Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-23

| ward career.
No man ought to think of undertaking to 60
| back into Moab after having come within sight
| of Bethlehem unless he have heart thar can,
not be made to quake. and sure foot tnat VIII
not slip among infinite perils, and an arm thas Al
can drive back the Son of God, who STANDS IN
| the center of the broad road, spreading out us
arms and shouting into the ear of the thougnt-
| less pilgrim, 'Stopi Stopr'
We talk about taking up the cross and fol-
| lowing Jesus, but that cross is not hall SO
| heavy as the burden which the sinner carries.
/ 1t is very solemn thing to be Christian, put
| II is more solemn thing not to be CHRISTIAN.
| There are multitudes who. afraid OF the sell
denials of the Christian. rush into the harder
/ self-denials of the unbeliever No yoke but
Christ's. however tight and calling! Orpan
goes back to her idolatries. but she returns
weeping; and all who follow her will find the
same sorrows. Just in proportion as gospel ad-
vantages have been numerous will be the dis
turb2nce OF the heart that will not turn 10
Christ.
NO EASY WAY TO HEAVEN.
Ny friends, there is no solid happiness In
any thing but religion. 1 care not how bright
home orpah has in Moab, when she turns away
from duty she turns away from peace. Amid
the bacchanalia of Belshazzar's feast, and the
glitter of chalices there always will come
out handwriting on the wall. .fearfully omtnous;
Iekel-weighed in the balances and found
wanting" When you can reap harvests on
bare rocks, and gather balm out of nightshade,
and make sunlight sleep in the heart of Sc
pulchres and build firm house on rocking
bllow, then can an unpardoned soul nnd nrm
enjoyment amid its tTansgressions. Then
can Orpah 90 back to Moab without weeping,
Again: This subject teaches that a religious
choice and the want OF 1t frequently divide
families. Ruth and Orpah and Naomi were ten
life had been consecrated by baptism of tears.
In the fre of trial their affections had been
forged. Together they were SO pleasantly
united you can hardly imagine them separated.
or q fat al Sc AfriAi fhar,1 frnrf
each other, perhaps forever. Naomi cannot
live in heather country. She must go into
Bethlehem, that there among the plous 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 a circle Of relatives, Wnlle
they look alike, and walk alike, and talk alike,
there is tremendous difference. Outwardly
united in the affectional 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 darkness.
THE AMERICAN JUGGERNAUT
that crnshes more men than the great car
of the uindoos. To It they say their morning
and evening prayers. A little of Christs re-
ligion may creep into the sabbath. but Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and
Saturday are the days devoted to this Ameri-
can idol Every hour there is a sacrifice on the
altar. Home duties, health of body, manly
strength and immortal affections must all burn
in this holocaust. Aen act as though they
could take their bonds and mortgages and
saws and trowels and axes and daybooks with
them into the kingdom of heaven.
There are many who have no unholy thirst
for gold. yet who are devoting themselves to
their worldly occupations with ruinous inten-
sity. Men of the stock exchange men of the
yard stick, men of the saw, men of the trowel,
if unforgiven in the great day when there are
no houses to build and no gouds to sell and no
bargains to make? 1t is possible to devote one
self even to lawful calling until it becomes
der the earth for the neglect of our DEATH
less spirit Lydia was seller of purple,
yet she did not allow her extensive
occupation to keep her from becoming
of State and Attorney General in the empire Of
Babylon, and yet three times a day he found
time to pray with his face toward Jerusalem.
The man who has no time to attend to religion
will have no time to enter heaven.
But there are others who, while their worldly
occupation has no particular fascination over
come to that occupation. This is the worship
of Mammon. The ring of dollars and cents is
the only htany they ever utter. Though in the
last day the earth itself will not be worth
farthing, heap of ashes scattered in the whirl-
wind, they are now giving their time and eter-
nifty for the acquisition of SO much of it as you
might at last hold in tie hollow of one hand.
The American Indian who gave enough land
to make a State out of, for a string of beads,
made princely bargain compared with the
speculation of that man who gains the whole
comfort do the men take who died unforgiven
ten years ago.
LEAVING LARGE FORTUNES
To their heirs? Do they ever come up to count
the gold they boarded or walk through the
mansions they builtf Though they could have
bought an empire, they have not now as much
money as you have this moment In your pocket
Solomon looked upon his palace and the
grounds surrounding it, pools trimmed with
golo, and circling roads along which, at times,
rushed his ], 400 chariots. while under the out
sycamores and cedars walked the
apes and peacocks. which by the navy of Hiram
had been brought from Tarshish, and from the
window curtains with embroidered gold and |
purple through which came out the thrill of |
harps and psalteries mingling with the song |
Of the waters. When Solomon saw that all |
these luXuries of sight and sound had been |
purchased by his wealth, he broke forth in the |
Money answereth all things" |
But we cannot receive 1t as literal 1t cannot |
still the voice Of conscience. 1t cannot drown
.he sorrows of the soul. 1t cannot put a bribe
n the hand of death. 1t cannot unlock the |
yate of heaven.
But it was not only the gods OF Moab that
made Orpah leave her sister and mother-in-law
She doubtless had dread of the hardships to
which they would be exposed on the journey to
Bethlehem, and Orpah was not alone in the 4
ear. Doubtless some of you have been appalled, |
md driven back by the self-denials of the
christian life. The taunt of the world, the
harge of hypocrisy which they would some
lines be obliged to confront. has kept many
way from the land of Bethlehem. They spend
heir life IN counting the cost and, because a
christian life demands SO much courage and
aith, they dare not begin to build. Perhaps
hey are courageous in every other respect
7bov n0t in 0f |
Icept that of trusting in the infinite mercy of
,hrst The sheep are more afraid OF the shep-
erd than of the wolves. They shrink away
rom the presence of Christ as though He were
tyrant rather than a friend who sticketh
loser than a brother. They feel more safe in
be ranks of the enemy where they must suffer
infinite defeat than in
THE ARMY OF CHRIST
Fhich shall be more than conquerors through
linn that hath loved them. Men shIver and
remble before religion as though they were
to throw their life away, as though
we're a surrender of honor and manliness and
eason and self-respect and all that is worth
eepIng. What has God ever done that His
lercy should be doubted? Was there ever a
orrow of His frailest child that He did not
ity? Was there ever a soul that He left nm
elped in the darkness? Was there ever a
lartyr that He did not strengthen in The flames?
Vas there ever a dying man to whose relief He
id not come at the cry Of Lord Jesus. receive
ly spirit" Aye, my SOUL what has God done
rat so basely thou has doubted HimP Did He
Iake the whole earth a desert? Are all the
1ies dark and storm-swept? Is life all sick
ess? Is the air all plague? Is there nothing
Ut rods and scorpions and furnaces? God
new how many suspicious and unbeliefs men
ould entertain in regard to Him and therefore,
tier making multitude of plain and precious
romises, He places His hand on His own heart |
nd swears by His own existence: LAS 1 1--we,
nth the Lord God. l have no pleasure in the