Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-07-03
SUNDAYS SERMON.
ONE of REV. DR.. TALMAGE's
sTERLING DIsCoURsEs-
subject. Lesson From the History
of Orpah."

II
tpept aqdin, and Orpdh kissed her mother
i,.-Iap: but Ruth clare unto her."-Ruth l.,
IA.
Moab was heather land. Naomi is about
to leave il and go into the land OF Bethle-
hem. She has two daughters-in-law, kutn
and Orpah, who conclude to go with ner.
Naomi tells them they had better not leave
their native land and undertake the hard
ship OF the journey, but they will not be per-
suaded. They all three start out on their
Journey After awhile Naomi, although sne
highly priced the company OF her TWO daugn-
ters-in-iaw, attempted again to persuade
them to 90 back because of the hardship and
self denial through which they would De
Obliged to CO. Ruth responds in the words
from which | once discoursed to you;
ssEntreat me not to leave thee
nor to return from following after
thee, for where thou goest l viii go, ana
where thou lodgest l will lodge; thy people
shall be my people, and thy God my TOD,
where thou diest will l die and there VIII
be buried; the Lord do so TO me and more
also if aught but death part thee and me"
Not so with her sister Orpah. Her deter
mination had already been shaken. Inc
length and peril of the journey began TO
appall her, and she had worshiped the gods
OF Moab so long that it was hard 10 give
them up. From that point Orpah turned
hack. the parting being described IN the
words of my text And they lifted up their
voice and wept again and Orpah kissed her
mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her.
Learn from this story of Orpah that some
of those who do not leave the Moab OF their
iniqnities are persons of fine susceptibility.
1t was compassion for Naomi, In her WIDOW
hood and sorrow, that led Orpah to start
with her toward Bethlehem. 1t was not be-
cause of any lack of affection for her that
she Turned back We know this from the
grief exhibited at parting. do not know
but that she had as much warmth and ardor
of nature as Ruth, but she lacked the cour-
age and persistence of her sister. That there
are many with as fine susceptibility as Or
pah who will not take up their cross and FOL
low Christ is a truth which needs but little
demonstration. Many of those who have be-
come the followers of Jesus have but very
little natural impressibility. Grace often
takes hold of the hardest heart and the most
unlovely character and transforms 1t. IL Is
a hammer that breaks rocks. In this Chrlst
often shows His power. 1t wants but little
reneralship to conquer fiat country, but
might of artillery and heroism to take fort
manned and ready for rahng cannonade.
The great captain of our salvation has
forced His way into many an armed castle.
/ doubt not that Christ could have found
many a fisherman naturally more noble
hearted than Simon Peter but there was no
one by whose conversion lie could more
ploriously have magnified His grace. The
Conversion of a score of Johns would not
have illustrated the power of the Holy Ghost
as much as the conversion OF one Fetsr. IL
would have been easier to drive twenty
lambs like John into the fold than to tame one
lion like Peter God has often made some
of His most efficient servants out of men
naturally unimpressionable. As men take
stiff and unwieldly timbers, and under huge
handed machinery bend them into the hulk
OF great ships thus God has often shaped and
bent into His service the most unwieldly ma
lures. while those naturally impressionabie
are still in their unchanged state.
Oh. how many, like Orpah, have warm ar
fections and vet never become Christiansi
Like Orpah, they know how to weep, but
they do not know how to pray. Their fine
ness of feeling leads them into the friendships
of the world but not into communion with
God. They can love everybody but him,
who is altogether lovely. All other sorrow
rends their heart, but they are untouched by
the woes of dying Christ. Good news Nils
them with excitement, but the glad tidings
of great ioy and salvation stir not their soul
Anxious to do what is right yet they rob
sIod. Grateful for the slightest favors, they
make no return TO Him who wrung out the
last drop of blood from His heart to deliver
them from going down to the pit. Ihey
would weep at the door o. prison ~ tne
Eighto a wicked captive in chains, but have
no compassion for their own souls over
which Satan, like grim jailer, holds the
lock and kew When repulslve, grasplng,
unsvmpatnetic natures resist the story OF a
Saviour's love it does not excite our surprise
but it is among the greatest OF wonders Inat
SO many vino exhibit Orpah's susceptibility
also exhibit Orpahs impenitency.
We are not surprised that there is barren,
ness in a desert, but a strange thing Is II ina
sometimes the Rose of Sharon viii not grow
in n garden. On summer morning we arr
NOT Surprised to find rock without any dew
on it, but il going among flock OF lilies W.
saw in them no glittering drops we wonle
say: what foul sprite has been robDlnl
these vasesy We are not surprised ina
Herod did not become Christian, but nov
strange that the young man Jesus loved 10
His sweetness of temper should not nav
loved his Redeemer. Hard-hearted ZEN.
trembled proud Nebuchadnezzar repented
and cruel Manasseh turned unto the Lord
but many a nature, affectlonate and gentie
has fought successfully against divine innu
encas MANY a dove has refused to come
the window of the ark, although nnding n
rest for the sole of her foot.
AGAIN. the history of Orpah impresses upo
me fine truth that there are many who max
a good starting, but after awhile chang
their minds and turn back. w hen tines
three mourners start from tneir NONE I. !
Noah there is as much probability tina
Ornah will reach Bethlehem as that her 81
ter Ruth aud her mother-in-law Naomi WI
arrive there. But while these continue !
the tourney they commenced, Orpah ate
awhile gets discouraged and turns back. III
A. The history OF many a soul. Perhaps 1t ws
during a revival of religion they resolve
upon Christian life and made preparation
10 leave Moab. Before that they were indi
fereut TO the sanctuary; churches were ne
essary evils. The minister almost alwa.
preached poor sermons, because they had ne
the heart to hear them. They thought Il
bread was not good because their appenl
was poor. Religion did very well for inv
lids and the aged, but they had no desire fS
it.
Suddenly a change came upon their sou
They found that something must be dom
Every night there was a thorn in their pi
low. There was gall in their wine. The
found that their pleasures were only fah
lights of a swamp that rise out OF decay an
death. Losing their self-control they WEI
startled by their own prayer: God |
mercifui to me sinner" They did not su
meet Il. but the Holy Ghost was in their sou
Without thinking what they were DOR
fhev brushed the dust off the family Biol
The Ground did not feel as firm under ther
nor did the air seem as bright. They tri
~ dam back the food of their emotions b
the attempt failed, and they confessed the