Ju
dea and Samaria. Presently Asia Mi
nor was blazing through that other
firebrand. Paul. the Christian. Soon
the sparks fly across the archipelago
into Macedonia. then into Greece it.
self. BY and 10y Rome is visited by
the gospel fire. then from Europe
across the Atlantic to America. ev
erywhere his ministers a fame of
fire." telling the story with words that
glow and burn and kindle. At the
last the world itself 70 be destroyed by
the fire of his Judgment. Any place of
safety? Out on the prairie. no rain
for many weeks. tall grass parchcd
and dry. careless herdsman drops a
match; in instant the wind fans it; five
minutes later it Is q wall of fire TWEEN