A MESSAGE. AN ARROW FROM A BOW DRAWN AT A VENTURE. " shot an arrow into the air, LONDON: WILLIAM HUNT AND COMPANY, HOLLES STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE. 1870. 141. K.443. A MESSAGE TO MY FRIENDS. AN ARROW FROM A BOW DRAWN AT A VENTURE. "I shot an arrow into the air, It fell-I knew not where." O you ever listen for the postman's knock as he goes from house to house, little recking of the news he is taking to each one: sowing seeds of bitter sorrow here, and sweet joy there; bearing messages most trivial, or most important,-messages of life or death? "No, not I: I care for nobody, and nobody cares for me. I don't often trouble the postman." Well, but it is pleasant sometimes to get a letter from a friend: it makes you feel you are not quite forgotten, not quite alone in the world. And now I wish you to consider this as a letter from a sincere friend and well wisher, with very important news in it: tidings of life and death, gathered from a letter sent long ago by a tender loving Father to wayward disobedient children. They had wandered away from the love and allegiance they owed Him in return for the love and the benefits lavished on them, into the "far country" of doubt and darkness and sin; but He could not (because of the yearning love in His heart), He could not let them stay there, without a message of love, beseeching them to return. I wish this to be a little reminder to you of things which you knew before. In the days of the Judges, when the people of Israel being oppressed by the surrounding heathen nations, cried out unto the Lord, He heard them, and from time to time raised up a deliverer. Such an one was Ehud, who was raised up after they had served the king of Moab eighteen years. For the Lord had "strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord." (Jud. iii. 12.) Ehud approached the oppressor apparently with a present; but with a determined purpose to deliver his people from the oppression under which they groaned. He declared "I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: I have a message from God unto thee." It must be delivered quietly, to himself alone. That message was one of death. Many years afterwards we have another picture brought before us. A messenger in haste to deliver his message, appears suddenly before a little band, and with the words, "I have an errand to thee," beckons one of the company away to a quiet hearing of his message. This time the messenger brought tidings of a kingdom, and of work to be done for God. When Jehu returned to his companions they inquired wherefore the messenger came. He replied, "Ye know the man and his communication." (2 Kings ix. 5.) And now I come to each one of you with the words, "I have a message from God unto thee:" and I think you know the purport of the communication. I tell you that "the wages of sin is death;" but I tell you also that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." I tell you also of a kingdom far grander and more enduring than of earth: of your high destiny; of work to be done for God. Man's |