The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-05-22

como nasSaves OF Scripture the Rev. I. De-
Witt Talmage. u. D., took the text: And
she went. and came, and CLEANED in the field
after the reapers and her hap was 10 Light on
a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who
was of the kindred Of Elimeleoh." Ruth II 3.
He preached from these words the following
sermon:
The time that Ruth and Naomi arrived at
Bethlehem is harvest time. II was the custom
when a sheaf fell from load in tho harvest
field, for the reapers to refuse TO gather 1t up;
that was TO be left for the poor who might
happen to come along that way. II there were
bandfuls OF grain scattered across the field
after the main harvest had been reaped, in
stead Of raking it, as farmers do now, 1t was,
by the custom of the land, left III
its place, so that the poor, coming along that
way, might CLEAN it and get their bread. But,
YOU say "What is tho use of all these har-
vest fields to Ruth and Naomi? Naomi is too
old and feeble to 60 out and toll in tho sun;
and can you expect that Ruth, the young and
the beautiful, should tan her cheeks and
blister her hands in the harvest-held|
Boaz owns a large farm, and he goes out to
see the reapers gather in the grain. Coming
there, right behind the swarthy, sun-browned
reapers, he beholds beautiful woman CLEAN
ing-a woman more fit 70 bend 10 harp or
sit upon a throne than TO stoop among the
sheaves All, that was an eventful day.
II was love at first sight. Boaz forms an at
tachment for the womanly glcaner-an attach
inent fun OF undyng interest to the church OF
God in all ages while Ruth, with an ephah, or
nearly bushal Of barley, goes home to Naomi
20 tell her the successes and adventures OF the
day. That Ruth, who left her native
land of Moab in darkness, aid tray
eied through an undying affection for
motler-in-law, in the harvest field OF Boaz
is afiianccd to one Of the best families in
Judah, and becomes in after time the ances-
tress OF Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. Out
of so dark night did there ever dawn so
bright q morning?
learn. in tho first place, from this subject
how trouble develops character. 1t was be-
reavement, poverty and exile that developed,
illustrated and announced 20 all ages the sub
limitv Of Ruth's character. That IL is very
unfortunate man who has no trouble. IL was
sorrow that made John Bunyan the better
dreamer. and Doctor Young the better poet,
and O'Conncll the better orator, and Bishop
Hall tho better preacher, and Havelock the
better soldier, and kitto the better encyclo-
p9dist, and Ruth the better daughteT-in-law.
/ once asked an aged man in regard to his
pastor, who was n very brilliant man: why
is It that your pastor, SO very brilliant, seens
to have 80 little heart and tenderness in his
sernons?" "Well," he replied, "the reason
is our pastor has never had any trouble. When
misfortune comes upon him ms style Will DO
different" After awhile the Lord took
child out of that pastors house;
and, though the preacher was just as
brilliant as he was before, oh, tho
warmth, the tenderness OF his diScourscS. ,The
fact Is that trouble is a great educator. You see
sometimes a musician sit down at an lnstru-
ment and his execution is cold and formal and
unfoeling. The reason is that all his life he
has been prospcred. But lot misfortune or be-
reayemcnt como 10 that man, and he sits down
at an instrument, and You discover the pathos
In the first sweep OF the keys.
Misfortune and trials are great educators. A
young doctor comes into a sick-room where
there is a dying child. Perhaps he is very
rough in his prescription, and very rough i'll
his manner, and rough in the feeling OF tho
pulse, and rough in his answer to the mothers
anxious question; but years roll on, and there
has been one dead in his own house; and
now he comes into the sick-room, aud
with fearful eye he looks Mt the dying child,
and he says: ooh, how this reminds me of my
Charlie!" Trouble, the great educator. Sor-
row, see its touch in the grandest painting;
hear its tremor in the sweetest seng feel its
power in the mightiest argument.
Greoian mythology said that the fountain of
Hippoerene was struck out by the foot of the
winged horse Pegasus. | have often noticed
in life that tho brightest and most beautiful
fountains of Christian comfort and spiritual
life have been struck out by the iron-shod
hoof of disaster and calamity. l soc
Daniels courage best by the flash of NcGu-
chadnezzar'S furnace | see Pau's proves
bost when | find him on the laundering ship
under the glare Of the lightning in the breakers
of Melita. God crowns his children amid the
bowling of wild beasts and the choppng of
blood-Splashed guilotine and the cracking
fires OF martyrdom. 1t took the
persecution of Marcus Aurelius
TO develop Polyearp and Justin Martyr. 1t
took the world s anathema to develop Martin
Luther. Ii took all the hostilities against the
Scotch Covenantors and the fury of Lord
Clayerhouse TO develop James Renwick, and
Andrew Melville, aud Hugh Mckail, tho
glorious martyrs of Scotch history. 1t took
the stormy sea, and the December blast, and
the desoate New England coast, and the war
whoop Of savages 10 show forth the prowess of
the Pilgrim Fathers.
"Whcn amid the storms they sang,
And the stars heard, and the sea;
And tae sounding aisleS Of the dim wood
Rang to tie anthems of the free"
1t took all our past national diStrsses to lift
up our nation ON Tint high career where twill
march along after the foreign arstocracies that
lave Knocked and the tyrannics that
have icered shall no swept down
under the omnpotent wrath OF
God, who hates desrotism, and, who, by the
strength Of His own rcd right arm, will make
ali men free, And SO it IS Individually, and
in the family, aud in the church, and in tho
world, that through darkness and storm and
trouble men, women, churches, nations, are
developed.
IL, Again, see in my text the beauty of
ufaltering friendship. / suppose there were
plenty OF friends for Naomi while she WAS in
prosperity; but Of all her acquaintance how
many were willing TO trudge OF with her
towards Judah, when shc had to make that
lonely journey? One-the heroine of my
tex. Ono-ahSoutely one. | suppose when
Naomi's husband was living and they had
plenty of money and all things went well, they
had great many callers, but l suppose that
after her husband died and her property went
IND she got old and poor, she was not troubled
very much with callers All the birds that
sung in the bower whilo the sun shone have
gone TO their nests, now the night has fallen.
Oh, these beautiful sunhowers that sprend
out their color in the morning houri
But are always asleep when the
sun is going down. Job had
plenty OF friends when he was the richest
man In U2, but when his property went and
the trials came, then there were none so much
that restored as ElpaE the Temanite, and Bill
dad the Shuttle, and Zophar the Naamathito.
Life often seems 10 be mere game, where
the successful player pulls down all the other
inen into his own lap. Let suspicious arise
about mans character, and he becomes like
bank IN panic, and all tho imputAtions
rush on him and break down In a day that
Character which In due time would have had
strength 10 defend itself. There are reputa-
lons winch have been half O century In
building which ~ down under some moral
eApo5urc, as vast temple Is consumed by the
touch oi suiphurous match. a hog can up.
root century plant