The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-02-04
SERMONETTE
By r. ASHLEY CAKE

MS sci InOu Is pIepdI0u eSpSCldl-
ly for those with Whom it is
neither dark nor light, who are con-
scious Of inability to do what is
possible, and what they know
should be done. The sermon goes
TO the Pleasantville Press, with
special prayer, and with claim on
the promise-"When thou prayest
enter into thy closet, and when
thou hast shut thy door, pray to
thy Father Who seeth in secret,
and thy Father Who heareth thee
in secret will reward thee openly"
If readers who may be blessed.
and are led to seek for ability to
do greater works for the Master,
will write me. the communications
will be greatly appreciated.
Verify, verify say unto you, he
that believeth on me, the works
that | do shall he do also; and
greater work than these shall ne
do; because l go unto my Father"
Among the precious promises
recorded in The ord is the prom
Use of power, without which no
good work can be done Ability
10 frame good thought. or TO
speak a good word, acceptable unto
the Lord, without divine aid is out
of the question.
Have we this power that will
enable us to do these greater
works? The question needs to be
personally appropriated; it cannot
be delegated to another Like one
| knew on being admonished for
his careless way of living tried to
excuse himself on the plea that he
had wife who was a saint.
Possibly. you have often noticed
the same as I have, the sun rising
over the hilltop on a misty morn
ing. The magnificent king of day
would lift all the mists from the
landscape. while the beauty and
grandeur Of the world would be
plainly seen and enjoyed. Likewise,
when my own soul has been in the
depths, | would get alone with God
feeling my heipiessness, blindness
and darkness, until faith would
lend its realizing light. l would see
the Sun of righteousness, scatter
ing the mists, lifting the clouds,
dispensing the gloom. The letters
that held me captive would break,
while doubts, fear and perplexit-
les, would be dissipated my soul
would become calm, restful, and
confiding, and power to do what l
had been wanting to do, but could
not-was abundantly given
Dear Reader, if you have like ex-
perienco, hide away and get alone
With God; cut all the cables, swing
out on the ocean of Our Fathers
love, and you will likewise come
into possession of ability to do
greater works, for which the world
is suffering today. Do this. and you
will soon find yourself in more
heavenly atmosphere where you
will realize that the entire world,
with all its beauties and grandeur
is yours now and evermore.
The changes in civilization within
the past few years, with the advan-
tages that discoveries, inventions,
science, and arts, have brought TO
our doors, is simply marvellous,
Gain i'll the material. the immense
accumulation of wealth is beyond
all computation. Resources of cul-
ture We're never more abundant,
nor magnificent; our ecclesiastical
machinery never better equipped:
but with all the display of material
gains, accumulated wealth, ample
resources, we are asking the
question-WheGt are the greater
works that the Master said his
children should do?
|, We admit that much good has
been and is still being done, but is
the amount of spiritual good com,
mensurate with the amount of
labor and expenditure that has
been made?
Has the spiritual made as much
progress as has been made in the
material?
Some one has said that we are
living in cut-throat period where
the strong are combined to exploit
the weak, and that the few who are
being enriched is because of the
special privileges are accorded to
them whereby they can rob and
Cypress the many
Is the charge true? Whether the
accusation is tue or not we do
know that this is an age when
cruelty, robbery, banditism and
criminality are in full force in city,
country town, and village. People
are asking, What is the matter ."
What is the matter?'