The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-06-08

LOO HllHulS III yOur Inspection VI lhC
treatment you receive from others.
Again: learn from the life of the
man under our notice that worldly
vanity and sin are very anxious to
have piety bow before them. Haman
was a fair emblem of entire worldli-
ness, and Mordecai, the representative
of unflinching godliness. Such were
the usages of society in ancient times
that, had this Israelite bowed to the
prime minister it would have been an
acknowledgment of respect for his
character and nation. Mordecai
would, therefore, have sinned against
his religion had he made any obei-
sance or dropped his chin half an inch
before Haman. When, therefore,
proud Haman attempted to compel an
homage which was not felt, he only
did what the world ever since has tried
to do, and when it would force our
holy religion in any way to yield to its
dictates. Daniel, if he had been a
man of religious compromise, would
never have been thrown into the den
of lions. He might have made some
arrangements with King Darius
whereby he could have retained part
of his form of religion without max
ing himself so completely obnoxious
to the idolaters. Paul might have re-
tanned the favor of his rulers and es+
capped martyrdom if he had only been
willing to mix up his Christian faith
with few errors. His unbending
Christian character was taken as an
insult.
Fagot and rack and halter in all
ages have been only the different ways
in which the world has demanded
obeisance. 1t was once, away up on
the top of the temple, that Satan COM
manded the Holy One of Nazareth to
kneel before him. But it is not now
so much on the top of churches as
down in the aisle and the pew and the
pulpit that Satan tempts the espousers
of the Christian faith to kneel before
him. Why was it that the Platonic
philosophers of early times, as well as
Toland, Spinoza, and Bolingbroke of
later days, were so madly opposed to
Christianity? Certainly not because it
favored immoralities, or arrested civil
ization, or dwarfed the intellect. The
genuine reason, whether admitted or
not, was because the religion of Christ
paid no respect to their intellectual
vanities. Blount, and Boyle, and the
host of infidels, hatched out by the
vile reign of Charles the Second, as
reptiles crawl out of marsh of slime,
could not keep their patience, because,
as they passed along, there were sit
ting in the gate of the church such
men as Matthew, and Mark, and Luke,
and John who would not bend an inch
in respect to their PHILOSOPHERS.
Satan told our first parents that
they would become as gods if they
would only reach up and take taste
of the fruit. They tried it and failed,
but their descendants are not yet sat-
isfied with the experiment. We have
now many desiring to be as gods,
reaching up after yet another apple.
Reason, scornful of Gods word, may
foam and strut with the proud wrath
of Haman, and attempt to compel the
homage of the good, but in the pres
ence of men and angels 1t shall be con-
founded. "God shall smite thee, thou
whited wall" When science began to
make it's brilliant discoveries there
were great facts brought to light that
seemed to overthrow the truth of the
Bible. The archaeologist with his
crowbar, and the geologist with his
hammer, and the chemist with his bat
teries, charged up the Bible. Moses
account of the creation seemed denied
by the very structure of the earth.
The astronomer wheeled around his
telescope until the heavenly bodies
seemed to marshal themselves against
the Bible as the stars in their courses
fought against Sisera. Observatories
and universities reioiced at what they
considered the extinction of Christi
anity. They gathered new courage at
what they considered past victory, and
pressed on their conquest into the
kingdom of nature until, alas for
them! they discovered too much.
Gods word had only been lying in am
bush that, in some unguarded mo-
ment, with sudden bound, it might
tear infdelity to pieces.
Again: Learn the lesson that pride
goeth before fall. Was any man ever
so far up as Haman who tumbled so
far down? Yes, on smaller scale
every day the world sees the same
thing. Against their very advantages
men trip into destruction. When God
humbles proud men, it is usually at
the moment of their greatest arro-
oan Tf fh ha ~,
munity greatly puffed up with world
ly success you have but to stand a
little while and you will see him come
down. You say, wonder that God al
lows that man to go on riding over
others heads and making great as
sumptions of power. There is no
wonder about it. Haman has not yet
got to the top. Pride is commander,
well plumed and caparsoned, but it
leads forth dark and frowning host.
We have the best of authority for say
ing that pride goeth before destruc-
ton and a naughty spirit before a
fall" The arrows from the Almighty's
quiver are apt to strike the man when
on the wing. Goliath shakes his great
spear in defiance, but the small stones
brom the brook Elah make him stag
ger and fall like an OK under the
butchers bludgeon. He who is down
cannot fall. Vessels scudding under
bare poles do not feel the force of the
storm, but those with all sails set cap
size at the sudden descent of the tenn
pest.
Again: This Oriental tale reminds
us of the fact that wrongs we prepare
for others return upon ourselves. The
gallows that Haman built for Morde-
cal became the Prime Minister'S stran-
gulation. Robespierre, who sent SO