The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-05-24


! ke the humming OF the forest, like the
rushing OF the waters, like the thunder
ing OF the seas, while all heaven, rising
on their thrones, beat time with their
scepters "Hallelujah, for the Lord |
God omnipotent reigneth Hallelujah
the kingdoms OF this world have become |
the kingdoms OF our Lord Jesus Christ p
"That song of love, now low and far,
Ere long shall swell from star to star;
That light, the breaking day which tips
The golden spired Apocalypse"
Again: learn from my subject that |
events which seem to be most insignific-
ant may be momentous. Can you mag
inc anything more unimportant than
the coming of poor woman from Moab
to Judah? Can YOU imagine anything
more trivial than the fact that this Ruth
Just happened to alght as they say, on
that field of Boaz? Yet all ages, all
generations, have an interest in the fact
that she was to become an ancestor Of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and all natl Ons
and kingdoms must look at that one
little incident with a thrill OF urspeak
able and eternal satisfaction. So it is in
your history and in mine: events that
you thought of no Importance at all have
been of very great moment. That casual
conversation, that accidental meeting
you did not think Of it again for a long
while; but how it changed all the phase
of your life
It seemed to be of no Importance that
Jubal invented rude instruments OF mu-
sic, calling them harp and organ; but
they were the introduction of all the
worlds minstrelsy and as you hear the
vibration of stringed instrument, even
after the fingers have been taken away
from it, so all music now of lutte and
drum and cornet is only the long-Con-
tinued strains of Jubal's harp and Jubal's
organ. 1t seemed to he matter OF very
little Importance that Tubal Cain learned
the uses of copper and iron; but that
rude foundry of ancient days has its echo
in the rattle of Birmingham machinery,
and the roar and bang OF factories on the
Merrimac.
1t seemed to be matter OF no impor-
tance that Luther found Bible 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 rustling OF the wormed leaves was
the sound of the wings OF the angel Of
! the Reformation. 1t seemed to be a
matter of no Importance that woman,
whose name has been forgotten, dropped
a tract in the way OF very bad man by
the name of Richard Baxter He picked
up the tract and read it, and it was the
means of his salvation.
In after days that man wrote a book
called "The Call TO the Unconverted," +"
that was the means OF bringing a null
titude to God, among others Philip Dod-
bridge. Philip Doddridge wrote a book
called "The Rise and Progress OF Reli-
gion," which has brought thousands and
tens of thousands into the kingdom OF
God, and among others the great Wilber-
force. Wilberforce wrote a book called,
"a Practical View Of Christianity,
which was the means OF bringing great
multitude to Christ, among others Leigh
tract called, "The Dairyman's Daughter, u
which has been the means OF the saliva
ton of unconverted multitudes. And
that tide of influence started from the
fact that one Christian women dropped a
Christian tract in the way of Richard
Baxter-the tide of influence rolling on
through Richard Baxter, through Philip
Doddridge, through the great Wilber-
force, through Leigh Richmond, on, on
on, forever, forever. So the insignificant
events of this world seem, after all, to be
most momentous The fact that you
come 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 a matter OF very great
insignifcance to you, but you will find il
the turning point in your history.
Again | see in my subject an illus
tration of the beauty of female industry
Behold Ruth toiling in the harvest
field under the hot sun, or at noon tax
ing plain bread with the reapers, or eat
ing the parched corn which Boaz handed
to her. The customs of society, OF course
have changed, and without the hard
ships and exposure to which Ruth wa
subjected, every intelligent woman viii
find something to do.
I know there is a sickly sentimentality
on this subject. In some families there
are persons of no practical service to tht
household or community; and thougl
there are so many woes all around abou
them in the world, they spend their tint
languishing over a new pattern, or burst
ing into tears at midnight over the story
of some lover who shot himself! The,
would not deign to look at Ruth carry
ing back the barley on her way home t.
her mother-in-law, Naomi. All thi
fastidiousness may seem to do very vel
while they are under the shelter OF thei
fathers house; but when the sharl
winter of misfortune comes, what o
these butterflies? Persons under in
dulgent parentage may get upon them
selves habits of Incidence, but when the
come out into practical life their sou
will recoi with disgust and chagrir
They will feel in their hearts what tn
poet so severely satirized when he said:
"Folks are so awkward, things so impolite,
} They're elegantly panied from morning unit
night"
Through that gate of Incidence hoV
many men and women have marched
useless on earth, to destroyed eternity
Spinola said to Sir Horace We're: 20
what did your brother die ?" "Of hay
ing nothing to do," was the answer
, "Ah," said Spinola, ''thats enough
kill any general of u.s." Oh can it b
possible in this world, where there is 8
, much suffering to be alleviated, so muc
darkness to be carried, that there is an
person who cannot find anything to do
Madame de Stael did a world of wor
, in her time; and one day, while she wa
seated amid Instruments of music, all {
which she had mast red, and amid mar
uscript books which she had writer
some one said to her. "How do you fin
time to attend to all these things ?
, "Oh," she replied, "these are not th
! things am proud Of. My chief boast
. in the fact that have seventeen trade
by any one of which could make
livelihood if necessary" And If
, secular spheres there is so much to b
, done, in spiritual work how vast th
field We want more Abigails, NOR