the notices for the week. If the Lord will, pastor will
preach here next Lord's Day at 10.30 and 2 o'clock. Pastor will
also preach on Thursday evening at 7 o'clock. There will be a
prayer meeting on Tuesday evening at 7 o'clock. May the Lord help us to commence
our worship this morning with hymn number 1134, the tune Ransom
722. Come, gracious spirit, heavenly
dove, with light and comfort from above, our waiting soul
set free. Be thou our guardian, thou our
guide. for every thought and step reside
and draw us after Thee. Hymn 1134, tune Ransom 722. The Spirit's heavenly door with
light and power from above awaiting souls that breathe. Be thou a guardian, thou a guide
for every Who can stand with Thy hand to cross a deadly bond? from ev'ry sin and equal share. Help me, may not thee grieve.
Apply thy work that rules thus did, And teach us lessons now
to live. to Christ our only rest, and
in His love may we be blest. Amen. His name we meet. Let precious drops of heav'nly
dirt, Of earth and of strength renew, And make the promise of peace. From the Holy
Word of God we'll read together the Book of Ruth, Chapter 2. the second chapter of the book
of Ruth. And Naomi had a kinsman of her
husband's, a mighty man of wealth of the family of Elimelech, and
his name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said unto
Naomi, let me now go to the field and glean ears of corn after
him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her,
go my daughter. And she went and came and gleaned
in the field after the reapers. And her hat was to light on a
part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred
of Elimelech. And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem
and said unto the reapers, the Lord be with you. And they answered
him, the Lord bless thee. Then said Boaz unto his servant,
that was set over the reapers, whose damsel is this? And the
servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, it
is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the
country of Moab. And she said, I pray you, let
me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So
she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now,
that she tarried a little in the house. Then said Boaz unto
Ruth, Here is thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field,
neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. Let thine eyes be on the field
that they do reap, and go thou after them. Have I not charged
the young men that they shall not touch thee? And when thou
art athirst, go unto the vessels and drink of that which the young
men have drawn. Then she fell on her face and
bowed herself to the ground and said unto him, why have I found
grace in thine eyes that thou shouldest take knowledge of me
seeing I am a stranger? And Boaz answered and said unto
her, it hath fully been showed me all that thou hast done unto
thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband, and how thou
hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity,
and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work,
and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under
whose wings thou art come to trust. Then she said, let me find favour
in thy sight, my Lord, for that thou hast comforted me, and for
that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I
be not like unto one of thine handmaidens. And Boaz said unto
her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip
thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers. And he reached her parched corn,
and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left. And when she was risen
up to glean, Boaz commanded his young man saying, let her glean
even among the sheaves and reproach her not. And let fall also some
of the handfuls of purpose for her and leave them, that she
may glean them and rebuke her not. So she gleaned in the field until
even, and beat out that she had gleaned. And it was about an
ether of barley. And she took it up and went into
the city. And her mother-in-law saw what
she had gleaned. And she brought forth and gave
to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. And her
mother-in-law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to-day,
and where wroughtest thou? Blessed be he that did take knowledge
of thee. And she showed her mother-in-law
with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name whom I wrought
to-day is Boaz. And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law,
blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness
to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, the
man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. And Ruth
the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, thou shalt keep fast
by my young men until they have ended all my harvest. And Naomi said unto Ruth, her
daughter-in-law, it is good, my daughter, that thou go out
with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.
