The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-30


were hardly worth the trouble they had
taken to save them, and prayed God to
call them home. Cromwell complained
a man to bear
Some of the poets strike the same note.
Listen to the cry Of Shakespeare:
Tired with all these
For restful death | pray
Hear Cowrer as he cries:
20 for lodge in some vast wilderness
Where rumor of oppression and deceit
may er reach me more
Says Shelley:
Il could lie down like tired child.
and weep away this life of care" Those
men all sent out the raven.
Easy To BE Discouraged
II mention these instances TO show
how very human 1t is for people TO be
discouraged Even Spurgeon, whose life
was an unspeakable blessing to the
world. once said his ministry seemed
useless.
"And today there are many discour-
aged people around us. So often things
seem to go wrong with us: our busi-
ness doesn't go to suit us, our work
becomes irksome; physically we are out
of sorts; we worry over the high cost
of living, and we worry over thous-
and other things. Parents become dis
couraged about their children we are
disappointed in this and that, and we
send out the raven.
Yes, | dare say, there have been
times in your life and mine when we
too have yielded to discouragement, and
chosen the raven as our messenger, De-
|
what 1t means to be in that mood, and
of all the moods one can be in, the
worst is the mood of despair.
Now lsteni There is no need that
any human heart should ever send out
the raven. / care not what ones con-
dition may be, yet no one In this world
need ever despair. God Is not dead /!
Sometimes, even the Christian acts as
though he thought He was. God Is not
dead And II we try to do the right
thing, and trust in God all will be
well In the end,
Then, too, | believe 1t Is a down
right sin to send out the raven--to give
up to disoouragement 1t means that we
distrust God-that we doubt His ability
to take care of us.
so my message to every heart here
this morning is this: 1t matters not
what your condition of life Is, never
send out the raven, but always make
the dove your messenger-the inno-
cent, beautiful, hopeful dove. Send her
forth from your heart with strong
faith in God, and If she returns with
no token, send her forth again and
again. Never give up Keep the lamp
of hope burning brightly upon the altar
of your SOUL then you can smile even
at repeated failure. knowing that by
and by, in Gods own good time, success
will come.
Wesley's Experience
John Wesley said he had never felt
discouraged for a quarter of an hour
In his whole life. But you say. John
Wesley was an unusual man. True he
was! And yet. / believe 1t is possible
for us all to be John Wesley in this
respect. Our faith in God can be so
strong, our belief in tho ultimate tri-
umph of righteousness so intense. our
acceptance of the doctrine of divine
providence can be so perfect. that what
ever comes to us in this life, we can
be cheerful and happy. With such
Bible, with such God. and with such
a savior AS we have, shame on us that
we should ever send out the raven.
Young man, young woman. three
things | would say to you this morn
ing. Have faith in God, have faith In
yourself. put heart and soul into your
work. IL you go into life that way
though you may have many disappoint-
ments. though difficulties like noun
tains may appear to shut you in. and