Democratic messenger., 1893-03-04

uieS ana tiicn WdtCalu3 dfterUartI over
wayward sons and daughters, at last
themselves taken care of by motherly
God. business men. after lifetime
strugglin. with the uncertainties Of
money markets. and the change of tariffs,
and the undersclling of men who be-
cause of their diShoncstics can afford To
undersell and wears of disappointment
and struggle. III last under wings where
nothing can pcrturb them any more than
bird Of prey which is 10 miles off dis
turbs chick at midnight brooded in a
barnyard
TRUSTING ~ DIVINE SHELTER.
My text has its strongest application
for people who were born in the country,
wherever you may now live. and that is
the majority of you. You cannot hear
my text without having all the rustic
scenes of the old farmhouse come back
to you. Good old days they We're. You
knew nothing much Of the world. for
you had not seen the world.
BY law of association You cannot recall
the broodins hen and her chickens with
out seeing also the barn, and the hay
NOV, and the wagon shed, and the
house. and the room where YOU played,
and the fircsidc with the big backlog
before which You sat. and the neighbors,
and the burial. and the wedding, and
the deep snowbanks. and hear the vii
lage bell that called you to worship, and
seeing the horses which, after pulling
you to church. stood around the old clap
boarded meeting house, and those who
sat at either end of the church pew, and
indeed all the scenes of the first II years,
and You think of what You were then
and of what you are now, and all these
thoughts are aroused by the sight of the
old hencoop.
Some of You had better 90 back and
start again. In thought return to that
place and hear the cluck and see the
outspread feathers and come under the
wing and make the Lord your portion
and shelter and warmth. preparing for
everything that may come. and SO avoid
being classed among those described by
the closing words of my text. las a hen
gathercth her chickens under her wing,
and We would not" All, that throws
the responsibility upon us. "Ye would
not" Alas for the would nots." #
the wandering broods of the farm heed
not their mothers call and risk the
hawk and dare the freshet and expose
themselves to the frost and storm. sure
~ their calamities are not their moth
er's fault 'Ye would not" God would
but how many would not
When good man asked a young wom-
an who had abandoned her home and who
was deploring her wretchesiness why she
did not return, the reply was: Il dare
not go home. My father is So provoked
he would not receive me home" Them
said the Christian man. Twill test this
And so he wrote To the father, and the
reply came back and in letter marked
outside Immediate" and inside saving.
Let her come at once: all is forgiven"
So Gods invitation for YOU is marked
"Immeliate" ON the outside. and inside il
is written. He will abundantly pardon"
Oh. We wanderers from God and hap
piness and home and heaven, come under
the sheltering wing. Under this call
see you turning from your old way to
the new way. the living way, the gospel
way. 4 vessel i'll the Bristol channel
was nearing the rocks called the Steep
Holmes" Under the tempest the vessel
was unmanageable. and the only hope
was that the tide would change before
she struck the rocks and and went down.
and so the captain stood on the deck,
watch i'll hand. Captain and crew and
passengers were pallid with terror. TAX
ing another look mt his watch and an
other look at the sea he shouted: "Thank
God. we are saved. The tide has turned!
One minute more and we would have
struck the rocks"
Some of you have been a long while
drifting in the tempest of sin and sor-
row and have been making for the break
ers. Thank God, the tide has turned.
Do you not feel the lift of the billow?
The grace of God that bringeth saliva
ton has appeared to your soul. and i'll
the words of Eoaz to Ruth l commend
you TO 1.-THE Lord God of Israel. under
whose wings thou hast come TO trust"