So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end
of barley harvest and of wheat harvest and dwelt with her mother-in-law. May God bless that reading of
his holy word to us and may he teach us how to pray. kind and gracious and most merciful
Lord, we come before thee now in prayer, desiring that we may
find that acceptance, that place by thee, that we may come even
now unto thy feet, that we may, Lord, be given all the help we
need to pour out our hearts before thee, to call upon thy great
and holy name. We do ask, Lord, that thou would
help us and grant us that we may truly see that acceptance
there is for poor, needy sinners in Jesus Christ. We come before
a holy, holy, holy God. And we come, Lord, in our body
of sin. We come and we have much to confess. Lord, we have all sinned and
come short of the glory of God. We pray, Lord Jesus, that thou
look upon us in thy compassion. Lord, that thou draw us to thy
throne of grace. That thou, Lord, grant us each
that we may have that eye of faith to look unto Jesus. Lord, those who may feel this
morning something of their wretchedness, their unworthiness, who may feel
something of guilt and shame, Lord, we pray that they may be
blessed with a view of a once crucified, now risen, exalted
saviour, that one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. There may be, Lord, revealed
that access for poor needy sinners. Lord,
we pray, that thou draw us to thyself. Lord, we remember those
who see nothing of their need. Lord, we pray that thou be pleased
to teach, to guide, to direct any Lord here this day who may
see nothing of themselves as sinners. that it might please
thee, Lord, to reveal something of themselves to themselves. Lord, that there may be something
seen. Lord, to persuade them of their
need. That thou, Lord, teach them their
need. Reveal to them something of their
fallen state and condition. Lord, grant there may be that
convincing of their sin, that they may find sin to be exceeding
sinful to them. Lord, we pray that thou lead
them to the precious blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all
sin. They may see that need of washing.
We pray, Lord, to open our eyes. Lord, that we may see wondrous
things out of thy law. We pray, Lord, that the wonders
of redemption, the blessings, the mercy of God, the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel of his grace. May the Lord shine
bright, that thou shalt shine upon the word, and shine into
each heart, and deliver from all fear of death. Lord, grant that washing and
that cleansing from all sin. Oh, by faith, may there be order
looking unto Jesus and to see that perfect life, that glorious
robe of righteousness. Oh Lord, may it be. Oh, those sweet persuasions. that Jesus died for me. Oh, the Lord, we pray for that
personal religion. Oh, what a mercy it is to know
that Jesus died for sinners. But Lord, may that desire be
in each heart to know, was it for me? Was it for crimes that
I have done? He hung upon the tree. Oh, we
do pray, Lord, that Thou grant us each that sweet and blessed
revelation. Oh, may Thy Spirit's voice be
heard. May Jesus say, all this was done
for you. Oh, Lord, do grant us then all
that hope in that finished work of Jesus. Though, Lord, we must live out
our days in this body of sin, yet may we have that good hope
through grace that when all is done and this mortal puts on
immortality, or that it is to be found with Christ, which is
far better. That all is well while life endure,
and well when called to die. We do pray, Lord, that thou remember
each from the youngest to the eldest. Lord, thou knowest every
need, every concern. Thou knowest every path, every
life. Lord, thou knowest how we've
come today and thou knowest, Lord, the situation we are each
in. Lord, thou hast granted this
privilege of meeting together for worship. We pray, Lord, that
it may prove to be one of thy appointments. We ask, Lord, that
thou would send out thy light and thy truth, shine into our
hearts with thy light, with life and liberty. May the love of
God be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given
unto us. Lord, we pray, do remember each
from the youngest to the eldest. Lord, do supply every need according
to thy riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Do, Lord, be with each
in their various daily lives. Lord, we pray that these things
of time, Lord, will be sanctified to us. The things that we pass
through, the things that we are brought into, may we see thy
hand leading. Do guide us with thy counsel.
and afterward receive us unto glory. May we be among those
that are led and taught by thy spirit. Lord, we pray that thou
would sanctify afflictions, sorrows, and joys. Lord, do, Lord, be
glorified in the lives of each one of us. May it be ye are my
witnesses, saith the Lord. May it be so, Lord. May we each
be a living witness to thy mercy, to thy power, to thy love. Do
you remember, Lord, the past of this people? Do you help him
today at Heathfield? Do you strengthen and help him,
bless him and be with him in all things? Lord, as he goes
forth weeping, bearing precious seed, may he doubtless come again
rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Lord, do help him as
he comes in and out among this people. And Lord, be with him
when he preaches elsewhere. And do strengthen him and help
him in his labours in thy name. Lord, we pray for those who hold
office here, the deacons, Lord, we pray be with them and strengthen
them, give them wisdom, encourage them, Lord, in this labour. And
grant, Lord, that they may know thy presence and thy blessing
as they give out of their time and they labour in their office. O Lord, may thy blessing be poured
in. Be with each in the church, Lord,
to unite them and fix them in the house of God. Lord, thou hast to be merciful. We pray that thou, Lord, bind
them together in the bundle of life with the Lord their God.
