The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-07-03
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Weekly Discourse OF the Great
Brooklyn Preacher.

TEXT; "And they ttJted up their roice, ana
pept again, and Orpah kissed her mother
in-ia,v; but Ruth clare unto her"-Eulh l.,
ID.
Moab was heather land Naomi is about
to leave it and 60 into the land OF Bethle-
hem. She has two daughters..n-law, Ruth
and OrpGh, who conclude to so with her,
Naomi tells them they had better not leave
their native land and undertake the hard
ship OF the journey, but they will not bs per-
suaded, They all three start out on their
journey. After awhile Naomi, although she
highly prized the company of her two daugh
ters-in-law, attempted again to persuade
them to go back because of the hardship and
self denial through which they would bo
obliged TO go. Faith responds in the words
from which ] once dlscoursed to you
nor to return from following after
thee, for where thou goest will Co. and
where thou lodgest l will lodge; thy people
shall be my people, and thy God my God,
where thou dlost will die anil there will |
be buried; the lord do so to mo and moro
also if aught but death part thee and me-"
Not so with her sister Orpah. Her deter
mination had already been shaken. The
length and peril of the journey began TO
appall her, and she hal worshiped the gods
of Moab so long that it was hard to give
them up. From that point Orpah turned
back, the parting being described in the
words Of my text: And they lifted up their
voice and wept again and Orpah kisSei her
mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her.
Learn from this story of Orpah that soma
OF those who do not leave the Noah of their
iniquities are persons of fine susceptibility.
1t was compassion for Naomi, in her widow
hood and sorrow, that LED Orpah to start
with her toward Bethlehem. 1t was not be-
cause of any lack of affection for her that
she turned back. We know this from the
Tief exhibited at parting. do not know
put that she had as much warmth and ardor
II nature as Ruth, but she lacked the cour-
lge and persistence OF her sister. That there
re many with as fine susceptibility as Or
bah who will not take up their cross and fol-
- Christ is a truth which needs but little
demonstration. Many of those who have be-
come the followers of Jesus have but very
little natural impressibility. Grace often
takes hold of the hardest heart and the most
unlovely character and transforms it. 1t is
hammer that breaks rocks. In this Christ
often shows His power 1t wants but little
ycneralship TO conquer q fiat country but
might of artillery and heroism to take fort
manned and ready for raking cannonade.
The great captain Of our salvation has
forced his way into many an armed castle.
| doubt not that Christ could have found
hearted than Simon Peter, but there was no
ono by whose conversion He could more
gloriously have magnified His grace. The
conversion of a score of Johns would not
have Illustrated the power of the Holy Ghost
as much as the conversion of one Peter 1t
would have been easier to drive twenty
lambs like John into the fold than to tame one
lion like Peter. God has often made some
of His most efficient servants out of men
Ac taly
stiff and unwieldly timbers, 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 unwieldly ma
lures, while those naturally impressionable
are still in Their unchanged state.
oh, how many, like Orpah, have warm af.
fections and yet never become Christians!
Like Orpah, they know how to weep, but
they do not know how to pray. Their fine
ness OF feeling leads them into the friendships
OF the world, but not into communion with
God. They can love everybody but Him,
who is altogether lovely. All other sorrow
rends their heart, but they are untouched by
the woes of dying Christ. Good news fills
them with excitement, but the glad tidngs
Of great joy and salvation stir not their soul.
Anxious to do what is right, yet they rob
God. Grateful for the slightest favors, they
make no return to Him who wrung out the
HiSu vi DlOOI Ills uedTU 10 uellNCr
them from going down to the pit. TheJ
would weep at the door of a prison at tn,
sight of a wicked captive in chains, but have
no compassion for their own souls. over
which Satan, like grim jaier, holds the
lock and key. When repulsive, grasping,
unsympathetic natures resist the story of a
Savioul's love it does not excite our surprise,
but it is among the greatest of wonders that
SO many who exhibit Orpah's susceptibility
also exhibit OrpaSs impenitency.
We are not SURPRISED that there is barren
mss in desert, but strange thing is it that
sometimes the Rose of Sharon will not grow
in a garden. On a summer morning we are
not surprised to find rock without any dew
on it, but if going among a flock of lilies we
saw in them no glittering drops we would
say: "What foul sprite has been robbing
these vases" We are not surprised thai
Herod did not become a Christian, but how
strange that the young man Jesus loved for
His sweetness of temper should not have
loved his Redeemer. Herd-hearted Felix
trembled, proud Nebuchadnezz3r repented,
and cruel Manasseh turned unto the Lord;
but many a nature, af7ectIonate and gentle,
has fought successfully against divine infll.
ences. Many q dove has refused to come in
the window of the ark, although finding no
rest for the sole of her foot
Again, the history of Orpah impresses upon
me the truth that there are many who make
good starting, but after awhile chang;
their minds and turn back. When thest
three mourneTs start from their hone in
Moab there is as much probability that
Orpah will reach Bethlehem as that her sis
ter Ruth and her M ther-in-law Naomi will
arrive there But while these continue in
the journey they commenced, Orp1h after
awhile gets discouraged and turns back. This
IA hIS+0 l- rto,,a
during revival of rel gion they resolved
upon C Christian life and made preparations
to leave Moab. Before that they were indit.
ferent to the sanctuary; churches were nee
e5sary evils. The mirister almost alwa II
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. inva.
lids and the aged, but they had no desire fol-
it.
Suddenly change came upon their soul.
| They found that something must be done
Every night there was thorn i'll their pill.
low. There was gall in their wine. Tney
found that their pleasures were only talss
lights of q swamp that rise out of decay and
death. Losing their seif-control they were
startled by their own prayer: God be
merciful to me sinner" They did not sus.
pect it, but the Holy Ghost was in their soul.
Without thinking what they were doin
they brushed the dust off the family Biole.
The ground did not feel as firm III der them,
nor did the air seam as bright. They tried
to dam back the food 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.
With Ruta anil Naomi wecpins Orpah
started for the land of Bathlshem. They
longad for the Sabbath to como. Straight
as an arrow to the mark the sermon struck
| them. They thought the minister 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 vi
in their pew with their eyes shut and head
averted with an air of unmoved dignity
They began to pray with an earnestness that
astonished themselves and astonished others,
Showing the plane, or writing up accounts,
or walking the streets when you might have
thought their mind entirely upon the world,
they were saying within themselves: ooh
that were Christian" Orpah is fully
started on the road to Bethlehem. Christian
friends observing the religious anxiety OF the
awakened soul say: HE must certainly b;
Christian. There is another soldier il
Christs ranks, another sick one has bee,
cured Of the leprosy." The observers turr
their attention another way; they say: 'Or
pahi safe enough, she has gone to Betnie
hon,