The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-06-13

AND ANNUAL ADDRESS IN FULL.
and there will be buried: the Lord
do so to me and more also, if aught
but death part thee and me-"
/ This was her sincere and inf1exible
purpose There was no halting on
her part. There was no starting for
ward and then turning back. There
was no lukewarmness about her
response. She was willing to look
dangers i'll the face, and then face
da, gers. Unlike the man who came
to our Lord, with the avowal, i will
follow thee whithersoever thou goest,'
but who on hearing, that "the foxes
have holes, the birds Of the air have
nests, but the Son of Man hath not
where to lay his head" abandoned his
purpose-unlike him, this gentle wo-
man, as the difficulties thicken Oh her
pathway, resolves with courage holy
and sublime to surmount them all.
She chose simplicity and poverty, even
hardship and bitterness with the true
God for support and defence, rath-
er than the ease, the corn and the
wine, the riches and the plenty of
Moab, coupled and allied as it was
with false Gods. She emphatically
gave up all to follow Christ. She
gave up her own father and mother,
her former home, her country and her
all that she might gain the friendship
of God and an interest in the heaven
ly country. Like Paul she counted
all things but loss for TIE excellency
of Christ Jesus, or Jehovah. Like
him she left all, and lost all that she
might win him.
A young lady the daughter of god
less parents was, while in attendance
upon an excellent school, converted to
God. When her father and mother
heard of her conversion they said moth
ing, they wrote nothing. They did
not to her express their least disappro-
baton, but they planned series of
balls and parties they thought would
win her from Christ. She came home
and passed through them all unharm-
ed. They then called her down to
the front porch and said, "Mary, we
are sorry you are still welded to this
abominable superstition. We have
tried to wean you from it. Now you
have got to make choice between Us
and this religion of yours. If you
stay with us, you must give it up. If
you are not willing to give it up, go up
stairs, put on plain bonnet and dress
and come down and leave this house
forever. Mary went to her room, put
on plain dress and bonnet, and came
down, bid her father and mother fare
well, and started down the path to
the gate Aud as she went, she began
to sing:
Jesus, l, my cross, have taken,
r, All to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken
Thou from hence, my all shalt be.
Perish every fond ambition,
All I've sought, or hoped, or known,
Yet, how rich is my condition.,
God and Heaven are still my own.
Oh, while thou dost smile upon me
God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me
Show thy face and all is bright.
Her father listened a few moments
and then went after her and said,
"Mary, colue back, a religion that can
sustain you and make you 80 happy as
that when rejected by father and
mother ID something We want oursel-
yes. Come back, my daughter, come
back"
/ Christ is the touch-stone of every
mans religion. If we have not the
doctrine of Christ, we are none of his
True religion requires US t. forsake all
we hold dear for Christ 1t calls for
T the supreme affection of the heart and
: the entire surrender Of all we haye
and are for Christ. Father and
T mother canLot come in between US and
Christ. The pleasures of this life
must nut and cannot be chosen before
him
, Ruth displayed the quality of deci
sion which we must all have in order
to follow Christ. Her language and
conduct Wa positive, decided, unhesi
tating.
Our Lord says mo man having put
/ his hand to the pillow and looking back
; is fit for the Kingdom of God"
> The mother of the Wesleys was .
, consecrated toiler in the vineyard o
, our Lord, and the faithfulness of hel
labors have filled all Chrisrendon, with
3 the fruits of her piety. Lady Hunt
3 ingdon was a rich young heiress il
8 London but she gave herself wholly tt
i Christ, and was an inspir stion and ,
! blessing to the Wesleys, to Whitfield
and to the whole Church of God dur
/ ing her. day. Her memory will b,
precious in all coming ages. Loni
t since have the society bellies tha
scorned her piety passed will
3 their own brief amnsements int,
forgetfulness, but her memory lives
|. and will live when sun aud starr hav,
Q ceased to shine.
. The Church of God needs in ever,
age just such women as Ruth. The
q are the light of the world The,
are the cities set on an hill which can
: not be hid. Quick and gentle and pa
: tent. yet enduring and positive, the.
' accomplish results that seem entirel,
t inadequate to the means used. Thei
. method Of work chimes in we'll viii
: the Genius of Christianity. 1t is th
Z tgrain ofmustard seed that springs into
eI great tree, in whose branches the fowl
= of the air lodge. Il is the little tall
!, of our lord with the woman at the vel