We ask, Lord, that thou add to them such as should be saved. Remember the congregation. We
pray, Lord, that thou bring them in thy time and way into the
church here. Oh, Lord, we ask that thou be
pleased to pour out thy Spirit. Oh, may thy love constrain, compel,
Lord, that the very stones would cry out if they kept silent. Lord, we pray Oh, that there
may be that desire. Come and hear. Oh, ye that fear
God. Oh, we ask, Lord, that thou grant
that they may have that desire to tell to sinners round what
a dear Saviour they have found. Lord, we pray for this village
and this neighbourhood. Lord, thou hast planted a cause
of truth here and maintained it over many years. And we pray
this witness, Lord, may be used in this village. There may be
those, Lord, that may be passing by today, will be found coming
in. Lord, those caused to seek thy
face, those, Lord, who have a desire, a hunger and thirst after righteousness. Oh, we pray, Lord, that thou
would pour out thy spirit. We pray, Lord, that thou would
remember this cause of truth. And may there be a living witness
here to the end of time. We ask, Lord, thy blessing upon
thy one church. Lord, many, the majority unknown
to us, but all known unto thee. Lord, we pray for those who in
other parts of the world are suffering, those who are in trouble
and distress. We ask, Lord, that thou remember
the persecuted church of God, to strengthen and help them Lord,
you preserve them in the faith. Lord, that they may have all
that they need to stand firm and stand to the end. Lord, we
ask that thou remember us in this nation. And Lord, you spare
us from outward persecution. Lord, you turn the tide of sin
and iniquity in our land. and to turn the hearts of the
people unto Thee, away from their idols, to serve the living God. O Lord, work wondrously, we pray. We thank Thee for tokens here
and there of Thy mercy and Thy grace, but O we pray, O that
Thou would pour out, that there may be that revival in our day
and generation. O Lord, who then be glorified,
it is thy honour and glory we seek, we come to worship thee,
O we come to praise thee, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. O we pray,
Lord, as we come and offer unto thee our praises this day, that
it might please thee to send down the blessing, O that there
may be those things for us to take home, Ruth's portion, something
to beat out, to live on in the coming days. So Lord, do hear
us in heaven, thy dwelling place. Do pardon and forgive all that
is amiss. Forgive the poverty of our worship
and prayer. Do take away all our iniquities
and receive us graciously. We ask Lord Jesus in thy name,
Amen. Hymn 1033, tune Carhall 826.
In Jesus combine all the riches of grace, What glory and grandeur I see
in his face. Jehovah's eternal and co-equal
Son took all our transgressions and made them his own. Hymn 1033,
June, Carr Hall, 826. In Jesus confide all the riches of Christ, But glory and praise I see in
His face. Jesus is eternal, And carry the sun To the clouds
of Jerusalem And beneath them His throne. He is the Son of
Man, ? For you have made him the King
of Israel ? ? And his glory reigns forevermore ? Shalom, shalom, shalom. I believe that the light will
still make time. ? May you remain with me forever
? ? May you remain with me forever ? ? May you remain with me forever ? After Thy corruptions, how many
can stand? Thy gracious redeemer will help
thee along. His song is as sure as day when triumph falls astray. Will you turn with me to the
chapter we read, the book of Ruth and chapter two, With the Lord's help this morning,
I'll speak to you from the eighth verse. Book of Ruth, chapter
2, verse 8. Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest
thou not my daughter? Go not to glean in another field,
neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. The book of Ruth, chapter 2,
verse 8. Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Here
is thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field,
neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. Ruth, this Book of Ruth have
been over the years a great blessing to the people of God. How many of the Lord's dear children
in reading the Book of Ruth can trace out something of the Lord's
dealings with them in that similar way as the Lord led Ruth. And you think of Ruth in the
reading this morning. She has come up out of the land
of Moab. She has left all that she has
known. she has followed the drawing
of God. God has laid on the heart of
Ruth the witness of her mother-in-law, Naomi. And her desire has been
to go with her mother-in-law. In the previous chapter, her
desire was, for whither thou goest, I will go. And where thou
lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people,
