The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-12

He was q bright fellow. He was pure boy. He was the child upon whom you set your heart to take your own place You are in total darkness about this matter. So am l. But do know God is good. I do know that God loved your boy. I do know that God loves you. Though under Gods wing 1t may be dark dark at times as a dungeon-yet l do know that above Gods wing is Gods all seeing eye. What God did He did for a faith as a chicken under the darkness or the hens wing trusts a mothers love.
 I do not know why In your old age you should have lost your money and now in your physical weakness you must work or be dependent upon others From any standpoint you always seem to have been a faithful and conscientious Christian. I do not know why Ira D. Sankey, who has sung thousands upon thousands into the light of the Kingdom of God, should In the evening time of his life sit in total darkness and as blind man have to be led around helpless as a little child. But I do know that all things work together for good to them that love God" I do know His care will give us a peace that passeth all un- derstanding during the days of our afflic- tions. I do know that some day all inex- plicables will be explained, when God lifts Ills wing and the flood lights of heaven roll in. I do know that under such conditions you and l. my brother, my sister can afford to wait and trust Christ just a little while longer We can trust Him and believe in Him though we sit in the darkness of the shadows of Gods encireling but loving wing.
 When the sky is black and lowering,
 When thy path in life is drear,
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 Mid the maze of sorrow here,
 For the Lord will hear and answer
 When in faith His people pray,
 Whatsoe CT He hath appointed
 Shall best work for thee alway.
 But though Gods wing is a spiritual developing and protecting wing 1t only spiritually develops and protects Ills own children. A hen knows her own brood. She will do everything in her power to care for and protect them. If farmer takes some ducks eggs and places them in the nest of a sitting hen she cares for those ducks after they are matched If there be a pond near and the little ducks enter the water the old hen upon the shore will be frantic. She will run round and round, trying to call them out. But a hen, as rule-some- times there are exceptiOns-will only care for her own brood The average hen will not allow her brood to be mixed up with other broods. She will drive the strange chickens away from her young. She tries to keep the family intact.
 Protection to All Who Seek It.
 The hens chickep's know their mothers g voice. At her call they leave whatever they are doing and go to her. My broth CT, have you heard Gods voice calling 1a1 orh hnx VI stayed in your sin, needless of His call? Remember. the protection of the divine wings Is over none but those who seek it. Gods wing is big enough to cover all who repent of their sins and come to Him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But though Gods wing is big enough to shelter the Mary Magdalenes and the poor publicans and the Peters and the Johns, though they may come by the millions, there are some who miss It's protection. What is the reason? Jesus tells us in this very passage: How often would 1 have gathered thy children to- gether, even as hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye could notn That Is the reason. God forces no man to come. He invites, He pleads with them, but if they will not come, even He can do no more The awful storms of the goddess eternity beat upon them, and they have no shelter What the terrors and the misery of that time will be we cannot conceive They are but dimly outlined in the Bible, but the images used are terrifying enough to blanch the brav- | est cheek, and through 1t all memory and conscience will reproach the sinner with those sad words. "Ye would not. Shelter was offered to all who would l come, but "Ye would not" Self eX- cluded, self destroyed; that will be the most terrible part of that awful fate. Obedience and disobedience to God are the two great teachings of my text. It was said that during a famous naval | battle the sailors of an American shin were almost ready to surrender when I suddenly a fowl escaped from the hen coop and perched herself in the rigging | There she defied the shot and shell and inspired the sailors to fight on to victory May this sermon, founded on the barn. yard symbol, inspire some sinner to seek 1 his safety for time and eternity under | the shadow of Gods loving and protect 1 ing wing.
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