The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-07-04
ORPAH'S STRUGGLE.
q LESSON FROM THE STORY OF
NAoMPS DAUCHTER-IN-LAW
pr. TaimnGc's Striking Sermon OH n Strlk
Ing ihaptsr In Bible History.

ii' H. 1hsliSc TOOK Tor hi
re text on Sunday Ruth i. l:
ss And they lifted up their voic
rs and wept. an Orpah kissed her moth
= "r-in-law. but Ruth clave. unto her
&c L @. wing is the sermon:
IL Moab was Il heathen land. Naom
Of Is about to leave it and go into tn,
er land of Bethlehem. She has two
Ct daughtcrs-in-law, Ruth and Orpab
"a who conclude to go with her. Naomi
II tells them they had better not leave
s their native land and undertake the
/ hardship of the journey, but thcy
s VIII not be persuaded. They nil
n three started out on their journey.
I After awhile. Naomi, although she
i nShly y pilzcd the company of her two
daughters III law. attempted again TO
" persuade them to go back because of
: the hardship and self-dcnial through
Whlch they would be obliged to 90.
: huth responds in tho words from
willch L once discoursed to you: En-
treat me not to leave thee, or to re-
turn from following after thee. for
whcro thou goest l will go, and where
thom iodgest L will lodge. thy people
shall be my people and thy God INV
God, where thou diest will die and
there Will L be buried, tho Lord do
so to mo and more also if aurht but
Dut death part thee and me" Not
so with her sister Orpah Her dc
termination had already been shaken
The length and peril of the Journey
! began to appeal her, and she Ind |
| Worshippcd the gods of Moab SO long
| that it was hard to give them nm
From that point Orpah turned back
The parting described in the words Of
my text: And they lifted up their
voices and wcpt again. and Orpah
kissed her mother in law. but Rnth
clave unto her.
Learn from this story of Orpah
that some of those who do not leave
the Moab of their iniqlitics are per
sons OF fine susceptibility. 1t was
compassion for Naomi in her widow t
MOOD and sorrow that led Orpah to
start with her toward Bethlehem II i
was not because of any lack of affcc- i
u tiom Gat t9rv htseiti1t, Uil she hacked the .
courage and persistence OF her sister. u
That there are many with as hne
as Orpah who will not :
take M their cross and follow Christ,
is n truth which needs but little dc !,
Many of those who
hnyc become the followers OF Jesus
have but very little natural impressl-
bilitv. Grace often takes hold OF the
hardest heart and the most unlovcly
character and tarr storms it. 1t is Il
hammer that breaks rocks. In tins
Christ often shows His powers. 1t
wants but little gcneralship to con
uucr flat country, but might OF ~
tillcry and hcroism to take tort
manned and ready for raking can
onnadc. The great Captain OF our
salvation has forced his way mo
many an armed castle. i doubt not
that Christ could have found many
fisherman naturally more noble
hearted than Simon. Peter, but there
was no one by whose conversion
| He could more glorio,Isly have mag
nipcd His grace The conversion OF
n score of Johns would not lIayc IL
| Illustrated thc power OF the HOY.
| Ghost as much as the conversion OF
one Peter. 1t would have been easier
to drive twenty lambs like Johh INTO
the fold than to tame one non IKE
Peter. God has often made some o1
His most efficient servants ont OF
men naturally unimprcsslonable., AS
mon take stiff aud umwiCldy tmbcrs,
and under huge handed machinery
bend them into the hulk OF great
ships, thus God has often shaped
and bent into His service the most
uuwicldlv natures, while those natur-
olly unreasonable are still Ill their
| unchanged state.
Oh. how many, like Orpah. have
, warm affections and yctncvcr become
! Christians! Like Orpah, they know
how to weep. but they do not know
6 howto pray. Their inCncsS OF feeling
q leads them into ihc friendships OF the
q world, but not in communion with
! God They can love everybody but
/ Him. who is altogether lovely. AL
,s other sorrow rcnds their heart, but
- thcy are untouched by the woes of a
# dy,ng Christ Good news fills them
70 with excitement, but the glad tidings
,e oG GREAT jov and salvation stir moi
20 their soul Anxious to do what Is
,c right. vet they rob God. Gratc1u
pr for the slightest favorS, thcy MAKE
no return to Him who wrung out th'
last drop OF blood from HIS heart t'
deliver them from gong down TO lh
~ pit. They would weep ut the door o
- a prison at the sight Of wicked cal
10 tive in CHAINS, but no compassion 10
=, their own souls, over which Satal
; ;r. like grim jailcr, holds the lock an
A key. When repulsivc, graSprng, Ill
he sympathetic natures resist the stor
Lc of II Sayiour's love, it does not cXclt
ok our surprise; but it is among til
hc greatest of wonders that 80 man
cw kho exhibit Orpahs susceptibility
also exhibit Orpah' impcnitcncy. "
are not surprised that there IS ba
4, rcnncss III a desert, but strant
ire thing is it that sometimes the Rose
ash Sharon will not grow III Il garde
vas On Il summer morning we are II
per surprised to and II rock without al
Geo dew on it but if, going among llo
r ILL.,, ,r. unu. IN them Hlltt(