Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-08-07


the thieves on either side of the cross,
human hate smacking its lips In salts
faction, after it had been draining his
last drop of blood, the sheeted dead
bursting from the sephulchres at has
crueifxion. Tell me, o Gothsemane
and Golgotha! were there ever darker
times than those? Like the booming
of the midnight sea against the rock.
the surges of Christ's anguish
beat against the 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 for 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
are many crowns, and all the celestial
worship is to come up at his feet, like
the humming of the forest, like the
rushing of the waters, like the thunder
ing of the seas, while all heaven, rising
on their thrones, beat time with their
sceptres: 'Hallelujah, for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth. Hallelujah,
the Kingdoms of this world have be-
come the kingdoms of our Lord Jesus
Christi
That song of love, now low and Far
Ere long shall swell from star TO star;
That light the breaking day which tips
The golden -splred Apocalypse,
Again. learn from my subject that
events which seem to be most insight
ficant may be momentous. Can you
imagine anything more unimportant
than the coming of poor woman from
Moab to Judea? Can you imagine any
thing more trivial than the fact that
this Ruth just happened to
alight - as they say - just hap
pened 10 alight on that field of
Boaz? 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
incident with a thrill of unspealable
and eternal satisfaction. So il is in
your history and in mine; events that
you thought of no importance at all
have been of very great moment. That
casual conversation, that accidental
meeting-you did not think of it again
for long while; but how it changed
all the current OF your life!
/. seemed TO be of no Importance
that Jubal invented rude instruments
of music, calling them harp and organ;
the worlds minstrelsy: and as you
hear the vibration of "a stringed in
strument, even after the fingers have
been taken away from it, so al
music now of Lutte and drum and
cornet is only the long-continued
strains of Jubals harp and Jub lis
organ. II seemed TO be matter of
very little Importance that Tubal Cain
l. al xf
but that rude foundry of ancient days
has its echo in the rattle of Birming
ham machinery, and the roar and bang
of factories on the Merrimac.
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 manuscript books which she
had written, some one said TO her
GLOW do you find time TO attend to all
these things" "Oh," she replied,
"these are not the things | am
in the fact that l 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
about us without one word of comfort
nahs, more Rebeccas, more Marys
more Deborahs consecrated-body,
mind, soul-to the Lord who bought
them.
Elihu Burritt learned many things
while toiling in a blacksmith's shop.
A bercrombie, the world-renowned
philosopher, was physician in Scot
land, and he got his philosophy, or the
chief part of it, while, as 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 improve
ment; the great duties of life cross the
field like strong reapers, and carry off
all the hours, and there is only here
and there a fragment left, that is not
worth cleaning. All, my friends, you
could go into the busiest dav and bust
est week of your life and find golden
opportunities, which, gathered, might
at last make a whole shear for the
Lords garner 1t is the stray oppor-
tunities 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 field!
May each one have a measure full and
running over! Oh, you cleaners, to
the field! And If there be in your
household an aged one or sick rela-
tive 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, bringing his sheaves with
him" May the LORD God OF Ruth and
Naomi be our portion foreverl