The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-10-12

body, the mind. or the heart, may be-
come temptations to pride, and arbi-
trariness, and foolish assumption. The
NEUROLOGICAL story of a man who, see
ing himself mirrored in a stream. be-
came so enamored of his appearance
that he died of the effects, illustrates
the fatalities under which thousands
of both sexes have fallen by the view
of their own superiority. Extraordi-
nary capacities cause extraordinary
temptations Men who have good
moral health down in the valley, on
the top of the mountain are seized of
consumption. Monimia, the wife of
Mithridates, was Btrangled with her
own diadem.
Again, our subject exhibits what re-
ligion may be under bad domestic in
fiuences. Hadassah was snatched from
the holy home into which she had been
adopted, and introduced into the abom-
Unable associations of which wicked
Ahasuerus was the center. What a
whirl of blasphemy, and drunkenness,
and RIGHTEOUSNESS! No altar, no prayer,
no Sabbath. no God! If this captive
girl can be Christian there. then it is
possible to be Christian anywhere.
There are many of the best people in
the world who are obliged to contend
with the most adverse domestic intlu-
ences, children who have grown up in
to the love of God under the frown of
parents, and under the encouragement
of bad example. Some sister of the
family having profassed the faith OF
Jesus is the subject of unbounded satire
inflicted by brothers and sisters. Yea,
Hadassah was not the only Christian
who had queer husband. 1t is no
easy matt er to maintain correct Chris
tian principles when there is a COM
panion disposed to scott at them, and
to ascribe every imperfection of char
acter to hypocrisy. What hard thing
for one member of the family to right
" keep the Sabbath when others are
disposed to make it day of revelry; or
to inculcate propriety of speech in the
| minds of children when there are
| others to offset the instructions by
loose and profane utterances; or to be
regularly in attendance upon church
when there is more household work
demanded for the Lords day than
| for any secular day. Do L speak
to any laboring under these
| blighting disadvantages? My sub
| iect is full of encouragement. Vast
responsibilities rest upon you. Be
| faithful, though you stand as much
alone as did Lot in Sodom, or jeremiah
| in Jerusalem, or Jonah in Nineveh, OF
| Hadassah in the court of Ahasuerus
There are trees which grow the best
| when their roots clutch among the
jagged rocks, and you verify have but
poor soil in which to develop, but
| grace is thorough husbardman and
can raise a crop any where. The Chris
tian victory will be bright just in pro-
portion as the battle is hot. Never
despair being thorough Christian in
any household which is not worse than
| the court of Ahasuerus.
Finally, our subject illustrates what
religion may be in high worldly posi-
ton. The last we see in the Bible of
Hadassah is that she has become the
queen OF Persia. Prepare now to see
the departure of her humility, and self
sacrifice, and religious principle. As
she goes up you may expect grace to
go down. 1t is easier to be humble in
the obscure house of her adopted father
than on throne of dominion. But
you misiudge this noble woman. What
she was before, she is now-the myrtle.
Applauded for her beauty and her
crown. she forgets not the cause of her
suffering people, and with all simple
ity of heart, still remains worshiper
of the God of Heaven.
Noble example followed only by
very few. address some who, through
the goodness of God, have risen to posi-
tions of influence in the community
where you live. In law, in merchan-
disc, and in other useful occupations
and professions you hold an influence
for good or for evil. Let us see whether,
like Hadassah, you can stand eleva-
ton. Have you as much simplicity of
character as you once evidenced?
Do you feel as much dependence
upon God; as much your own
weakness; as much your accounta-
bility for talents intrusted? Or are
you proud, and overdemanding, and
ungrateful, and unsympathetic, and
worldly, and sensual, and devilish?
Then you have been spoiled by your
success, and you shall not sit on this
throne with the heroine of my text.
In the day when Hadassah shall come
to the grander coronation, in the
presence of Christ and the hammered
hosts of the redeemed, you will be poor
indeed. Oh, there are thousands of
men who can easily endure to be
knocked down of misfortune, who are
utterly DESTROYED if lifted up of sue
cess. Satan takes them to the top of
the pinnacle of the temple and shoves
them off. Their head begins to whirl
and they lose their balance and down
they go.
While last autumn all through the
forests there were luxuriant trees with
moderate out-branch, and moderate
height, pretending but little, there
were foliage shafts that shot far up,
looking down with contempt on the
whole forest, clapping their hands in
the breeze and shouting, aha! Do
you not wish you were as high up
as we are?' But last week a
blast, let loose from the north, came
rushing along and grasping the
boasting oaks, hurled them to the
ground, and, as they went down, an
old tree that had been singing psalms
with the thunder one hundred sum-
mers, cried out: Pride goeth before
destruction, and naughty spirit be-
fore fall" And humble hickory,
and pine and chestnut, that had never
said their prayers before, bowed their
heads as much as to say: Amen
My friends, God resisteth the proud,
but giveth grace to the humble"
Take from my subject encouragement.