The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-03-08
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Fifth Discourse of the Series to the
Women OF America.
"The Vail of Modesiy," Showing the
Beauty of This Virtue Illustrated
by Scripture Characterize Writ
ne Not Fully Understood.

ue MOI UnuersIOOu.
Rev. I. Dewitt Talmage preached the
fifth Of the "Series Of Sermons to the
Women of America, with Important Hints
TO Men," His subject was "The Vail of
Modesty," and his text:
The Queen vashti refused to come-Esther,
l..
If you will accept my arm l will escort
you into a throne room. In this fifth
sermon of the series of sermons there are
certain womanly excelencies which /
wish to commend, but instead of putting
them in dry abstraction, l present you
their representation in one who seldom,
If ever, gets sermonic recognition.
We stand amid the palaces of Shushan.
The pinnacles are afiame with the morn
ing light. The columns rise festooneo and
wreathed, the wealth of empires flashing
from the grooves; the ceilings adorned
with images of bird and beast, and scenes
of prowess and conquest. The walls are
hung with shields and emblazoned until
it seems that the whole round of splen-
doris is exhausted. Each arch is mighty
leap of architectural achievement. Gold
en- stars. shining down on glowing
arabesque. Hangings of embroidered
work, in which mingle the blueness of
the sky, the greenness of the grass, and
the whteness of the sea foam. Tapes
tries hung on silver rings, wedding to-
gether the pillars of marble. Pavilions
reaching out in every direction. These
for repose, filled with luxuriant couches,
in which weary limbs sink until all IA
tigue is submerged. These for carousal,
l.. a l..
swallow. Amazing spectacle! Light of
silver dripping down over stairs of ivory
on shields of gold. Floors of stained
marble, sunset red and. night black, and
inlaid' with cleaning pearl. Why, it
seems as if a heavenly vision of anne
thyst, and fjacinth, and topaz, and chrys-
oprasus had descended and alighted upon
Shushan.
In another part of the palace, Queen
Vashti is entertaining the Princesses of
Persia at banquet. Drunken Ahasuerus
says to his servants: "You go out and
fetch Vashti from the banquet with the
women and bring her to this banquet with
p the men, and let her display her beauty"
The servants immediately started to obey
the Kings command, but there was a
rule in Oriental society that no woman
III dppCdA III puUllC WIUuOuU having
her face vailed. Yet, here wa,
pute, demanding that Vashti come
in unvailed before the multitude.
However there was in Vashti's soul a
principle more regal than Ahasuerus,
more brilliant than the gold of Shushan,
OF more wealth than the realm of Persia,
which commanded her to dsobey this
nrAor Of ha Nd al h. ia
eousness, and holiness and modesty Of
her natures rise up into sublime refusal.
She says: 81 will not go into the BAN
quet unvailed." OF course Ahasuerus
was Infatuated; and Vashti, robbed of her
position and her estate is driven forth in
poverty and ruin to suffer the scorn
of nation and yet to receive
the applause s. Of after gener-
ations who shall rise up to admire this
martyr to kingly insolence. Well, the
last vestige of that feast is gone; the last
garland has faded; the last arch has
fallen; the last tankard has been de-.
stroyed and Shushan is a ruin; but as
long as the world stands there will be
multitudes of men and women, familiar
with the Bible, who will come into this pict.
ure gallery of God and admire the divine
portrait of Vashti the Queen, Vashti the
vailed, Vashti the sacrifice, Vashti the
silent.
In the first place, want you to look
upon Vashti the Queen. A blue ribbon,
ragged with white, drawn around her
forehead, indicated her queenly position.
1t was no small honor to be Queen in such
realm as that Hark to the rustic of
her robes! See the blaze of her Jewels I
And W fri ;.
to have palace and regal robe in order to
be queenly. When see woman with
stout faith in God putting her foot upon
all meanness. and selfishness, and god
less display, going right forward to serve
Christ and the race by grand and glori-
Gus service. l say: "That woman is a
queen" and the ranks of Heaven look
over the battlements upon the coronation,
and whether she come up from the
shanty on the commons or the
mansion of the fashionable square.
1 greet her with the shout: "All hail
Queen Vashti." What glory was there
on the brow of Mary of Scotland. or
Elizabeth of England, or Margaret of
France, or Catherine of Russia compared
with the worth of some of our Christian
mothers, many of them gone into glory ?
or OF that woman mentioned in the
Scriptures who put her all into the Lords
treasury?-or of Jephthah's daughter,
who made demonstration of unselfish
patriotism?--or Of Abigail, who rescued
the herds and focks of her husband?-
or of Ruth, who toiled under a tropical
sun for poor, old. helpless Naomi?-or of
Mrs. Adomrain Judson, who kindled the
lights of salvation amid the darkness of
Burmah!-or of Mrs. Hemans, who
poured out her holy soul in words
which will forever be associated
with hunters horn, and captive's chair.
and bridal hour, and lute's throb, and cur.
Jews knell at the dying day?-and scores
and hundreds of women, unknown on
earth, who have given waterto the thirsty.
and bread to the hungry, and medi-
cine to the sick, aud smiles to the dis
couraged-their footsteps heard along
dark lane, and in government hospital.
and in alms-house corridor, and by pris-
on gate? There may be no royal robe
there may be no palatial surroundings.
She does not need them. for all charita.
BILE men will unite with the cracking
lips OF fever-struck hospital and plague
biotched lazaretto in greeting her as she
passed: HALL hail! Queen vashti."
Among the queens whom honor ara tbs