and thy God, my God. Where thou diest, will I die,
and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more
also, if all but death, part thee and me. And she went. And she turned her back on everything
she knew. And she left her family and her
previous acquaintances. She left the idolatry of Moab
and she came with her mother-in-law to settle among the children
of God. And you know what fear and trepidation
when coming among the children of Israel as a stranger, as an
outsider, as a Moabite, and coming among the children of Israel
in abject poverty, having been reduced in her widowhood to be a beggar. For this is how they came, her
and her mother-in-law. Naomi had gone out full and had
come back empty. Call me not Naomi, call me Mara,
for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. And here they are in need. And yet here we find that the
Lord is overruling all. The hand of the Lord is upon
them. The Lord who has led her, caused
her, ordered her circumstances, touched her in her heart, led
her so far in her life, bringing her to settle among the children
of Israel. Will he now leave her? Will he not finish what he's
begun? Friends, I wonder if there's
a few here this morning. Maybe that's where you are. This
is why some of us have found the book of Ruth precious and
the life of Ruth precious. You know, maybe you've come up
out in your desires and in your affections, but, oh, you've not yet been
brought in. What do I mean? Well, you've
been brought up out of what used to hold dear to your heart. You're brought to see the things
of this life for what they are. The Lord has caused you. Maybe
you can't even see it, it's the Lord. But the effect in your
heart has been that these dying things of this world are now
no longer what you are obsessed with, what you are taken up with. The Lord has brought you to see
something of it in the light of eternity. And these can never satisfy. You've seen something of the
safety and the security of the people of God, the followers
of the Lord Jesus Christ. and you looked at the world and
the things of the world and the things you once held dear and
where your ambitions were and what brought you you thought
joy and happiness and everything now is marred and everything
is seen for what it is the pleasures of sin just for a season these
can never satisfy Give me Christ or else I die. There's an aching
void now in your heart that the world can't fill. Moab couldn't
fill it. Moab couldn't satisfy Ruth. She must. She must come up. She must come out. Oh, the other
daughter-in-law, Orpah, she kissed her mother-in-law and returned.
Not you, not Ruth. Now where are you? No longer do you find a rest
in the world. No longer are you at rest in
the world. Do you have rest? Do you find yourself, are you
settled? Do you find yourself among the
living family of God? Well, she here had come up out
and come with nothing. And we're told, she goes gleaning,
go my daughter. She said, let me now go to the
field and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall
find grace. She can't find, she won't find
anything unless she finds grace. She'll be turned out of the field
unless she finds grace in the sight of one who owns the field.
Her success, the success of her gleaning hangs upon the finding
of grace in the sight of the one who owns the field. And she, we're told, went and
came and gleed in the field after the reapers. And her hap, it
so happened. Frenzies, they are special times,
aren't they? When it just, in our sense of
things, so happens. And yet, you know, there's a
looking back afterwards, isn't there? And you see it divinely
ordered. But her hap was to light on the
field belonging unto Boaz. She never met him. There she is, gleaning, gleaning
in the field. And our text this morning, the
verse 8 is the first interaction, the first dealing she has with
Boaz. You see, Boaz has noticed her. Boaz says to his servant who
is over the the reapers, whose damsel is this? And he tells her how she's come. She's come back with Naomi from
Moab. And she's asked to glean and
we've let her glean. She's continued even from morning.
And now she's tarrying a little in the house. Boaz says unto Ruth, Hearest
thou not my daughter? Oh, what will he say? Will he
turn her out? Oh, she keenly feels her difference. She knows she's not like unto
one of his handmaidens. Oh, she feels She feels keenly
that she is a stranger and a foreigner. What will his word be to her?
Will it be to cast her out of the field? Is this field only reserved for
the Israelite? Will he receive a Moabitess woman? Will he permit her to glean in
his field? Here is thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field. Go not to glean in another field.
