Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-06-01
it, and it was the means of his salvation.


called 1.-The Call to the Unconverted, that
was the means of bringing q multitude to
God, among others Philip Doddridge.
Philip Doddridge wrote book called "The
Rise and Progress of Religion, which has
brought Thousands and tens of thousands
into the kingdom of God, and among 9TH
ers the great Wilberforce. Wherefore
wrote book called "a Practical View of
Christianity" which was the means Of
bringing multitude to Christ, among
others Leigh Richmond. Leigh Richmond
Daughter" which has been the means of
the salvation of unconverted multitudes.
And that tide of influence started from the
fact that one Christian woman dropped a
Christian tract in the way of Richard bax-
ter-the tide ofinfiuence rolling on through
Richard Baxter, through Philip Dod-
bridge, through the great Wherefore,
through Leigh Richmond, on, on, on, for
ever. So the insignificant events of this
world seem, after all, to be most momen-
tous. The fact that you came up that
portance to you, and the fact that you went
inside of some church may seem to be q
matter of very great insignifcance to you,
but you will find it the turning point of
your history,
V. Again: l 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 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 some
thing to do.
know there is sickly sentimentality
on this subject. In some families there
are persons of no practical service to the
household or community; and though there
are SO many woes all around about them
in the world, they spend their time Ian
gushing over new pattern. or bursting
into tears at midnight over the story Of
some lover who shot himself! They would
not deign 10 look at Ruth carrying back
the barley on her way home to her mother
in law Naomi. All this fastidiousness 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 butterflies? Persons
under indulgent parentage may get upon
themselves habits of Incidence; but when
they come out into practical life their soul
will recoil with disgust and chagrin. They
will feel in their hearts what the poet SO
severely satirized when he said:
Folks are SO awkward. things so impolite
They're elegantly panied from morning until
night.
Through that gate of Incidence how
many men and women have marched. use
less on earth, to destroyed eternity!
Spinola said to Sir HORACE We're: ".Of
what did your brother die?" "Of having
said Spinola, "thats enough to kill any
general of u.s." Oh! can it be possible in
this world, where there is SO much suffer-
ing to be alleviated. SO much darkness to
be enlightened, and SO many burdens to be
carried, that there is any person who cam
not find anything to do?
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 mastered, and amid manuscript
books which she had written, some one
tend to oil these things?" "Oh," she re-
piled, "these are not the things am proud
of. My chief boast is in the fact that
have seventeen trades, by any one of which
l could make livelihood if necessary. !"
And if in secular spheres there is SO much
to be done, in spiritual work how vast the
field! We want more Abigails, more Han
nahs, more Rebeccas, more Marys, more
Deborahs onsecrated-body, mind, soul
to the Lord who bought them.
vi. Once more; l learn from my SUBJ
ject the value of cleaning.
Ruth, going into that harvest field,
might have said: "There is a straw, and
there is straw, but what is straw?
can't get any barley for myself or my
mcther-in-law out of these separate
straws." Not 80, beautiful Ruth. She
gathered two straws, and she put them
together, and more straws, until she got
enough to make sheaf. Putting that
down, she went and gathered more straws
until she had another sheaf, and another,
and another, and another, and then she
threshed them out, and she had an ephah
of barley, nigh bushel. Oh, that we
might all be cleaners!
Elihu Burritt learned many things while
toiling in blacksmith's shop. Aber-
crombie, the world-renowned philosopher,
was philosopher in Scotland, and he got
his philosophy, or the chief part of it,
while, as a physician, he was waiting for
the door of the sick room to open. Yet
how many there are in this day who say
they are SO busy they have no time for
mental or spiritual improvement; the
great duties of life cross the field
the hours, and there is only here and there
fragment left that is not worth cleaning.
Alb, my friends, you could 60 into the
busiest day and busiest week of your life
and find golden opportunities, which,
gathered, might ut least make whole
sheaf for the Lords garner. 1t is the
stray opportunities and the stray privileges
which. taken up and bound together and
beaten out, will at last fill you with abound.
ing Joy.
There are few moments left worth the
cleaning. Now, Ruth, to the field! Nav
each one have measure full and running
over! Oh, you cleaners, to the field! And
II there. be in your household an aged one
or sick relative that is not strong enough
to come forth and toll in this field, then
let Ruth take home to feeble Naomi this
sheaf of cleaning: He that goeth forth
and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall
doubtless come again with rejoicing, bring
ing his sheaves with him." May The Lord
God OF Ruth and Naomi be our portion
| Ouepr Ward