Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-30
MANY HARD FALLS
Rev. DR.. Talmage Takes Lesson From
the Hanging of Haman.
It is on the Black Anvil Of Trouble that lion
Hammer Out their Fortunes-Many
Hard Falls in Store for Us ALL

text, $50 they hanged Haman on the
gallows that he had prepared for Nor
decai." Esther 1:l0. Following is lis
sermon In full
Here IA an Oriental courtier, about the
most offensive man in Hebrew history,
Hannah by name. lie plotted for the
destruction of the Israeltish nation, and
wonder not that in some Of the Hebrew
synagogues to this day when Haman' 9
name is men toned, the congregation clench
their fists, and stamp their feet and cry,
LET his name be blotted outW Haman
was prime minister in the magnificent
court of Persia. Thoroughly appreciatlve OF
the honor conferred he expects everybody
that he passes to be obsequious. Coming
in one day at the gate of the palace the
servants drop their heads in honor or his
office; but a Hebrew, named Mordecai,
gazes upon the passing dign tary without
| bending his head or taking Off his hat He
was a good man, and would not have been
negligent OF the ordin Try curtesies OF life,
but he felt no respect either for Haman or
the nation from which he had come. But
he could not be hypocritical; and while
others made Oriental salaam, getting clear
down before this Prime Minister when he
passed, Mordecai, the Hebrew relaxed not
"a muscle of his neck, and kept his chin clear
up Because of that affront Haman gets a
decree from Ahasuerus, the dastardly king,
for the massacre of all the IsrLelites, and
that, OF course will include Morde al.
To make long story short, through
Queen Esther this whole plot was revealed
10 her husband, Ahasuerus. One night
Ahasuerus, who was afflicted with insom-
mia, in his sleepless hours calls for his
secretary TO read to him a few pages Of
Persi in history, and so while away the
night In the book read that night TO the
kin an account was given of n conspiracy,
| from which M0rdecaL tho Enebrew, had
saved the kings life, and for W ich kind.
ness Mordecai had never received any
| reward. HamaD, who had been fixing up
q nice gallows 70 hang Mordecai on, was
walking outside the door of the kings
sleeping apartment and was called in. The
| king told him that he h ad just had read to
him the account o. some one who had saved
his, the kings life, and he asked what re-
ward ought to be given TO such oue. Self
conceited Hannah, supposing that he him
self was TO get the honor, and not imagin-
ing for a moment that the deliverer OF the
kings life was Morde cai, says: "Why,
your Majesty ought u make a triumph for
him, and put crown on him, and set him
on a splendid horse. high-s.epping and full
blooded, and then have one of your princes
lead the horse through the streets, crying,
Bow the knee, here comes "A man who has
saved the kings lifen" Then said Ahasu.
erus in severe tones to Haman: ~ know
all about your scoundrelsm. Now you go
out and make a triumph for Mordecai, the
Hebrew, whom you hate. Put tho best
saddle on the finest horse, and you, the
prince, hold the stirrup while Mordecai
gets on, and then lead his horse through
the street Make hastew
What spectaclel A comedy and
wagedy at one and the same time. There
they gol Mordecai, who had been des-
pissed, now starred and robed, in the stir
rups. Haman, the chancellor, afoot, hold
ing the prancing, rearing, chanpiny stall
lion. Morjccii bends his neck at last, but
IL is to look down at the degraded Prime
Minister walking beneath him. Huzsa for
Mordecai! Alas for Hannah! But what
pity to have the gallows, recently built, en-.
tirely wastedi 1t is fifty cubits high and
built with care. And Hannah had erected
it for Mordecai, by whose stirrups he now
walks as groom. Stranger and more
startling than any romance, there go up
the steps OF the scaffolding, side by side,
the hangman and Haman, the EXCHANGED
lor. $50 they hanged Haman on the gal
lows that he prepared for Mordecai"
Although so many years have passed
since cowardly Ahasuerus reigned and
the beautiful Esther answered to his
whims, and Persia persisted, yet from the
life and death OF Hamau we may draw
living lessons OF warning and instruction
And, first we come to the practical sug-
gestion that when the heart is wrong
things very Insignificant will destroy our
comfort. Who would have thought that
great Prime Minister, admired and APP
pluaded by millions of Persians, would
have been so nettled and harrassed by any
thing trivals What more could the great
dignitary have wanted than his chariots
and attendants, and palaces and banquetsi
III aftuence OF circumstances can make a
man contentcd and happy, surely Hannah
should have been contented and happy
No; Morde sai's refusal OF a bow takes the
glitter from the gold, and the richness from
the purple, and the speed from the chariots
With u heart pulled up with every imitation
OF vanity and revenge, IL was impossible for
him to be happy. The silence OF Mordecai
at the gate was louder than the braying
OF trumpets in the palace. Thus shall lt
always be II tho heart is not right Cir
cumstauces the most trivial will disturb the
spirit.
1t is not the great calamities OF life that
SiNaeO Wiz AhOo1 ultHJ. udN0 seen
men, felled by repeated blows of misfor.
tune, arising from the dust, never despond.
ing. But the most OF the disquiet watch
men suffer is from insignificant causes; as
lion attacked by some beast OF prev turns
easily around and Stays him, yet runs
roaring through the forest at the alight-
ing on his brawny neck Of few insects.
You meet some great loss in business
with comparative composure; but YOU
can think OF petty trickeries inflicted upon
you, which rous, all your capacity fer
wrath, and remain in you heart an unbear-
able annoyance IL you look pack upon
your life, You will find that tho most OF the
vexations and disturb Inces of spirit
which you felt were produ ed
by circumstances that were no.
worthy Of notice. IL you want TO be happy
you must not care for tri1es. 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 a cedar, That
woodm n would not make much clearing
in the forest, who should stop to bind up
every little bruise and scratch he received
in the thicxet; nor will that man accom-
plsh much for the world or the church,
who is too watchful and appreciative CT
petty annoyances There ars multitude,
OF people Ia the world, constantly narrowed