Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-10-13
THE GIRL HADASSAH.
DR.. TALMAGE PRESENTS THE MORAL
or ESTHERs STORY.


DR.. TALkiAGE PRESENTS THE MORAL
or EsTHER's STORY
Ahasuerus, or xerxcs, Probably Had IL
ccntIous and Incorporate Court, but
One Good Woman In 1t Was Able to
Save Her People.
BROOKLYN, Oct. REV. DR.. Tai
mage, who is still absent ON his round
the world tour, has selected as the sub
ject of today's sermon through the
ing Esther ii, 7, ''And he brought up
Hadassah. =
A beautiful child was born in the cap
ital Of Persia. She was an orphan and a
captive, her parents having been stolen
from their Israelitish home and carried
TO Shnshan and had died, leaving their
daughter poor and in q strange land
But an Israelite who had been carried
into tho same captivity was attracted
by the case of the orphan. He educated
her in his holy religion, and under the
roof of that good man this adopted child
began to develop a sweetness and excel
lency of character, if ever equaled, GER
tainly never surpassed. Beautiful Ha-
dassah! Could that adopted father ever
spare her from his household? Her art
lassness, her girlish sports, her inno-
cence, her orphanage, had wound them
selves thoroughly around his heart, just
as around each parents heart among us
there are tendrils climbing and fasten-
ing and blossoming and growing stron-
ger.
expect he was like others who have
loved ones at home-wondering some
times if sickness will come and death
and bereavement. Alas, worse than any
thing that the father expects happens to
his adopted child! Ahasucrus, prince
IL scoundrel, demands that Hadassah,
the fairest one in all the kingdom, be-
come his wife. Worse than death was
marriage to such monster of iniquity
How great the change when this young
woman left the homo where God was
worshiped and religion honored to enter
a palace devoted to pride, idolatry and
sensualityl "As lamb to tho slaugh-
terri
Tho Captive Queen.
Ahasuerus knew not that his wife was
Jewess. AT the instigation of the iiifa-
nous prime minister tho king decreed
that all the Jews in the land should be
slain. Haaassah pleads the cause of her
people. breaking through the rules of
the court and presenting herself in the
very face of death, crying, IF ! perish,
/ perishr' Oh, it was q sad time among
that enslayed peoplei They had all heard
the decree concerning their death. Sor-
row, gaunt and CHASTITY, sat in thousands
of households, and mothers wildly
pressed their infants to their breasts as
the days OF massacre hastened OIL, pray
ing that the same sword stroke which
slew the mother might also slay the
child, rosebud and bud perishing i'll the
same blast.
But Hadassah is busy at court. The
hard heart of the king is touched by her
story, and although he could not re-
verse his decree for the staying of the
Jews he sent forth an order that they
should arm themselves for defense. On
horseback. ON rluIes. on dronaedar;es.
messengers sned through the land bear.
ing the kings dispatches, and shout
of joy went up from that enslayed peo-
pie at the faint hope of success. l doubt
not many rusty blade was taken down
and sbarneped. Unbeardcd vouths orew
stont as giants Mt the thorrht of desond-
inc motbors and sisters Degeneration,
strung nm towards into heroes and
fragile women crashing their weapons
SWING them abont tbe cradles. in,nafiont
for the time tostrike the blow in behalf
of household and count1v
Tr;umn,, Of ,l,e Jcws.
Tho dav of eyaeution ,lawncd CIV.
arnmant officials a-oad AMI drilled
coved before the hattle short of tho on
messed neonlo The cry of defeat r,no
hazel, 70 the nalaees. INIT above the ,aoun.
tains Of dead above ~ 600 c,.,sla + and
manpled cornses. soundcd fine tri,1nonI, of
the delivered lows. and their enthusiasm
was "a when the hiphlnnders came to
the relief Of I,ucl,now. and the English
army which stood in tbe very laws of
death at fine sndde, homo os assistance
and reseue lifted the shout above belch-
inc cannon and tbe death aroan of
hosts CRYING. "SVe orc savodl We arc
sayedr'
NV snbioct affords me onnortunitv If
Illustrating what Christian character
NAV be under the greatest Disadvantage.
There is no Cbristien now exactlv Whit
he wants to ba yonr standard Is puch
hioher than ANYTHING Won have attained
INTO. If there he any man so nufYe,l mn
as to he tborouoblv satisfied with the
amount of exeellencv he has already Mt.
tanned. I hive nothing TO saw 70 arch a
one. but to those who are dissatisfied
with past attachments. who are toilinp
under disadvantages which are keen.
inc them from beins what thev onoht /
TO he 7 have message from God Won
each of Won labor under difficulties
There is something in vour temnero.
ment. in your worldly circumstances