The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-05-30
PRIDE BEFORE A FALL.
DR.. Talmage on theLessons Taught
By the Fate of Haman.
How Insignificant Matters May Aneet the
Heart That ID Wrong-The Arrogance
OF Worldly Vanity - Ultimate
Triumph OF Christianity.

In recent sermon at Brooklyn upon
the subject of Worldly Vanity, Rev. T.
Dewitt Talmage preached from the
text: $50 they hanged Haman on the
gallows that he had prepared for Nor
decai." Esther vii. 10. Following is his
sermon:
Here Is an Oriental courtier, about the
most offensive man in Hebrew history,
Haman by name. He plotted for the
destruction OF the Israelitish nation,
and / wonder not that in some of the
Hebrew synagogues TO this day when
Humans name is mentioned, the con-
gregation clench their fists and stamp
their feet and cry: Let his name be
blotted outr' Hannah was Prime Min
lister 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 palace the servants drop their
heads in honor of his Office; but a He
brew named Mordecai gazes upon the
passing dignitary without bending his
head or taking of 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 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. Be
cause of that affront Hannah gets decree
from Ahasuerus, the dastardly King, for
the massacre of all the Israelites, and
that of course, will include Mordecai.
To make long story short through
Queen Esther this whole plot was re-
vealed TO her husband, Ahasuerus. One
night Ahasuerus, who was . ffiicted with
insomnia, in his sleepless hours calls
for his secretary to read to him few
pages OF Persian history, and so while
away the night. In the book read that
night to the King an account was given
of conspiracy from which Mordecai,
the Hebrew, had saved the Kings life,
and for which kindness Mordecai had
never received any reward. Hannah,
who had been fixing up nice gallows
to hang Mordecai on, was walking out
side the door of the Kings sleeping
apartment and was called in. 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
a one. Self-conceited Hannah, suppos-
ing that he himself was to get the honor,
and not imagining for moment that
the deliverer of the Kings life was
Mordecai, says: 'Why, your Majesty
ought to make triumph for him, and
put a crown on him, and set him on a
splendid horse, housekeeping and full
blooded, and then have one of YOU
princes lead the horse through the
streets, crying: 'Bow the knee, here
comes n man who has saved the King:
lifeI" Then said Ahasuerus in severe
tones to Hannah: II know all about
your scoundrelism. Now you go out
and make n triumph for Mordecai, the
Hebrew, whom you hate. Put the bes
saddle on the finest horse, and you, the
prince, hold the stirrup while Mordeca
gets on, and then lead his horse through
the street. Make haster' What
spectacle! A comedy and a tragedy a
one and the same time. There they GO
Mordecai, who had been despised, nov
starred and ROBBED, in the stirrups
Hannah, the Chancellor, afoot, holding
the prancing, rearing, champing stall
lion. Mordecai bends his neck at last
but IL is To look down Mt the degraded
Prime Minister walking beneath him
Huzza for Mordeca'l Alas for Hannah
But what ny to have the gallows, re
Gently buA, entirely wasted 1t is fift
cubits high and built with care. An
Hannah had erected it for Mordecai, b
whose stirrups he now walks as groom
Stranger and more startling than an
romance, there go up the steps of tn
scaffolding, side by side, the hangma
and Haman, the ex-Chancellor. as
they hanged Hannah on the gallow
that he prepared for Mordecair'
Although so many years have pas sc
since cowardly Ahasuerus reigned, an
the beautiful Esther answered to hi
whims, and Persia persisted, yet frol
the life and death of Hannah we ma
draw living lessons of warning and IL
struction. And, first we come to tn
practical suggestion that when tn
heart Is wrong, things very insignificaI
will destroy our comfort Who woul
have thought that great Prime Mil
lister, admired and applauded by million
of Persians, would have been SO nettle
and harassed by any thing trivia
What moro could the great dignitaI
have wanted than his chariots and a
tendants, and palaces and banquets?
affiuence of circumstances can make
man contented and happy, surely Hama
should have been contented and happ
No; Mordeca's refusal of a bow tax,
the glitter from the gold, and the ricl
ness from the purple, and the spec
from the chariots. With heart puife
up with every imitation of vanity an
revenge, il was impossible for him to I
happy. The silence of Mordecai at I'll
gate was louder than the braying
trumpets in the palace. Thus it sha
always be IL the heart is not alwa,
right Circumstances the most trivi
will disturb the spirit
1t is not the great calamities of Ii
that create the most wOrriment. 1 ha'
seen men, felled by repeated blows
misfortune, arising from the dust, new
Responding. But the most of the di
quiet which men suffer is from insi
nificant causes; as lion attacked
some beast of prey turns easily arouI
and Stays him, yet runs roaring throug
the forest at the alighting on h
brawny neck of a few insects You me-
some great loss in business with cor
parative composure, but yon can thin
of petty trickeries inf cted upon VI
which rouse all your capacity for wrai
and remain in your heart an unbearab
annoyance.
Again, 1 learn from the life of the ma
under our notice that worldly vanit
and sin are very anxious to have pie
bow before them. Hannah was a IA
emblem of entire worldliness, and Mo
decai the representative of unfiinchiI
godliness- Such were the usages of 5
ciety in ancient times that, had tn
Israelite bowed to the Prime Ministe
1t would have boon an acknowledged
OF respect for his character and natio
Mordecai would, therefore. have slime
against his religion had he made AZ