Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-05-29
SERMON BY DIR. TALMAGE
HE BREACHES ON THE HANGING OF
PROUD aAMAN.
Many Years have Passed since That
Event, but Its Story Is Full Of Lessons
for Us To-Day-Th~ Doctors Discourse IN
Fill

In the Brooklyn Academy Of Music. Sun
day morning. May IS. DIR. Talmage preached
from the text. so they hanged Haman on
the gallows that he had prepared for Nor
decai.'-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 destrue-
tion Of the Israelitish nation, and wonder
not that in some Of the Hebrew synagogues
10 this day, when Haman's name is mem
toned, the congregation clfnch their fists.
and stamp their feet and cry, Let his name
be blotted outi- Haman was prime minis
ter in the magnificent court of Persia
Thoroughly appreciative OF the honor con-
ferred, 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
passing dignitary without bending his head
or taking off his hat.
He was 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 hypoeritical,
and while others made oriental salaam,
getting clear down before this prime minis
ter when he passed. Mordecai. the Hebrew.
relaxed not muscle of his neck. and kept
his chin clear up. Because Of that affront
Haman 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 revealed
to her husband, Ahasuerus. One night
Ahasuerus, who was afflicted with insomnia,
In his sleepless hours calls for his secretary
to read him a few passages Of Persian his
tory, 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 King s
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 outside 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 King's) life, and
he asked what reward ought to be given to
such a one.
seIf-conceited Haman. supposing that he
himself was to get the honor, and not i'm
agining for moment that the deliv-
erer of the Kings life was Mordecai, says:
why your majesty ought to make a tri-
umph for him, and put a crown on him, and
set him on splendid horse, high stepping
and full blooded. and then have one Of your
princes lead the horse through the street.
crying: Bow the knee. here comes man
who has saved the Kings lief" Then said
Ahasuerus in severe tones to Haman: i
know all about your scoundreism. Now
you go out and make a triumph for Nor
decai, the Hebrew, whom YOU hate. Put
the best saddle on the finest horse, and you,
the prince, hold the stirrup while Morde-
cal gets on, and then lead his horse through
the street. Make haster'
hat Aaf0 laI A 4 L
at one and the same time. There they go!
Mordecai, 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 it is to look down at
the degraded prime minister walking be-
meath him. Huzza for Mordeeail Alas for
Hamanl But what pity to have the gall
lows. recently built, entirely wastedl 1t is
fifty cubits high, and built with care, And
Haman had erected it for Mordecai. by
whose stirrups he now walks as groom.
Stranger and more startling than any ro-
nance. there go up the steps of the scat
folding, side by side. the hangman and
Haman' the ex-chancellor, 80 they
hanged Haman on the gallows that he had
prepared for Mordecai."
Although so many years have passed
since cowardly Ahasuerus reigned. and the
beautiful Esther answered to his whims,
and Persia perished, yet from the life and
death OF Haman we may draw living les
sons of warning and instruction. 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 great prime min
lister, 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 banquetsp
If affiuence Of circumstances can make a
man contented and happy. surely Hannah
should have been contented and happy.
No; Mordecai's refusal of bow takes the
glitter from the gold, and the richness from
the purple. and the speed from the chariots.
With heart puffed up with every imitation
OF vanity and revenge, it was impossible for
him to be happy. The silence of Mordecai
at the gate was louder to him than the bray
ing of trumpets in the palace. Thus shall it
always be II the heart is not right. Circum-
stances the most trivial will disturb the
spirit.
1t is not the great calamities of life that
create the most Worriment. Ihave seen men,
felled by repeated blows of misfortune
arising from the dust never responding.
But the most Of the disquiet which men
suffer is from insignificant causes. as lion
around and Stays him. yet runs roaring
through the forest at the ahghting on his
brawny neck of few insects. You meet
some great loss in business with compara-
tive composure, but you can think of petty
trickeries inflicted upon you which rouse
all your capacity for wrath and remain in
your heart an unbearable annoyance. II
you look back on your life you will find that
most of the vexationS and disturbances OF
spirit which you felt were produced by cir
cumstances that were not worthy of notice.
II you want to be happy you must not
care for trifles. Do not be too minute in
your inspection of the treatment you re-
ceive from others. Who cares whether
Mordecai bows when you pass, or stands
erect and stiff as cedar2 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 cannot find Mordeai.
Again: learn from the life of the man
under our notice that worldly vanity and
sin are very anxiousto have piety bow be-
fore them. Haman was fair emblem OF
entire worldliness. and Mordecai the repre-
sentative Of unffinching godliness. Such
were the usages Of society in ancient times
that, had this Israelite bowed to the prime
minister. it would have been an acknowl-
edgment 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 hom-