Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-08-14
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINES sun
DAY SERMON
Subject: ''Gleaners in Lffe's Field :"
preached at Glenwood, COLI

cleaned an the fed after the reapers: and
her hap trds to Hght on a part of the field
beLonging unto Boaz. ,oho ucds Of the kin
Gred of Elimelech."-Ruthii H., 3.
Within few weeks have been in North
Carolina. Virginia, Pennsylvania New
York. Ohio. Michigan, Canada, Indiana,
Illinois Kentucky, Missouri, and they are
one great harvest field, and no season can be
more enchanting in any country than the
season of harvest.
The time that Ruth and Naomi arrive
at Bethlehem is harvest time. It was the
old custom when a sheaf fell from
load in the harvest field for the reacers
to refuse TO gather it up; that was to be
left for the poor who might happen to
come that way. If there were handouts OF
grain scattered across the field after the
main harvest had been reaped, instead of
raking it, farmers do now, it 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 cheeks and blister
her hands in the harvest field%'
BoaZ owns large farm, and he goes out
to see the reapers gather in the grain. Com
ing there, right behind the swarthy sun
Drowned reapers, he beholds beautiful wo-
man gleanng-a woman more fit to bend to
a harp or sit upon throne than to stoop
among the sheaves. An, that was an event
full day!
Itwas love at first sight. Boaz forms an
attachment for the womanly gleaner-an
attachment full of undying interest to the
Church of God in all ages: while Ruth,
with an ephah, or nearly bushel of bar
ley, 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 I'M
diving affection for her mother-in law is in
the harvest field of Boaz, is affianced to one
of the best families in Judah, and becomes
in after time the ancestress of Jesus Christ,
the Lord of Glory! Out of so dark a night
did there ever dawn so bright morning?
learn in the first place from this subject
how trouble develops character. 1t was be-
reavement, poverty and exile that developed,
illustrated and announced to all ages the sub
Unity of Ruth's character. That is a very
unfortunate man who has trouble. 1t
was sorrow that made John Bunyan the
better dreamer, and DR.. Young the better
poet and OConnell the better orator, AM
Bishop Hall the better preacher, and Have
lock the better soldier, and Kitto the better
encyclopedias, and Ruth the better daughter
in-law.
once asked an aged man in regard to his
pastor, who was very brilliant man: "Why
is it that your pastor, so very brilliant,
seems to have so little tenderness in his
monsg' ''Well," he replied, 1.-The reason is
our pastor has never had any trouble. W hen
misfortune comes upon MIN MS SGyle VIII De
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 tender
ness of his discourses! The fact Is
that trouble is great edu-
Gator. You see sometimes musician sit
down at an instrument, and his execution
is cold and formal and unfeeling. The rea-
son is that all his life he has been prOSpered.
But let misfortune or bereavement come to
o,,I ba cit 1nvUT of fhn inst bril-
ment and you discover the pathos in the first
sweep OF the keys Misfortune and trials are
great educators.
Young doctor comes into a sick room
where there is dying child. Perhaps he
is very rough i'll his prescription, and very
rough in his manner, and rough in the feel
ing or the Pulse, and roug h in his answer
to the mothers anxious question, cut
the years roll on and there has been one
dead in his own house, and now he comes
into the sick room, and with fearful eye he
looks at the dying child and he says, ooh,
how this reminds me of my Charlie!
Trouble, the great educator! Sorrow
see its touch III the grandest painting;
hear It's trenor in the sweetest song; l feel
its power in the mightieSt argument
Grecian mythology said that the fcunda-
ton OF Hippocrene was struck out by the
foot OF the winged horse, Pegasus. l have
often noticed in life that the brightest and
rosc beautiful fountains of Christian COM
fort and spiritual life have been struck out
bv the iron shod hoot of disaster and ca.
lamity l see Daniels courage best by the
flash of NetuchadneZZar's furnace. L see
PauI's proves best when l find him on the
founderirg ship under the glare of the light
ming in the breakers of Melita. God crowns
His children amid the bowling of wild beasts
anu the chOppng of blood splashed guillotine
all the cracking fires OF marGyrdom.
Il took ali our past national distresses,
am it taxes all our present national sor-
rows 20 lit up nation on that high
career wheI'4 It will march along after the
foreign despotiSnS that have Knocked and
the Iyrannies that have jeered shall be
swept down under the OmnlpOtent wrath
OF God, who hates oppression, and who, oy
the strength OF His own red right arm, Will
make all men Tree. And so it is individually,
amt IN the family, and in the church, and In
the world, that through darkness and storm
and trouble men, women, churches, nations
are developed.
Again, see in my text the beauty of I'M
faiterlng friendship. | suppose there were
plenty of friends for Naomi while she was
in prosperity. But of all her acquaint-
ances, how many were willing to trudge
off with her toward Judea, when she had
to make that lonely journey? One-the
heroine of my text. One-absolute one
L suppose when Naomi's husband was liv-
ing, an they had plenty of money, and all
things went well, they had a great many
callers. But | suppose that after her hus-
band died. and her property went, and she
got old aud poor, she was not troubled very
much with callers. All the birds that sang
in the bower while the sun shone have gone
to their nests. now the night has fallen
In this world so full of heartessneSs and
hypocrisy, how thrilling it is to find some
friend as faithful in days of adversely as in
days Of prosperity! David had such a
friend in Hushai; the Jews had such a
friend in MOriecai, who never forgot their
cause: Paul had such a friend in Onrsloh-