The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-05-28

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to be happy you must not care for trifies.
Do not be too minute in your inspection
of the treatmentyou 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 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. Haman was a fair en-
blem Of entire worldliness and Nor
decai the representative Of unfinching
godliness. Such were the usages OF
society in ancient times that, had this Is
raelite bowed to the prime minister, 1t
would have been an acknowledgment Of
respect for his character and nation.
Mordecai would, therefore, have sinned
against his religion had he made any
obeisance 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 over since has tried to
do, when it would force our holy relig-
ion in any way to yield to its dictates.
Daniel, II he had been man Of relig-
ous compromises, would never have
been thrown into tho 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 II he had only been
willing to mix up his Christian faith
with few errors. His unbending Chris
tian character was taken as an insult.
Fagot and rack and halter in all ages
have been only the different ways in
which the world has demanded obeis-
ance. 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 1t is not now so much on
the top of churches as down in the aisle
and the pew and the pulpit that Satan
tempts the espousers Of the Christian
faith to kneel before him. Why was 1t
that the Ilatonic philosophers Of early
times, as we'll as Toland, Spinoza, and
Bolingbroke Of later days we're so mad
ly opposed to Christianity? Certainly
not because 1t favored immoralities or
arrested civilization, or dwarfed the in
tellect The genuine reason, whether
admitted or not, was because the re-
ligion of Christ paid no attention to
their intellectual vanities. Blount and
Boyle, and the host OF infdels hatched
out by tho vile reign OF Charless H., as
reptiles crawl out Of a 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 re-
spect to their PHILOSOPHERS.
Satan told our first parents that they
would become as gods II they would
only reach up and take taste of the
fruit They tried 1t and failed. but
their descendants are not yet satisfied
with the experiment We have nov
many desiring to be as gods, reaching
up after yet another apple. Human
reason, scornful OF Gods word, MAJ
foam and strut with the proud wrath o.
a Haman, and attempt TO compel tht
homage OF the good, but in the presencC
Of men and angels, II shall be con
founded. "God shall smfte thee, thoI
whited wall" When science begar
TO make its brilliant discoveries
there were great facts brought :,
light that seemed TO overthrow tn,
truth OF the Bible. The Archeologis
with his crowbar, and the geologist with
bis hammer, and the chemist with hi
batteries charged upon the Bible. Moses
account OF the creation seemed deniet
by the very structure OF the earth. Tn,
astronomer wheeled round his telescop,
until the heavenly bodies seemed TO mar
shall themselves against the Bible, o.
the stars In their courses fought agains
Sisera. 0bservatoriss and universitie
rejoiced at what they considered the ex
tinction Of Christianity. They gatheret
new courage at what they considered
past victory, and pressed on their con
quest into the kingdom OF nature until
alas for them! they discovered too much
Gods word had ealy been lying In am
bush that in somo ungusrded moment
with sudden bound, ~ might tear inf
deity 10 pieces. sA8t
II was as whom Joshua attacked th
city Of Al He selected 1000 men, an
concealed most OF them; then with fe,
men he assaulted the city, which poure,
out It's numbers and strength upoi
Joshuas little band. According TO pre-
vious plan they fell back in seeming de
feat, but, after all the proud inhabitant
OF the city had been brought out OF thei
homes, and had joined In the pursuit o
Joshua, suddenly that brave man halte'
in his flight, and with his spear pointing
toward the city, $4,000 men bound from
the thickets as panthers spring to thei
prey, and the pursuers were dashed +
pieces, while the hosts OF Joshu
pressed up to the city, and with thei
/ lighted torches tossed 1t into fame
Thus It was that tho discoverers o
science seemed to give temporary vic
, tory against God and the Biblo, and 70
long while the Church cted as II
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