Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-08-14

| monsters, and the elements lashed up in
fury, clapped their hands over drowned
world, then Noah In the ark rejoicei in his
own safety and in the safety of his family,
and looked out on the wreck OF a ruined
earth.
Christ, bounded OF persecutors denied a
| pillow, worse maltreate1 than the thieves
| on either side of the cross human hate
smacking its lips in satisfaction after 1t had
been draining His last drop OF blood, the
sheeted dead bursting from the sepulchers
| at His crucifixion. Tell me, Gethsemane
and Golgotha were there ever darker times
than thosei Like the booming Of the mid
| night sea against the rock, the surges OF
| Christ's anguish beat against the gates OF
| eternity, 10 be echoed back by all the thrones
OF heaven aud all the dun seons OF hell.
But the day OF reward comes from Christ;
all the pomp and dominion ot this world are
| TO be hung on His throne, uncrowned heads
are TO bow before Him on whose head there
are many crowns, and all the celestial wor-
| ship is to come up at His feet like the hum
ming OF the forest like the rushing of the
waters like the thun lering OF the seas,
while all heaven, rising on their thrones,
beat time with their scepters: "Hallelujah,
for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth"
Again, learn from my subject that events
which seem to be most insignificant may be
momentOus. Can you imagins anything
more unimportant than the coming Of poor
woman from Moab to Judea: Can you
imagine anything mora trivial than the
| TACT that this Ruth Just happened to
alight as they say - just happened
| to alight on that field OF Boazy Yet
| all ages, all generations, have an interest in
! the fact that she was to become an ancestress
Of the Lord Jesus Christ and all nations and
kingdoms must look at that one little mol
dent with thrill of unspeakable and eternal
satisfaction, SO IL is Ill your history ana ln
III ne; events that you thought OF no impor-
| tance at all have been OF very great mo
ment That casual conversation, that &C
cidental meeting-you did not think OF lG
again for a long while; but how II chanSen
| all the current OF your lie!
| It seemed to be of no Importance that
Jubal invented rude instruments OF music,
| calling them harp and organ, but they
were the introduction OF all the world min.
strelsy. And as you hear the vibration Oh
| q stringed instrument even after tue hhSeF'
have been taken away from II, so all music
now OF lutte and drum and cornet il
only the long continued strains OF
Jubars harp and Jubal's organ. 1t seemed
| to be a 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 ma
chinery and the roar and bang OF factories
on the Merrimac
Again, see in my subject an illustration
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 hardshlps and exposure to which Ruth
was subjected, every Intelligent woman
VIII find something to do. / know
there is sickly sentimentality on this
subject In some families there are
persons OF no practical service to the house
hold or community, and though there arc
70 many woes al around about them in the
world they spend their time lanquishing
over n new pattern or bursting into tears at
| midnight over thr story OF some lover who
shot himself Tn y would not deigu to look
at Ruth carrying back the barley on her
way home to her mother-n-law, Naomi
Madame de Stael did a world OF work In
| her time; and one day, while she was
| ieated amid instruments OF music, all OF
! which she had mastered AMI amid manu-
script books which she hal written some
one said TO her, How do you find time to
attend to all OF these thingsy' On" she
replied, these are not ths things [ am
proud Of. Ny chief boast is in the fact that
| have seventeen trades, by any one Of
which | could make a livelihood il neces-
ury." And IL in secular spheres there is SO
much to be done, in spiritual work how vast
Lilo lciuI hOH many uyluy I'll drUunI
about US without one word of comforti
We want more Abgails, more Hanuahs,
more Rebeccas, more MaryS more Doborahs
consecratel-body, mind, soul-to the Lord
who bought them.
Once more learn from my subject the
value OF cleaning. Ruth going into that
harv-st field might have said: There is a
straw and there is a straw, but what is a
Strawf | can't get any barley for myself
or my mother-in-law out of these separate
Straws.' Not so said beautiful Ruth. She
gathered two straws and she put them to
gether, and more straws until she got
enough to make sheaf. Putting that down
she went and gathered more straws until
,he had another sheaf, and another and an
other and another, and then she brought
them altogether and she threshed them out.
and she had an ephah OF barley, nigh a
bushel. Oh, that we all might be cleaners! !!
Eihu Burritt learned many things while
toiling in a blacksmith's shop. Abercrombie
the world renowned philosopher, was a ply
sician In Scotland, and he got his philosophy,
Or the chief part of it. while as n 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 i'm
provement: the great duties of life cross
the field like strong reapers and carry OIL
all the hours and there Is only
here and there fragment lett that Is not
worth cleaning. All. my friends you could
go into the busiest day and busiest week OF
your life and find golden opportunities
which gathered might at last 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 much joy.
There are few moments left worth the
cleaning. Now, Ruth, to the heldl May
each one have a measure full and running
overl Oh, you cleaners, to the field! And
IL there be in your household an aged or a
sick relative that is not strong enough te
come forth and toll in the field, & on let Rutl
take home to feeble Naomi this sheaf o.
cleaning. "He that goeth forth an(
weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubt
less come again with rejoicing, bringing hi
sheaves with him May the Lord Col o
Ruth and Naomi be our portion foreverl