West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-06-08


! in monastery; but as he opened
that Bible, and the brass bound lids
fell back. they Jared everything,
from the Vatican to the furthest
convent in Germany, and the rust
ling Of the wormed leaves was the
sound ofthe wings Of the angel OF
the Reformation. 1t seemed to be a
matter of no Importance that wo-
man, whose name has been forgotten,
dropped q tract in the way Of q very
bad man by the name Of Richard
Baxter. Hepicked up the tract and
read it, and it was the means Of his
salvation.
In after days that man wrote 9
book called 1.-THE Call to the Uncon-
verted," that was the means OF
bringing multitude to God, among
others Phillip Doddridge. Phillip
Doddridge wrote a book called "The
Rise and Progress of Religion"
which has brought thousands and
tens of thousands into the kingdom
of God, and among others the great
Wilberforce. Wilberforce wrote
book called "a Practical View OF
Christianity" which was the means
of bringing a great multitude to
Christ, among others Leigh Rich
mond. Leigh Richmond wrote o
tract called "The Dairyman's
Daughter" which has been the
means of the salvation of unconvert-
ed multitudes. And that tide of
influence started from the fact that
one Christian woman dropped a
Christian tract in the way of Rich
ard Baxter-the tide of influence
rolling on through Richard Baxter,
through Philip Doddridge, through
the great Wilberforce, through Leigh
Richmond, on, on, forever. So the
insignificant events of this world
seem, after all, to be most moment
GUS. The fact that you came up
that street or this street seemed to
be'of no Importance to you, and the
fact that you went inside Of some
church may seem to be matter OF
very great insignifcance to you, but
you will find it the turning point of
your history.
v. Again: ! see in my subject
an illustration of the beauty of fe-
male industry.
Behold Ruth toiling in the har-
vest field under the hot sun, or at
noon taking plain bread with the
reapers, or eating the parched corn
which Boaz handed to her. The
customs of society, of course, have
changed, and without the hardships
and exposure to which Ruth was
subjected every intelligent woman
will find something to do.
/ know there is sickly senti-
mentality on this subject. In some
families there are persons of no
practical service to the household or
community; and though there are
80 many woes all around about them
in the world, they spend their time
languishing over a new pattern, or
bursting into tears at midnight over
the story of some lover who shot
himself! They would not deign to
look at Ruth carrying back the bar
ley on her way home to her mother
in-law Naomi. All this fastidious-
ness may seem to do very we'll while
they are under the shelter of their
fathers house; but when the sharp
winter of misfortune comes, what OF
these butter flies ? Persons under
imdulgent parentage may get upon
themselves habits of Incidence; but
when they come out into practical
life that their soul will recoil with
disgust and chagrin. They will feel
in their hearts what the poet so Sc
we're satirized when he said: ~
Folks are 80 awkward, things so impolite,
They're elegantly panied from morning
until night.
Through that gate Of Incidence
how many men and women have
marched, useless on earth, to q de-
stroyed eternity Spinola said to
Sir Horace We're: "Of what did
your brother die p "Of having
nothing to do" was the answer.
aAh," said Spinola, "that's enough
to kill any general of u.s." Oh lean
it be possible in this world, where
there is 30 much suffering to be al
leviatel, so much darkness 20 be en-
lighted, and SO many burdens to be
carried, that there is any person
who cannot find anything to do2
Nine. de Stael did world of
work in her time; and one day while
she was seated amid instruments OF
music, all of which she had master
ed, and amid manuscript books
which she had written, some one
said to her: "Hew do you find
find time to attend to all these
things ~ "Oh," she replied, ''these
are not the things / am proud of.
NV chief boast is in the fact that ]
have seventeen trades, by any one
of which / could make livelihood
if necessary" And II in secular
spheres there is 90 much to be done,
in spiritual work how vast a field!
We want more Abigails, more Han
nahs, more Rebecces, more Marys,
more Deborahs consecrated-body,
| mind anul-fo the Lord who bought