The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-10-17
ESTHER THE ORPHAN.

ESTHER THE ORPHAN.
Dr. Talmase Finds Msuy Les:ocs n the
Exsmpls OF the Jswess.
BROOKLYN, Oct. Rev. Dr.. Tai.
mage, who is still absent on hls rouno
the world tour, has selected as the SUD
ject Of todsy's sermon through the press
.'Eadassah," the text chosen beng h.S-
ther il. 7, 'sAnd be brought up HsasS-
sah.''
A beautiful child vas born N the cap
itsl of Persia. She was al orphan aua :
captive, her parents having been Sto:e9
srono their Isrsslltish home and carried
To Shushan and died, leaving their Gausn-
ter poor and in a strange land: bu5 an
Isreslite who had been carried INTO tae
same captivity was attracted .? the
case of the orphan. He educated her IN
bis holy religion, and urdsr the root OF
that good man this adopted child began
to develop a sweetness and exceilency
of character, if ever equalled, certainly
never surpassed. Beautiful Hadassab!
Could that adopted father ever spare ner
from his households Her a1tlessness,
her eirlish sports, her innccecce, hec
orphsnsee. had wound themselves thor.
ouehly around his hssrt, just as around
each parents heart among US there a1e
tendrils climbing and fastening and olos-
soming and growing stronger. expect
he was like others who have loves ones
at home-wondering sometimes Il SICK
ness will come and death and bere ave-
ment, Alas, worse than anything the
father expects happens to his soop!eo
child! Abasuerus, prIncsly sccuaoiei,
demands that Hadassah, the falresS one
in all the kingdom, become his Wl!e.
Worss than death was marriage to suca
monster of in;quity. How great the
change when this young woman left the
homs where God was worshipped sno
religion honored to enter palace oe,
voted to pride, ldolatry and sensuadtS!
"As lamb to the slaughter"
Ahssuerus knew not that bis W.ie was
q Jewess. Atths instigation OF the IN
famous psine minister the king decreed
that all the Jews il the land should %
slain. Hadsssah pleads the cause OF
her people, breaking through the rules
of the court and presenting herself N
the very face OF death, crying, I'll per-
ish, T perish!'' Oa. 1t was SAD time
among that enslave6 people! They bad
all heard the decree concerning tneir
death. Sorrow, gaunt and ghss1ly, sat
in thousands of households, and mothers
wildly pressed their Infants TO Their
breasts as the days of massacre hasteneo
on. praylng that the same sTord stroke
which slew the mother might also stay
the child, rosebud and bud perlshing II
the same blast.
But Hsdasssh Is busy at court. The
hard heart OF the king is touched Dy her
story. and although be could not reverse
his decree for the slaying OF the Jews ne
sent forth an order that they should arm
themselves for defense. On HORSEBACK,
on mules, on dromedaries, messengers
spe6 through the land bearing the kings
dispatches, and shout of JOY went up
rom that enslaved people at the faint
hope Of success. I doubt not many q
rusty blade was taken down and sharp
ened. Un5earded youths grew stout as
giants at the thought Of defending motn-
ers and sisters. Desperation strung up
towards into heroes, and fragile women,
erssping their weapons, swung them
shout the cradles, impatient tor the
time 10 strike the blow In oenah OF
household and country.
The oay of execution daWneo. Cos
ernmens eficials, armed and drilled.
coWsd before the battle shout t-e5 the op-
pressed people. The cry e1 defeat rang
back to the palaces, bgtabove the noun.
tains of dead. abs7e $4,000 crushed and
msngled corpses, sounded the triumph
of the delivered Jews, and their enthnsl-
ssm Eas as when the highlanders came
teThe relief of Lucknow, and The Eng
fish army, which stood IN the very JAWS
of death, at the sudden hope OF assist
snce and rescus lifted the shout above
bslching cannon and the death groan OF
hosts, crying, Eve are saved! we are
sayed:"
MY subject afords me opportunity CT
illustrating what Christian character
may be under the greatest disadvantages.
There is no Christian now exactly Whss
he wants to be. Your standard IS much
higher than anything you have attained
unto. If there be any man 50 punso up
ss 20 ba thoroughly satisfied with the
amount OF excsllency he has already at
tanned, 7 have nothing to say TO suco
one. But to those who are dissatisfied
with past attainments, who are tolllng
under disadvantages which are keeping
them from being what thay ought to be,
have message from God. Iou eacn
of yor labor under difficulties. There is
something in your temperament, IN your
calling, that acts powerfully against you.
Admitting all this, I introduce you to
Hsdssssh OF the text, q noble Christian.
notwithstanding the most gigantic dtl-
culties. She whom you might have
expected to be one Of the worst OF Wo'
men, one Of the best.
In the first place, our sunJec1 Is an
illustration of what Christian characrer
NAV be under orphsnsoe. This Bible
line tells q long story about Hadassah.
sSae had neither father nor mother"
A nobleman had become her guardian,
bat there is no one who can take the
place of q parent. Who so able st
night TO hear 8 cbild's prayer or at
twilight to chide youthful wanderings or
to soothe youthful sorrows? An ind
vidual viii go through life bearing the
marks Of orphanage. It will require
more strength, more persistence, more
grace, 10 make such one the right kind
OF q Christian. He who st 40 years
loses a parent raust reel under the blow.
Even down to old age men are accus-
toned to rely upon the counsel or be
powerfully influenced by the ADVICE OF
parents if they are stll alive.
But how much greater the bereavement
when it comes in early life before the
character is self reliant and when natu.
rally the heart is ursophistlcated