Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-05-14

and condemned him as guilty Of cruelty,
move today for new trial. il the bi-
ography Of your life Is ever written, l VIII
tell you what the first chapter and the
middle chapter. and the last chapter VIII
be about if 10 is written accurately; the
first chapter about mercy, the middle chap
ter about mercy, the last chapter about
mercy. The mercy that h0yercd over your
cradle. The mercy that will hover over
your grave. The mercy that viii cover all
between.
Gods Unexpected Agents.
Again, this story OF the text impresses
me that relief came TO this prophet with
the most unexpected and with seemingly
impossible conveyance. If 10 had been "a
robin redbrcast, or a musical meadow
lark, or meek turtlodoye, or sublime
albatross that had brought the food 70 Eli
jah, IL would not have been so surprising.
But. no. II was bird So fierce and in
auspicate that we have fashioned one OF
cur most forceful and repusiye words ouC
Of it-ravenous That bird has passion
for picking out the eyes Of men and of
animals. IL loves 90 maui the SICK and
the dying. IL swallows with yulturous
guzzle everything il can put its beak on,
and yet all the food Elijah gets for six
months or a year is from ravens. 30 your
supply is going to come from an unexpect-
ed source.
Yon think some great hearted, generous
man will come along and give you bis
name on the back Of your note. or be Will
60 security for you in some great enter
prise. No. he will not. God viii open
the heart Of some Shyl0ck toward you.
Your relief will come from the most un-
expected quarter The providence which
seemed ominous will be To you more than
that which seemed auspicious. IL will not
be- a challinch with breast and wing
dashed with white and brown and chest
nu;. it viii be a black raven.
Here IS where we all make our mistake
and that is in regard 70 the color Of God ;
providence. A white providence comes 20
us, and wo say, "Oh, 10 is mercy Then
black providence comes toward Us, and
we say. "Oh. that is Disaster Ih-
white providence comes 10 you, and you
have great business success, and You have
! 500. 600, and you get proud and you ge5
independent Of God, and you begin TO feel
that the prayer, "Giye me this day my
daily bread, " is Inappropriate for you, for
you have made provision for 100 years.
/ Then a black providence comes. and 10
sweeps everything away. and then you Dee
gin 70 pray, and you begin t0 feel your
| dependence, and begin t0 be- humble Dee
/ fore Cod and you cry out for treasures IN
heaven. The black providence brought
you salvation The whin providence
brought you ruin. Ihat which seemed 10
] be harsh and fierce and di-eHuant was
your greatest mercy 10 was raven.
/ There was a child born iu your house. All
your friends congratulated you lho
other children OF the family stood amazed
looking at the ne'ycomsr and asked u
great many questions, gene logical ana
Chronological You said-and you SAID
truthfully - that q White angel hew
through the room and lclr the lt-lo ona
there That little one stood with its two
feet in the very sanctuary ol your aip
ton. and with its TWO hands 10 t1of
OF the altar Of your soul Bur oi
there came one of the three sc0ur
children-scarlet fever, or Group or
tberia-and all that bright scene vanished.
The chattcring. the strange questions the
pulling at the dresses as you crossed me
loor-all ceased
The Blaci Providences.
As the great friend of child@on stopped
down and leaned toward that cradle ahd
took the little one in h.s arms and walk Il
away with il into the bower OF eternal
summer, your eye began I'D follow MIN,
and you followed the treasure be carried
and you have been following them ever
since. and instead Of thinking of heaven
only once a week. as formerly you are
thinking Of 10 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 10 is not self righteous
ness in YOU % acknowledge that you are q
better man than you used 10 be, you are q
better woman than you used 10 be. nab
was il that brought you the sanctiiying
blessing. Oh it was the dark shadow on
the nursery: il was the dark shadow on
the short grave; 10 was the dark shadow
on your broken heart; 10 was the brood
ing of a great black trouble; 10 was IA
ven: it was "a raven. Dear Lord, teach
this people that white proyidences do not
always mean Advancement. and that black
proyidences do not always mean retrogres-
sion.
Children OF God, get up out OF your de-
spondcncy The Lord never had so many
ravens as he has today. Fling your Ire'
and worry to the winds. Sometimes under
the vexations of life you feel Ike my little
Girl Of I years, who said under some child
ish vexation, "Oh. wish l could 20 "a
heaven and see God and pick flowers
He will let you go when The right time
comes to pick flowers. Until then' what
ever you want pray for. l suppose ELIJAH
prayed pretty much all the time. lremeh
dous work behind him. Tremendous WORK
before him. God has no spare ravens ioi
. idlers or for people who are prayerless.
mt il i'm the boldcst shape possible, and
am willing to risk my eternity on 10. ASH
God in the right way FOR what You wan'
= and vou shall have 10 if 10 is best Tor you.
$ Mrs. Jane pithCy Of Chicago "a wei
D known Christian woman, was left by hel
: husband widow with one half dollar anC
{ a cottage. She was palsiod and had
70 mother 90 years OF age 20 support. Inc
2 widowed soul every day asked God Tor .i
that was needed In the household, ana th'
q servant even was ast0nished az the preci
< sion with which God answered the prayer
, OF that woman, item by item, item ol
d item. One day, rising from The iamil!
n altar the servant said, lyon have no
d asked for coal, and the coal is ont.
e Then they stood and prayed for The coal
4 One hour after that the servant throw ope
!, the door and said, 1.-The coal has come
= A generous man, whose name could CIV
: Won. had sent-as never before and neVe
/: since-a supply OF coal You cannot Ut
7; derstaud IT, do. Ravens kaYensl
J. The Coming Of the Ravens
D. Ny friend, you have right 70 areu
n from precedent that God IS going TO tar
e care Of you. Has he not done Il two
y three times every day? That is Aost MAJ
It velous look back and wonder tn'
y God has given me food three times ga
a regularly all my lifetime, never missii
! bnt once. and then ! Twas lost In the mon'
; tains. but that very morning ana ln'
"A very night met the ravens.
% Oh, the Lord IS so good that wish
~ his people would trust h.m with the {"
"a lives-the life you are now living ana ID
a. which every tick Of the watch and eve
sr stroke Of the clock inform you Is
: proaching Bread FOR your immortal SO
- Thnv alfUhr on NJ