Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-07-10

bright They tried to dam b,ck the flood
of their emotions, but the attempt failed,
and they confessed their anguish Of soul
before they meant to. The secret was
out! They wanted to know what they
must do to be saved.
With Ruth and Naomi, weeping Orpah
started for the land OF Bethlehem. They
lOnged for the Sabbath to CONS. Straight as
an arrow to the MARE the sermon struck
them. They thought the minister must
have heard OF tn 'ir case and was preach.
ing right at them. They thouyh the SER
mon W IS very short nor did they once coil
themselves up in their pew with their eyes
shut and he I'd averted with an air Of un-
moved dignity. They began 70 pray with
an earnestness that astonishei themselves
and astonished others. ShDving the plano
or writing up accounts or walking the
street when you might have thought their
mind entire'y upon the world. they were
saying within themselves 'Oh that were
u Christian!' Orp.h Is fully started on
the road to Bethlehem. Christian friends
observing the religion, anxiety of the
awakened sout say, "Re must certainly be
a Christian. Theirs Is another soldier in
Christ's ranks, another sick ons has been
cured of the lep 'osy." The observers turn
their attention another WY; they say,
"Orpah is safe enough, she has gone TO
Beth eh en-"
Alas! Alas! Starting out for heaven is
a very different thing from arriving there
Remember Lots wifs. She looied back
with longing to the place from which she
came, and was destroyed. Half way be-
tween Sodoln and the city OF Refuge that
storm comes upon her, AMI it, salt and
birthstone gather on her glrments until
thav n or Sti.fapel "a
nor can she lie down. becaus, o this DIRE Id
full wrapping aroun1 h,r garment, and
limbs; and long after her life has gone she
still stands tn IRE 50 covered up b! the
strange storm that sh, is clllel pillar of
salt, a. some sailor on ships deck in the
wintry tempest stands covered with mail
OF ice. Ten thousand times ten
thousand men have been destroyed
half way between Sodom aud the city OF
Refuge. Orphl might as we'll never hive
s, ar ed AS afterwards to turn back. Yet
multitudes have Walked in her footsteps.
Go among those the least interested in
sacred things an you will find that they
were on out OF the lanl OF Molb. Every
one OF them prayed right heartily and stud
led taeir Bibles; and frequented the sanct-
uary, but Lots wife look ID back wlstfully
to Sodom, and Orpah retreAtel from the
tVAApAuy W tuAl 0lu ANdOut. ~ 10 MI
pressive thought that after Orpah had
gone so far rs actu. ly to LOOK over into
the land OF Bethlehem she turned back and
died in Moab
Again, This subject teaches that q re-
ligious choice and the W mt OF it freq uent-
ly divide families. Ruth and Orpah and
Naomi were tenderly attached. They
were all widows and their lifs had been
con 'ecrated BY baptism OF tears. In the
fire Of trial their affections had been
forget. Together they were 80 pleasantly
united, you can hardly mag n, them sep
Grated. Yet fatal line Is drawn dividing
them from each other, perhaps forever.
Naomi cannot live in heather country.
She must go in TO Bethlehem that there
among the pious she may worship the true
God. Ruth makes u similar choice, bit
Orplb rebels. "And they lifted up their
her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto
her." The history Of this family OF
Elimelech is the history Of many families
OF this dry. How often is it tn It in II Cir
Gle OF relatives while they look alike, and
walk alike, and talk alike, there i, tre-
mendous difference. Outwarily united
in the a1ectional relations OF this
life, they are sep .rated in tn, most impor-
tant respects. Some now are the children
of light, an / others tn. children OF dark
ness. These aro alivs in Clrist, and those
are dead in sin. Ruth in the land OF Beth
lehem. Orp III in Moab. OF the .ms fami.
ly are David and Solomon, worshippers of
the Most Higa G,d, and Adonijah and Alb.
salon, who live and die thu enimiss OF all
Belonging to the same
family was the holy and devout Eli, and
the reckless Phineas. AMI Hophni. iona
than Edwards, the good, AMI Pierrepoint
Edwards. the bad, b,long to the same fam
ily Aaron Burr, the dtsso.ute, had most
excellent father. Dying, yet immortal
hearer, by the solemnity OF the parental,
and fiiial, and conjuyal relation, by the
OF the family hearth, b. the
honor OF the family Mans, by the memory
OF departed kindred. point out this part
ing Of Ruth and ODah.
Again: This bjsct suggests to me two
Of the prominent reasons why opls re-
fuse the kingdom OF Christ There may
have been many other reasons why Orpah
left .er sister and mother Flaw, and went
back home, but thsre are two reasc rs
which think were more prominent than
the rest She had besn brou yht up in Idol,
atrles. She loved the heather gods wlich
her ancestors had worshipped, and, though
these blocks Of wood ana stone could not
hear, sho thou hit they could hear, and.
though they could not see, she thought
they could see, and, though they could not
feel, she though: they could feel A new
re igion had been brought to her attention.
She had married Rodly man. She must
often have heard her mother in-law talk Of
the God OF Israel. She was 30 much
shaken in her original belief that ste con-
clud ID to leave her idolatries, but, coming
TO the margin OF the land OF bethlehem,
her ietermina alton failed her, and speedily
she returned to her gods This is the very
reason why multituies Of persons new ,r
become Christians. Thsy cannot bear TO
give up their gods. Business is the Amer.
lean Juggernaut that brushes more men
than the great Car OF the Hindoos. To it
they say th.ir morning and evening
prayers. A little OF Christ religion NAV
creep into the Sabbath, but Monday.
Tuesday. Wednes lay. Thursd.y Az, Friday,
and Saturday, are the days devoted to this
American idol Every hour thsre Is a
sacrih . on the altar. HON, duties,
health OF body, manly strength and immor-
tai affections must all burn In This holo-