Entreat Me Not to Leave Thee
And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shafl he my people, and thy God my God.^* — Ruth i. 16.
Iff these two women of Moab you see the difference between nitare and grace.
1. Orpah appears to have been of a most gentle, affecilionate disposition. She had been a kind and loving wife ten years to her now buried husband. She had been kind daughter-in-law to Naomi: ’The Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.” — Vase 8. She could not bear to part with Naomi. She first jfetamined to go with her. — Verse 6. When Naomi bade 4iiem go back, she said: “Surely we will go with thee.” When Kaomi again bade them return, she lifted up her voice and wept. And she kissed her mother-in-law most affectionitely, and went back to her people and her gods. O how much of loveliness there is in the gentle affections of nature! ‘Who would believe that they cover a heart as black as fceU?
2. Ruth also appears to have been of a kindly, gentle disposition; but her heart was touched by the Spirit of God •Iso. Naomi had not only been her mother-in-law, but the mother of her soul. She had taught her the way of salvation by the blood of the Lamb; and therefore, when the iaj of trial came, that she must part from her people and bar gods, or part from her spiritual instructor, Ruth clave to Naomi: “And Naomi said. Behold thy sister-in-law is pme back unto her people and unto her gods: return thou ift thy sister-in-law. And Ruth said. Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for Nrluther thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I irill lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” — Verses 15, 16.
From these words I draw the following lesson: Iliat we should cleave to our converted J^iends,
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When God sent me away frotn jou, about eighteen months agO) I think I could then number, in my own mind, more than sixty souls who, I trust, had visibly passed from death imto life during the time I had been among jou. Now, I do think I could number many more, ay, twice as many more, of you who have come, by the wonderful grace ci God, to choose Israel for your people, and Israers Qod for your God. I trust that there is hardly a family in thii church who have not some friend or relative really lxxii again. Oh, that God would this day put Ruth’s resolution into your heart — to cleave to your converted friends, and (o say: “Where thou goest, I will go” — “Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my Grod!”
I. Their God is a precious God,
1. A sin- pardoning God: ‘Who is a Grod like untt thee, who pardoneth iniquity?” Unconverted souls hafi no God: “Without God(, and without hope in the world j* or, like Orpah, they have false gods. Whatever Aey liki best is their god. Their belly is their god — money is their god — or the god of this world is their god. But, ah! he ii not sin-pardoning. Your converted friends have found a sin-pardoning God — one that washes out their sins in bloody though red as scarlet — the God and Father of Jesus — oM that forgets sins: ^’ I^ even I, am he that blotteth out tl transgressions, for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins “—” Thou hast put all my sins behind thy back — one that is the prodigal’s Father: “When he was yett great way ofiF, his Father saw him.” Should you not cleafS to them? They had the same sins as you — perhaps A^ have sinned along with you. Why should you despair, they have found mercy? Cleave to the skirt of their g/shment; for God is with them.
2. Their God is a faithful God — faithful to them ifl enabling them to persevere: “I will never leave thee, net forsake thee” — ‘* He who hath begun a good work in yoi will perform it imtil the day of Jesus Christ “— “Even t9 old age I am he.” — Isa. xlvi. 4. When once he takes brand out of the fire, he never lets it fall in again. He wiK let heaven and earth fall sooner than one of his otm. He keeps them night and day. The souls whom God chotit four years ago in this place, he has kept to this day. OM they have been ready to die: “Then the Lord sentfiofli above; he took me, ae dtev me cwt of many waten ’ —
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When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them: I the God of Israel will not forsake them.”
Faithfal in temptations: ‘^ God is faithful, who will not nffisr you to he tempted above that ye are able, hut will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye Biay he able to hear it.” Look hack, heheyers, on your temptations. They have been very dreadful. You nave leen on the hrink of ruin. The Lord has delivered you.
Faithful in afflictions: “When thou passest through the raters, I will he with thee; and through the rivers, they hall not overflow thee.” Do you not see they have a pfbge in the storm? Believers in this place have passed irough many sore trials within these four years; yet God ta been their refuge. He is a strength to the poor — a length to the needy in his distress. Do you not see in the oar of trial what a rest they found in God — in the Saviour? -how they poured out their sorrows into the ear of their B^ Priest f Cleave you to them.
IL Their people are a happy people.
Naomi was one of the pecidiar people of Israel. It was hb people that Ruth was going to join. But converted enons amongst us have joined the true Israel — a still more eeuliar people. They have been added to the Church — oh as have been saved.
