The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-07-07

first chapter and tho middle chapter and
the last chapter will be about, II II 10
written accurately. The first chapter
about mercy, the middle chapter about
mercy, the last chapter about mercy. Tho
mercy that lowered over your cradle.
The mercy that will hover over your
grave. The mercy that will cover all bee
tween.
Again, this story of the text impresses
me that relief came to this prophet with
the most unexpected and with seemingly
impossible conveyance. II it had been
robin redbreast or musical meadow lark
or meek turtle dove or sublime al.
batross that had brought the food to
Elijah, it would not have been so surpris.
ing. But no. 1t was bird so fierce and
inaus picate 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 it 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 60 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 ominous will be to you more
than that which seemed suspicious. 1t
will not be a chatinch 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 $780,
600, and you get proud, and you get indie.
pendent of God, and you begin to feel that
the prayer, "Give me this day my daily
bread" is inappropriate for you, for you
have made provisions for hundred years.
Then q 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
God, and you cry out for treasures in
Heaven. The black providence brought
you salvation. The white providence
brought you ruin. That which seemed
to be harsh and fierce and dissonant was
your greatest mercy. 1t was raven.
There was 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
| truthfully-that q 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 il
took hold of the altar Of your soul. But
one day there came one Of the three
scourges of children-scarlet fever, OF
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 tt
follow him, and you followed thu
treasure he carried, and you have beer
following them ever since; and instead o.
thinking of Heaven only once week, al
formerly, you are thinking Of it all tn,
time, and you are more pure and tender
hearted than you used to be, and you arr
patiently waiting for the daybreak 1t il
not self.righteousness in you to acknowl
edge that you are better man than yol
used to be-you are better woman thai
you used to be. What was 1t that brough
you the sanctifying blessing? Oh, it wa
the dark shadow on the nursery; it wa
the brooding of great black trouble; |
was raven-it was raven! Dear Lord
teach this people that white providence
do not always mean advancement, AM
that black providences do not Away
mean retrogression.
Children of God. get up out Of your de
spondency. The Lord never had so man,
ravens as he has this morning. Film
your fret and worry to the winds. Some
times under the vexations of life you fee
like my little girl of four years, who sal
under some childish vexation: "Oh, Iwis
could 20 to Heaven and see God an
pick flowers" He will let you go whe
the right time comes to pick flowers. I'm
til then, whatever you want, pray for.
suppose Elijah prayed pretty much a
the time. Tremendous work behind hin
Tremendous work before him. God ha
no spare ravens for idlers or for peopl
who are prayerless. Iput it in the bodies
shape possible and I am willing to ris
my eternity on it; ask God in the rigf
way for what you want, and you sha
have 1t If it is best for you.
My friend. YOU have q right to arsu
from precedent that God is going to taxi
care of you. Has He not done it two
three times every dayf That is most maj
velous. look back and wonder that Go
has given me food three times day reg
ularly all my lifetime, never missing br
once, and then was lost in the noun
aims; but that very morning and that yer
night met the ravens.
o, the Lord is so good that I wish a
. this people would trust Him with the ~
lives-the life you are now living and tn,
which every tick Of the watch and ever
|, stroke of the clock inform you is approach
. ing. Bread for your immortal soul com
; to-day. See! They alght on the pla
form. They alight on the backs of all Il
|, pews. They swing among the aches. r,
vens! Ravens.