The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-07-03

tns place ifOn Wllil $40 Started Sas wen.
through tbs 81 scsns OF partns with R1ta
and Naomi. My text says; "fhey ltt1l M
their voice and wep..n Al, my Laarsr it
requires more decision anl perseverance, to
stay away from the kinsdonof God than TO
enter it. Although shs dill not know it.
Orpah passed through greater struggle in
turning back into the land OF Moao than
would have been Necessary % tGko her cieai
through to Bethlehem. suppose you thai
those persons who hayo remained in theli
evil ways have had no struggled Why, they
have been obliged to fight every inca OF theii
way,
The road to death Is not suci easy traysl
ing as some ministers have been accustomed
to describe 1t. From beginning 10 end II il
fighting against tho sharp sword OF tbs
Spirit. Iii climbing over the cross. IL Il
wading through tie deep blood of the Son oil
God. 1t is scaling mountains OF priyiegS
1t is wading through lakes OF sorrow. II il
breaking over communion tables and bap
tismal fonts and pulpits and Bibles. II II
wedging one's self tarough between piou
kindred who stand before and press us baci
and hold on 10 us by their prayers even attel
we have passed them in our headlong down
ward career. No man ought to think OF un
dertaking to 20 back into Moab after having
come within sight Of Bethlehem unle's hi
have heart that cannot be ma1s to quake,
and sure foot that Will not slip among init
mite perils, and an arm thar can drive back
the Son of God, who stands in the centre OF
the broad road spreading out His arms and
shouting into the ear OF the tholghtles5 pill
grim, "Stopl 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 car
ries. 1t is very solemn thing to be Chris
tiau, but it is more solemn thing not to be
q Christian. There are multitudes who
afraid of the self denials OF the Christian,
rush into the harder self denials of tho uubs
lever. No yoke but Christ's however tight
and CALLING! Orpah goes back to her idola.
tries, but she returns weeping, and all who
follow her will fluid the same sorrows Just
in proportion as Gospel advantages have
been numerous will be the disturhanc, Of the
heart that will not como to Christ.
The Bible says in regard to the place where
Chris. was buried: an the midst of tis gar.
den there was sepucher;" aud in tde midst
of the mos5 fiowery enioyments OF the I'M
plrdonel there is chilliness OF death. AL.
though they may plll out the arrows that
strike their soul from the Almighty squiver,
there remain sting and a snartinS. Itmsa
wrench themselves away from Christ they
will bear the mark of His hand by which He
would have rescued them. Tne pleasures of
the world may give temporary r. ief from
the undertakings of conscience, but ara like
supplying drugs that dull tho pain only
temporarily. Ahab has great king.
dom. anl YOU would think he
ought to be happy with his courtiers
aud chariots and palaces yet he goes to bel
sick because Naboth will not sell him his
vineyard. Hannah is prime minister OF tho
poor man who will not bow the head makes
him utterly miserable. Herod monopolizss
the most of the worlds honor, and yet is
thrown into rage because they say little
child is born in Bethlehem who may after
awhile dispute his authority. Byron con-
querei the world with his pen, anl yet said
that he felt more uahappines5 from the
criticism of the most illiterate reader than
lie experienced pleasure from tho praise Of
all the talented,
In the last century in England lived ths
immortal Shenstone. Portions of his life
were given to tae writing Of poetry, but this
was not evidently the field for which nature
had equipped him. His name Will never b,
forgotten, because of tho home which he
adorned AMI beautfled until there probably
never has been SO bright spot since the
Garden of Eden as what he loved to call
1.-THE Laasowes. In addition to the marve!s
which nature had wrought he added the PEI"
lection of art. ArborS AMI terraces and slope
and rustic temple and reservoir and urn an |
fountain here had their crowning. Oak and
yew and hazel put on their glory OF verdure.
What the greannesS of deep grass and the
.oam of cascade AMI the glitter of the still
AXE could give Of beauty were added. No
life was more diligent and no soul was more
ingenious than those of Shenstoae, and all
Mat genius and diligence directed to the
a1ornment of that treasured spot. What
more could one want to make home happyi
Vot lie ona ma ~ re in
shose bowers, and casting gloomy looks upon
those parks, AMI the mirth OF leaping water
tails makes no melody in his ear. 1t is
Shenstore, the owner of the Leasowes. 81
have lost my road to happiness" says tha
respondent man. II am angry and envious
and detected AMI frantic, and disregard all
present things, just as it beco nes madnan
TO do" My friends, there is NJ solid h1rr
piness III anything bu5 religion. | care nos
now bright hons Orpah has in Moab when
she turns away from duty sho turns away
rom peace. Amid the bacchaualia Of Bel.
shazzar's feast and the glitter Of cl1lices
there always will come out handwriting
Oil the wall fearfuly onnous: "Feael--
weighedin the balances and foult wanting"
Again this subject teaches that a relisious
choice and the want OF it frequently divide
families Ruth and Orpah and Naomi were
tenderiy attached. They were all widows,
tism of tears. In the of fire trial their aifec-
tons had been forged. Together they were
so pleasantly unitel you can hardly imagine
them separated. Yet fatal line is drawn
dividing them from each other, perhaps for.
ever. Naomi cannot live in q heather coun.
try. She must 30 into Bethlehem, that there
among the pious she may worship the true
God. Ruth make similar choice, but Or.
pah rebels And they lifted up their voice
a,,1 ,-p,,t o,I his ha,.
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 circle of relatives,
while they look alike and walk alike and talk
alike. there is tremendous difference. Out.
wardly united in the affec,iolal relations Of
this life, they are separated in the most i'm
portant respects. Some now are the chill
dren of light and others the children OF dark
ness. These are alive in Christ and those
are dead in sin. Ruth in the land of Bethle-
hem, Orpah in Moab. OF the same family
are David and Solomon, worshipers of the
Most High God, and Adoniiah and Absalon.
who live and die the enemies OF ali righteous
ness. Belonging to the same family was tne
holy and devout Eli and the reckless Phlneas
AM Hophni. Jonathan Edwards. the Soo1,
and Pierrepont Edwards. the bad, belong to
the same family. Aaron Burr. the dlssolute
had most excellent father Dying YET I'M
mortal bearer, by the soieinnity of the
parental and filiaf and coniugal relation,
bv the sacredness of the family hearth, by
the honor of the family name, by the memory
of departed kindred, point out this parting
of Ruth and Orpah.
Again, this subject suggests TO ME two OF
the prominent reasons why people refuse the
kingdom of Christ There may have been
many other reasons why Orpah left her sis
ter and mother-in-law and went back home,
but there were two reasons which think
were more prominent than the rest. She had
been brought up in idolatries. She ioved
the heather gods which her ancestors had
worshiped, and though these blocks OF wood
and stone could not hear she thought taey
could hear. and though they could not se'
She thought they could see, and though they
could not feel she thought they could feel
A new religion had been brought TO her ct
tention. She had marrieda cody man. She
must often have heard her mother-in-laN
talk of the God of Israel. She was so muct
shaken in her original belief that she CON
cluded to leave her idolatries, but coming tc
the margin of the land of Bethlehem heI
determination failed her and speedily she re-
turned to her gods.
This is the very reason why multitudes O
persons never become Christians. They can
not bear to give up their gods. Business is
the American juggerlaut that crusaes mora
men than the great car of the hindaos. To