The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-07-22

the last chapter will be about, If it is
written accurately. The first chapter
about mercy, the middle chapter about
mercy, the last chapter about mercy. The
mercy that lowered over your cradle.
The mercy that win hover over your
grave. The mercy that will cover all be.
tween.
Again, this story of the text impresses
me that relief came to this prophet with
the most unexpected and with seemingly
impossible conveyance. If it had been
robin-redbreast or musical meadow lark
or a meek turtle dove or a sublime all
batross that had brought the food to
Elijah, it would not have been so surpris-
ing. But no. 1t was bird so fierce and
inauspicate that we have fashioned one of
our most forceful and repulsive words out
of it-ravenous. That bird has passion
for picking out the eyes of men and Of
animals. 1t loves to maui the sick and the
dying. 1t swallows with vulturous guzzle
everything 1t can put its beak on; and yet
all the food Elijah gets for six months
or year is from ravens. So your supply
| is going to come from an unexpected
source. You think some great-hearted,
generous man will come along and give
| you his name on the back of your note, or
he will go security for you in some great
| enterprise. No, he will not. God will
| open the heart of some Shylock toward
| you. Your relief will come from the most
| unexpected quarter. The providence
which seemed omnous will be to you more
! than that which seemed suspicious. It
| will not be a chaffinch with breast and
wing dashed with white and brown and
chestnut. it will be black raven.
Here is where we all make our mistake,
| and that is in regard to the color of Gods
| providence. A white providence comes to
us and we say: "Oh, it is mercy" Then
black providence comes toward us, and
we say: "Oh, that is disaster" The white
providence comes TO you, and you have
| great business success, and you have $50,-
600, and you get proud, and you get inde-
pendent of God, and you begin to feel that
the prayer, "Give me this day my daily
bread" is inappropriate Cor you, for you
have made provisions for a hundred years.
Then a black providence comes, and it
sweeps every thing away. and then you
begin to pray, and you begin to feel your
dependence, and begin to humble before
Heaven. The black providence brought
you salvation. The white providence
brought yon ruin. That which seemed
to be harsh and fierce and dissonant was
your greatest mercy. 1t was q raven.
There was a child born in your house
All your friends congratulated you. The
other children of the family stood amazed
looking at the newcomer, and asked a
great many questions, genealogical and
chronological. You said-and you said
truthful THAT a white angel few
through the room and left the little one
there. That little one stood with its two
feet in the very center of your sanctuary
of affection, and with its two hands it
took hold of the altar of your soul. But
one day there came one of the thres
scourges of children-scarlet fever, or
Group, or diphtheria-and all that bright
scene vanished. The chattering, the
strange questions, the pulling at the
dresses as you crossed the floor all ceased.
As the great friend of children stopped
down and leaned toward that cradle, and
took the little one in his arms, and walked
away with it into the bower OF
eternal summer, your eye began to
follow him, and you followed the
treasure he carried and you have been
following them ever since; and instead OF
thinking of Heaven only once a week, az
formerly, you are thinking of it all the
time, and you are more pure and tender.
hearted than you used to be, and you are
patiently waiting for the day break. 1t is
not self-righteousness in you to acknowl.
edge that you are better man than you
used to be-you are better woman than
you used to be. What was it that brought
you the sanctifying blessing? Oh, it was
the dark shadow on the nursery; it was
the brooding of great black trouble;' il
was raven--it was raven! Dear Lord
teach this people that white providence.
do not always mean advancement, and
that black providences do not always
mean retrogression.
Children of God, get up out of your de
spondency. The Lord never had so ma ny
ravens as he has this morning. Films
your fret and worry to the winds. Some
times under the vexations of life you fee
like my little girl of four years, who sale
under some childish vexation: "Oh, wisf
I could go to Heaven and see God ant
, pick fiowersw He will let you go whei
: the right time comes to pick flowers. Ur
til th.n, whatever you want, pray for.
suppose Elijah prayed pretty much al
J the time. Tremendous work behind him
: Tremendous work before him. God hal
= no spare ravens for idlers or for peopl
who are prayerless. I put it in the bodies
shape possible and I am willing to risl
my eternity on it.; ask God in the RICH
way for what you want, and you shall
have it if it is best for you.
My friend, YOU have a right to argu
: from precedent that God is going to TAX
care of you. Has He not done 1t two O
three times every day? That is most mar
. velous. look back and wonder that Go,
has given me food three times a day reg
I ularly all my lifetime, never missing bu
, once, and then / was lost in the mount
aims; but that very morning and that yer,
t. night met the ravens.
! o, the Lord is so good that I wish al
this people would trust Him with the tw
= lives-the life you are now living and tina
= which every tick of the watch and ever,
stroke Of the clock inform you is approach
:. ing. Bread for your immortal soul come
:, to-day. See! They alight on the plat