The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-09-08
DR. HALhAGE'S SERMON.
THE BLACK SERVANTS OF
THE SKY.

Text: "And the ravens brought Him
bread and flesh in the morning, and bread
aud flesh in the evening" Kings, xvii, +.
The ornithology Of the Bible is most in
teresting study. The stork in the heavens
(which knoweth her appointed time The
CONT non sparrows, suggestive OF the Divine
Providence The ostriches of the desert, by
careless incubation reminding one Of the
recklessneSs Of some parents in regard to
their children. The eagle, suggesting the
riches that take wings and fly away. The
pelican, emblemizing solitude. The bat, q
fake Of the darkness. The nighthawk, the
ossifrage, the cuchoo, the lapwing, the
osprey, by Gods command in Leviticus flung
out Of the worlds bill Of fare wish I could
have been with Audubon as he went through
the forests with gun and pencil, bringing
down and sketching the fowls of heaven, his
unfolded portfolio thrilling all Christendom.
What wonderful creatures the birds are.
Their voices this morning seemed like songs
of heaven let loose and bursting through the
gates. Look at their feathers, which
same time Consider the nine vertebra Of
the neck. Consider the fact that each bird
has to each eye three eyelets, the third eyelet
q curtain for graduating the light Of the day.
Some Of these birds ScavengerS and some or
them orchestra. Thank God for quails'
whistle and larks' carol, and the twitter OF
the wren, by the ancientS called the king o.
birds, because when the fowls OF heaven Went
into contest as to which could fly the high
est and the eagle swung under the sun,
wren on the back of the eagle sprung up still
higher, and so was called the king OF birds.
Consider those birds that have golden crowns
and crestS, showing that they are feather i'm
perials Hear the humming- bird serenade
the ear Of the honey suckle Look at the
belted king fisher striking like dart from sky
to water; Hear the voice of the owl giving
the keynote to all croakers- Look atthe con-
dor amid the Andes battling down the rein
deer, when, its eyes destroyed, the poor crea-
ture goes tumbling over the rocks. I cannot
tell whether aquarium or ayiary is the best
altar from which to worship God. But in
my text there is an instance that battles all
the pathological wonders Of the world. The
grain crop had been cut off. Famine was In
the land. A minister of God. Elijah, sat at
the mouth Of cave by the brook Cherith,
waiting for something to eat. Why
didn't he go out to the neighbors. There
were no neighbors. Il -Mas a wilderness.
Why didn't he 90 out and pick -berriesl
There were no berries, and il there had been,
they would have been dried up by tho
drought. One morning this man Of God,
seated at the mouth Of the cave, is looking
up into the pitiless heavens when he sees
flock of birds approaching. Oh, II they wers
which to bring them down! But, as they
come nearer, he finds they are not comestihle,
but unclean, and their eating would be spirit
ual death. The length Of their wings. the
strength of their beak, the blackness of their
color, the loud, harsh ''cruck, cruck" OF their
voice prove them to be ravens They fly
around the prophets head, round and round,
and then on fluttering wing come to the
level of his lip, and one raven brings the
bread and another raven brings the meat,
and having discharged their tiny cargo, their
wheel away and other flocks Of ravens come
until the prophet is satisfied and these black
servants Of the wilderness table are gone.
The breakfast bell, and the supper
bell, sounded for six months, and
some say for twelve months, calling the
dung the sounds on the air: "Cruck, cruck,
cruck" Guess where they got the food
from. Some say that they got it from the
kitchen of King Ahab. Some say that they
got it fl ON Obadiah Some say that these
ravens brought the food to their young in
the nests in the tree tops, and Elijah had
only to climb up and get it. Some say the
flesh must have been the torn flesh of living
animals, and therefore unclean, or it was car
rion, and then unfit for the prophet. Some
say that the word in my text translated
'.ravens" ought to have been translated
rArabs;" so that the text ought to have
read: "And the Arabs. brought bread and
flesh to him in the morning, and bread and
flesh to him in theevening." Anything but
admit the Bible to be true. Hew away at
This miracle until all the miracle is gone; 60
on with your work Of depicting; but, my
brother. know that you rob only one man,
and thai is yourself, Of one Of the most beau
tiful, comforting, blessed, triumphant lessons
of all the ages. I can tell you who these
purveyors were. They were ravens. l
can tell you who freighted them with
provisions. God. I can tell you who
toid ouncasa them snS which wa way to fly fly. God. can
tell you who told them at what cave to
swoop. God. I can tell you who it was that
introduced raven to prophet, and prophet to
raven. God. Here is passage IT scripture
which ought to give in a whisper lest, ut
tering it in louder tone, some one might
drop down under its power. The passage is
this-"He that taketh away from the words
Of the prophecy Of this book, God will take
out Of the Holy City" Standing then this
morning and watching the ravens feed
Elijah, hope the dove Of Gods spirit may
swoop down the sky, and with out-spread
wing, pause at the lip Of every soul hungry
for comfort. On the banks Of what river
have the great battles Of the world been
fought2 While you are examining the map
Of the world to answer that, l will tell you
on what banks the great conflict Of to-day IS
son, on the Mississippi, on the Kennebec on
the Savannah, on the Rhine, on the Rhone,
on the Nile on the Ganges, on the
Hoangho. It is battle Of six thousand
years Eleven hundred million troops are
engaged; and the number Of the fallen is
vaster than the number Of those who march.
It is the battle for bread Sentimentalists,
seated in armchair in pictured study, with
slippered feet on damask ottoman, tell us
this world is great scene Of ararice and
greed. don't believe it. Take all the
necessities out Of the case, and nine-ten Of
the stores, the shops, the factories, the bank
ing houses Of the earth would be closed to-
morrow. I say take the necessities out Of the
case. Who is that man toiling in Colorado
mine, or in New England factory, or count
ing out the roll Of bills in the bank, or meas
uring the fabric on the counter? He is a
champion going forth for some home circle
. church of God that must be supported.
or in behalf Of an asylum of mercy
that must be sustained. Who is that
woman bending over the sewing machine, or
carrying the bundle, or mending the gar
ment, or sweltering at the wash tube That
is Deborah, that is one OF the Lords heroines
going out against Amalakitish want that
comes down with iron chariot to crush her
ami hers. The great question Of this day is
not the question Of Home Rule, but whether
there will be any home to rule; not ques-
tion of tariff, but whether there shall be any.
thing to tax. With the vast majority Of peo-
pie, It is question Of Show shall I support
nv family! how shall I meet my wants? how
shall paw my rent? how shall clothe and
shelter and educate those dependentupon mel"
II God will help ME to assist you in the solu-
ton of that question, the happiest man in this
house will be your preacher. I have gone