The Russellville Democrat., 1890-07-03


 not how bright home; Orpah has her Moab-when she turns away from duty she turns away from peace. Amid the bacchanalia of Belshazzar's feast and the glitter of chalices there always will come out handwriting on the wall fearfully ominous: 'gTeknl--weighed in the balance and found wanting :" When you reap harvests of bare rocks and gather balm out of night-shade, and make sunlight sleep in the heart of sepulchers, and build firm house on rocking pillow. then can an unpardoned soul find firm enjoyment amid it's trans gressions. Then can Orpah go back to Moab without weeping.
 Again: This subject teaches that q religious choice and tho want of it fro euently divide families. Ruth and 0rpah and Naomi were tenderly at. tached. They wero all widows, and their life had been consecrated by a baptism of tears. In the fire of trial their affections had been forged. To- gether they were so pleasantly united you can hardly imagine them separated. Yet fatal line is drawn dividing them from each other, perhaps forever. Naomi can not live in heather conn- try. She must go into Bethlehem, that there, among tho pious, she may wor- ship the true God. Ruth makes simi- lar choice, but orpah rebels. And they lifted up their voice and wept again, and Orpah kissed her mother-in- law, but Ruth clave unto her" The history of this family of Elimelech is tho history of many families of this day. How often 1t is that in circle of relatives, while they look alike, and walk alike, and talk alike, there is tremendous difference. Outward ly and united in the affectional rela. tions of this life, they arc separated in the most important respects. Some now are tho children of light and others the children of darkness These arc alive in Christ, and those are dead in sin. Ruth in tho land of Bethlehem, Orpah in Moab. Of the same family arc David and Solomon, worshipers of the Most High God, and Adonijah and Ab- salon, who live and die the enemies of Belonging to the same family was the holy and devout Eli, and the reckless Phineas and Hophni. Jonathan Edwards, the good, and Pierrepont Edwards the bad, belong to the same family. Aaron Burr, the dis solute, had most excellent father by ing, yet immortal nearer, by the so- lemnity of the parental and filial, and conjugal relation, by the sacredaess of the family hearth, by the honor of tho family name, by the memory of de- parted kindred, point out this parting of Ruth and Orpah.
 Again: This subject suggests to mo two of the prominent reasons why peo- pie refuse the Kingdom of Christ. There may have been many other reasons why Orpah left her sister and mother-in-law and went back home, but there were two reasons which, l think, were moro prominent than the rest. She had been brought up in idolatries. She loved the heather gods which her ancestors had worshipped, and, though these blocks of wood and stone could not hear, she thought they could hear, and, though they could not see. she thought they could see, and, though they could not feel, she thought they could feol A new religion had been brought to her attention. She had married godly man. She must often have heard her She was so much shaken in her original belief that she concluded 10 leave her idolatries, but coming to tho margin of the land of Bethlehem, her determina- tion failed her, and speedily she return ed to her gods. This is tho very reason why multitudes of persons never be- come Christians. They can not bear to give up their gods. Business is the American Juggernaut that crushes moro men than the great car of the Hindoos To it they say thoir morning and even ing prayers. A little of Christ's relig ion may creep into the Sabbath, but Tuesday, Wednesday, Thurs day, Friday and Saturday are the days devoted to this American idol. Every hour there is sacrifice on tho altar. Home duties, health of body, manly strength and immortal affections must all burn in this holocaust. Men act as though they could take thSr bonds, and mortgages, and saws, ant trowels, and axes, and pay-bo oks with them into the Kingdom of Heaven.
 But it was not only the gods of Moab that made 0rpah leave her sister and dread of the hardship to which they would be exposed on the journey to and Crpah was not alone in the fear. Doubtless some of you have been appalled, and driven back by the self-denial of the Christian life. Tho taunt of the world, the charge of hy- pocrisy which they would sometimes be obliged to confront, has kept many away from the land of Bethlehem They spend their life in counting ths cost, and, because Christian life de- mands so much courage and faith, they dare not begin to build. Perhaps they arc courageous in every other respect. They are not tim. i'd in presence of any danger ex. cept that of trusting in the infinite mercy of Christi The sheep are mors alrdlu Ol JtlS hhepHtfN OndI or the wolves. They shrink away from the presence of Christ as though He were tyrant rather than a friend who sticketb closer than brother They feel more safe in the ranks of the enemy where they suffer infinite defeat than in the army of Christ, which shall be more than conquerors, through Him that hath loved them. Men shiver and tremble before religion as though they were to throw their life away, as though it were a surrender of honor and and reason and self-respect and all that is worth keeping.
 What has God ever done that His mercy should be doubtedP Was rhcre sver sorrow of His frailest child that He did not pity2 Was there ever soul that He left unhelped In the darkness? Was there ever martyr that He did not strengthen in the flames? Was there over a dying man to whose relief He did not come at the cry of Lord Jesus, receive my soul?' Aye, my soul, .,l,o4 kos God a1,.a s, 1.aral.r l,~..