Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-06-05
PRIDE BEFORE A FALL.
Dr.. Talfhage on the Lessons Taught
By the Fate Of Hannah.
How Insignificant Matters May Affect the
Heart That Is wrong-The Arrogance
of Worldly Vanity - Ultimate
Triumph Of Christianity.

In a recent sermon at Brooklyn Upon
the subject of Worldly Vanity, Ret. I:
Dewitt faimaee preached ir0m the
text: "So they hang, Haman Oh the
gallows that he had prepared for Mor=
decai." Esther vii: TO- Following is his
sefm0n:
Here is an Oriental c6iirtier, about the
most offensive man in Hebrew history,
Haman by name. He plotted for the
| destruction of the lsraelitish nation,
Hebrew synagogues to this day when
Humans name is mentioned, the con-
gregatiof elenth their fists and stamp
their feet and cry: "tet his name be
| blotted out!' Hafiian was Prime Min
lister in the magnificent coitrt of Persia.
Thoroughly appreciatiSe 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 object but He
brew named Mordecai gases tpon the
passing digh .taFy without bending his
head or taking off 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
Hannah 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 1srae1ites, 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 afflicted 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. Haman,
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. Se1f-conceited Hannah, suppos-
ing that he himself was to get the honor,
and not imagining for a moment that
the deliverer of the Kings life was
Mordecsi, says: "Why, your Majesty
ought to make triumph for him, and
put crown on him, and set him on
splendid horse, housekeeping and full
blooded, and then have one of your
princes lead the horse through the
streets, crying: Bow the knee, here
comes man who has saved the Kings
fei" Then said Ahasuerus in severe
tones to Hannah: II know all about
your scoundrelism. Now you go out
and make triumph for Mordeca, the
Hebrew, whom you hate. Put the 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 haster' What a
spectaclel A comedy and tragedy at
one and the same time. There they go!
Mordecai, who had been despised, now
starred and robed, in the. stirrups.
Hannah, the Chancellor, afoot, holding
the prancing, rearing, champing stall
lion. Mordecai bends his neck at last,
but it is to look down at the degraded
Prime Minister walking beneath him.
Huzza for Mordecai! Alas for Hannah
But what pity to have the gallOws, re-
Gently built entirely wasted! 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 ex-Chancellor. $50
they hanged Hannah on the gallows
that he prepared for Mordecai!'
Although so many years have pas cd
since cowardly Ahasuerus reigned, and
the beautiful Esther answered to his
whims, and Persia persisted, yet from
the life and death of Haman we may
draw living lessons of warning and in
struction. And, first, we come to the
practical suggestion that when the
heart is wrong, things very insignificant
will destroy our comfort Who would
have thought that a great Prime Min
lister, admired and applauded by millions
of Persians, would have been so nettled |
and harassed by any thing trivial? |
What more could the great dignitary |
have wanted than his chariOts and at
tendants, and palaces and banquets? If |
aff1uence of circumstances can make a |
man contented and happy, surely Haman |
should have been contented and happy. |
No; Mordecai's refusal of bow takes |
the glitter from the gold, and the rich |
ness from the purple, and the speed /
from the chariots. With heart pulled |
I'D with every initiation of vanity and |
revenge, it was impossible for him to be
happy. The silence of Mordecai at the
yate was louder than the braying of |
trumpets in the palace. Thus 1t shall /
always be if the heart is not always |
right Circumstances the most trivial
will disturb the spirit,
1t is not the great calamities of life
that create the most worriment have
seen men. felled by repeated blows of
misfortune, arising from the dust, never
Responding. But the most of the dis
quiet which men suffer is from ;nsig
nifcant causes; as a lion attacked by
some beast of prey turns easily around
and Stays him, yet runs roaring through
the forest at the alighting on his
brawny neck of few insects. You meet
some great loss in business with COM
parative composure, but you can think