The Forrest City times., 1890-06-28
THE THREE WIDOWS
Talmags Talks About the 0ns Whose
 Courage Gavs Out
While Ruth and Naomi Kept On Their Way to Bethlehem 0rpah Turned Back, Un- needing the App,als to Go On With Them.

While Ruth and Naomi Kept On Their Way to Bethlehem, 0rpah Turned Back, Un- needing the App,als to Go On With Them. Rev. T. Dc Witt Talmage took a new lesson last Sunday, as he preached in the
 Brooklyn Academy of Music from that
 beautiful story of the journey of Ruth and Naomi He took for his subject '.I he Cowardly Daughter-in- Law --Orpah. fiis text; Ruth IA; And they lifted up their voices and wept and Orpah kissed her
 mother-in-law but Ruth clave unto her."
 Following is the sermon;
 Moab was heather land. Naomi is
 about to leave it and go into the land of Bethlehem. Sho has two daughters-in-
 law, Ruth and Orpah, who conclude to go
 with her. Naomi tells them they had bet
 ter not leave their native land and under
 tnke the hardship Of the journey, but they will not be persuaded. They all three l start out on their journey. After awhile, Naomi, although she highly prized the
 company of her two diughters.in.law, at
 tempted again to persuade them to go back because of the hardship and self-denal | through which they would be obliged to go. Ruth responds in the words from
 which once discoursei to you "Entreat me not to leave thee, nor to return from
 following after thee, for where thou gocst 1
 will go, and where thou lodgest I will
 lodge, thy people shall be my people aui
 thy God my God, where thou diest will
 die and there will be buried the Lord do
 80 to me and moro also if aught but death
 part thee and me" Not so with her sister
 Orpah. Her determination had already
 been shaken. The length and peril of the
 journey began to appall her, and she had worshipped the gods Of Moab so long that 1t was hard to give them up. Prom that point Orpah turned back, the parting being describel In the words of my text: And
 they lifted up their voice aud wept again, and Orpah kissed her mother. in.law, but Ruth clavc unto her.
 Learn from this story of Orpha that some Of those who do not leave the Moab of their
 iniquities arc persons of fine susceptibility. It was compassion for Naomi in her widow | hood and sorrow that led Orpha to start with her toward Bethlehem. It was not
 because of any lack of affection for her that
 she turned back. We know this from the
 grief exhibited at parting. l do not know
 but that she had as much warmth and
 ardor of nature as Ruth. but she lacknd tho courage and persistence of her sister. That
 there are many with as fine susceptibility
 us Orpha who will not take up their cross
 and follow Christ, is a truth whi needs but little demonstration. Many of those who have become the followers Of Jesus
 have but vcry little natural impressibility Grace often takes hold of the hardest heart
 and tho most unlovely character and trans. formsit ltis hammer that breaks rocks. In this Christ often shows His power 1t
 wants but little gencralship to conquer a fiat country, but might of artillery and hcroism 10 take fort manned and ready
 for raking cannonade. The great Captain of our salvation has forced his way into
 many m armed castle. I doubt no, that
 Christ could have found many fisherman
 naturally moro noble hearted than Simon Peter. but there was no one by whosa con.
 version He could moro glorioasly have
 magnifcd His grace. The conversion ot
 score of Johns would not havo illustrated
 the power of tho Holy Ghost as much as
 tho conversion of one Peter It would have 1 becn easier to drive twenty lambs ike John Into tho fold than 10 tame one lion ilka Peter. God has often made some of iiis most efficient servants out of men aiuraily unimpressionable As men take stiff and unwieldy timbers, and under huge. handed
 machinery bond them Into the hulk of great
 ships, thus God has often shaped aud bent into His service tho most unwteldy natures. while those naturally impressions able arc 1 still in thosr unchanged state.
 Oh, how many, like orpah, have warm affections and yel never become Christians ! Liks orpah, they know how to weep, but
 toey do not know how 10 pray. Their fine.
 ness of feeling leads them into the frinnd- ships of the word. but not into communion
 with God. They can love everybody but
 Him, who Is altogether iovelg. Ali other
 sorrow rends their heart but they are un- touched by tho woas of dying Christ Good news fills thcm with excitement but
 the great tidngs Of Joy and salvation sur not their soul Anxious 10 do what is right, yet they rob God. Grateful for tho slightest favors, they make no return to Hun who wruug out tho last drop of blood from his hoart to deliver taam from going | down 10 the pit They would weep al tho door of prison at the slght Of wicked
 captive in chains, but have no compassion
 for their owa souls over which Satan like
 grim jaller, holds the lock and koy. When repnlsive graspine, unsympatheiie natures
 rcsis, the story of a Savior's love- 1t dos & not excite our surprise; but it Is atnong the greatest of wonders that so many who ex- hibit orpah's susceptibility also exhibit orpah's mpenltency, We are not snrprls. ] ed that there Is barrenness in a desert. but i stangc thing Is that sometimes tho Rose Of Sharon will not grow in garden On
 a summer morning we are not surprised to find rock without any dew on it, but if, going among a flock of lilies wa saw in
 them no glitterins drops wa would say. What foul sprito has beca rnbbiny these
 vasess' We ars not surpris ad that Herod did not become Christian but how strangs ,
 that the young man Jesus loved for his sweetness Of temper should not have loved thu Redeemer, Hard hearted Felix trem hlea proud Nebuehadnexxar repeated and | cruel Manasseh turned unto the Lord: but
 many . nature. affectioaate and gentle, has
 fought successfully against divine iniiu.
 cnces. Many dove has refused to come
 In the window Of the ark although finding no rest for the sole of her loot
 Again the history Of Orpah impressas upon me the truth that there ara many who l make good starting. but after awhile change their minds and turn back. When these three monrners start from thelr nome l in Moab there is as much probability that Orpah will reach Bethlehem as that her l sister Ruth and her mother in-law, Naomi. will arrive there. But while these continua in the iourney they commenced, Orpah | after awhile gets discouraged and turns | back This is the history of many a soul. Perhaps 1t was during revival of relig.o on they resolved upon Christian life, and | made preparations to leave Moab. Before that thcv wcre indifferent to the sanctuary, | churches vera necessary evils. Tho min-
 is,cr almost always preached roor sermons,
 because they hal not the heart to hear them. They thought tho brsad was not l good because their appetite was poor. Ro- igiou did very well for invalids and the aged, but thcy had no desire for it Suddenly change came upon their soul. They found that something must be done, Every night there was thorn in their pillow. There was gall in their wine. They fonnd that their pleasures were only false lights of n swamp that rise out ot decay | aud death Losing taeir seif-control they were started by their own prayer sfsod hs