Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-03-08
.Yith most nfc has been a dlsaI

age where you thought you would be 1
do no; know any one except myself 10
whom life has been happy surprise. |
never expected anything. and so when
anything came in the shape OF human IA
vor or comfortable position or widening
field Of work 1t was To me surprise.
was told in the theological seminary by
some OF my fellow students that ] never
would get anybody 10 hear me preach un-
less | changed my style. so that when
found that some people did come % hear
me 1t was happy surprise. But most
people. according TO their own statement,
have found life a disappointment. In
deed. we all need shelter from its TEN.
pests.
The wings of my text suggest warmth,
and that is what most folks want. The
fact is that this is cold world whether
You take it literally or tiguratIvely. We
have big fireplace called the sun. and 1t
has a very hot fire. and the stokers keep
the Goals well stirred up. but much OF the
year we cannot get near enough to this
fireplace to get warmed. This world
extremities are cold all the time. Forget
not that it is colder at the South Pole
than at the North Pole, and that the
Arctic is not So destructive a. the Antar-
tic. Once in awhile the Arctic will let
explorers come back. but the Antartic
hardly ever When at the South Pole
ship sails in. the door of ice Is almost
sure to be shat against It's return. so lite
to many millions of people AZ the south
and many millions OF people at the north
is a prolonged sh,ver.
But when | say that this is cold
world chiefly mean tiguratvely. Ii You
want to know what Is the meaning OF the
ordinary term OF receiving the cold
shoulder. get out OF money and try to
borrow. The conversation may have beer
almost tropical for luxuriance of thought
and speech but suggest Your necessities
and see the thermometer drop to nifty de
grees below zero. and in that which till a
moment before mad been 4 warm room.
Take what is an unpopular position on
some public question and see your friends
fiy as chat before windmill. As far al
myself ia concerned. l have no word Il
complaint. but look off dag by day and
see communities freezing out men and
women OF whom the world is not worthy.
Now it takes after one and now after an
other. 1t becomes popular 10 depreciate
and deigme and cxeera;e and lie abiut
some people. This is tine best world |
ever got into. but it is the meanest world
that some people ever so; into. he worst
thing that ever happened to them was
their cradle. and the best thing that will
ever happen to them will be their grave.
Thus at shutdown, lovingly. safely. com.
pletely, the hen broods her young. So. II
we are the Lords, the evening OF our life
will come. The heats OF the day will have
passed. There will be shadows. and we
cannot see rs far The work OF lio will be
about ended The hawks Of temptation
that lowered in the sky will have gone to
the woods and folded their wings Sweet
silence, will come. The air will be redo
lent with the breath OF whole irbors OF
promises swecter than jasmine or even
ing primrose. The air MAJ be Little chill.
but Christ will call us. and we will know
the voice and heed the call. and we will
come under the wings for the night. the
strong wings. the soft wings. the warm
wings and without fear and in full sense
OF safety. and then we will rest from sun
down to sunrise. ''as a hen gathereth her
chickens under her wing.
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. Tou cannot hear
scenes OF the old farmhouse come back to
YOU. Good old days they were. You
knew nothing much OF the world. for you
had not seen the world. By law OF asso-
citation You cannot recall the hrooding
hen and her chickens without seeing also
the barn ana the haymow and the wagon
shed and the house and the room where
won 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 hell that called You TO worship and
seeing the horses which. after pulling YOU
to church. stood around the old clapboard-
ed meeting house. and those who sat at
either end OF the church pew and. indeed,
all the scenes OF Your first fourteen years.
and you think OF what YOU were then and
- 4 . sNswns
are aroused by the sight OF the old hen
coop. Some of you had better GO back
and start again. In thought return to
that place and hear the ciuck 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 oiassed among those described by
the closing words OF my text. ''as a hen
eathereth her chickens under her wings.
and We would not" All. that throws the
responsibility upon ne. ''Ye would not.
Alas. for the would nots," II the wan
dering 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. surely their calamities
are not the mothers fault. '.Ye would
not" God would. but how many would
not,
W neu gOOu NAH H>htl \ Nptlrs Npisidu
who had abandoned her home and who
was deploring her wretchedness why she
did not return. the reply was: Il dare
not go home. Nv father is provoked
he would not receive Te home. Then.
said the Christian man. Il viii test Fhls.
And so he wrote 10 the father. and the re-
ply came back aud in n letter marked oui-
side Immediate and inside saving. Let
her come at once; all is forgiven. So
Gods invitation for YOU l. marked Inn
mediate" on the outside. and inside 1t ~
written. lie will ahundant'y pardon.
Oh. We wanderers from God aud happiness
and home and heaven. come under the
sheitcring wing 4 vessel in 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 be-
fore she struck the rocks aud went down,
and so the captain stood on the deck.
watch in hand Captain and crew and
passengers were pallid with terror. TAX
ing another look at his watch and another
look at the sea he shouted: Thank God.
We are saved, The tide has turned, One
minute more and we would have struck
the rocksi" Some Of YOU have been long
while drifting in the tempest OF sin and
sorrow and have been making for the
breakers Thank God. the tide has turned
Do you not feel the hit OF the billow;
The grace OF God that bringcth salvation
has appeared to Your soul, and. in the
words OF BoaZ Ruth. | commend YOU to
the Lord God OF Israel. under whose
wings thou hast come 10 trust.
Copyright, 1902. Z. k,opscb.i