The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1890-07-10

| her footsteps. Gro among those the least in
| terested in sacred things, and you will find
that they were once out of the land Of Moab.
Every one of them prayed right heartily and
studied his Bible and frequented the sane
tuary, but Lots wife looked back wistfully
to Sodom, and Orpah retreated from the
company of Ruth and Naomi. 1t is an i'm
pressive thought that after Orpah had gone
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 once felt it their
duty to leave their natural state cannot give
up their duty and go back to hardness OF
heart without a struggle. After Orpah had
thoroughly made up her mind to SO back to
the place from which she started she went
through the sad scene Of parting with Ruth
and Naomi. My text says: "rhey, lifted up
| requires more decision aud perseverance to
stay away from the kingdom Of God than to
enter it. Although she did not know it,
! Orpah passed through 4 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 accustomed
to describe it, From beginning to end it is
| fighting against the sharp sword Of tie
Spirit. 1t is climbing over the cross. 1t is
wading through the deep blood Of the Son of
God. 1t is scaling mountains of privilege.
1t is wadipg through lakes of sorrow. 1t is
| breaking over communion tables and bap-
| tisD,ol fonts and r,,lpitS op1 RjblnS III 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
| we have 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 inf
mite perilS, and an arm that 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 tho thoughtless pill
grim, stop! stop"
we talk about taking up the cross and
following Jesus, but that cross is not half 50
heavy as the burden which the sinner car
ries. 1t is very solemn thing to be Chris
tian but it is mora solemn thing not to be
D Christian. There are multitudes who,
afraid of the self denias of the Christian,
lever. No yoke but ChristS, however tight
and CALLING! Orpah goes back to her idola-
tries, but she returns weeping, an1 all 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.
The Bible says in regard to the place where
Christ was buried: I'm the midst of the gar
len there was a sepulcher;" and in the midst
of the most fowery enjoyments Of the u1-
pardoned there is chilliness OF DEATH AL
:hough they may pull out the arrows that
strike their soul from the Almighty's culver,
here remain sting and smarting. Ifmsn
wrench themselves away from Christ they
will bear thu 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 are like
supplying drugs that dull the pain only
temporarily. Ahab has q great king
dom, and you would think he
ought to bs happy with his coartiers
and chariots and palaces, ,yot he goes to bel
vineyard. Haman is prime minister Of tho
greatest nation in thu world, AMI yet ons
poor man who will not bow the head makes
him utterly miserable. Herod monopolizes
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-
quered the world with his pen, and yet said
that he felt more unhappiness from. the
criticism of the most illiterate reader than
he experienced p,easure from tho praise OF
all the talented.
In the last century in England lived thu
immortal Shenstone. Portions Of his life
were given to the writing of poetry, but this
was not evidently the field for which nature
had equipped him. His namo will never b,
forgotten, because of the home which he
adorned and beautified until there probably
never has been so bright spot since the
Garden Of Eden as what he loved to call
"The Leasowes." In addition to the marvels
which nature had wrought he added the per-
lection of art. Arbors and terrace and slope
md rustic temple and reservoir and urn and
fountain here had their crowning. Oak and
VOW 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 diligelt and no soul was more
ingenious than those Of ShenStone, and all
that genius and diligence directed to the
aiornment 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 gloL ny looks upon
those parks. and the mirth Of leaping water
falls makes no melody in his ear. 1t is
Shenstone, the owner Of the Leasowes. II
have lost my road to happiness" says the
despon1ent man. II am angry and envous,
and detected anl frantic, and disregard all
present things, just as it becomes madman
to do" My friends, there is no solid hap
piness in anything but religion. l care not
how bright home Orpah has in Moab when
she turns away from duty Sue turns away
from peace. Amid tho bacchanalia Of Bel
shazzir's feast aud tho glitter Of chalices
there always will come out handwriting
on the wall fearfuliy ominous: "Tekel-
weighed III the balances and found wanting"
Again. this subject teaches that religious
choice and the want OF it frequently divide
families Ruth and Orpah and Naomi were
tenderly ATTACHED. They were all widows,
and their life had been consecrated by bap-
tism Of tears. In the of fire trial their affec-
lions had been forged Together they were
so pleasantly uuitei you can hardly imagine
them separated. Yet fatal line is drawn
dividing them from each other, perhaps for
ever. Naomi cannot live in heathen coun-
try. She must go 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
and wept again, and Orpah kissed her
mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto herr
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 afectional 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. Or the same family
are David and Solomon, worShipers Of the
Most High God, and Adonijoh and Absalom,
who live and die the enemies OF all righteous
ness. Belonging to the same family was the