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RUTH,

The Young Wi d o w.

Ruth 1: 14. "Orpah kissed, her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her."

WE are constituted with an inherent love of variety. Monotones in music, similarity in scenery, sameness in thoughts or even in expressions, soon become wearisome. We enjoy what is new, fresh, different; hence we find that God, who formed our constitution, and created the world to meet its necessities, has given to it almost infinite variety. It is wonderful, that in nature there are no two blades of grass, nor vegetables, nor flowers, nor leaves, nor trees, nor hills, nor mountains, nor rivers, lakes, oceans, nor continents: there are no two human bodies, or faces, or minds, precisely alike. This feature characterizes the climates, the seasons: it is not always spring, nor always summer, nor always autumn, nor always winter, but they come to us in beautiful succession

"The year leads round the seasons, in a choir
For ever charming and for ever new;

Blending the grand, the beautiful, the gay,
The mournful and the tender."

Their very diversity makes the whole year more delightful. Variety always and every where, meets our eye and ear; even

"The gloomiest day hath gleams of light,

The darkest wave hath light foam near it;
And twinkles through the blackest night

Some solitary star to cheer it."

Indeed this seems to be a necessity of our nature, as well as a desire. I have read some where that in Prussia, certain men were selected to sing particular notes, on stated musical occasions, and the result was, that they all died of bronchitis. This want of our nature is not only met in God's works, but in His Word. Truth is here presented in every possible form, from the severest logical statement to the loftiest poetical imagery: by means of history, biography, conversations, psalms, sermons, prayers, prophecies.

Does it not occur to you now, how various are the types of female character made prominent in the Bible ? Think of those we have already considered. How different in some respects was Eve from Sarah; and Sarah from Rebecca; and Rebecca from Jochebed; and Jochebed from Miriam ! and the type of womanhood before us to-day, is still dif

ferent from them all. Connected with this one we shall find no tragic elements; no terrific scenery; no gory war incidents; no family dissensions, but a character of singular simplicity and beauty, moving in some of the dearest social relations, amid quiet scenes of country life.

For,

You will allow me to say here, once for all, that I do not expect to interest you equally in each of these lectures. Your sense of justice, as well as kindness towards myself, will cause you to notice, in some instances, far more abundant and striking material is given than in others. You will not expect me to make points of interest where there are none. You will therefore judge of my efforts, not by comparing one lecture with another, but by what is done with the material afforded in each instance. remember, I stand on this holy day, in this consecrated temple, at this sacred altar, not to tickle your ears with curious novelties, but simply to excite your interest in the Bible, and practically to do you good, by depicting the biographies God has left on record, and evolving the practical instructions they embody. We shall find that the incidents in different lives are as different as their characters: some stirring and tragical, others quiet and unexciting. As before hinted, Ruth belongs to the latter class; however, in contemplating scenes in nature, or on the canvass, we sometimes experience more pleasure, and receive more profit from viewing peaceful

landscapes, sleeping in the soft rays of the setting sun, than we do from gazing at beetling crags and lowering storm clouds, warring armies, roaring cataracts, or tempest-swept oceans hurling their surging mountains skyward.

I shall aim at presenting

The facts of this narrative, their development of the special providence of God, and of certain traits of female character.

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This book, which bears the name of Ruth, merely considered as a literary production, has been the admiration of literary men in all ages. Even Voltaire, whose masterly mind was filled with prejudice against the Bible, and whose heart was full of malignity against our Saviour, insomuch that his blasphemous motto, indicative of his life purpose, was, Crush the wretch;" even he declared that the book of Ruth "was a gem in Oriental history." An English author of celebrity once proposed to a company of lords and ladies, who knew more about almost any other book than they did about the Bible, to entertain them by reading a story of pastoral life-a work, he intimated-of rare merit. Substituting fictitious names, he read them the book of Ruth. They were delighted with the beautiful simplicity of the truthful narrative, and passed the highest encomiums on the heroine, her decision, affection, modesty and piety. All were anxious to

learn the name of the author, who, they affirmed, could grace any circle of literature and fashion : but they were confounded and amazed when told that this narrative of surprising beauty was found in the neglected Word of God. Fiction, with its wondrous power, as developed by ancient or modern novelists, has never produced a tale so truthful, combining so many points of interest as this, which, while it awakens the heart's deepest emotions, leaves on the mind no stain that could soil an angel's purity.

Before we consider it, however, we must look at the Jewish history, from the point where we left it in our last lecture, up to where this begins. We left it at the deaths of Miriam, Aaron and Moses, all of whom died during one year. Shortly after that the Israelites entered into the land of Canaan and took possession of it, in the name of God, who had given it to them by covenant with their fathers. They were then a nation and needed a national government for the maintenance of law and order; a government was established; God himself was their king, and judges were appointed to be His executives. Such men as Joshua, Caleb, Ehud, Barak Gideon, Abimeleck, and Shamgar, held this office in succession. After Joshua, the duties of these men were, in some respects, similar to those of our circuit judges; he had regular circuit appointments at Gilgal, Mizpeh, and Ramah, where he administered

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