The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-10-23

crisis, anticipated The need. and for such IA
time ae this was Esther come TO the king
dom. In the very heart of that eravest
diihcnity lay her supreme opportunity Our
greatest moments are often set iu darkest
circumstance The proyidences of God
have shaped our course and there Is pur-
pose and end as definite as that of Esthcr'a
IN our lives. The hand that guides may be
invisible, and the light mas not always illu.
mine the meaning But VI we are faithful
IN trust and obedience TO every uassing OPP
portunity, we shall some time understand
that We, TOO, are come to the kingdom for
a specific end.
To seize this supreme opportunity IN.
v0lved q risk. She dare not wait to weigh
the chances too infinitely Life itself is a
stewardship. Duty constrains as TO pay
out its energies in proportion TO obligations
and opportunities. Sometimes the whole
price must be paid down at once. But II
life be held at the disposal of God II viii
make little difference whether it be paid
IN installments or ct enc payment. Lille IL
possession that we must surrender any
way but we may elect whether it shall be
invested in eternal treasure or squandered
IN temporal qualification.
Esther was shut up 20 two courses, and
both threatened death. Silence and inert
ness would mean TO be overtaken in the
general massacre Attempt at salvation
could but anticipate death by a few days,
and mad the chance OF success. There is
not much room for choice. Death is the
worst that can come, and that will come
either way. Esther said IF / perish /
perish" This Is SYNONYMOUS with those
expressions made by the martyr spirits OF
history. 1t is the only attitude and express
sion that will fit the supreme crisis and
opportunity. In just such situations Moses
said, Blot me, | pray thee, out of the
book which thou hast written" Jesus said,
81 hold not My life of any account as dear
unto Myself. 1 am ready to die" Who
ever goes upon great mission must, like
the early Christians, take his life in his
hands. Il is only along that pathway shat
salvation lies. 1t is a great price, but Of
ten paid for an infagIor purpose. HeToism
asks for NE as the price Of patriotism,
home and freedom. Ambition demands
life for reputation and honor. Conve-
nienoe and progress do not hesitate to ac-
cept life as a price Our bridges, buildings
and tunnels are built with the cost of life.
Shall we. then, murmur at the missionary
who is willing 10 risk fever and riot in the
interests of eternal salvation? When ex-
amples Of selfdevotion fall into the per-
spective of history we applaud the martyr
spirit. God help us to value and covet 1t
when near at hand.
Esther went with fear and trembling,
but not cowardice. Heroism is not fool
hardy, To 90 forward in the face Of dan.
ger, despite fear, is true courage, Paul
miustered in Corinth with much weak
ness, fear and trembling, but beneath all
was the splendid heroism of self-deyoton.
eff | perish"-but such a spirit cannot
perish 1t may sAsm to fall in selfsacri-
nee. but 1t does not perish. some fFToos
of faith come out unscathed from conflict,
they are delivered from the edge Of the
sword, the force of violence and power ct
fire. Others are stoned. sawn asuuder and
killed. But they do not perish. The mar
tyrs torn by lions on the Roman arena
were az victorious as Daniel who was de-
hvered. The witnesses who burned az
Smithield were as triumphant as the three
men who could not be burned by the seven
fold heat Of Nebuchadnezzar's furnace.
The Huguenots who fell on st. Bartholo-
news Day were no less conquerors than
Joshua's army. Christ did not perish on
the cross. Paul did not perish in Rome.
Teemachus did not perish in the Roman
arena. Such dying is the highway to life
and power.
The Queen asked the forfeited lives of
her people, She was related to them and
q sufferer with them From their side she
was moved with compassion. From her
Queenly position she obtained deliverance,
This is the object of all mediation. Our
Saviour as the man Jesus is touched with
the feeling of our inhrmities. AS the ex-
allied Lord He intercedes TO supply our
need according to His riches in glory. The
privilege OF prayer is granted to US, thG
from the human side we may feel the bur
den OF human sorrow and woe, and 50 be
pressed into an intercession for divine sue
n lyUpEc IVn tpmDfp6 t0
abuse this great carte Blanche of our Lord.
Salome, who received the same overture
from king as did Esther, asked the death
of John the Baptist. Many a petition OF
prayer would end in death if granted, But
no carnal, selfish supOlication will receive
the Endorsement of the Lord Christ, and
consequently fails.
Then we come to the banquet scene. It
is most suggestive. Only the hostess and
two guests, but what issues tremble in the
balances. Esther is Uuder sentence Of
death. The dark hour is drawing nigh
Hannah, the prime minister, is in glee; he
is succeeding most marvelousiy. Yet in
one day all is suddenly reversed. The
Queen becomes the author of life and Ha-
man is sent to the gallows built for an
other. Success may be upon lis in the very
darkest hour, while failure may be dog
ging the tracks of the most lightsome
heart. righteousness seems to be worsted
in the conflict with evil Good measures
seem to fail, evil ones to triumph. Scru,
pulous honesty goes to the wall while
trickery and fraud are crowned with sue,
cess. Virtue is seemingly strangled and
vice is ROBBED with royalty. And we are
tempted to be envious at the prosperity Of
the wicked. But we may not pass judg-
ment until the issue is seen. There will
come day when Righteousness shall flour
ish and evil perish The plots of the
worlds Humans. Herods and Judases all
miscarry. Sin and evil rot at the core.
Righteousness and truth have the quality
of Immortality.
At the right moment Esther not only
stated the plot. but named the adversary
and enemy-this wicked Haman. It was
an awful crisis. 1t is always crisis when
| cnntendino nrinrinles conn To the denisive