Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-05-15

On The banks CT what rivers have been
the great battles of the world? While
you arc locking over the map of the
world to answer that, will tell you
that the great conflict today is on tho
Potomac, OH the Hudson, OH the Missis-
sippi. Oh the Thames, OH tho Savannah,
on the Rhine, on the Nile, on the
Gauges, OIL the Hoang-Ho. 1t is bat
tie that has been going on for G,O0O
years. The troops engaged in it are
1,600, 600, 900, and those who have
fallen by the way are vaster i'll number
than those who march. 1t is battle
for bread
Out For Ravens.
Sentimentalists sit in a cushioned
chair in their pictured study, with their
slippered feet OIL damusk ottoman,
and say that this world is great scene
of avarice and greed. 1t does not seem
so to me. If it were not for the absolute
necessities of the cases, nine-tenths Of
the stores. factories, shops, banking
houses Of the land would be closed to-
morrow. Who is that man delving in
the Colorado hills, or toiling i'll New
England factory, OF going through q
roll of bills in the bank, or measuring q
fabric OIL the counter? He is a champion
sent forth in behalf of some home circle
that has to BIZ cared for, i'll behalf OF
some church of God that has to be sup
ported, in behalf of some asylum OF
mercy that has to be sustained. Who IS
that woman bending over the sewing
machine, or carrying the bundle, or
sweeping the room, or mending the gar
ment,- or sweltering at the washtub?
That is Deborah, ono of the Lords her.
Dimes, battling against Amalekitish
want, which comes down with iron
chariot to crush her ind hers. The great
question with the vast majority of peo-
pie today is not home rule, but whether
there shall be any home to rule; not
one of tariff, but whether there shall be
anything to tax The great questions
with the vast majority of people arc;
"How shall l support my family? How
shall meet my notes? How shall I pay
my rent? How shall I give food, cloth
ing and education to those who are de-
pendent upon me?" Oh, if God would
help me today to assist you in the solu-
ton of that problem, the happiest man
in this house would be your preacher.
I have gone out on cold morning with
expert sportsmen to hunt for pigeons.
have gone out OH the meadows to hunt
for quail. l have gone out on the marsh
to hunt for reedbirds, but today l am
out for ravens.
Winged Caterers.
Notice, in the first place in the story
of my text, that these winged caterers
came to Elijah direct from God.
81 have commanded the ravens that
they feed Vice." we find God saying il
an adjoining passage. They did moi
como out Of some other cave. They
did not just happen to alight there.
God freighted them, God launched
them and God told them by what cave
to swoop. That is tho same God that j:
going to supply you. He isyour Father
You would have to make an elaborate
calculation before you could tell me
how many pounds of food and how
many yards of clothing would be neces.
sary for you and your family, br Goo
knows without any calculation. Yor
have a plate at his table, and you are
going to be waited on, unless you act
like a naughty child and kick ant
scramble and pound saucily the plate
and try to upset things.
God has vast famiis,, and every,
thing is methodized, and you are going
to be served if you will only wait youl
turn. God has already ordered all the
suits of clothes you will ever need, down
to the last suit III which you will be lalo
out. God has already ordered all the
food you will ever eat, down to the last
crumb that will be put i'll your mouth
in the dying sacrament 1t may not be
Just the kind Of food or apparel We
would prefer The 81 lsiblc parent de-
ponds on his own judgment as to what
ought to be th> apparel and the food Of
the minor in tie family. The chile
would say, Give me sugars and con
fections. - "Oh, mol" says the parent
lyon must have something palmer
first. - The child would sny, "Oh, give
me these great blotches of color in the
garmentp' NO." says the parent
"that wouldn't be suitable. P"
Now, God is our Father, and we are
minors, and he is going to clothe MS and
feed us, although he My not always
yield to our infantilc wish for the
sweets and glitter These ravens Of the
text did not bring pomegranates from
the glittering platter of King Ahab.
They brought bread and meat. God had
all the heavens and the earth before him
and under him, and yet he sends this
plain food, because it was best for Eli
jah to have it. Oh, be strong, my hear
er, in the fact that the same God is 60
ing to supply you. 1t is never "hart
times" with him. His ships never break
on the rocks His banks never fail. lie
has the supply for you, and he has the
means for sending. it. He has not only
the cargo, but the ship. If it were
necessary, he would swing out from the
heavens flock of ray us reaching from
his gate tc yours until the food would
be flung down the sky from beak &c
beak and from talon to talon.
Notice again i'll this story of the text
that the ravens did not allow Elijah to
hoard up Il surplus. They did not bring
enough on Monday to last all the week.
They did not bring enough one morning
to last until the next morning. They
came twice a d,,y and brought just
enough for one tine You know as well
as that the great fret Of the world is
that we want a surplus, we want the
ravens to bring enough for so years.
You have more confidence i'll the Wash