Sharp County record., 1890-06-12

life, you will find that the most OF the
vexations and disturbances of spirit
which you felt were produced by cir
cumstances that were not worthy OF
notice. If you want to be happy you
must not care for trihes. Do not be too
minute in your inspection of the treat
ment you receive from others. Who
cares whether Mordecai bows when you
pass, or stands erect and stiff as cedar?
That woodman would not make much
clearing in the forest who should stop
to bind up every little bruise and
scratch he received in the thicket; nor
will that man accomplish much for the
world or the church who is too watchful
and appreciative Of petty annoyances.
There are multitudes of people in the
world constantly narrowed because
they pass their lives not in searching
out those things which are attractive
and deserving, but in spying out with
all their powers of vision to see whether
they can not find Morde cal.
Again, | learn from the life of the
man under our notice that worldly van
ity and sin are very anxious to have piety
bow before them. IIaman was a fair
emblem of worldliness and Mordecai
the representative of unfiinChing godli-
ness. Such were the usages of society
in ancient times that, had this Israelite
bowed to the Prime Minister, it would
have been an acknowledgment of re-
spect for his character and nation.
Mordecai would, therefore, have sinned
against his religion had he made any
obeisanco or dropped his chin half an
inch before Haman. When, therefore,
proud Haman attempted to compel an
homage which was not felt, he only did
what the world ever since has tried to
do, when it would force our holy religion
in any way to its dictates. Daniel,
if he had been a man of religious COM
promises, would never have been thrown
into the den of lions. He might have
made some arrangement with King
Darius whereby he could have retained
part of his form of religion without
making himself so completely obnoX-
ious to the idolators. Paul might have
retained the favor Of his rulers and es-
capped martyrdom if he had only been
willing to mix up his Christian faith
with a few errors. His unbending
Christian character was taken as an in
suit
Fagot and rack and halter in all ages
have been only the different ways in
which the world has demanded obei-
sanCe. 1t was once, away up on the top
of the temple, that Satan commanded
the Holy One of Nazareth to kneel be-
fore him. But it is not now SO much on
the top of the churches as down in the
aisle and the pew and the pulpit that
Satan tempts the espouser of the
Christian faith to kneel before him,
Why was it that the Platonic philoSo-
piers of early times, as well as Toland,
Spinoza, and Bolingbroke of later days,
were so madly opposed to Christianity?
Certainly not because it favored immor-
talities, or arrested civilization, or
dwarfed the intellect. The genuine
reason, whether admitted Or not, was
because the religion of Christ paid no
respect to their intellectual vanities.
Blount, and Boyle, and the host of inf
dels hatched out by the vile regin Of
Charles H., as reptiles crawl out of
marsh Of slime, could not keep their
patience BECAUSE as they passed along,
there were sitting in the gate of the
church such men as Matthew, and
Mark, and Luke, and John who would
not bend an inch in respect to their
philosophers,
Again: Learn the lesson that pride
goes before fall. Was any man ever
so far up as Haman, who tumblcd so far
down? Yes, on smaller scale every
day the world sees the same thing
Against thoir very advantages men trip
into destruction. When God humbles
proud men it is usually at the moment
of their rgreatestarrogancy, If there be
a man in your community greatly pulTcd
up with worldly success, you have but
to stand a little while and you will SEQ
him come down. You say | wonder
that God allows that man to go
on riding over others heads and maxi
ing great assumptions Of power.
There is no wonder about it. lIaman
has not yet got to the top. Pride is q
commander, we'll plumcd and capari-
soned, but it leads forth q dark and
frowning host, We havo tho best Of au-
thority for saying that pride gocth be-
fore destruction, and q naughty spirit
before fall" Tho arrows from tho
Almighty's quivor arc apt to strike u
man when on the wing Goliath shakes
his great spear in defiance, but the
small stones from the brook Elah mako
him stagger and fall like an OK under
tho butchers bludgoon, llo who is
down can not fall, Vessels scuddng
under bare poles do not feel the force Of
the storm, but those with all sails set
capsize ut the sudden descent Of the
tempest,
Again; This Oriental tale reminds
us Of the fact that wrongs we prepare
for others return upon ourselves Tho
gallows that llaman built for MordecNi
hppnmp ihp prin,n hiniuInr'u ia, onu1,