The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1897-05-14

feeding Elijah. let the swift dove OF
Gods spirit sweep down the sky with
divine food. and on o%utspread wing
pause at the lip OF every soul hunger
ing for comfort.
On the banks OF what rivers have
been the great battles or the world?
While you are looking over the map
of the world 10 answer that. / will
tell you that the great conflict to-day
is on the Potomac, on the Hudson. on
the Mississippi. on the Thames. or the
Savannah, on the Rhine, on the Nile,
on the Ganges. On the Hoang-Ho. 1t
is a battle that has been going on for
six thousand years. The troops en-
gagged in it are sixteen hundred mil
lions, and those who have fallen by
the way are vaster in number than
those who march. 1t is a battle for
bread.
Sentimentalists sit in a cushioned
chair, in their pictured study, with
their slippered feet or a damask otto
man, and say hat this world is 4
great scene of avarice and greed. II
does not seem so to me. II it We're not
for the absolute necessities of the
cases, nine-tenths of the stores. facto-
ries, shops, banking houses OF the land
would be closed tomorrow. Who is
that man delving in the Colorado hills?
or toiling in a New England factory?
or going through a roll of bills in the
bank? or measuring a fabric on the
counter? He is a champion sent forth
in behalf of some home-circle that has
to be cared for, in behalf of some
church of God that has to be sup
ported, in behalf of some asylum OF
mercy that has to be sustained. VINO
is that woman bending over the sew
ing machine, or carrying the bundle, or
sweeping the room, or mendlng the
garment. or sweltering at the wash
tub? That is Deborah, one OF the
Lords heroines, battling against
Amalekitish want. which comes down
with iron chariot to crush her ana
hers. The great question with the vast
majority of people to-day is not nome
rule" but whether there shall De any
home to rule; not one OF tarln. Dut
whether there shall be anything to TAX.
The great question with the vast ma
jority of people is, How shall sup
port my family? How shall l meet my
notes? How shall / pay my rent!
How shall l give food, clothing anu
education to those who are dependent
upon me-" Oh, if God would help me
to-day to assist you in the solution OF
that problem the happiest man in this
house would be your preacher. have
gone out on a cold morning with ex-
pert sportsmen to hunt for pigeons;
have gone out on the meadows 10 NUM-
for quail; I have gone out on the marsh
to hunt for reed birds; but to-day
am cut for ravens.
Notice, in the first place in the story
Of my text, that these winged caterers
came to Elijah direct from God
Il have commanded the ravens thai
they feed thee We find God saying il
an adjoining passage. They did not
come out of some other Y 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 the same God that
is going to supply you. He is you!
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
necessary for you and your family
but God knows without any calcula-
ton. You have a plate at His table,
and you are going to be waited upon,
unless you act like a naughty child,
and kick, and scramble, and pound
sauciIy the plate and try to upset
things.
God is infinite in resource. When
the city of Rochelle was beseiged and
the inhabitants were dying of the fam
inc the tides washed up on the beach
as never before and as never since,
enough sheIlfish to feed the whole city.
God is good. There is no mistake
about that. History tells Us that in
1855 in England there was a great
drought. The crops failed; but in Es-
sex. on the rocks, in a place where they
had neither sown nor cultured, a great
crop Of peas grew until they filed a
hundred measures; and there were
blossoming vines enough, promising as
much more.
But why go so far? I can give you
a family incident. Some generations
back there was a great drought in Con-
necticut, New England. The water
disappeared from the hills. and the
farmers living on the hills drove their
cattle toward the valleys, and had
them supplied at the wells and foun-
tains of the neighbors. But these after
awhile began to fail, and the neighbors
said to Mr.. Birdseye. of whom shall
speak. You must not send your focks
and herds down here any more; our
wells are giving out" Mr.. Birdseye.
the old Christian man. gathered his
family at the altar, and with his fam
iIy he gathered the slaves Of the house
hold-for bondage was then in vogue
in Connecticut-and on their knees be-
fore God they cried for water; and the
family story is, that there was weep
TO- - -