Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-26
HAMAN'S HARD FATE
Only an Example of What the Over
Ambitious May Expect.
WORLDLY VANITY ANDSINFULNESS
Still Anxious to Compel Homage and
Humiliate True Piety.
ORLDLYVANITY AND DSINFULNESS
MISERY AND HAPPINESS DEFINED


BROOKLYN, May 25.-In the Brooklyn
Academy of Music this morning, after the
preliminary exercises which in this congre-
cation are considered as important as any
of the others, DR.. Talmage preached from
the text, $50 they hanged Haman on the
gallows that he had prepared for Mordecal.
Esther vii: 10. Following is his sermon in
full:
Here is an Oriental courtier, about the most
offensive man in Hebrew history, Haman by
name He plotted for the destruction of the
1sraelitish nation, and 1 wonder not that in
some of the Hebrew synagogues to this day
when Haman's name is mentioned, the congre-
cation clench their fists, and stamp their feet
and cry, LET his name be blOtted out!''
Haman was Prime Minister in the magnificent
court of Persia. Thoroughly appreciative 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 of his office; but a
Hebrew, named Mordecai gazes upon the pass
ing dignitary without bending his head or
taking on his hat He was a good man, and
would not have been negligent of the ordinary
courtesies 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
clear down before this Prime Minister when Re
passed, Mordecai, the Hebrew, relaxed not a
muscle of his neck. and kept his chin clear up.
Because of that affront Haman gets decree
from Ahasuerus the dastardly king Tor the
massacre of all the Israeities, and that of
course, will include Mordecai.
To make long story short, through Queen
Esther this whole plot was revealed to her hus-
band, Ahasuerus. One night Ahasuerus, who
was afflicted with insomnia, in his sleepless
hours calls for his secretary to read him few
passages of Persian history, and SO while away
the night. In the book read that night to the
King an account was given of a conspiracy,
from which Mordecai, the Hebrew, had saved
the Kings life, and for which kindness Nor
decai had never received any reward. Haman,
who had been fixing up nice galows to hang
Mordecai on was walking outside the door of
the Kings sleeping apartment, and was called
in.
NOT AS HE EXPECTED.
The King told him that he had just had read
TO him the account of some one who had saved
his, the Kings. life, and he asked what reward
ought to be given to such q one. Self.conceited
Haman, supposing that he himself was to get
the honor, and not imagining for a moment
that the dellverer of the Kings life was Nor
decai, says: Why, your Majesty ought to
make a triumph for him, and put a crown on
him, and set him on a splendid horse, high
stepping 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 lifer" Then
said Ahasuerus in severe tones to Haman: ~
know all about your scoundrelism. Now YOU
60 out and make triumph for Mordecai. the
Hebrew. whom you hate. Put the best saddle
on the finest horse, and you, the Prince. hold
She stirrup while Mordecai gets, on and then
lead his horse through the street. Make haster,
What spectacle! A comedy and tragedy at
one and the same time. There they goi Nor
decai who had been despised, now starred and
robed, in the stirrups, Haman, the Chancellor,
afoOt, holding the prancing, rearing, champing
stallion. MOrdecai bends his neck at last, but
1t is to look down at the degraded Prime MIN
lister walking beneath him. Huzza for Nor
decai! Alas for Haman, But what pity to
have the gallows. recently built, entirely
wasted! Ii is 80 cubits high, and built with
care And Haman had erected it for Mordecai,
by whose stirTups 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 ex-Chan-
celior. so they hanged Haman on the gallows
that he had prepared for Mordecai"
Although so many years have passed since
cowaruly Ahasuerus reigned, and the beautiful
Esther answered to his whims and Persia per-
isheu, yet from the life and death of Haman we
may draw living lessons of warning and instruc-
ttOn. 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 a great Prime
Minister, admired and applauded by millions
Of PersianS. would have been SO nettled and
harassed by anything trivial? What more
could the great dignitary have wanted than
his chariots and attendants, and palaces and
banQuets?
NO HAPPINESS FOR HAMAN.
If aff1uence of circumstances can make a man
conJenJed and happy, surely Haman should
have been contented and happy. No; Morde-
cars refusal of bow takes the glitter from the
gold, and the richness from the purple, and the
speed from the chariots With heart puffed
mp with every imitation of vanity and revenge,
i: 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 it always be if the heart is not right Cir
cumstances the most trivial will disturb the
spirit.
1t is not the great calamities Of life that
create the most worriment. have seen men,
fclled by repeated blows of misfortune, arising
from the dust, never despondinG But the
most ot the disquiet which men suffer is from
Insignificant causes; as a lion attacked by some
beast OF prey turns easily around and slays
hlm, yet runs roaring through the forest at the
alighting on his brawny neck of a few insects
You meet some great loss in business with
comparative cOmposure; but you can think of
petty trckeries inflicted upon you, which rouse
all your capacity for wrath. and remain in your
heart an unbearable annoyance. II YOU look
most of the veXatIons and disturbances of
splrlt, which you felt. were pro-
0ueed by circumstances that were not
worthy Ot notice. III you want to be happy YOU
must not care for trihes. Do not be too minute
in your inspection of the treatment YOU receive
from Others. Who cares whether Mordecai
bows when you pass. stands erect ard stiff
as a CEDAR! That woodman would not make
much clearing in forest who should stop to
bind up every little bruise and scratch he re-
celVed In the thicket; nor will that man ac-
compllsh much for the world or the church
who Is TOO WatGhful and appreciative of petty
ahnoyanceS Ihere are mutitudes 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 spyinS our with all their powers of vision to
see whether they cannot find a Mordecai
Again: learn from the life of the man under
our notice that worldly vanity and sin are very
anxious TO have piety bow before them. Ha.
man was a fair emblem of entira ,voridi
and MordecAi the representative of unflincbinC
EOdlIuess. Such were the usages of societv in
ancient times that, had this Israelte howell to
the Prime Minister. II would have been am ac
Acknowledgement Of respect for his Character and
nation. MordecaI would, therefore have
sinued against his religion had he made a,S,
obeisance or dropped his chin half an inch he
fore Hannah
SECURING OBEDIENCE.
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 yield to its dictates Daniel, if he had
been man of religious compromises, 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 obnoxious to the idolaters.
Paul might have retained the favor of his
rulers and escaped martyrdom if he had only
been willing 70 mix up his Chritian faith with
lew errors. his unbending Christian character
was taken as an insult.
Fagot and rack and halter in all ages have
been only the different WAYS in which the wnrld