Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-07-10

Come, that we may have life and have
II more abundautly. Listen TO the d.
vine call. and come TO the divine shell
ter. ana as the chickens find under the
hens wing comfort and safety and
peace. SO shall you find rest and peace
for your souls.
A symbol OF True Love.
Gods wing is protecting wing.
There are two kinds of hens. The one
Is a. chickenleSs fowl. which is an ar
rant coward. She will run at every
strange sight and known danger. If
she could fly. she would When the
little boy throws stone at her she
will run to the opposite side Of the
yard just as fast as she can go. keep
ing her wings tapping TO help along i'm
the retreat. But how different is the
behavior of one who is clucking to her
brood Then there is no towards heart
beating within the mothers breast.
Then there is no danger she will not
face for her young.
The protecting care or hens wing
is one of the sweetest symbols of all
true love. what Is the matter with
that old HEMP says the farmers wife
to her husband. For the last five min
utes she has been frantic-clueking
and calling to her chickens! She has
now gathered them all together under
her wing. She is hiding behind the
wheelbarrow." The husband saws
nothing until he goes out upon the
porch. He uses bis hand for a shade
and casts his eyes over the heavens.
YES, Wife," he answers, 81 thought as
much. DO you see that black Rpeck
in the heavens? Well, 1 think that IL
the old hawk who stole so many of
our chickens last summer, and that old
hen remembers him. 1 guess I will
help Biddy out and try TO kill Mr..
Hawk aud help save her chickens
However, now those chickens are all
safe. They are under the hens wings"
The hens wings in times of danger
are always protecting wings. The
other day was walking about farm
and examining the horses in the stalls
and the cattle I'm the fields, while n pet
dog was running at my heels. During
my explorations / heard an excited
clucking, but thought nothing OF it. As
stepped into the barnyard proper
saw hen lying under board. I
called to her, but she moved not. /
called again and again, and then tried
to shoe her OFF what / thought to
be stolen nest. Then took stick
and gave her poke. Instead of q
frightened hen flying away for her
life found n vindictive and outraged
mother flying Mt me and my dog. The
dog ran in one direction, in the other.
Then the hen called again TO her young
and gathered her chickens under her
wing, while she still eyed my four
legged companion as she would eye the
would be murderer of her children.
oh, my friends, in the beautiful SYM
Dol OF my text, did you ever stop to
think that Gods care could be pro-
tecting wing?
Gods Physical Protection.
God protects as ina a physical sense.
Some time ago n gentleman. with his
family, wished TO make q journey 70
Boston. He hurried through his work
that his vacation might be one OF COM
plete rest; but, try as hard as he could.
he lost the desired train. A short time
after the gentleman read the telegraph
lie reports that the train upon which he
hoped TO travel was wrecked in col.
lision and scores and scores of people
were Killed. He Immediately gathered
his family together and returned
thanks TO God because he and his loved
ones had been saved from this calami-
~. But why ought that man especially
10 have thanked God that day? Ought
he not rather 10 be grateful TO his Heav-
emily Father for caring for him and
his loved ones every day? never
take trip in my life, aud have trav-
eled thousands and tens OF thousands
of miles, but realize the innumerabie
dangers which everywhere beset ME.
One intoxicated engineer, one drunken
switchman, one failure OF the signal
lights to work aad Dcrth Ia ready to
reach cut her bony arms ana hug the
breath out OF nae. If you do not believe
what / say, some night when travelling
lie awake in your berth. Then listen
TO the rumbling in the distance coming
nearer and nearer until, with one wild
Shrek, the limited shoots past, and
then realize the prevalent dangers.
Then thank God that he cared for and
protected you In physical sense. The
breaking OF one wheel, the twisting OF
one rail, the sagging OF one bridge
glrder, and your train would be de-
rallied and all its occupants would be
hurled into eternity. Gods wing I'm n
physical sense is over us. 1t is pro-
tccting wing. 1t covers us as a hen
shields her chickens from the threaten
ing hawk.
Power to Resist.
God protects us In a spiritual sense.
The Bible says, ''God Is faithful. who
will not suffer you TO be tempted be-
yond that We are able, but will with
the temptation also make q way to
escape, that We may be able to bear IT,"
What does that statement mean? Sim
ply this: Here is man whose whole
nature is gnarled and twisted by sin.
lie Is by corrupt past n drunkard, a
iibertine. thief. He wants to get IN
der the protecting shadow OF Gods
wing. When he arises in the morning
he kneeis by his bed and says: 20
God, am awfully weak know not
which way TO turn unless l look to
thee. Save me this day from the wine
cup. Save me from the fatal pitfalls
which are yawning at my feet. Save
me, God, save me, save mer' Will
God answer such a pleading prayer
as that? Oh, yes. God says to this |
moral cripple: Come, my child, come !
under my wing, my protecting wing. |
L will surround thee with holy COM |
partnership. I will shut out from thy |
sight the buzzards and the hawks and |
the serpents and the rats of sin which |
would destroy your life! Come, my
child, come. Come under the shadow |
Of my spiritually protecting wing"
My friends. some OF us have been try.
ing to resist temptation in our own |
strength. Will you not depend upon
the strength OF God? Some OF us are |
trying to do as the brilliant Tom Mar |
shall of Kentucky did, who one day |
stood up in Broadway Tabernacle and |
said: 'Were this great globe one crys- |
tallite and / offered the possession IL |
would drink one glass of brandy I
would refuSe III with scorn And |