The Pleasantville press., 1924-12-20
One MINUTE SERMON
By R. ASHLEY CAKE
Sunshine Haven, Absecon, N. J.
A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE.
By R.. ASHLEY CA

= Sd. re- II.
The Parched Ground Shall Become
Pool and the Thirsty Land Springs
of Water.-lsa. 35: 7.
The most glorious theme in the
world is JESUS. He is the theme of
countless ages. God hath given Him
name above every name. His name
shall endure forever" 1T shall con-
tinue as long as the sun, men shall be
blessed in Him and all nations shall
call Him blessed"
THE little One has become thous-
and, of the increase of his government
there shall be no end"
He has been our help in ages past,
He is our hope for years TO come, our
shelter from the stormy blast and our
eternal home.
Born in Bethlehem, dwelling in the
habitations of men in Nazareth, be-
trayed and condemned to death in
Jerusalem, changing the cross of
shame into a sceptre of glory on Cal
vary's Mount, He has become the De-
sire of all nations.
He is the bright and morning Star,
the Lily of the valley, the Rose of
Sharon, the One altogether lovely.
Poetry, music, painting, sculpture, lit
erature, science, art all exhaust their
resources TO proclaim the glory due
his name
''Sing, o heavens, rejoice o earth,
break forth into singing o mountains,
clap your hands ye fields of the wood
for the Lord hath done it." The
debt has been paid, the burden lifted,
the chasm bridged The light has
come and eff we walk in the light as
He is in the light. we have fellowship
one with another and the blood of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleans
eth us from all sim"
Every Christmas-tide we are borne
with peculiar attraction to the most
wonderful event of all ages; the near
er we get to the earth side of the river
the more intense our longings for the
time when we shall see Him as He is,
and in bodies like his own glorious
body, in a country where inhabitants
never say am sick; in city that has
foundations, whose Builder and Maker
is God; in mansion not made with
hands, but eternal in the heavens We
shall live throughout eternity.
More than two thousand years since
this, the greatest of all events: Seven
hundred years before the star of Beth
lehem was guiding the wise men to
the manger where laid the wonderful
child in the arms of its mother, from
the highest peak of the mount of in
spiration the Evangelical Prophet fore
saw the wonderful event. 1t was then
in the real ecstasy and rapture OF
joyful heart he shouted the declara-
ton, The parched ground shall be-
come a pool of water and the thirsty
land springs of water"
Independent of all the ravages of
the centuries and the recessions that
have characterized the times, from the
birth of the worlds Redeemer, there
has been and still is glorious in
crease and spread of the divine gov
ernment, so much so that in the light
of this glorious dispensation we can
see the dawn is breaking, and soon all
the kingdoms of the world will become
the Kingdoms of our Lord and Christ
shall reign forever and ever.
Il lift my eyes above the clouds,
see the blue above it;
Through all the tumult and the strife,
hear the music ringing
Richter was right when he wrote
that Jesus pierced hand lifted empires
of civilization into new channels. To-
day He is the centre of all power, His
hand is on the helm, He allows no
man TO rob Him of His glory, in the
language OF another, The stars in
their courses, the sun in its glory, and
the sea in its utmost bound must yield
obedience to His divine will. He
graces every assembly OF true wor-
- Il ~
beautiful sunlit cathedrals with their
upholstered pews, carpeted aisles and
stained glass windows does He mani
fest his presence; in The humDlest
places of worship, in places most iso-
lated. most difficult TO reach, where
two or three are gathered together III
His name there He is TO bless.
An illustration of this fact is at
hand: A sabbath or two ago we We're
winding our way up the Barnegat
along the Barnegat coast, carrying the
glad tidings 10 the heroes OF the storm
We were soon entering the Barnegat
Z. S. Coast Guard Station, not from
the mere sense OF duty, but with love
Tor The Son of God. With life, love-
unction and power we dispensed the
word OF God
tit Is lQlS JunCluIC NC IVCl " S'"'S
that no Pastor or carrier OF the glad
tidings ever received a warmer well
come or kinder greetings than was
given by the Keepers and crews OF the
BaInegat coast)
In The evening we were climbing the
stairs OF the famous Barnegat Light
House: here ii was while the faithful
Keeper on duty was watching mis- light
sending revolving rays across the sea,
showing the mariner where the rocks,
hidden bars and shoals might be, While
seated by the Light, holding converse
and Offering prayer, asking God TO help
us to keep the Lower Lights burning
so that men making their journey over
Iife's sea, trying to stem the strong
currents OF sin with the stormy winds
of passion driving them toward the
hidden bars and shoals might be res
cued and eternally saved. 1t was
while thus engaged up IN the famous
Tower with our little audience, the
angels hovered over us, and the Bless
ed Christ manifested Himself as He
does not unto the world. No sooner
had we made our way down the wind
ing stairs. than was in company with
a lonely Coast Guard. We Joined
hands and hearts and were soon III the
little watch-house Here again with
the Temporary bench for our pulpit and
the tallow candle for our light we llIt-
ed our hearts to God in prayer, and
our Blessed Saviour assures us that
our service in this humble retreat is