Oh, what a welcome! What a welcome this is! From
the master of the field to a poor, unworthy gleaner. Go not to glean
in another field. Field is good. Oh, there's plenty,
plenty for you. Go not to glean in another field.
Oh, acceptance in his sight. Go not to glean in another field,
neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. Oh, the precious welcome of Boaz
Tavrouz. Friends, what about you and I? Oh, there are a few gleaners here
this morning. Oh, is that what's brought you
to Lamberhurst Chapel? that there's a desire in your
heart that you might obtain the blessing, that you might be found
receiving, that the Lord might look upon you in his mercy and
compassion. Is this the field that you've
seen, the field that the Lord has led you to? I know those that have received
of the Lord, In this place, in your desire, it is to be fed
also. You know, friends, it is, isn't
it, good for us to wait. None shall be ashamed that waits
on the Lord. There is that waiting upon the
Lord. This gleaning, it wasn't easy. You know, we may think of it
as being a pleasant thing, but friends, it was hard. It was humbling. It is to be bowed down, it's
to be gathering a few things from off the dirt. And at times it's very little. Ruth had come with nothing and she needed something. You know, there was other gleaners
there. There were difficulties. There was much that seemed to
hang in the balance. Nothing seemed certain. So much
seemed uncertain. Friends, there is that, isn't
there? All that. humble, seeking after, being
brought low. You know sometimes there is that
desire in the heart to know the Lord, to hear the
word of his grace, to see, to find that promise of the Lord made sweet. And a coming and going and not
finding, not obtaining. What is it? Go to another field? Go and glean
elsewhere? In the Gospel sense there is
only one field, one worthy field. Now there is only one worthy
master of one worthy field. What a mercy if you and I are
brought to see both the field and the master. Oh, to have that
desire, that hunger, that thirst after righteousness. Not as Ruth
here with the bodily need, but you and I with the spiritual
need. Where is it that that spiritual
need can be satisfied? Who can meet that need? It's
only Jesus Christ and Him crucified that answers that the need of
a poor, needy sinner. It's only His precious blood
and righteousness that can cleanse that soul, make it right and
prepare it for eternity. It's only Jesus Christ that can
make the sinner acceptable before a holy, holy, holy God. Nothing else will satisfy, nothing
else will do. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse
that soul and take away guilt and all condemnation. It's only
the grace and the mercy and the love of God that can bring peace
to the soul that's troubled over sin. It's only He that can give
eternal life. It's in Jesus Christ and Him
alone. Do you know that? Or do you know
your need of that? Do you feel your heart aching,
longing? In your heart, maybe this morning
there's trouble, there's sorrow over sin, there's guilt, And
there's a sense of the condemnation. And you know when there is that,
that earnest desire to find that which the soul needs. Oh, and when the Lord makes the
soul wait. Oh, what need, what need of Thee. the grace of God. Friends, pray and seek that patience
to wait upon the Lord. That desire to wait for Him. There is, at times, that waiting. But that waiting, friends, It
is needful that waiting is right. They, we're told in Isaiah 40, even the youth
shall faint and be weary. This is verse 30. And the young
men shall utterly fall, but they that wait upon the Lord shall
renew their strength. waiting upon the Lord, waiting
for a handful of purpose, waiting for a few crumbs of mercy to
fall from the Master's table, waiting, seeking, longing, searching
for, hoping to find, prayerfully waiting upon the Lord, Friends,
there is, and the Lord is good to those that wait for Him. That
they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. You
know, when you think of Ruth, well, she went away, didn't she? She went away with a worthy portion,
didn't she? Her mother-in-law took note of
it. Where hast thou? With whom hast
thou wrought? Where hast thou wrought today,
gleaned today? And where wroughtest thou? Blessed
be he that did take knowledge of thee. She was given something
to go away with. Something to strengthen her.
And she gleaned that day. And she was encouraged that day. Boaz had given her a loving welcome
that day. He'd not turned her away, her
being a foreigner, a stranger. But he had received her among
his gleaners. He'd made provision for her.
