The Opelousas courier., 1890-08-02

. tention. She had marrieda cody man. She
must often nave heard her mother-in-law
talk of the God of Israel. She was so much
| Shaken lii her original belief that she con-
Guided to leave her idolatrles. but coming to
the margin of the land OF Bethlehem her
determination failed her and speedily she re-
turned to her gods.
This is the very reason why multitudes OF
Persons IgVer become Christians. They can
not bear to give up their gods, Business is
the American juggernaut that brushes more
men han the great car of the Hindoos. 10
it they say their morning and evening pray
ers. A little OF Christ's religion may creep
into the Sabbath, but Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Satur-
day are the days devoted to this American
idol. Every hour there is a sacrifice on the
altar. Home duties, health of body, manly
strength and immortal affections must all
burn in this holocaust. Men act as though
they could take their bonds and mortgages
and laws and ttowels and axes and day
books with them Into the kingdom of heaven.
There are many who have no unholy
| thirst for gold; vet who are devoting them
felves to their worldly occupations with a
rhinoas Intensity. Men Of the Stock Ex-
change, men st. the yardstick, men of the
saw, men of the. trowel, MEN Of the day
book, what will become Of you, if unfor-
given, in the great day when there are no
houses to build, and no goods to sell, and
no bargains to make? 1t is possible to de-
vote ones self even to a lawful calling until
it becomes sinful. There is no excuse on the
earth or under the earth for the neglect Of
our deathless spirit. Lydia was q seller OF
purple, yet she did not allow her offensive
occupation to keep her from becoming a
Christian. Daniel was secretary of State
and attorney general in the empire Of Baby.
lon, and yet three times d day He found
time to pray with his face toward Jerusa
lem, The man who has no time to attend to
religion will have no time to enter heaven.
But there. are others who. while their
worldly occupation has no particular fascina-
ton over them, are entirely absorbed in the
gains that come to that occupation. This is
the worship Of Mammon. The ring Of dol
lars and cents is the only litany they ever
utter: Though in the a stday the earth itself
will tiot be worth d farthing, a heap of ashes
scattered in the whirlwind, they are now givs
ing their time and eternity for the acquisition
of so much of it as you might at last hold In
the hollow of one hand.
The American Indian who gave enough
land to make a State out Of for a string Of
beads made a princely bargain compared
with the speculation of that mar who gains
the whole world and loses his own soul. How
much comfort do the men take who died un-
forgiven ten years ago, leaving large for
tunes to their heirs? Do they ever come up
to count the gold they boarded or walk
through the mansions they built? Though
they could a bought an empire, they have
not now as much money as you have this
mo rent in your pocket. Solomon looked
upon his palace and the grounds surrounding
it, pools trimmed with gold and circling
roads along which at times rushed his four
teen hundred chariots, while under the out
branching sycamores and cedars walked the
apes and peacocks which by the nav Of
Hiram had been brought from Tarshish, and
from the window curtains with embroidered
gold and purple through which came out the
thrill of harps and psalteries mingling with
the song of the waters.
When Solomon saw that all these luxlries
of sight and sound had been purchased by
his wealth, he broke forth in the exclama-
ton, Money answereth all things" But we
cannot receive it as literal. 1t cannot still
the voice of conscience. It cannot drown
the sorrows of the soul. 1t cannot put a
bride in the hand of death. It cannot UNI
lock the gate of heaven. The tower of ST
loan fell and killed eighteen of its admirers;
but this idol to whose worship the exchanges
and banks and custom houses Of the worl!!
have been dedicated, viii fall and crush to
death its thousands. But | cannot enumer-
ate the idolatries to which men give them
selves. They are kept by them from a re-
ligious life. I'VE cannot serve God and Mann.
mon" and the first thing that Christ does
when He comes into the temple of the soul is
to drive out the ~sscao-Ec-s.
But it was not only the gods of Moab that
made Orpah leave her sister and mother-in-
law. She doubtless had a dread of the hare
ship to which they would be exposed on the
journey to Bethlehem, and Orpah was not
alone in the fear Doubtless some of Won
have bean appalled, and driven back by tbs
sef denials of the Christian life. The taunf
of the world, the charge of hypocrisy which
they would sometimes be obliged to confront,
has KEPT many away from the land of Beth
lehem. They spend their ifein counting the
cost. and because a Christian life demand SO
much courage and faith they dare not begi.
to build. Perhaps they are courageous in
presence of any danger except that of trust
ing in the infinite mercy of Christ.
The sheep are more afraid of the shepherd
than of the wolves. They shrink away from,
the presence of Christ as though He we're a
tyrant rather than a friend who sticketh
closer than a brother. They feel more safe
in the ranks of the enemy where they must
suffer infinite defeat than in the army OF
Christ, which shall be more than conquerors
through Him that loved them. Men shiver
and trenble before religion as though they
were commanded to throw their life away,
as though it were q surrender Of honor and
manliness and reason and self-respect and all
that is worth keeping.
What has God ever done that His mercy
should be doubted? Was there ever a sorrow
of His frailest child that He did not pisyf
Was there ever o soul that He left unhelped
IN the darkness? Was there ever a D1artyr
that He did not strengthen in the famesa
Was there ever q dying man to whose relief
He did not come at the cry of Lord Jesus,
receive my spiritp Aye, my soul, what has
God done that SO basely thou has doubted
Hims Did He make the whole earth a
desertf Are all the skies dark and storm
swept Is Life all sicknessa Is the cir all
pIaguei Are there nothing put rods and
scorpions and ~furnaces7 God knew how
many suspicious and unbeliefs men would
entertain In regard to Film, and therefore.
after making a multitude Of plain and
own heart and swears by His OWL existence:
"As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no
pleasure In the death of him that dieth.n
Why then fight against God? This day
the battsa RACES. Thou art armed with thy
sins, thy ingTatitude, thy neglects, and
Christ is armed against thee, but His weapons
are tears are dying agoniess are calls TO
mercy. and the battle cry which He this day
sends over thy soul as He rushes toward thee
Is Save thee from going down to the pit.
Tor I have found a ransom / would not
mvy thy victory, o nearer, il thou dost con-
auer, for what wilt thou do with the Wea-
Dons thou hast snatched from the armed
Redeemer, what with the tears, what with
His dying agonies, what with His calls to
mercy? Would God that Orpah would ret
tired of Moabf Would God that Orpah
would 60 to Bethlehem