Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-03-08

you and ready to suffer as did Ruth
TO be n true disciple Of Jesus Christ!
All, sometimes we change our minds
in reference to n human love. There
s beautiful story told that when Hon
~ M. Stanley started on his last great
trip across the African continent he
went with a heavy heart. for the only
woman he had ever loved did not love
him. But when he returned and met
hcr the first question he was asked by
Miss Dorothy Tenant was this: "Mr.
Stanley, do you find London much
changcd?" And the intrepid explorer
quietly answered. mo. have not
found London changed. and I have not
changed, either" Then lie looked her
gently In the eye as he said, "IIave
you changed" With that the famous
model Of Millais' great picture, entitled
Yes or No." softly answered. Yes, I
have changed" And the NO of re-
fusal was changed to the Yes" OF
wedding bells But, though some Of US
may change In reference TO the woong
OF human love. Ruth never changed
in regard to her allegiance to the divine
love. She was ready TO go into exile,
to starve and even to die as she de
clared TO Naomi, "Thy people shall be
my people, and thy God my God" Can
we, dare we, say as much? VIII we
give to God today our whole hearts,
full of devotion and self sacrifice?
And what was the result Of this self
sacrifice and love for the divine Mas
tor? All, Ruth herself never realized
what its far reaching result was to be-
| think, even from Ruth's standpoint,
at times she must have become very
| discouraged and felt that her sacrifices
! amounted to naught. Everything that
she expected miscarried. She left her
own home to go to the land Of her
husbands family. There, Of course,
she expected to be welcomed and cared
| for. Was she? No sooner did Naomi
and this beautiful young girl cross the
Jordan and come up to the home land
Of Bethlehem than her old neighbors
and friends came out to taunt and to
| ridicule her. They met her with these
hooking words: rs this Naomi, who
| persuaded her husband 10 20 and live
| in that wicked country Of Moab? Is
this Naomi, who went and married her
! two sons to the daughters OF the heath.
| en- Moabites? No wonder your hus.
band and both your two sons are dead.
! God has cursed you with poverty and
bereavement" Cannot you see the
! tears trickle down the poor wrinkled
cheeks Of the old woman and hear the
! painting sobs choke the throat Of the
| beautiful young girl when the sheer.
ing. hooking words are uttered, "Is
this Naomi"
( Naomi's Trial.
! And this is not ALL Not only did the
ncighbors and the people mock Naomi.
| but they literally left her to starve.
She seemed to have no friend in the
world. She went down and down, as
some of you have gone down in the
struggle Of life. She got so low that
one day Ruth, who was compelled to
do something to earn bread for them
! TO live upon. went out to CLEAN after
! the reapers. The few grains Of wheat
which the reapers accidentally dropped
were not allowed TO be picked up by
the reapers, but We're always left to be
gathered by the needy poor. Then il
was. when it seemed as though Ruth
! could not sink lower, that Boaz saw
her and loved her. When we think we
are the most friendless and hopeless.
| then the Lord is going to open for us.
as he did to Ruth. our greatest oppor
tunity of usefulness If we only remain
true to him. Are we willing to go tG
the land Of exile for him: Arc we
willing to trust him? Are we willing
to let him use us for his service:
ask of you this question here and now
amid the dark clouds in your life. VIII
you trust him and remain true to him
now:
Like Ruth cleaning in the fields as
pauper. in the darkest hours of your life
can you not learn to trust him and be
true to him? All. Ruth had her Boaz
| Through her Boaz she became tho an
cestress of Jesus Christ. You today in
your fields have your Saviour, and
through him you shall yet win mighty
triumph. Are you, like Ruth, able to
stand the test of being true to your
divine Fathers love?
Our sermon opened with dirge. II
began at the door OF three gaping
graves The book has sad open
ing" once said Joseph Parker. at be
gan with famine and misery. 1t opened
like a cloudy day. 1t went onward in
to widowhood twice told. and the first
chapter is like n rain OF tears" But
thank God. it ends In triumph. It ends
by the ringing Of the wedding chimes.
Like Ruth. let us all bend the knee to
the King of kings, who Is Lord Of
lords.
My dear friends. as Ruth found shell.
ter in the home Of Boaz, canst thou not
find haven in the love and the rescue
Of Jesus Christ? Child. wilt thou CLEAN
today in thy Masters harvest feld?
Copyright. 1906. by Louis Klopsch,l