Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-26

Bethlehem as that her sister Ruth and
her mcther-in-law Naomi will arrive
there. But while these continue in the
journey they commenced, Orpah after
awhile gets discouraged aud turns back.
This is the history of many q soul. Per-
haps it was during revival of religion
they resolved upon a Christian life, and
made preparations to leave Moab. Be-
fore that they were indifferent to the
sanctuary, churches were necessary
evils. The minister almost always
preached poor sermons, because they had
not the heart to hear them. They
thought the bread was not good because
their appetite was poor. Religion did
very well for invalids and the aged, but
they had no desire for it. Suddenly O
change came upon their soul. They
found that something must be done.
Every night there was a thorn in their
pillow. There was gall in their wine.
They found that their pleasures were
only false lights of swamp that
rise out of decay and death. Losing
their self-control they were startled by
their own prayer, "God be merciful to
me, a sinner They did not suspect it,
but the Holy Ghost was in their soul.
Without thinking what they were
dong, they brushed the dust off the
family Bible. The ground did not feel
as firm under them nor did the air seem
as bright. They tried to dam back the
flood of their emotions, but the attempt
failed, and they confessed their anguish
of soul before they meant to. The Sc
cret 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 come. Straight
as an arrow to the mark the sermon
struck them. They thought the minis
ter must have heard of their case and
was preaching right at them. They
thought the sermon was very short, nor
did they once coil themselves up in their
pews with their eyes shut and head
averted with an air of unmoved dignity.
They began to pray with an earuestness
that astOnished themselves and aston
ished others Showing the plane or writ
Ing up accounts or walking the street
when you might have thought their mind
entirely upon the world, they were say
ing within themselves: ''Oh, that 1 were
n Christian. - Orpah is fully started on
the road to Bethlehem. Christian friends
observing the religious anxiety of the
awakened soul say: "He must GER
tainly be q Christian. There is another
soldier IN Christ's ranks, another sick
one has been cured of leprosy - The
observers turn their attention another
way. They say: "Orpah il safe
enough. She has gone to Bethlehem. -
Alas! Alas! Starting out for heaven
is very different thing from arriving
there. Remember Lots wife. Ste
looked back with longing to the place
from which she came, and was de-
stroyed. Half way between Sodom and
the city of Refuge that strange storm
comes upon her, and its salt and brim-
stone gathered on her garments until
they are so stiffened she cannot proceed,
nor can she lie down, because of this
dreadful wrapping around her garm ents
and limbs; and long after her life has
gone she still stands there. so covered up
by the strange storm that she is called a
pillar of salt, as some sailor on ships
deck in the wintery tempest stands COW
cred with mail of ice. Ten thousand
times ten thousand men have been de-
stroyed half way between Sodom and the
city of Refuge. Orpah might as well
never have started as afterwards to turn
back. Yet multitudes have walked in
her footsteps. Go among those the
LEAST INTERESTED 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 their
Bibles; and frequented the sanctuary,
but Lots wife looked back wistfullv to
Sodom, and Orpah retreated from the
company of Ruth and Naomi. It is an
impressive thought tn 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 go back to the
place from which she started, she went
through the sad scene of parting with
Ruth and Naomi. My text says, "They
lifted up their voices and wept. - All,
my nearer, it requires more decision and
perseverance, to stay away from the king
dom of God than TO enter it. Although
she did not know it, Orpah passed
through a 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 travelling as some
ministers have been accustomed to de-
scribing it. From beginning to end it is
fighting against the sharp sword of the
Shirt. 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 wading through lakes of
SORROW 1t is breaking over communion
tables and baptismal fonts and pulpits
and Bibles. 1t is wedging ones self
through between pious kindred who stand
before and press us back and hold onto
us by their prayers even after we have
passed them in our headlong downward
career. No man ought to think of under
taking to go back into Moab after having
come within sight of Bethlehem unless he
have heart that cannot be made to
quake, anda
SURE FOOT THAT WILL NOT SLIP
among infinite perils, and an arm that
can drive back the Son of God who
stands in the center of the broad road
spreading ont his His arms and shouting
into the ear of the thoughtless pilgrim,
"Stop! Stop!"
We talk about taking up the cross and
following Jesus, but that cross is not
half SO heavy as the burden which the