The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-01-24

M@M&#@s@ EAE%M place of these
have come guilt. ruin, death, disease,
jealousy. hatred. enmity, sorrow, tears,
bereavement, and the torments of an
accusing conscience.
On the other hand, we have the gra.
cious design of Christ to give life above
the natural, or in supernatural degree
"a process of addition and multiplied.
ton. To life He adds a new life. born
from above; to innocency He adds a
new acknowledgements TO purity
He adds the example of his sinless
life; to peace He adds a contentment
and satisfaction beyond all under.
standing; to joy such a fullness that
no circumstance. however adverse, can
remove it, and to love such a wealth OF
sacrificial meaning as to lift it far
above mere human affection, even az.
proximating that which is Divine.
One characteristic of the Thief Is
his contempt for those he despoils. He
nay say fair things, as Judas lscariot
did about giving to the poor, but this
he said not because he cared for the
poor, but because he was a thief, and
had the bag and bore what was put
therein. He makes fair promises; but,
being a bankrupt himself, he cannot
cash them. He is cunning enough to
bait his hook attractively, but has no
intention of giving away the bait; his
one object Is to get a hook in his vic
tim. Once he does this he proceeds to
administer deadening opiates to the
conscience; to strange every holy as
piration; to throttle all that inspires
future hope; to paralyze the will; to
hypnotic the soul. He lures with dol
lars, with enticing pleasures, the ex
element of games, the glitter of the
footlights, the pride of position or the
destinations of fame. These processes
are always subtle and the victim al
most always unconscious of them.
How different the purpose of Christ
when He comes into the soul. He
to impart new life. He gives a
new beginning of life, as to a dead man
when he is raised. as to a condemned
man when he is pardoned. But he
does more-He comes to give that life
ulOIc d"DuIiudltiy ldi oCsohu enot w
will ever be able to think; indeed His
W impaired life, with every need
supplied here and every advantage
sup died hereafter. and all in the d.
vine measure according to His riches
in glory.
Whoever can say the Lord is my
shepherd, can also say l shall not
want provision for life's every need,
material and spiritual rest for the soul,
refreshment for the spirit, guidance for
earth's pilgrimage, comfort for life's
sorrows, assurance for life's hopes and
fears, support in life's trials and bur-
dens, companionship for llfe's loneli-
ness, and a future home for an eternal
dwelling place.
To all the great virtues of life Christ
adds, but the Thief Of our text sub
tracts. We are eXhorted to add to
faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
and to knowledge temperance; and to
temperance patience; and to patience
Goodness; and to Goodness %brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness
love. Each of these words by the Lord
of life Is crowded with rich meaning:
but the Thief, ~subtracting the essence
of each, transmutes faith into infidel-
ity, virtue into vice, knowledge into
foolishness, temperance into self-in-
diligence. patience into ~irritability,
godllness into blasphemy, brotherly
kindness into enmity, and love into
hatred.
These, therefore, Christ and Satan,
are the two who are bidding for the
privilege of ruling supreme in every
soul. They are the two opposing SUI
~pernatural powers. 1t is not a question
whether men will have a master, 1t Is
a question only of who of the two the
master will be. Christ stands at the
door. He waits TO be invited into the
heart. He will not force an entrance.
He Is no usurper. He knocks with
pierced hand, but will not throw the
bolt or pull the latch string. Not so the
Thief; he is a usurper; he asks no per-
mission he ~forcefully invades the cita.
del of mans soul and takes the throne.
Which of these, lear reader, do you
prefer as your master? You have the
privilege of choosing the Crucified One,
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