Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-05-26
STORY OF HAMAM.
[Continucd nom Fnst Fac. |
HIN sTEoNG EEroRE 81.


piety bow before them. Haman was a
fair emblem of entire worldlinesS, and
MOrdecai the representative of unflinch-
ing godlineSS. Such were the uSageS of
society in ancient times that, had this
lSraclite bowed to the Prime Min
lister. it would have been an
acknowledgement 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
Hannah. When, therefore, proud Ha-
man 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
To mix up his Christian faith with few
errors. His unbending Christian char
acter 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 keel before
him. But it is not now so much on the
top of churches as down in the aisle
and the pew and the pulpit that Satan
tcmptS the eSpOuSerS of the Chris
Why was il that the Platonic philos-
opherS of early times, rs well as Toland.
SpinoZa and BolingbrOke of later days.
were so madly opposed to Christianity?
Certainly not because it favored immOr-
alitieS. or arrested civilization, or
dwarfcd the intellect. The genuine rca-
son. whether admitted or not, was be-
cause the religion of Christ paid no re-
Spect To their intellectual vanities.
Blount, and Boyle, and the hosts of inf
delS Matched out by the vile reign of
Charles the Second, as reptiles crawl out
of marsh of slime: could not keep
their patience because, aS they passed
lalong, there were sitting at the gate of
the church such men as Matthew, and
Mark. and Luke and John who would
not bend an inch in respect to their
PHILOSOPHERS.
SATAN TOLD OUR FIRST PARENTS
that they should become rs gods if they
would only reach up and take taste of
the fruit. They tried il and failed, but
their descendants are not Yet satisfied
with the experiment. We have now
many desiring to be as gods, reaching
up after yet another apple. Human
reason, ScOrnful of Gods word, may
foam and strut with the proud wrath Of
a Hannah, and attempt to compel the
homage of the good, but in the preSence
/ OF men and angels it shall be confound-
ed. God shall Smite thee, thou whited
wall" When science began to make its
brilliant discoveries there were great
facts brought To light that seemed TO
overthrow the truth of the Bible. The
arch1OlogiSt with his crOwbar, and
the geologiSt with his hammer, and
the chemist with his batteries charged
upon the Bible. Moses account OF the
creation seemed denied by the very
structure OF the earth The astronomer
wheeled round his telescope until the
heavenly bodies seemed TO marshal
themselves against the Bible, as the
stars In their course fought against
SiScra. ObSerVatOrieS and universities
rejoiccd at what they considered the eX-
tinction Of Christianity. They gathered
new courage at what they considered
4 haf
Quest into the kingdom of nature until.
alas for them, they discovered too
much. Gods word had only been lying
i'm ambush that, in some unguardcd mo-
ment, with Il sudden bound, it might
tear infdelity to pieces.
1t was as when Joshua attacked the
city of Al. He selected thirty thousand
men and concealed most Of them; then
with few men he aSSailed the city.
which poured out its numbers and
strength upon JoShua'S little band. Ac-
cording To previous plan, they fell back
i'm seeming defeat, but, after all the
proud inhabitants of the city had been
brought out of their homes, and had
Joined in the pursuit of Joshua, sudden
ly that brave man halted in his flight,
and with his spear pointing toward the
city, thirty thousand men bounded from
the thicketS as pantherS spring To their
prey: and the purSuerS were dashed to
pieces, while the hosts Of Joshua press
ed up To the city, and with their lighted
torches tossed it into flame. Thus it
was that the discoveries of science seem
ed To give temporary victory against
God and the Bible, and for a
while the church acted as if
she were on retreat; but,
when all the oppOSerS of God and truth
had joined in the pursuit, and were sure
lof the field. Christ gave the signal TO
His church. and, turning, they drove
back their foes in shame. There was
found To be no antagoniSm between ma
Iturc and revelation. The universe and
1.-THE Bible were found To be the work of
1.-THE same hand, two strokes of the same
pen, their authorship the same God.
PRIDE AND DESTRUCTION.
Again: learn the lesson that pride
goes before fall. Was any man ever
So far up as Hannah, who tumblcd so far
down? Yet, on Il smaller scale every
day the worldSeeS the same thing.
Against their very advantages men trip
into destruction. When God humblcS
proud men. il is usually at the moment
of their greatest arrogancy. II there
be a man in your community greatly
pulled up with worldly success, You
have but to stand little while and
YOU will see him come down. You say,
wonder that God allows that man to
90 on riding over others heads and max
ing great assumptions of power. There
is no wonder about il. Hannah has not
vet got to the top. Pride is a COM
mander. well plumed and capariSoned'
but il leads forth dark and frownlng
lhost. We have the best OF authority
for saving that pride goeth before de-
Struction, and naughty spirit before
fall" The arrows from the Almighty
culver are apt 10 strike man wheh on
/ the wing. Goliath shakes his great
spear in defiance, but the small stones
/ from the brook Elah make him stagger
and fall like an OK under the butchers
Ibmdgeon. He who is down cannot Iali.
Vessels scudding under bare poles DO
not feel the force of the storm, but thoSe
with all sails set capSize at the sudden
descent of the tempest.
Again: This Oriental tale reminds Us
of the fact that wrongs we prepare LOT
others return upon ourselves. The gar
\ lows that Hannah built for MOrdecal be-
came the Prime Minister'S Strangula-