The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-06-18
HANGING OF HANNAH.
DR.. Talmage Draws Lessons from
the Story of Haman.
Sin Desires the Homage OF Righteousness-
The Punishment of Pride-wrongs
Prepared for Others Return
Upon Ourselves.

In the following sermon Rev. T. De-
Witt Talmage portrays the doom of
arrogance and the reward of fidelity.
The text is:
So they hanged Haman on the gallows that
he had prepared for Mordecai Esther vii, 10.
There is an oriental courtier, about
the most offensive man in Hebrew his
tory, Haman by name. He plotted for
the destruction of the Israelitish ma
ton, and wonder not that in some of
the Hebrew synagogues to this day
when Humans name is mentioned the
congregation clench their fists and
stamp their feet and cry: LET his
name be blotted out!" Haman was
prime minister in the magnificent court
of Persia. Thoroughly appreciative of
the honor conferred, he expects every
body that he passes to be obsequious
Coming in one dayat the gate of the
palace, the servants drop their heads in
honor of his office; but Hebrew,
named Mordecai, gazes upon the pass
ing dignitary without bending his
head or taking off his hat. He was a
good man, and would not have been
negligent of the ordinary courtesies of
life, but he felt no respect for Haman
or the nation from which he had come.
So he could not be hypocritical; and
while others made oriental salaam,
getting clear down before this prime
minister when he passed, Mordecai, the
Hebrew, relaxed not muscle of his
neck, and kept his chin clear up. Be
cause, of that affront Hannah gets de-
{. cree from Ahasuerus, the dastardly
king, for the massacre of all the Israel
ties, and that, of course, will Include
Mordecai.
To make long story short. through
Queen Esther this whole plot was re-
vealed to her husband, Ahasuerus.
One night Ahasuerus, who was afflicted
with insomnia, in his slcepless hours
calls for his secretary to read him
few passages of Persian history, and
90 while away the night. In the book
read that night to the king an account
was given of conspiracy, from which
Mordecai, the Hebrew. had saved the
kings life, and for which kindness
Mordecai had never received any re-
ward. Hannah, who had been fixing
up nice gallows to hang Mordecai on,
was walking outside the door of the
kings sleeping apartment, and was
called in. The king told him that he
had just had read to him the account of
some one who had saved his (the k iug's)
life, and he asked what reward ought
to be given to such a one. Self-con-
ceited Hannah, supposing that he him
self was to get the honor, and not i'm
agining for a moment that the de-
liverer of the kings life was Mordecai,
says: why, your majesty ought to
make triumph for him, and put a
crown on him, and set him on a
splendid horse, housekeeping and full
blooded, and then have one of your
princes lead the horse through the
streets, crying: Bow the knee; here
comes a man who has saved the kings
lifen" Then said Ahasuerus in severe
tones to Haman: II know all about
your scoundrelism. Now you go out
and make triumph for Mordecai, the
Hebrew, whom you hate Put the
best saddle on the finest horse. and
you, the prince, hold the stirrup while
Mordecai gets on, and then lead his
dOISe JllToubh IIiS oliCSIo.
What a spectacle! A comedy and
tragedy at one and the same time.
There they go Mordecai who had
been despised, now starred and
robed, in the stirrups, Hannah, the
chancellor, afoot, holding the prancing,
rearing, champing stallion. Mordccai
bends his neck at last, but it is to look
down at the degraded prime minister
walking beneath him. Huzza for Nor
decai. Alas for Hannah. But what
pity to have the gallows, recently built,
entirely wasted! 1t is so cubits high,
and built with care And Hannah had
erected it for Mordecai, by whose STIR
rups he now walks as groom. Stranger
and more startling than any romance,
there go up the steps of the scaffold-
ing, side by side, the hangman and
Hannah, the ex-chancellor. $50 they
hanged Hannah on the gallows he he'd
prepared for Mordecai.
Although so many years have passed
since cowardly Ahasuerus reigned,
and the beautiful Esther answered to
his whims, and Persia persisted, yet
from the life and death of Hannah we
may draw living lessons of warning
and instruction. And, first, we come
to the practical suggestion that, when
the heart is wrong, things very insig-
nificant will destroy our comfort. Who
would have thought that IA great prime
minister, admired and applauded by
millions of Persians, would have been
so nettled and harrassed by anything
trivial? What more could the great
dignitary have wanted than his chart
OTIS and attendants, and palaces and
banquets? If affiuence of circum-
stances can make man contented and
happy. surely Haman should have
been contented and happy. No; Nor
decai's refusal of bow takes the gilt
ter from the gold, and the richness
from the purple, and the speed from
the chariots. With heart pulled with
every initiation of vanity and revenge,
it was impossible for him to be happy.
The silence of Mordecai at the gate
was louder than the b9ying of the
trunpets in the palace. Thus shall it
always be il the heart is not right.
Circumstances the most trivial will
disturb the spi,it.
1t is not the great calamities of life
that create the most worriment. have
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