The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1891-09-04

Mountain Falls, Col, Sunday. His
text is taken from Ruth H.. 3: And
she went and came and CLEANED in the
field after the rcapers; and her hap was
TO light on part of the field belonging
unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of
Elimelech"
Within n few weeks | have been
in North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsyl-
vania, New York. Ohio, Michigan, Can
ada, Indiana, Illinois. Kentucky, Mis-
souri, and they are one great harvest
field, and no season can be more en-
chanting in any country than the season
of harvest
The time that Ruth and Naomi arrive
at Bethlehem is harvest time. IL was
the custom when n sheaf fell from n
load in the harvest field for the reapers
TO refuse to gather it mp; that was to he
left for the poor who might happen to
come that way. II there were hand
fuls of grain scattered across the field
after the main harvest had been reaped
instead of raking it, as farmers do now,
IL was, by the custom of the land, left
in its place, so that the poor, coming
along that way. might CLEAN it and get
their bread. But" you say, what is
the use of all these harvest fields to
Ruth and Naomi? Naomi is too old
and feeble to go out and toll in the sun;
and can you expect that Ruth, the
young and the beautiful, should tan her
checks and blister her hands in the
harvest field?"
Boaz owns large farm, and he goes
out to see the rcapcrs gather in the
grain. Coming there, right behind the
swarthy, sun-browncd reapers, he be-
holds beautiful woman gleaning-a
woman more fit to bend to harp or
sit upon n throne than to stoop among
the sheavcs. All that was an evcntful
day.
1t was love at first sight. Boaz forms
an attachment for the womanly CLEAN
er--an attachment full of undying in
terest TO the church OF God in all ages;
while Ruth, with an ephah, or nearly q
bushel of barley, goes home to Naomi
TO tell her the successes and adventures
of the day. That Ruth, who left her
native land of Moab in darkness, and
journeyed through an undying affection
for her mother-in-law, is in the harvest
field of Boaz, is afiianced to one of the
best families in Judah, and becomes in
after-timc the ancestrcss of Jesus
Christ, the Lord of glory! Out of SO
dark n night did there ever dawn so
bright morning?
l learn, in the first place, from this
subject how trouble develops character
II was bereavement, poverty and exile
that developed, illustrated and an
TO all ages the sublimity of
Ruth's character. That is n very unfor-
tunatc man who has no trouble. 1t was
sorrow that made John Bunyan the
better dreamer, and Doctor Young the
better poet. and OConnell the better
orator and Bishop Hall the better
preacher, and llavelock the better sol
der, and Kitto the better encycloped-
list, and Ruth the better daughter-in-
law.
| once asked an aged man in regard
to his pastor, who was very brilliant
man;
why is that your pastor, so very
brilliant, seems to have SO little tender
ness in his sermons?"
WELL" he replied. "the reason is
our pastor has never had any trouble
When misfortune comes upon him his
style will be different ..
After awhile the Lord took a child
out of that pastors house; and though
the preacher was Just as brilliant as he
was before, oh, the warmth, the ten
1erness of his discourses. The fact is
hat trouble is great educator. You
see sometimes musician sit down at
IN instrument and his execution is
,old and formal and unfeeling. The
reason is that all his life he has been
But let misfortune or be-
come to that man, and he
sits down at the instrument, and you
discover the pathos in the first sweep
IF the keys. Misfortune and trials are
great educators.
A young doctor comes into sick
Dom where there is dying child. Per-
maps he is very rough in his prescrip-
ion, and very rough in his manner, and
'ough in the feeling OF the pulse, and
'ough in his answer to the mothers
anxious question; but the years roll on,
md there has been one dead in his own
house; and now he comes into the sick
Dom, and with fearful eye he looks Mt
he dying child, and he says, "oh, how
his reminds me of my Charlie." Trou- !
Die, the great educator! Sorrow see
Is touch in the grandest painting; |
lear its tremor in the sweetest song; |
feel its power in the mightiest argu-
nent
Grecian mythology said that the
ountain of Hippocrene was struck out
" the foot of the winged horse,
'egasus. have often noticed in life
Int the hriphtest and most hnantifnl |