Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-06-23
LACK OF COURAGE.
lCoatiuuco from First Page. !

Continued from First Page
Alas. Alas. Starting out for heaven
is very different thing from arriving
there. Remember Lots wife. She
looked back with longing to the place
from which she came, and was destroy
ed. Half way between Sodom and the
city of Refuge that strange storm comes
upon her, and its salt and birthstone
gather on her garments until they are
so Stiffened she cannot proceed, nor can
She lie down, because of this dreadful
wrapping around kher garments and
limbs: and long after her life has gone
she still stands there so covered up by
the strange storm that she is called Il
pillar Of salt. as some sailor on ships
deck In the wintry tempest stands COW
cred with mail of ice. Ten
thousand times ten thousand
men have been destroyed half way be-
tween Sodom and the city Of Refuge.
Orpah might as well never have started
rs afterwards to turn back. Yet null
titudes have walked in her footsteps.
/ Go among those the least interested in
sacred things and you will find that they
were once out of the land of Moab.
Every one of them prayed right hear
l tily and studied their Bibles; and fire.
Quented the sanctuary. but Lots wife
looked back wistfully to Sodom, and
Orpah retreated from the company of
Ruth and Naomi. 1t is an impressive
thought that after Orpah had gone so
/ far as actually to look over into the
| land Of Bethlehem she turned back and
died in Moab.
Again: let our subject impress upon
MS the truth that those who have once
| felt il their duty to leave their natural
state cannot give up their duty and go
back TO hardness of heart without Il
struggle After Orpah had thoroughly
made up her mind to go back to the
place from which she started, she went
/ through the sad scene of parting with
Ruth and Naomi. My text says: They
lifted up their voice and wept." All,
my hearers, ii requires more decision
and perseverance TO stay away from the
| kingdom Of God than to enter it. Al
though she did not know it, Orpah
passed through greater struggle in
| turning back into the land of Moab than
would have been necessary 10 take her
clear through to Bethlehem. Suppose
YOU that those persons who have re-
manned in their evil ways have had no
struggle? Why, they have been
Obliged TO fight every inch of their way.
/ The road TO death is
NOT SUCH EASY TRAVELLING
rs some ministers have been accustomed
to describe il. From beginning TO end
ia is fighting against the sharp sword oil
the Spirit 1t is climbing over the cross.
Ii is wadmg through the deep blood OF
the Son of God. IL is scaling mountains
of privilege. 1t is wadinS through lakes
of sorrow. II is breaking over com
munion tables and baptiSmal fonts and
pulpits and Bibles. 1t is wedging one
self through between piOuS kindred who
stand before and press Us back and hold
ON to MS by their prayers even after we
bnye PASSED them in our hcadlOng down
ward career. No man ought TO think OF
undertaking TO 90 back into Moab after
having come within sight of Bethlehem
unless he have heart that cannot be
made 10 quake, and 4 sure foot that Will
not slip among infinite perllS. ana an
arm that can drive back the Son oil Tod
who stands in the centre OF the broad
road spreading out His arms and Snout-
ing into the ear of the thoughtleSS pill
grim, stop, Stop
We talk about taking up the cross
and following Jesus, but that cross Is
not half So heavy aS the burden which
the sinner carries. II is a very solemn
thing TO bc a Christian, but it Is more
solemn thing not 10 be a Christian.
There are multitudcS who, afraid OF the
Self-denialS of the Christian, rush into
the harder Self-denialS OF the unbe-
lever. No yoke but ChriSt'S, however
tight and CALLING. Orpah goes back TO
his idolitarieS. but she returns weep
/ iug: and all who follow her will find the
same sorrows. Just in proportion as
gospel advantages have been numerous
will be the disturbance Of the heart
that will not come To Christ.
Again: This subject teaches that a
religious choice and the want OF II
frequently divide families. Ruth and
IOrpah and Naomi were tcndcrly at
tached. They were all widows, and their
life has been consecrated by baptism OF
tears. In the fire of trial their atfec-
tions had been forged. Together they
were so pleasantly united, you can hard
ly imagine them separated. Yet fatal
line is drawn dividing them from each
other. perhaps forever. Naomi cannot
/ live i'm a heather country. She must
Z. thnf hnra nrnnnU tlp
piouS She may worship the true God.
Ruth makes a similar choice, but Orpah
rebels. And they lifted up their voice
and wept again. and Orpah kissed her
mother-in-law. but Ruth clave unto her.
The history of this family of Elimelech
is the history of many families OF this
day. How often it is that
IN 4 CIRCLE OF RELATIVES,
while they look alike, and walk alike,
and talk alike, there is a tremendous
difference. Outwardly related in the
afectional relations Of this life, they
are separated in the most important re.
SpectS Some now are the children OF
light. and others the children OF dark
ness. These are alive in Christ, and
and those are dead in sin. Ruth in the
land Of Bethlehem, Orpah in Moab. or
/ the same family are David and Solo
mon. worshipperS Of the Most High
/ God. and Adonijah and AbSalom, who
/ live and die the enemies OF all right
cousncss. Belonging to the same family
was the holy and dev0ut Eli, and the
reckless PhineaS, and Hophni. Jona-
than Edwards, the good, and Pierre
point Edwards. the bad, belong to the
same family. Aaron Burr, the diSSolute,
had a most excellent father. Dying,
vet immortal nearer, by the Solemnity
of the parental. and filial, and conjugal
relation, by the SacredneSS Of the family
hearth. by the honor of the family
name. by the memory Of departed kim
dred. | point out this parting OF Ruth
and Orpah.
Again: This subject suggests to me
two of the prominent reasons why peo-
ple refuse the kingdom of Christ. There
may have been many other reasons why
O-pah left her sister and mother-in-law,
and went back home, but there were
two reasons which l think were more
prominent than the rest. She had been
brought up in idolatrieS. She loved tAe
heather gods which her ancestors had
worsbipped. and, though these blocks