The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-07-01

the ,foer-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 fol-
lowed the treasure He carried, aud you
have been following them ever since, and
instead of thinking of heaven only once q
week, as formerly, you are thinking OF 1t
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 acknowledge that you are a better man
than you used TO be-you are better
woman than you used to be. What was it
that brought you to the sanctifying bless
ing? Oh, it was the dark shadow on the
nursery; it was the dark shadow on the
short grave; it was the dark shadow on
your broken heart it was the brooding of
a great black trouble; it was raven-it
was ravenl Dear Lord, teach this people
that white providences do no always mean
advancement, and that black providences
do not always mean retrogression.
Children of God get out Of your de-
spondency. The Lord never had So many
ravens as he has this morning. Fling
your fret and worry to the winds. Some
times under the vexations of life you feel
like my little girl of years, who said un-
der some childish vexation: "0h, wish
could go TO heaven and see God and pick
flowers" He will let you go when the
right time comes to pick flowers. Until
then, whatever you want pray for.' l sup
pose Elijah prayed pretty much all the
time. Tremendous work behind him.
Tremendous work before him. God has
no spare ravens for idlers or for people
who are prayerless. 1 put it in the boldest
shape possible and l am willing to risk my
eternity on it. Ask God in the right way
for what you want, and you shall have it
if it is best for you. Mrs. Jane Pithey, of
Chicago, a well-known Christian woman,
was left by her husband widow with one
half dollar and cottage. She was palsied
and had mother 80 years of age to sup
port The widowed soul every day asked
God for all that was needed in the house,
hold, and the servant even was astonished
at the precision with which God answered
the prayers of that woman, item by item,
item by item. One day rising from the
family altar, the servant said: You have
not asked for coal and the coal is out"
Then they stood and prayed for the coal.
One hour after that the servant threw open
the door and said. 'The coal has come"
generous man, whose name ! could give
you, had sent-as never before and never
since-a supply of coal: You cannot
understand it. | do Ravens! Ravens!
My friend, you have a right to argue
from precedent that God is going to take
care of you. Has He not done it two or
three times every day? That is most mar
velous, 1 look back and l wonder that
God has given me food three times a day
regularly all my lifetime, never missing
but once, and then l was lost in the noun
tains; but that very morning and that very
night met the ravens.
Oh, the Lord is so good that wish all
this people would trust Him with the two
lives-the life you are now living and that
which every tick of the watch and every
stroke of the clock inform you'll approach
ing. Bread for your immortal soul comes
to-day. SeeI They alight on the plat
form. They alight on the backs of all the
pews. They swing among the arches.
Ravens! Ravens! "Blessed are they that
hunger after righteousness, for they shall
be filed" To all the SHINING and the sor-
rowing and the tempted deliverance comes
this hour. Look down and You see moth
ing but your spiritual deformities. Look
back, and you see nothing but wasted OPP
portunities. Cast your eye forward, and
you have fearful looking for of Judgment
and fiery indignation which shall devour
the adversary. But look up, and you be-
hold the whipped shoulders of an inter-
ceding Christ and the face of pardoning
God and the irradiation of an opening
heaven. hear the whirr of their wings.
Do you not feel the rush of the air on your
cheek? Ravens! Ravensl
There is only one question want to ask:
How many of this audience are willing to
trust God for the supply of their bodies
and trust the Lord Jesus Christ for the re-
demption of their immortal souls? Amid
the clatter of the hoofs and the clang of the
wheels of the Judgment chariot the whole
matter will be demonstrated.