Newport weekly independent., 1903-01-16
And notice this in regard to Naomi.

heart was centered Cher husband and two sons) before she knew what it was to hunger after God. Naomi is type of the self-satisfied Christian, the worldly Christian. There is such low order of spiritual life there that there is no sense of real hunger. Like the pampered appetite, it has no relish for wholesome food, but de- lights to feed on the sweets of it's own will. With no heart bangs it can leave the presence of the Lord and dwell in the midst of the world. Lila Lot in Sodom it becomes inn mersed in the affairs of a great city and forgets all about God until af- fiction comes and it is stripped of it's every possession. Then comes the healthy hunger after God, and the longing to get back to Him. How merciful God is, and how patiently He deals with the worldly, hunger less Christian.
 I was talking with man the other evening who had been a great sufferer from dyspepsia. He told me of his years of misery; of his trying this doc- tor and that doctor, this medicine ana that, without obtaining any relief, until at last he started off with his dyspepticracked body for Nebraska. He quit taking mans medicine and be- gan to take the medicine which Nature gives of fresh air and sunshine and plain foo( of the countryside. In time his dyspepsia disappeared and a healthy appetite was restored, and for the first time in years he knew what it was to be hungry. There are lots of dyspeptic Christians. They have no healthy appetite for spiritual food and are miserable in consequence, but in stead of going to the countryside re- treat away from the allurements of the world, where God can give the fresh air and sunshine of His loving presence and provide the wholesome food of His eternal truth, they dope them. selves with all manner of man-devised remedies, but obtain no relief. The dyspeptic Christian is a sad spectacle
 Ruth is type of the hungry and thirsty Christian. With soul awak' ened by the Divine touch and yielded to Him, there comes an intense long ing after God and His righteousness. She is not content to remain in the old land, with its goddess conditions and surroundings, but eagerly presses towards Gods land and Gods people. Yes, there is much to give up, but they are as nothing to her hungry soul in comparison to the blessing and filling 1 to be obtained from God. Think of what Ruth had to give up! Her land and her people, her friends and loved | ones, all the dear associations of her | childhood! In the land of Moab there | were home and comfort and ease for l her; in the new land there were pov- erty, and privation, and hardship, but God was there and His blessing was better to her soul than all that the land of Moab could offer her. Orpha, like multitudes of people in the world to-day, was not willing when the test ing time came, to give up all, that she might dwell in Gods land and with Gods people. She went back. What a sad thing to write of any soul! That it should choose the riches of the world rather than the blessing of God. l Orpha went back and oblivion swal- | lows up the Moabitish woman. Noth- ing more is heard of her. But Ruth, the hungry Christian, turns her back upon everything that is separating her from God and His blessing and presses forward, and through every century which has rolled around since l 1,,, I l. l. full story of Ruth has comforted and inspired and strengthened other hun gry souls.
 Hunger is one of the strongest im- pulses of the human body and it must be satisfied. What can keep hungry man from the smoking dinner before him? There is nothing that can lure him away; there is nothing else that can satisfy. He is hungry. He must be fed. Hunger makes the dinner the supreme object of the moment. It is so with the hungry soul. To feed on the righteousness of God is the su- | preme delight. It must be satisfied. It cannot be drawn away by the riches, or attractions, or friends of Moab. It I between the idle longing of the soul after the righteousness of God and the real hunger of soul which makes it willing to give up anything and en- dure any hardship and face any dan ger in order that it may feed on God and be satisfied. The soul that hun gers shall be filled, because it will not rest until it is fed. God loves to see hungry souls. He can detect the sham longing that the soul thinks is real hunger. He never feeds such a soul.
 It is too full of self and it's own de- sires to let God in to fill it. But the hungry soul! God gives it taste of His righteousness, and waits until it cries for more. He never overfeeds,
 so as to spoil the healthy appetite. He waits until the hunger is keen, and sharp, so that it will be satisfied with nothing short of His righteousness