Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-07-04
ISLAND POND, VERMONT. JULY A. 1890.

ueSs, Belonging TO the same family was the
holy and devout Eli and the reckless Phineas
an Hophni. Jonathan edwards, the good,
and Pierrepont Edwards, the bad, belong to
the same family. Aaron Burr, the dissolute,
had most excellent father Dying yet I'M
mortal hearer, by the solenlnty Of the
parental and filial and conjugal relation,
by the sacredness OF the family hearth, by
the honor of the family name, hy the memory
of departed kindred. point out this parting
Of Ruth and Orpah.
Agnin, this subject suggests to me two OF
the prominent reasons why people refuse the
kingdom Of Christ. There may have been
many other reasons why Orpah eft her SIS
ter and mother-ir-law and went back home,
but there were two reasons which | think
were more prominent than the rest. She had
been brought up in idolatries. She loved
the heather gods which her ancestors had
worshiped, and though these blocks OF wood
and stone could not hear she thought they
could hear, and though they could not SEQ
she thought they could see, and though they
could not feel she thought they could feel.
A new religion had been brought to her at
tention. Shs had married godly man. Sho
must often have heard her mother-n-law
talk Of the God OF Israel. She was so much
shaken in her original belief that she con.
cluded to leave her idolatries, 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 oi
personsnever become Christians. They cam
not bear 30 give up their gods. Business Is
the American juggern9ut that crushe5 mora
non than the grcSlt eaE OF tho HindooS. TO
IL they say their morning and evening pray
ers. A little or ChriSt's religion may creep
Into the Sabbath, but Monday, Tu,slay,
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday AMI Satur-
day arp the days devoted TO this American
idol. Every hour there is sacrifice on the
altar. Home duties health OF body, manly
strength and immortal affections must all
burn in this holocaust Men acs as though
they could take their bonds and mortgages
aud saws and trowcls and axes and day
books with them into the kingdom of heaven.
There ara many who have no unholy
thirst for gold, ye. who arc devoting thom-
fclvcs 10 thsif worldly o''r0l',Dni WITH
ruinous intennty Nea Of tn, Stock E1-
change, men Of the yardstick, men OF the
saw men OF the trowal, men OF tho day
book, what will become OF YOU. II unfor-
given, in tho great day wheT there are no
houses to build, and no goois to sell, and
no bargains To maker 1t is possible TO de-
vote ones sell even to q lawful calling until
1t becomes sinful. There is no excuse on ths
earth or under the earth for tho neglect OF
our dcathleSs spirit. Lydia was n seller OF
purple, yet she dill not allow her offensive
occupation to keep her from becoming
Christian. Daniel was secretary OF State
and attorney general in the empire Of Baby
lon, and yet three Ii ncs O day ho found
timo TO pray with hiS flco toward Jerusa-
lem. The man who has no time to attend to
religion will have no time 10 enter heaven.
But there aro others who. while their
worldly occupation has no particular fasciua,
ton over them, are entirely absorbed i'll the
gains that come 10 that occupation. This Il
the worship Of Mammon. The ring OF doS
lars and cents is the only litany they ever
utter. Though in the last day the earth Itself
will not DO worth farthing, heap of Hshes
scattered in the whirlwind, they are nowgi
ing their timo 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 State out Of for a string OF
beads made a princely bargain compared
with the speculation Of that man who gains
the whole world aud loses his own soul. How
much comfort dc the men taSs who diei un
forgiven ten years ago, leaving large for
tunes to their hcrst Do they ever como up
to count the gold they boarded or walk
through tho mansions they built' Though
they could have bought an empire, they have
not now as much money as you havo this
mo = ent in your pocket Solomon looked
upon his palace ana tho grounds surrounding
| 1t, pools trimmed with gold AMI cIrcln ;
roads along which at times rushed his four
teen hundred chariotS whtio under tbs out
! branching sycamOres and cellars walkel the
apes and pelcocks which b. the navy OF
Hiram had been brought from Tarshsi, and
/ from the window curtains with embroidered
gold and purple through which came out the
thrill OF harps and psa!teries mingling with
| the song Of the waters
When Solomon saw that all these luxurie,
OF sight and sound had been purchasol by
| his wealth, he bro,o forth in the exclama.
ton, Money answereth all things" But we
cannot receive it as literal 1t cannot still
the voice OF conscience. 1t cannot drown
the sorrows Of the souI. 1t cannot put {
bribe in the hand of death. 1t caunot un
lock the gate OF heaven. The tower OF 81
loam fell and killed eighteen Of its admirers
but this idol TO whose worship the exchange.
! and banks and custom houses or tho worl
have been dedicated, will fall aud crush to
death its thousands. But | cannot enumer-
ate the idolatries to which men give item.
selves Thcy arc kept by then from re-
ligious life "Ye cannot serve God and Nam
mon," aud tho first thing that Christ doos
when he comes into tho temple of the soul Is
to drive out the exchangers
But it was not only tho gols OF Moab that
law. She doubtless had dread Of tho hard
ship to which they would be exposed on the
journey to Bethehom, and Orpah was not
alone in the fear. Doubtless some OF you
have been appalled, and driven back by the
self denials Of the Christiln life. The taunt
Of the world, the chargeo Of hypocrisy which
they would sometimes be obliged TO confront,
has kept many away from the land OF Beth
lehem. They spend their life In counting the
cost, and because q Christian life demen1s so
much courage and faith they dare not begr
TO build. Perhaps they aro courageous il
every other respect. They are not tiuid il
presence of any danger except that of trust
Ing in the infinite mercy OF Christ.
The sheep aro mora afraid of tho shepherd
than of the wolves. They shrink away from
the presence Of Christ as though He were Q
tyrant rather than q frien1 who stickett
closer than brother. They feel more SAT,
in the ranks OF the enemy where they mus
suffer infinite defeat than in the army o
Christ, which shall be more than conqueror
through Him thnt Lowell them. Men shive
aud tremblc before religion as though they
were commanded to throw their life away
as though 1t were surrender OF honor anC
manliness and reason and sclf-respect and al
that is worth keeping.
What has God ever donc that His merc-
should be doubted? Was there ever a sorrow
Of His frailest child that He did not pity
Was there ever soul that He left unholpe,
IN the darkuessi Was there ever marty
that He did not strengthen IL the flames
Was there ever a dying man to whose relic
He did not come Mt the cry OF lord Jesus
receive my spirltT Aye, my soul, what ha
God done that so basoly thou has doubtet
HmS Did He mako the whole earth
desertt Are all the skies dark and storm
swept Is life all sicknessl Is the air al
pague' Arc there nothing but rods ant
scorpions and furnaces' God know how
many suspicious and unbeiefs men woulc
entertain in regard TO Him, and therefore
after making multitude of plain an
precious promises, Heplaces His hand on Hi
own heart and swears by His own existence
"As live, saith tho Lord God, have N
r,lnn y1irn In tho danth Of him TINT dinth y