The Forrest City times., 1890-06-28

with longing to the place from which she came, and was destroyei. Halt way be- tween Sodom and tho city of Refuge that storm comes upon her, anl it's salt and birthstone gather on hcr girments until they srs 60 stlifenei she cannot proceed, nor can she lie down, because q. this dread. full wrapping arouli har garments and limbs; and long after h,r life has gone she still stands thsre so covered up by the strange storm that sa, is clllei pillar of salt as somo sailor on ships deck in tho wintry tempest stands covered with mail of ice. Ten thousand times ton thousand men have been distroyed half way between Sodom anu tho city of Rsfugd. Orphn might a. well never have s.arsed as aftsrw irds to turn back. Yet multtudes h,vo walked in her footsteps Go among those the least interested in sacred things ani you will fad that they were on out or the lad of Moab Every one of them prayed right heartily and stud jed taeir Bibles; and frsqusntcd ths sanct- uary, but Lots wiso look al back wistfully to Sodom, and Orpah retrsAte from the company of Ruth aad Naomi. It ia au im- pressive thought that after Orpah had gone SO far as actus ly to look over into the land Of Bethlehem she turnol back and died in Moab
 Again. This subie teachos that a re- ligious choice and the want of 1t froqueut- ly divide families. Ruth anl Orpah and Naomi wore tenderly attached They were all widows and their life had been con secrated by baptism of telrs. In ths fro of trial their affections had been forged Together they were so pleasantly united you can hardly inag n, them sep. erated Yet fatal line is drawn dividing them from each other perhaps forever Naomi cannot live in a heathen country. She must 20 in to Bethlehem that there among the pioas she may worship the true God Ruth makes similar choice, bt Orpab rebels. And they lifted up their voice and wept again, md Orpah kissed her mother-in- law, but Ruth clave unto her. The history of this family of Elimclech is tho history of many families of this day. How often is it tn 1t in Il cir cle of relatives. while they look alike, and walk alike, and talk alike, there |, tre mendous difference. Outwdrily united in the aIfectiona relations of this life, they are separated in tho most impor. tant respects. Some now are the chidr3n of light nni others tn children of dark ness. Those aro alive in Carist anl those are dead in sin. Ruth in the land of Beth lehem, Orplh in Moab. Of the slme fami- ly are David aud Solomon, worshippers of the Most High God, and Adoniiah and Alb salon. who live and dle tho onimies Of all righteousness Belonging to the saiue family was tho holy and devout Eli, and the reckless Ph.neas, and Hophni Joni- than Edwards, the good, and Pierrepont Edwards, the bad belong to the same fam fly. Aaron Burr, the disso,ute. hId most excellent father. Dying, yet immortal hcarcr. by the solsmuity of the parental and NifaI nni r,t lNp he ho saeredness of tho family hearth, b. the honor of iho family nam, by the memory of departed kindroi poin, out this part ing of Rath and opah.
 Again: This bject auggasts to mo two of tho prominent reasons why D opla re- fuse the kingdom os Christ There may have been many other reasons why Orpaii laft er sister an mother law, and went back home, bat thsre ara two rcas ns which think warc moro proninsns than tho rest She had bean brou sht up in idol. airies. She loved tho hsathca gods watch her ancestors had worshippel, and, though these blocks Of wood and stone could not boar, sho thou : ht they could hear anu, though they could nos see shs thought they could sce, and though they could not feel. she thought they could feel A new re igion had been hroasht to her attention.
 
 often have hoarl her mother. tn law talk of tho God of Israel Sha was sp muck shaken In hsr original belief thu sna con. rlAdsd 10 loave her dp.atries, but, comins 10 the marcin of ihs land uf Bethlehcm, her letarmlu ttion failed her, and spsadi,y sae returned 10 her gols rhls is the very reason why malutules ot psrsoas nevar become Christiaus Thsy cannot boar 10 giva up thsr gods. l,asiasss Is the Amer. tean jHegernaat that crushes moro mea than the great car og tho tiindoos To it they say th 'ir morning ani evening prayers. X istile of Chrisfs religion may cseep lnto the sabbath, bat Monday. Tuesday. Wednes lay, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, arc the days devoted to this American idol Evsry hour ihera ts saeriu e on tho altar Homs datscs health oI body. mluly strength and immnr ta aH ,ctlons must ali burn ia ,hjs bolo eauss Men act as though thy could take their bonds, and mortgages and saws, and trowels. and axes aai day books, with them into the kingdom ot haven.
 Fneee ara many who have no uGholy thirst for gold, yet wA> are asvosia < ,ham- selves io thelr worldly o'capAt'o 'ons with a fuinous intensity. Men of tho stock eX. change. men Of tho yardstcx men Of tho saw. man Of the trowci, men of the day. book. what will bacoma os you, if unfor. given, in tha great day when there are no houses to build and no goods to sell, and no bargains to maksi it ia possible to de- vote oneself even 10 q lawful calling until It becomes sintul Thsre is no excuse oa the earth or under tha ,rth for the ues- lecs of our ieathlsss spirit Lydia was a seller of purple, yet she did not allow her extensive oocupat ca so kosp her from bs "a h os State and AttorncY G cncral in the em. psrs Of Babylon, aud yst. shrea times day he found tlme to pray with his face to. wards Jerusalem Tho man who has no time to attend to religion will have no tune to eater heaven
 Hut there are others who whle their worldly occupation has no particular fas. elnation over them, are entirely absorbed ia tho gains that come 10 that occupation. This is the worship ot Mammon. The ring ei dollars and cents is the only i,any they eyer utter Though in sha last day tho eIrth itself will not ba worth farthing a heap of ashes scattered in the whiriwind, they are now giving the F tina and eter. nlty for the acquisition Of so much of It as you might at last hold in tha hollow of ous hand. The American Indian who gava enough land to make Stlta out of for Il string of beads, made priueely bargain compared with the speculation of that man who gains the whole world and loses his own soul How much comfort do the men take who died unforgiven ten years ago, leaving large fortunes 10 their hairsl Do they ever come up to co nt the gold they hoarded or walk through the mansions they built Though they could have bought an empirs, they have not now as mu h money as you have this moment in your pocket So omon looked upon hts palace and tho grounds surrounding it. pools trimmed with gold, and circling roads along which. at times. rushed his fourteen hundred chariots, while under the out ut,branching sycamores ani cedars walked the apes and peacocks which by tho navy of Hiram had been brought from Tursh,sh and from the