Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-08-14

old woman toward the lan0 OF Ju0eai 10eY
won't live to get across the desert. They will
be drowned in the sea, or the jaczals of the
wilderness will destroy them" 1t was
very dark morning when Ruth started off
with Naomi; but behold her in nv text in
the harvest field of BoaZ, to be afianced to
one of the lords of the land, and become one
of the grandmothers of Jesus Christ the
Lord of glory And so it often is that a
path which starts very darkly ends very
brightly.
It was very hard for Noah to endure the
scofing of the people in his day while he
was trying to build the ark, and was every
morning ouizzed about his old boat that
would never be OF any practical use. But
when the deluge came and the tops OF the
mountains disappeared like the lacks OF sea
monsters, and the elements, dashed up in
fury, clapped their hands over drowned
world, then Noah in the ark rejoiced in his
own safety and in the safety OF his family,
and looked out on the wreck OF ruined
earth.
Christ, bounded of prosecutors, denied
pillow, worse maltreated than the thieves
on e1rner s1de or Ine cross, human nate
smacking its lips in satisfaction after it bad
been draining His last drop of blood. the
sheeted dead bursting from the sepulchers
at His crucifxion. Tell me, 0 Gethsemane
and Golgotha were there ever darker times
than those? Like the booming Of the mid
night sea against the rock, the surgeS o"
anguish O6dC against UQ6 gates OF
eternity, to be echoed back by all the thrones
Of heaven and all the dungeons of hell
But the day of reward comes from Christ;
all the pOmp and dominion of this world are
to be hung on His throne, uncrowned heads
are to bow before Him on whose head there
are many crowns, and ali 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 laundering 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 imagine anything
more unimportant than the coming of poor
woman from Moab to Judea? Can you
imagine anything more trivial than the
fact that this Ruth just happened TO
alight as they say - just happened
to alght Oh that field Of Boaz? Yet
all ages, all generations, have an interest in
the fact that she was to become ancestress
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and all nations AMI
kingdoms must look at that one little Incl
dent with thrill of unspeakable and eternal
satisfaction. So it is i'll your history and In
m ne; events that you thought Of no lmpor-
lance at all have been Of very great mo-
ment. That casual conversation, that &C.
cidental meetmg-you did not think OF 1t
again for a long while; but how 1t changed
all the current Of your life!
1t seemed to be of no Importance that
Juhal invented rude instruments OF music,
calling them harp and organ, but they
were the introduction of all the worlds min.
strelsy. And as you hear the vibration or
a stringed instrument, even after the I'M gers
have been taken away from it, SO all music
now OF Lutte and drum and cornet ia
only the long continued strains of
Ju6aPs harp and Jubars organ 1t seemed
70 be matter of very little Importance that
Iubal Cain learned the uses of copper and
iron: but that rude foundry of ancient DAYS
mas It's echo In the rattle of Birmingham ma
chlnery 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 tolIlng in the harvest field under the
not sun, or at noon taking plain bread with
the reapers, or eating the parched corn
which Boaz handed to her. The customs Of
society soc OF course have changed, and without
the hardships and exposure to which Ruth
was subjected, every intelligent woman
VIII md something to do. I know
there is a sickly sentimentality on this
subject. In some families there are
persons of no practical service to the house
hold or community, and though there ara
so many woes all around about them in the
world they spend their time lanQuishing
over new pattern or bursting into tears at
midnight over the story OF some lover who
shot himself! They would not deign to look
at Ruth carrying back the barley on her
way home to her mother-in-law, Naomi
Madame de Stael did a 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 manu-
script books which she had written some
one said to her, How do you find time to
attend to all Of these things?' Oh" she
replied, these are not the things I am
proud of. My chief boast is in the fact thai
have seventeen trades by any one OF
which l could make a livelihood if neces-
Sary." And If in secular spheres there is 50
much to be done, in spiritual work how vast
the field! How many dying all aroun
about us without one word of comfort!
We want more Abigails, more Hannahs
more Rebeccas, more Marys, more Do5orahs
consecrated-body, mind, soul-to che Lord
who bought them.
Once more learn from my subject the
value of cleaning. Ruth going into that
harvest field might have said: There is a
straw and there Is a straw, but what is a
straw? l can't get any barley for myself
or my motEer-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
she 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!
Elihu Burritt learned many things while
toiling in blacksmith's shop. Abercrombie,
the world renowned philosopher, was a ply
stefan in Scotland. and he got his philosophy
or the chief part of it, while as q 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 reapars and carry off
all the hours, and there is only
here and there a fragment left that Is not