The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-07-03

and head averted With on nir Of unmoyed
dignity, They began to prny with an ear
nestness that astonished themselves and
astonished Others. Showing the plane or
when you might have thought their mind
entirely upon the world, they were saying
within themselves: oh, that were Chris.
nam Orpah Is fully started on the road to
Bethelhem. Christian friends observing tho
rellgions anxiety of the awakened soul say:
he must certainly be Christian. THERE'S
anothsrssoidier in Christ's ranks, another
sick one has been cured OF the leprosyp The
opseryers turn their attention another way;
they say; "Orpah 10 safe enough; she has
gone to Bethlehem ,7
Alas Alas Starting out for heaven is a
very different thing from arriving there.
Remember Lots wife She looked back with
longing to the place from which she came,
anu was destroyed. Half way between So.
dom and the city of Refuge that strange
storm comes upon her, and its salt and brim-
store gather on her garments until they are
go stl1tened she cannot proceed, nor can she
lie down, because Of this dreadful wrapping
around her garments and limbs; and long
after her life has gone she still stands there
| SO covered up by the strange storm that she
ls called pillar of salt, as some sailor on
ship deck in the wintry Representatives.
ed wltha mail Office. Ten thousand times ten
thousand men have been destroyed half way
+
/ pah might as we'll never have started as
| afterwards to turn back
Yet multitudes have walked in her foot
steps GO among those the least interested
in sacred things and you will find that they
were once out OF the land of Moab. Every
one otthem prayed right heartily and studied
thrlr Bibles and frequented the sanctuary,
but Lots vie looked back wistfully to
Sodom, and Orpah retreated from the COM
pany OF Ruth and Naomi. 1t is an impress
siye 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.
Again: let our subject impress npon us the
truth that those who have once felt it their
duty to leave their natural state cannot give
up their dnty and go back to hardness Of
| heart without struggle. After Orpah had
thoroughly made up her mind to go back to
the place from where she started, she went
through the sad scene OF parting with Ruth
| and Naomi. Ny text says, ,"They lifted up
! stheiryoice and wept." All, my hearer it re-
quires moro decision and perseverance to
/, tay away from the kingdom of God than to
| enterit.. Although she did not know it, Or
pan passed through greater struggle in
turning back into the and 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 struggle? 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 accus-
toned to describe it. From beginning to
end it is fighting against the sharp sword Of
| the Spirit. 1t is climbing over the cross. It
is wading through the deep blood Of the Son
OF God. It's scaling mountains ofprivilege
1t is wading through lakes of sorrow 1t is
preak1ng over communion .n tables and bap.
tlsmal fonts and pulpits and Bibles. IL is
Wedging ones sell through between pious kin
dred who stand before and press US back and
hold on to ns by their prayers even after we
have passed them in our headlong downward
career.
No man ought to think Of undertaking to
go back into Moab after having come within
sight O. Bethlehem unless he have a heart
that cannot be made to quake, aad a sure
foot that will not slip among infinite perils.
and an arm that can drive back the Son of
Cod who stands in the center Of the broad
road spreading out His arms and shout
ing into the ear of the thoughtless pilgrim,
ss'Stopi Stop!"
We talk about taking up the cross and fol-
lowing Jesus, but that cross is not half SO
heavy as the the burden which the sinner car
rles. 1t ls very solemn thing to be q chris.
tan, but it is a more solemn thing not to be
achristian, There are multitudes, who, AFRAID
OF the self-denials of a christian, rush into the
harder seli-denials of the unbelieyer. No
Orpah goes back to her idolatries, but she
returns weeping; and all who follow her will
ind the same sorrows Just in proportion
as gospel advantages have been numerous
VIII be the disturbance of theart that will not
come to Christ
The Bible says, in regard to the place where
Christ was buried, Gin the midst OF the gar
den there was sepulchre;" and in the midst
OF the most fowery enjoyments of the unpar-
doned there is q chiness of death. Although
they may pull out the arrows that strike
their soul from the Almighty's CULVER, there
remain sting and smarting. If men
wrench themselves away from Christ they will
bear the mark of His hand by which He would
have rescued them. The pleasures of the
world may given temporary relief from the
upbraidings of conscience, but are like stupe-
tying drugs that dull the pain only tempora-
rily. Ahab has q great kingdom, and you
would think he ought TO be happy with his
courtiers and chariots and palaces, yet he
goes to bed sick because Naboth will not sell
him his vineyard. Hamun is prime minister
OF the greatest nation in the world and yet,
one poor man who will not bow the head
makes him utterly miserable. Herod monop-
olizes the most of the worlds honor, and
little child is born in Bethlehem who, may
alter awhile dispute his authority. Byron
conquered the world with his pen and yet
said, tn at he felt more unhappiness from the
criticism of the most illiterate reader than
he ex experienced pleasure from the praise OF
all the talented.
In the last century in England lived the
immortal Shenstone. Portions OF his life
4 We're given to writing of poetry, but this was
not evidently the field for which nature had
equipped him. His name will never be for
gotten, because ofthe home which he adorned
and beautifed. until there probable mover
has been SO bright spot since the garden
of Eden as what he loved to call "the Lea
sowes."H In addition to the marvels which
nature had wrought he added the perfection
ofart. Arbor and terrace und slope and
rustic temple and reservoir and urn and
fountain here and there browning. Oak and
yew and hazel, put on their glory OF verdure
What the greenness OF deep grass and the
foam OF cascade, and the glitter OF still lake
could give of beauty were added No life
was more diligent and no soul more ingeni-
GUS, than those of Shenstone, aud all that
genius and diligence we're directed to the
adornment Of that treasured spot. What
more could one want to make home happy
Yetthere is one man who sits signing in those
bowers, and casting gloomy looks upon
those parks, and the mirth OF leaping water
falls makes no melody in his ear. 1t is Shen-
stone, the owner of the Leasowes. II have
lost my road to happiness" says the de-
spondent man, Il am angry and enviouB,
and detected, and frantic, and disregarding