The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-06-16

business with comparative eomposure,
but you can think Of petty tricksriss
ihfiictsd upon you. which arouse all
your capacity for wrath and remain Ia
your heart an unbearable annoyance.
II you look back upon your life. you
win md that the most Of the vexations
and disturbances Of spirit which you
felt were produced by circumstances
that were not worthv Of notice. II
you want to be happy you must not
care for trifies. Do not BE- too minute
in your inspection Of the treatment you
receive from others Who cares
whether Mordecai bows when you pass
or stands erect and stiff - . cedar! !
That woodman would not make much
clearing In the forest who would stop
to bind up every little bruise and
scratch he received In the thicket. nor
will that man accomplish much for
the world or the church who II too
watchful and appreciative Of petty an
noyances. There are multitudss OF pso-
pie in the world constantly narrowed
because they pass their lives not In
searching out those things which are
attractive and deserving. but In spying
out with all their powers Of vision to
see whether they cannot ind q Nor
decai
Again. / learn from the life Of the
man under our notice that wo.ldly
vanity and sin are very anxious 10
have piety bow before them. Haman
was a fair emblem Of entire worldii-
ness and Mordecai the representative
Of unf,inching godliness. Such were
the usages Of society in ancient times
that had this Israelite bowed TO the
prime minister II would have been an
acknowledgment Of respect for his
character and nation. Mordecai would
therefore have sinned against his re-
ligion had he made any obeisance or
dropped his chin half an inch before
Haman. When therefore proud Ha-
man attempted to compel . homage
which was not felt, he only did what
the world ever since has tried 70 do
when II would force our holy religion
in any way to yield TO Its dictates. Dan
iel, il he had been q man Of religious
compromises, 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 re-
ligion without making himself 80 COM
pletely obnoxious to the idolaters. Paul
might have retained the favor OF his
rulers and escaped martyrdom II he
had only been willing to mix up his
Christian faith with a 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 obei-
sance. 1t was once, away up on the
top of the temple, that satan COM
manded the holy one Of Naxareth 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 pull
pit that satan tempts the espousers OF
the Christian faith to kneel before
him.
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 a smaller scale
every day the world sees the same
thing. Against their very advantages
men trip into destruction. When God
humbles proud men. il is usually al the
moment of their greatest arrogancy.
II there be man in your community
greatly puffed UP with worldly success.
you have but to stand little while and
you will see him come down. You say
Il wonder that God allows that man
to go on riding over others heads and
making great assumptions Of power"
There is no wonder about it. Haman
has not vet got to the top. Pride is
a commander, well plumed and capar-
isoned, but it leads forth a dark and
frowning host We have the best Of
authority for saying that pride goeth
before destruction and a hauty spirit
before q fall" The arrows from the
Almighty's quiver are apt to strike a
man when on the wing. Goliath
shakes his great spear in defiance, but
the small stones from the brook Elah
make him stagger and fall like an OK
under the butchers bludge0n. 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 cepsize al the sudden de-
scent OF the tempest.
Again, this oriental tale reminds us
Of the fact that wrongs we prepare for
others return upon ourselves. The
gallows that HamAn built for M0rdecai
became the prime ministers strangula-
ton. Robespierre. who sent 30 many
to the guilotine. had his own head
chopped off by the horrid Instrument.
The evil you practice on others will re-
coil upon your own pate. ISLANDERS come
home. Expressions come home. Cru
elites come home.
You will yet be a lackey walking be-