And when she went out to glean, We're told how he had charged
those men. You see, he'd gone before her
in that sense. And he had said to them, let
fall some handfuls of purpose for her and leave them, that
she may glean them and rebuke her not. He made provision for
her in his field, such was his desire to make her feel at home
among his gleaners. Such was his desire that she
would abide in his field and remain in his field. He would
give her that to encourage her. And friend, maybe that's it this
morning. The Lord to encourage you this morning. Oh, there was
to be more. But she had to glean and she
had to wait. You know, she came into this
field. She gleaned this day. Boaz had
met her this day. Boaz had spoken kindly, spoken
friendly to her. Oh, she was greatly encouraged. But if you had asked her that
day, at the close of that day, Ruth, do you think you'll marry
him? What would she have said? Friends,
she had a few handfuls of purpose. You say, or something something
to go with but could you could she look
from from a few handfuls of purpose and see what was to come here is thou not my daughter
go not to glean in another field Neither go from hence, but abide
here fast by my maidens. We come, we came to the end of
this chapter and we're told in verse 23, so
she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz. She heard his voice
and she obeyed. and she kept fast by the maidens
of Boaz to glean and she gleaned until the end of the barley harvest
and of the wheat harvest she gleaned to the end of that harvest
she came again and again and there was that to supply her
need and that to encourage her until the end of that barley
harvest, end of that wheat harvest. Friend, you and I know the story. Boaz was to be married to Ruth. Ruth was to be through her marriage
to Boaz, no longer a gleaner in the field, but an owner, married
to the owner of the field, married to the master of the field, taken
into union to the master of that field, taken into the marriage
bond, to know the love of Boaz, to be the bride of Boaz, from
a few handfuls of purpose, with such, you say, shaky beginnings,
uncertain beginnings. She had gone from venturing to
a field with an unknown master, seeking that something might
be obtained that day, to be married to the master of that field.
Oh, this mighty man of wealth, Boaz. Friends, this stranger,
this foreigner. And you know, dear friends, the
same is true of every child of God. You know, in like sense,
Ruth is a type, isn't she, of the Church of God. You know,
she was married in the land of Moab. Her first love was in the land
of Moab. And how the bride of Christ, in her fallen, ruined state and
condition, by nature. Her love is in the world. Loving
the things of the world and the pleasures of the world. Her only
eyes for the world. Her heart is after the world.
That's the state of the Bride of Christ. In her fallen state,
her heart is given over to the world. that you know there must be that
separation. And a child of God must die to
her and his past life. And there must be that coming
away, being made willing, being drawn by the cause, the bands
of love. Yes, that's the underlying moving
force, the love of God. and breaks that bond and separates
from the world in its affections and desires. Every child of God
is brought to see the things of time, the things of this world. They look to what they once were. The new birth makes a change. Regeneration makes a difference
and there's a springing out and a drawing to Christ Jesus. And he who once was not known,
not loved, not desired, not gone after, maybe was despised and
rejected, but not known in that sense. He who was not in all
her thoughts, not in any of her thoughts, is now her all and
in all. That past life is looked upon
with shame, a confession of sin, a deep sense of regret and remorse,
how taken up with the world, though there is a sense of feeling
of an acknowledging with shame of
what they once were. And you know you can, you think
of Ruth here when she finds these
first intimations of kindness from Boaz. She's given this welcome. Oh, how her heart is touched,
isn't it? She fell on her face, we read
in verse 10, and bowed herself to the ground and said unto him,
why have I found grace in thine eyes? And how many of the Lord's
dear children have been brought to that same place? Why have
I found grace in thine eyes? that thou shouldest take knowledge
of me, seeing I am a stranger. Why did Jesus show to me the
beauties of his face? Why would he? How could he? Why would he take notice of me?
