HOMILETICS. Vers. 18-23.-Homefrom the haroest-.field. Evening begins to draw her curtains ar?un_d the l,i1ttle city of ~ethleh~m.. Let us look on this picture, and on tliat. 1 "On !his picture. See N aom1. She 1s wistfully and longingly looking out for her daughter- m-law's return. So many a matron looks, evening after evening, for the safe return of her husband, her son, her daughter. 2. "And on that." See Ruth toiling slowly along under her " ephah." Her strength is taxed ; yet she is thankful for the precious burden. She is picturing to herself the reception she would receive under the lowly roof of her mother-in-law, and ruminating pleasantly on the cheer which ~oth_berself and her bur~en would bring to the anxious heart of the dear old lady. She 1s happy, though fatigued. Happy are all other bread-winners who amid the monotony and weariness of daily toil, are cheered with the prospect of ministering to t~e cozn:!'ort of wife, mother, grandmother or grandfather, sick sister perhaps, or little children. 3. At length the long-looked-for gleaner arrives. What a glad welcome she receives I-a model welcome, hearty and animating, such as should always be accorded to the good and faithful bread-winner. See with what pride and gratitude she lets slip off her burden into the hands of Naomi. We read, "And her mother-in-law beheld what she bad gleaned" (ver. 18). What a looking, what a gazing there would be. .All that, my daughter 'I What a wonderful_gleaner you must be I How coul,d you gather all that 'I How good to us has Yahveh been I Here is good food for days to come. In this matter of gratitude millions should be as conspicuous as Naomi. " Goodness and mercy" have accompanied them all the days of their life. "A table has been spread for them" every day of every year. In looking back ovec life, for ten, twenty, forty, sixty years, they cannot remember one single day when they had no food to eat. Even in heathen lands "God has not left himself without witness, in that he does good, and gives rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling men's hearts with food and gladness" (Acts xiv. 17). Every year is "crowned by him with his goodness" (Ps. lxv. 11). 4. When Naomi's spirit Lad become somewhat calmed, and she was about, as we may suppose, to prepare a portion of the gleanings for their simple evening repast, Ruth produced what she had "left over" of her delicious "parched corn." "She brought forth, and gave to her, what· she had left over after she was satisfied" (ver. 18). Naomi's astonishment, gratitude, delight would mount up rapidly. She coufd restrain herself no longer. "Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where hast thou worked? May he who took notice of thee be blessed I" "She doth here," says Dr. Thomae Fuller, " dart out and ejaculate a prayer, and that at rovers, aiming at no particular mark. 'Blessed be he who took notice of thee.' Yet, no doubt, was it not in vain ; but God made it light on the head of bountiful Boaz, who deserved it." It seems to be in the nature of all great gratitude to ascend to God in P,raise or prayer. }<'or indeed "every good and perfect gift cometh down from him ' (James 1. 17). 5. Ruth did not keep her mother-in-law in suspense. "She showed her with whom she had worked ; and she said, The name of the man with whom I worked to• day is Boaz" (ver. 19). It augurs well for both daughters and mothers when there are unreserved intercommunications between them. But mothers would require to be confidential if they would have their daughters to be confiding. There will be danger of tragedies in the home if daughters are reticent in reference to the affairs that are of chief concern at once to their own hearts and to the hearts of their parents. The tragedies will be more tragic still if husbands and sons have haunts of which mention cannot be made in the bosom of domestic confidence. " Boaz 1" The name would thrill through Naomi. It instantaneously recalled tender memories CR. II, 18-23.) THE BOOK OF RUTH. 45
of the pnst ; nnd side by side with these recollections there flitted in before her view visions of the future. But her first utterance was a benison, no longer shot "at rovers." She gratefully lifted nloft her heart, and said, " Blessed of the Lord be he ;-Vho has not let ~o his kindness to the living and to the dead" (ver. 20). He had: 1t seems, been kmd to her and hers long ago. The recollection came fresh to her mind. And now there was abundant and gratifying evidence that he was not "weary of well-doing." He had still the old kind heart, perhaps kinder than ever. With II Boaz " as the theme of conversation, there would not be in all Bethlehem a brighter or happier home that evening than the humble cot of Naomi. The genea- logical relationship and former kindnesses of their worthy friend would be fully elucidated (ver. 20), and Ruth would be snre to dwell at length on the invitation she had received to continue in his fields all the harvest through (ver. 21). The evening would glide rapidly on. While they talked, and while, in the intervals of talk, they II mused," the fire within the breast would ':Jurn. As it burned, the flame would flicker, now to this side, now to that, but still ever upward toward God. Boaz had said to Ruth-and her heart responded heartily as he said it-that it was under the wings of the God of Israel that she had come to cower and be covered. She had come, he said, to "trust" in Yahveh. She was resolved that she would. Even Naomi would encourage her, and would herself be disposed to revert to the sweet significance of her own name-Jah is sweet, and deals sweetly. The hard thoughts which she had been tempted in the time of her anguish to entertain would be sensibly beginning to thaw and melt. And if one could have read the hearts of both, as at length they laid themselves down to rest, perhaps the thoughts of each might have been found to be running in the strain of the words of a great descendant, as he said and sang, "Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep : for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety" (Ps. iv. 6-8). "Tired nature's sweet restorer" would not need to be sedulously wooed, on the part of the gleaner at least; and if Naomi's slumber was not so easily obtained, or so uninterruptedly retained, yet she would " commune with her own heart on her bed, and be still." May we not assume that, when both awoke in the early morning, they were " sti!l with God"?