1. They are a pardoned people: ‘^ Blessed is the man rhoee transgression is forgiven.” They have all this hlessdnesB. Sin is the greatest curse and burden in this wojpld. in makes the world groan, makes damned souls shrink, nd makes hell hlaze. But this people have no unpardoned m lying upon them. They are washed whiter than snow, rhey are all fair — without so much as a spot on them. Hiey are as clean in God’s pure eye as Christ is. Christ ■nied all their sins — they carry all his righteousness. Christ has suffered all their hell. They are in the love of 3ocL God delights in them. Are they not a happy people? He diey not happier than you, who have as much sin as ioold sink a world?
2. A holy people — all born again — all have received the Soly Spirit. He dwells in them, and will never leave them, [hey have an old heart; still the Spirit reigns in them. Hey walk after the Spirit — they love in the Spirit — they ■qr in the Holj QhoBt, Of themselves they cannot ]^i«,^ *,
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but the Spirit teaches them. Heaven is begun in their hearts. Thej have a little of heaven now. Do you not see that they have left off your carnal pleasures? “I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Do you see no difference in their tempers — habits — lives? Are they not calmer, happier, heavenlier, than they were before? Seek what they have found.
3. All things work together for their good. Perhaps you will say they are an afflicted people. Some in poverty — some bereaved — some groaning on sick-beds. True, God j dealeth with them as with sons. Often they cry, Theie ] things are against me. All /or them. If we could see the ’ end as God does, we would see that every event is /or the j believer. When we get to the haven, we will see that eveiy wind was wafking us to glory. j
4. In death. Even wicked Balaam said: ‘^ Let me die the death of the righteous.” “Mark the perfect, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace.” God calif upon you to mark the death-bed of his children. Some- 1 times it is triumphant, like Stephen: “Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit.” Almost always peaceful. Or, if it be that the sun goes down in a cloud, O how sweet the surprise, when the believer finds himself on the other side of Jordan! — at the pearly gate of the New Jerusalem! — in the arms of the angels! — in the smile of Jesus! “There is a rest remaining for the people of God.” Will you not cleave to your godly child — parent — -brother — sister — friend? You have sported together, you have sinned together — will you not be blessed togeth«? “Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.”
III. Thei, want you to go with them.
It is plain that Naomi wanted Ruth to go vrith her; only she wanted her to go not out of mere natural affection, but out of love to Israel’s God. Moses wanted Hobab, his brother-in-law, to go with him. Moses knew the value of the soul: “We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you. Come thou with us, and we will do thee good.” Jeremiah wanted the Jews of his day to go with him: “Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if, je will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for jrimr pride.” — Jer. xiii. 16, 17. Your converted friends. want jou to go with them. They may not have holdness 1 to tdl you so. It is easier to speak to a stranger than to a fiiend. Do you not see their anxiety in their eyes? Do ‘■ you not see how anxious they are that you would come to I die house of prayer? They pray for you in secret. Often when you are sleeping they are prajdng for you. They weep for you “in secret places, for your pride.” Well, if you will not go, you will be left behind. Still weep and pray, dear friends. This earth would be too like heaven if [. ill we love were saved. Oh, what a sad company will be kft!
IV. Eternal separation.
When Orpah turned back from Naomi and Ruth, she f, ibde knew she was parting for ever. They had lived together perhaps from infancy. They had played around the !S lame palm tree — sat before the same cottage door — wan-P dered over the same hills of Moab; now, they parted for eternity. So it is amongst us. There are, no doubt, many ‘[. of us about to be separated for eternity. How strange, that I two trees should grow so near — one to flower in paradise, the other to be a firebrand in hell!
Dear friends, do you not see some whom you love much leally converted and saved? Do you not see they have a peace that passeth understanding, while you are still loaded with guilt? They are growing holier — more fond of prayer — walking more humbly — riper for glory; you riper for hdl — your sins getting faster hold. Oh, this separation will be for eternity! You may love them much, but you will go back to your gods. 1. You will be separated at death; they will pass into glory, into perfect day — you will lift up your eyes in hell. Besides all this, 2. You will be separated at judgment. When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, he shall separate the sheep from the goats; those on the right hand shall be solemnly acquitted — rewarded for all the good works you now see them daily performing. All their prayers and tears for you will then be recompensed. You, on the left hand, shall go away into everlasting punishment. You shall look on that Saviour whom you now despise, and “wail because of him.” When your eye catches your godly friends, how you will
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weep and trail! T<m will then remember all their love, and all your madness. Parents, do you love your converted children? Can you bear to be parted etnaUy? Will you cleave to Naomi, or go back to your people and your gods? How will you bear to see the fruit of your body on the throne with Christ, and yourself a brand in an etenial hell?
St Peter% 1840.