Why would he bring me into his house Why would he bring me under the
sound of the truth? Why would he bring me to hear
the gospel's joyful sound? Why would he smile, so sweetly
smile, upon a wretch like me, seeing I am a stranger? I am not like unto one of thine
handmaidens. She keenly felt it. But she says, she says, for thou hast spoken,
verse 13, for thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid,
though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens. Oh friends,
there was room in the field of Boaz. There was provision in
the field of Boaz for the Moabites. There was provision and there
was room. And is it not the same with our
Lord Jesus Christ? Oh, is that it this morning? Is there room for me? Oh, we
know the word. And a servant returned unto his
master and said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded.
and yet there is room, and you say, room for me, for where I've
been, room for one like me, with all my history, with what I've
done, with where I've been, with whom I've loved, with all the
desires that I've once had, room for such a one like me, what
among the family of God, among his dear children? What one? One so vile, so unworthy,
one that doesn't seem to look and appear like one of thine
handmaids? Oh, there is, isn't there? in that hymn 447. Pity a helpless sinner, Lord,
who would believe thy gracious word, but own my heart with shame
and grief, a sink of sin and unbelief. Lord, in thy house
I read there's room, and venturing hard behold I come, but can there? Tell me, Can there be amongst
thy children room for me? Can there be? Can there be? Paul writing to the Ephesians. In that second chapter, he reminds
them what they once were. They were without Christ. They were once without Christ,
being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from
the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the
world. That's verse 12, Ephesians 2. Verse 13, but now in Christ
Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ. He goes on to say, Verse 19,
now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but
fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God. Dear Ruth, a stranger and a foreigner,
found grace in the sight of Boaz. and poor, unworthy, needy sinners, finding grace in the sight of
the Lord Jesus, the mercy and the love of God. Oh, that truth,
that blessed, precious truth of election is dearly loved,
children, though scattered through time and through the nations
of the earth. Though far off from God, many,
many have gone off in their birth, in their condition before grace
that has made that difference. They've gone off as far as she
can run And yet the mercy of God, the love of God has brought
them into want, brought them to seek, brought them to look
to Jesus in their sin, in their need, in their fallen condition,
brought them to look to Him and to seek for His mercy and finding
grace and mercy and the love of God. Tokens here and there
maybe to begin with. They follow on to know the Lord.
They trace out his love to warden. Maybe it is here a little and
there a little. A corner of the field there.
A corner of the field there. Oh, but they're brought to see. Brought to know. Brought to feel
that he loves them. He gave himself for them. The
Bride of Christ is brought into union with him. He finishes that which he's begun.
He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until
the day of Jesus Christ. There was a wedding to come.
There was a marriage supper. There was a bride for Boaz. And here, here it began in this
field. Here on her knees in that field
is where it began. Here with a few handfuls of purpose,
here with a few friendly words spoken. And there it began. And what did it end? Oh, it ended in her being married. And friends, what a prospect. Those tokens for good that you've
gleaned hitherto. Oh, what are they speaking of?
Are they raising up your hope, your expectation? Oh, may the
Lord seal them in with his divine power. These tokens, friends,
what do they speak of? They speak of an eternal difference. the world have not these tokens may you and I find these things
those precious tokens along the way speaking to us all that marriage
supper of the lamb to be among his living family, the Bride
of Christ, made precious. He's made precious. They're precious
in his sight. Their love, responding to his
love, they find his mercy, his love, his power to save, power
to deliver, and power to bring in. Oh, friends, what a mercy. It didn't end in this field,
but he took her and she became his wife. Well, may the Lord do for us
concerning our souls what he did for Ruth, may he bring us
to Christ Jesus. May we find him to be our husband,
our all and in all, the altogether lovely one. Then said Boaz unto
Ruth, hearest thou not my daughter? Go not to glean in another field,
neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. Amen. We close with hymn 1101 Tune Stainer 2, 974. Jesus, lead me by thy power safe
into the promised rest. Hide my soul within thy arms. Make me lean upon thy breast. Hymn 1101, Tune Stainer 2, 974. the the Lead me by Thy power, save me
to the promised land. Abide my soul within Thy hand. If I could have been Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary,
Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary,
Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary,
Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary,
Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary,
Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary,
Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary,
Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary,
Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary,
Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary,
Mary, Mary, Mary, of my spirit far away. In thy presence, In Thy presence I take refuge.
In Thy presence I take refuge. In thy presence I can wonder,
I can tremble, Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father the fellowship
and the communion of the Holy Spirit. Rest and abide with us
each now and for evermore. Amen.