The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-07-09

men have been destroyed half way bstween
Sodom and the city Of refuge. Orpah might
as well never have started as afterward to
turn back. Yet multitudes have walked in
her footsteps. Go among those the least in
terested in sacred things, and You will find
that they were onco out Of the land Of Moab.
Every one Of them prayed right heartily and
studied his Bible and frsquented the sane
tuary. but Lots wife looked hack wistfully
to Sodom, and Orpah retreated from the
company Of Ruth and Naomi. It is on i'm
pressive thought that after Orpah had gona
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 us the
truth that those who have oncs felt it their
duty to leave their natural state cannot give
up their duty and go back to hardness Of
heart without 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 hearer, it
requires more decision and perseverance to
stay away from the kingdom Of God than to
Orpah passed through greater struggle in
turning back into the land Of Moab than
would have been necessary to take her clear
through to Bethlehem. Suppose you that
those persons who have remained 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 travel.
ing as some ministers have been accustomsi
TO describe 1t; From beginning to end it IS
| fighting against thu sharp sword OF the
Spirit It Is climbing over thu cross. It is
wading through the deep blood Of the Soa Of
God. It Is scaling mountains Of privilege.
It Is wading through lakes Of sorrow. 1t Is
breaking over communion tables and bap-
tismal fonts and pulpits and Bibles. 1t Is
wedging ones self through between pious
kindred who stand before and press us back
and hold on to us by their prayers even after
wehaye passed them in our headlong down.
ward career. No man ought to think OF un-
dertaking to 60 back into Moab after having
come within sight of Bethlehem unless he
| have heart that cannot be made to quake
and sure foot that will not slip among intl-
mite perils, and an arm that cal drive back
the Son of God, VINO stands in the csatre OF
the broad road spreading out His arms and
shouting into the ear Of the thoIyh.less pill
grim, "Stopl stop"
We talk about taking up thu cross and
| following Jesus, but that cross Is not half 80
heavy as the burden which the sinner car
ries. It is very solsmn thing to ba Chris
tian, but it Is moro solemn thing not to be
| Christian. There are multitude5 who,
afraid Of the self dsnials OF the Christian,
rush into the harder self denials Of the uuba.
lever. No yoke but Christ's, however tight
and galingl Orpah goss back to her idola-
tries but she returns weeping, AMI oil 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
~o,l+ +N% %lna
Christ was buried: ''In the midst Of the gar
den there was sepulcher;" and in the midst
Of the most aowery enjoyments Of the un-
pardoned there is q chilliness Of death. Al
though they may pull out the arrows that
strike their soul from the Almigaty's quiver,
there remain sting and smarting. II men
wrench themselves away from Christ they
will bear the mark Of His hand by which He
would have rescued them. The pleasures of
the world may give temporary re'ief from
the upbraidings of conscience, but ara like
supplying drugs that dull ths pain only
temporarily. Ahab has great king
dom, and you would think ha
ought to be happy with his courtiers
and chariots and palaces yet he goes to bs1
sick because Naboth will not sell him his
vineyard. Haman is prime minister OF the
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-
auered the world with his pen, and yet said
that he felt moro unhappiness from the
criticism Of the most illiterate reader than
he experienced pleasure from the praise OF
all the talented.
In the last century in England lived ths
immortal shenstone. Portions of his life
were given to the writing Of postry, but this
was not evidently the field for which nature
had equipped him. His mama will never bs
forgotten, because Of the home which he
adorned and beautiaed until there probably
never has been so bright spot since ths
Garden Of Eden as what he loved to call
1.-THE Lsasowes." In addition to the marvels
which nature had wrought he added ths par
fection Of art. Arbors and terrace and slope
and rustic temple and reservoir and urn and
| fountain here had their crowning Oak and
yew and hazel put on their glory Of verdure.
| What the greenness Of deep grass and the
foam Of cascade and the glitter of the still
lake could give Of beauty were added. No
life was more diligent and no soul was mora
ingenious than those Of Shenstone, and all
that genius and diligence directed to the
adornment Of that treasured spot. What
more could one want to make home happy?
Yet there is one man who sits signing in
those bowers, and casting gloomy looks upon
those parks, and the mirth Of leaping water
falls makes no mslody in his ear. 1t is
Shenstone, the owner Of tbs Lsasowes. II
have lost my road to happiness" says the
despondent man. II am angry and envioua
and detected and frantic, and disregard all
present things just as it bssons5 md nan
to do" My friends there Is no solid hap
piness in anything but religion. I care not
t. hao in M0o rvhor
she turns away from duty she turns away
from peace. Amid the baccaanalia Of Bel
shazzar's feast and the glitter Of chalices
there always will come out handwriting
on the wall fearfully ominous: "Tekel-
weighedin the balances and found wanting"
Again, this subject teaches that religious
choice and tha want Of it frequently divide
families. Ruth and Orpah and Naomi were
tenderly attached. They were all widows,
and their life had bean consecrated by 6ap-
tism Of tears. In the Of fire trial their atfec-
tions had bsen forged Together they were
so pleasantly united you can hardly imagine
them separated. Yet fatal line is drawn
dividing them from each other, perhaps for
ever. Naomi cannot live in heather coun-
try. She must 20 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
ana WepC aSalO, anu OTpau hiSoou ho.
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,
while they look alike and walk alike and talk
alike, there Is a tremendous difference. Out.
wardlY united in the affectional 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
= Il. ..4I -, tha1 and Of Rafhla-