The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1898-07-08

ones gathered around these firesides.
These are the camp-hres where we
warm ourselves at the close OF day, ana
talk OF the battles OF life We have
fought and the battles that are yet to
come. God grant that when at last
these fires begin to go out, and con-
tinue to lower until finally they are
extinguished, and the ashes OF con-
sumed hopes strew the hearth OF the
old homestead, it may be because we
have
Gone to sleep the last sleep.
From which none ever wake to weep.
Now we are an army on the march
of life. Then we shall be an army
bivouacked in the tent of the grave.
Once more: want you to look at
Vashti the silent. You do not hear any
cutlery from this woman as she goes
forth from the palace gate. From the
very dignity of her nature, you know
there will be no vociferation. Some
times in life 1t is necessary to make a
retort; sometimes in life it is neces-
sary to resist but there are crises
when the most triumphant thing to 90
is to keep silence. The philosopher,
confident in his newly discovered prin-
ciple, waiting for the coming of the
more intelligent generations, willing
that men should laugh at the light
ming rod and cotton gin and steamboat.
and elegraph-waiting for long years
through the scofilng Of philosophical
schools, in grand and magnificent ST.
! lence.
Calico, condemned by mathemati-
clans, and monks, and cardinals, carl
catured everywhere, yet waiting and
watching with his telescope to see the.
coming up of stellar reinforcements,
when the stars in their courses would
! fight for the Copernican system; then
sitting down in complete blindness and
deafness TO wait for the coming on Of
the generations who would build his
monument and bow at his grave. The
reformer eXecrated by his contempt
raries, fastened in a pillOry, the slow
fires Of public contempt burning under
! him, ground under the cylinders OF
the printing press, yet calmly waiting
for the day when purity of soul and
herosm of character will get the sane
ton Of earth and the plaudits of heay-
en-. Affection enduring without any
complaint the sharpness Of the pang,
and the violence of the storm, and the
heft of the chain, and the darkness of
the night-waiting until a divine hand
shall be put forth to soothe the pang,
and hush the storm, and release the
captive. A wife abused. prosecuted,
and a perpetual exile from every earth
ly comfort-waitlng waiting, until the
Lord shall gather up his dear children
in heavenly home, and no poor Wash
Ii will ever be thrust out from the pal
ace gate. Jesus, in silence and answer
ing not word, drinking the gall, bear
ing the cross. in prospect of the rap
turous contamination when
Angels thronged his chariot wheel.
! And bore him to his throne;
| Then swept their golden harps and sung.
THE glorious work is done!'
Oh. woman, does not this story OF
Vashti the queen Vashti the yelled,
Vasht the sacrifice, Vashti the silent,
move your soul? My sermon con-
verges into one absorbing hope that
none of you may be shut out of the
palace gate of heaven. You can en-,
dure the hardships, and the privations,
and the cruelties, and the misfortunes
Of this life if you can only gain admis-
sion there. Through the blood of the
everlasting covenant you go through
those gates, or never go through at all.
God forbid that you should at last be
banished from the society of angels,
and banished from the companionshlp
Of your glorifed kindred, and banished
forever. Through the rich grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, may you be enabled
to initiate the example of Rachel. and
Hannah, and Abigail. and Deborah.
and Mary, and Esther and Vashti.