The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-24


after awhile gets discouraged and turns
back. This is the history of many a
soul. Perhaps it was during revival
of religion they resolved upon Chris
tian life and made preparations to leave
Moab. Before that they were indiffer-
ent 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. Re-
ligion did very well for invalids and the
aged, but they had no desire for it.
Suddenly a change came upon thor
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 a
swamp that rise out of decay and death
Losing their self control they were
sta1tled by their own prayer, God be
marciful to me, q sinner" They did
not suspect it, but the Holy Ghost was
in their soul. Without thinking what
they were doing they brushed the dust
off the family Bible. The ground did
not feel as firm under them, nor did the
al, seem rs 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 secret was out! They wanted
to know what they must do to be saved.
THE START FOR BETHLEHEM.
With Ruth and Naomi weeping Or
pah started for the land of Bethlehem.
They longcd for the Sabbath to come.
Straigh. IS an arrow to the mark the
sermon struck them They thought
the minister must have heard of their
case and was preaching right Mt them
They thought the sermon wasvcry short,
nor did they once coil themselves up in
their pew with theircy shut and head
averted with an air of unmoved dignity.
They began to pray with an camestness
that astonishod themselves and aston
islcd others Showing the plane, OF
writing up accounts, or walking the
street when you might have thought
their mind entirely upon the world,
they were saying within themselves,
ooh, that were Il Christian" Orpah
is fully started on the road to Pethle-
hem. Christian friends observing the
religious anxiety of the awakened soul
say, "Ie must certainly bca Christian.
There is another soldier in Christs
ranks; another sick one has been cured
of the leprosy' The observers turn
their attention another way. They
say, "Orpah is-safc enough; she has
gone to Bethlehem"
Alas, Alas. Starting out for heav-
en- is very different thing from arriv
ing there Remember Lots wife, She
looked back with longing to the place
from which she came and was destroy
cd. Half way between Sodom and the
city cf Refuge that strange storm
comes upon her, and its salt and brim-
stone gather on her garments until
they are so stiifened she cannot pro-
coed, nor can she lie down because Of
this dreadful wrapping around her gar
ments and limbs; and long after her
life has gone she still stands there so
covered up by Tie strange storm that
she is called Il piilar. CT salt, rs some
sailor on ships deck in the winrry tenn
pest stands covered witlia Erail of ice.
Ten thousand tines ten thousand
men have been DESTROYED half way be-
tween Sodom and the city of Refuge.
Orpah might rs we'll never have started
as aftcrwarl to turn back. Yet multi
tudes have walked in her footsteps. Go
among those the least interested in sa-
cred things and you will find that they
were once cut of the land of Moab.
Every one of them prayed right heart
lily and studied their Bibles and fire.
qtlentcd the sanctuary, but Lots wife
looked back wistfully to Sodon and
Orpah retleatcd from the company of
Ruth and Naomi 1t is an impressive
thought that after Orpah had gone so
far as actually to look over into the
land of Bethlehem she turned back and
died in Moab.
TIC TURN BACK MEANS TO STRUGGLE.
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 tllcir DUTY and go back
to hardness OF heart without IL strug-
gle. 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 Ny text says: ''rhey
lifted up their voice and wept." All,
my nearer, it requires more decision
and perseverance to stay away from
the kingdom of God than to enter it.
Although she did not know it Orpah
passed through q 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 struggled 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 describe it.
From beginning to end it is fighting
against the sharp sword of the Spirit.
1t is climbing over the cross. 1t is wad-
ing 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 COM
munion tables and baptismal fonts
ard pulpits and Bibles. 1t is
wedging ones self through between
1,nfN