Therefore we are not to disbelieve science, nor disregard the laws of nature, or we shall lose by our folly.  But we are to believe that nature and science are not our gods.  They do not rule us; our fortunes are not in their hands.  Above nature and above science sits the Lord of nature and the Lord of science.  Above all the counsels of princes, and the struggles of nations, and the chances and changes of this world of man, sits the Judge of princes and of peoples, the Lord of all the nations upon earth, He by whom all things were made, and who upholdeth all things by the word of His power; and He is man, of the substance of His mother; most human and yet most divine; full of justice and truth, full of care and watchfulness, full of love and pity, full of tenderness and understanding; a Friend, a Guide, a Counsellor, a Comforter, a Saviour to all who trust in Him.  He is nearer to us than nature and science:  and He should be dearer to us; for they speak only to our understanding; but He speaks to our human hearts, to our inmost spirits.  Nature and science cannot take away our sins, give peace to our hearts, right judgment to our minds, strength to our wills, or everlasting life to our souls and bodies.  But there sits One upon the throne who can.  And if nature were to vanish away, and science were to be proved (however correct as far as it went) a mere child’s guess about this wonderful world, which none can understand save He who made it—­if all the counsels of princes and of peoples, however just and wise, were to be confounded and come to nought, still, after all, and beyond all, and above all, Christ would abide for ever, with human tenderness yearning over human hearts; with human wisdom teaching human ignorance; with human sympathy sorrowing with human mourners; for ever saying, ’Come unto me, ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’

Cherubim and seraphim, angels and archangels, dominions and powers, whether of nature or of grace—­these all serve Him and do His work.  He has constituted their services in a wonderful order:  but He has not taken their nature on Him.  Our nature He has taken on Him, that we might be bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh; able to say to Him for ever, in all the chances and changes of this mortal life —

’Thou, O Christ, art all I want,
   More than all in thee I find;
Raise me, fallen; cheer me, faint;
   Heal me, sick; and lead me, blind. 
Thou of life the fountain art,
   Freely let me drink of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart,
   Rise to all eternity.’

SERMON X. RUTH

Ruth ii. 4.

And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The
Lord be with you.  And they answered him, The Lord bless thee.

Most of you know the story of Ruth, from which my text is taken, and you have thought it, no doubt, a pretty story.  But did you ever think why it was in the Bible?