The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-10-10

ing under these blighting disadvant-
ages? My subject is, full Of encour-
agement. 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, or Hadassah in the
oeurt 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
husbandman, and can raise crop any
where. Glassware is nodded over the
fire, and in the same way you are to be
fitted as vessel of mercy. The best
timber must have on it saw and gouge
and beetle. The foundation stone OF
yours and every other house came out
only under crowbar and blast. Files
and wrenehes and hammers belong to
the church, The Christian victory will
be bright just In proportion as the bat
tie is hot. Never despair being thor
ough Christian in any household which
is not worse than the court Of Ahas-
uerus.
Finally, our subject illustrates what
religion may be in a high worldly posi-
tion. The last we see in the Bible of
Hadassah is that she has become Queen
OF Persia. Prepare now to see the de-
parture of her humility, and self-sacri-
fee, 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
misjudge 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 SIM
plicity of heart, still remains wor-
shipper of the God of Heaven.
Noble example followed only by
very few. l address some who, through
the goodness of God, have risen to po-
sitioRs of influence in the community
where you live. In law, in merchan'
disc, In medicine, in mechanics and in
other useful occupations and profess
sions you hold an influence for good, or
for evil. Let us see whether, like Ha-
dassah, you can stand elevation. Have
you as much simplicity of character
as once you evidencedP Do you feel as
much dependence upon God; as much
your own weakness; as much your ao-
countability for talents entrusted? Or
are you proud, and over-demanding,
and ungrateful, and unsympathetic,
and worldly, and sensual and devilish7
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 pres
ence Of Christ and the hammered hosts
of the redeemed, you will be poor in
deed. o, there are thousands of men
who can easily endure to be knocked
down of misfortune, who are utterly
destroyed II lifted up Of success 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, olapping their hands in
the breeze and shouting, "Aha! Doyou
not wish you were as high up as we
are?" But last week blast let loose
! from the north came rushing along
and graphing the boasting oaks, hurled
them to the ground, and, as they went
down, an old tree that had been sing.
ing psalms with the thunder one hun
dred summers, cried out, "Pride goeth
before destruction, and a naughty spirit
before a fall" And humble hickory,
pine and chestnut that had never said
their prayers before, bowed their heads
as much as to say, "Amenp
My friends, God resisteth the proud,
but giveth grace to humble" Take
from my subject encouragement. At
tempt the service OF God, whatever
your disadvantages, and whatever our
lot, let us seek that grace which out
shone all the splendors Of the palaces
of Shushan.