The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-07-03
ORPAH'S STRUGGLE.
o LESSON FROM THE STORY OF
NAOMPS DAUCHTER-IN-LAW
Dr. Tnlmagc's Striking Sermon OH II Strik
Ing hnpter in Bible History.

III. 1tNLlt5c CooN lol lhS
text on Sunday Ruth i, II:
"And they lifted up thcir voice
and wcpt, an Orpah kissed her moth
"r-in-law, but Ruth claSe unto her"
Following is the sermon:
Moab was n hcnthcn land. Naomi
is about to leave il and go into the
land of Bethlehem. She has two
daughtcrs-in-law, Ruth and Orpah,
who conclude to go with her. Naomi
tells them they had better not leave
their native land and undertake the
hardship of the journey, but they
will not be persuaded. They all
three started out on their journey.
After awhile, Naomi, although she
highly priced the company of her two
daughters in law, attempted again to
persuade them to go back because of
the hardship and sclf-dcnial through
which they would be obliged to go.
Ruth responds in tho words from
which once discourscd to you: Ell
treat me not to leave thee, or to re-
turn from following after thee, for
where thou gocst will go, and where
thou lodscst 1 will lodge, thy people
shall be my people and thy God my
God, where thou Iicst will | die and
there will | be buried, tn" Lord do
SO to mo and more also if aught but
but death part thee and me- Not
SO with her sister Orpah. Her dc
termination had already been shaken.
The length and peril of tEn journey
began to appeal her, and she had
worshippcd the gods of Moab SO long
that it was hard TO give them up.
From that point Orpah turned back,
tho parting described in the words of
my tcxt: Aud they lifted up their
| voices and wept again, and Orpah
| kissed her mother liz law, but Ruth
| clave unto her.
Learn from this story of Orpah
that some of those who do not leave
the Moab of their iniquitics arc per-
sons of fine susceptibility 1t was
compassion for Naomi in her widow
hood and solrow that led Orpah to
start with her toward Bethlehem. Ii
was not because of any lack of atlcc-
ton for her that sho turned back.
We know this from the grief exhibited
at parting. l do not know but that
she had rs much warmth AMI ardol
Of nature as Ruth, but she lacked tho
courage and persistence of her sister
That there ere many with rs fine
susceptibility rs Orpah who will not
take up their cross and follow Christ
is truth which needs but little dc.
monstration. Many of those who
have become the followers of Jesus
| have but very little natural imprcssi-
| bility. Grace often takes hold of the
| hardest heart and the most unlovcly
character and tarrsforms it. 1t is Il
| hammer that breaks rocks. In this
Christ often shows His powers. 1t
wants but little gcncralship to con
quer Il flat country, but might of ar
tillcry and hcroism to take a fort
manned and ready for raking can
Onnadc. The great Captain of our
salvation has forced his way into
many an armed castle. doubt not
that Christ could have found many Il
fisherman naturally moro noble
hearted than Simon, Peter, but there
was no one by whose conversion
| He could more gloriously have mag
nigcd His grace. The conversion of
II score of Johns would not have IL
Illustrated the power of the Holy
Ghost as much as the conversion of
one Peter. 1t would have been easier
to drive twenty lambs like John into
the fold than to tame ono lion like
Peter. God has often made some OF
His most efficient servants out OF
men naturally unimprcssionablc. As
men take stiff and unwicldy timbcrs
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
unwicldly natures, whilo those natur
ally imprcssonablc arc still in then
unchanged state.
Oh, how many, like Orpah, have
warm affections and yctncvcr become
Christians! Like Orpnh, they know
how to weep, but they do not know
how to pray. Their iincncss Of feeling
leads them into the friendships ofth,
world, but not III communion will
God. They can love everybody bu
Him, who is altogether lovely. Al
other sorrow rcnds their hoart, bu
they are untouched by tho woes Of ,
dying Christ. Good ncws fills then
with excitement, but the glad tiding
of great JOY and salvation stir no
their soul. Anxious to do what i
right, yot they rob God. Grateful
for the slightest favors, they make
no return to Him who wrung out thi
last drop Of blood from His heart te
dclivcr them from going down to th'
pit. They would weep at the door o
a prison at the sight OF wicked cap
tive in chains, but no compassion fol
their own souls, over which satan
like a grim jailer, holds the lock an,
key. When repulsivc, grasping, un
sympathetic natures resist the story
of Il Sayiour's love, it does not excite
our surprise; but it is among the
greatest of wonders that 50 many
who exhibit Orpah's susceptibility
also exhibit Orpahs impcnitency. We
arc not surprised that there is bar
rcnncss in q desert, but strange
thing is it that sometimes the Rose O.