The Penn's Grove record., 1903-09-25
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
An ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
"A SUPREME OPPORTUNITY"
The Rev. Cornelius woeifkin breaches
EntertaIningly on the fascinating Bib
1ical Romance of Esther-Seize Your
Opportunities Resoluteiy.

The Rev. Cornelius woeifkin breaches
Entertalningly ON the Fascinating Bib
ncal Romance of E-sther-Seize Your
Opportunities Resolutaiy.
New York CITY-Sunday morning the
Rev. Cornelius Woeifkin, minister of she
Greene Avenue Baptist Church, had for his
subject "A Supreme Opportunity" He
chose as his text Esther iy: IA: "Who
knoweth whether thou art come to the
kingdom for such a time as this!' Mr..
Woelfkin said:
The history of Esther is a fascinating
romance. Every changing scene in the
panorama is a graphic illul tration of the
providence Of God. 1t traces the transit
tion from obscurity to prominence; from
weakness to power. The scene opens
showing Esther an orphan girl belonging
to a captive and despised race. Naturally,
every door of influence would be closed to
her. Alone in the world, dependent upon
was limited. Her chief endowment was
beauty, and that, as the world goes, is
more likely to become a snare of evil than
a benediction of good. Yet, behind this
humble, modest life there is working the
might, wisdom and love Of God. The
Queens throne is empty. The royal crown
is waiting some one who may please the
mood of the King. Thousands of gentle
blood dream of the Queens place as the
of Jehovah has reserved the place for
Esther, the orphaned Jewish girl.
This same divine power seeks TO mold
every life. The circumstances and condi-
tions that environ us may not seem prom
ising. hut what are these with God? His
strength is made perfect in weakness. The
vast majority Of men and women who have
~oc1o zha <,oiIn 4F I,-L1vx- Ill.,,
whou Gods providence brought from OBJ
security and lowly conditions. Your way is
not hidffrom the Almighty. There IS a
place held vacant for your filling. That
place is Jas honored and dignified as any
royal throne, because it is divinely APP
pointed. The steps leading thereto may
seem to be contingencies, accidents, for
tuitous chances, and through the moods of
other persons. But if there be the spirit
of faith to trust Him, diligence to discover
His viii and readiness to obey, He will
bring us to the place and position most
suited for our eternal profit and glory. No
one else may step into our place, until we,
through unbelief and disobedience, have
forfeited the privilege of its occupancy.
Every life has its own unique endow-
ment. Success or failure depends upon the
sions. IF we hold them sel6shly to profit
ourselves withal, they turn into corrup-
ton. But if they be held in trust as a sd
cred stewardship, used for the furtherance
Of His purposes and the bringing of His
kingdom, they will turn out eternal treas
ures. Our temptation is to discredit our
possessions and opportunities. But We may
not despise the day Of small things.
Esther had only personal beauty to com
mend her at first. This is not a gift de
spised by Satan in his attempt to ruin a
soul; then why should it be diseredited as
a power for good? The lad had only five
loaves and two fishes, but, consecrated to
His service, they fed the multitude and
more. 1t all turns upon whether we are
using our endowments in the interest oil
self and by the energy of self, or whethe,
we are living and working in cooperation
with Him and for His glory. The form o.
a life will vary God does not duplicate
and make all lives to conform to a like pat
tern. There was a vast difference between
the captive maid that served in Naaman's
home and the orphan captive who mounted
the Persian throne, but it was the same
Cod who worked in each.
The d4 girl became the bounteou:
queen. She enjoys the honors and emolu
ments of royalty. Banquets are held in hel
honor and a retinue of servants minister
dignity thus thrust upon her? Will adu
~lation, fattery and vanity enervate hel
souls ability, or will she grow strong ane
potent for good amid opportunities? Only
trial can nswer such queries, and thai
comes soon enough. From the outer worle
she hears the lamentation of her kindred
people. Mordecai. her cousin, is in sacl
cloth and mourning and would not bs
comforted. All the captiyes are wailins
with fear. What could it mean? If she
had only been party to the conference be
tween her royal husband and the prime
minister prince she would have understood
i; she could see all the clerks writing tn,
sentences of death which were being hur
ried throughout the empire she would hav,
known. She seems to be exempt. Doe
she not dwell in the palace? But tn,
blackness o~vershadows her even there
No circumstance or condition can shut i
out. The court of Persia permitted no on,
wearing sack cloth, that symbol of sorrow
and mourning, to enter the royal pre-
clncts. They would not be disturbed b,
painful reminders of life's sorrows. Blu
even the royal purple can neither ignor,
nor ESCAPE them. The tragedies of life ar
not shut out by hiding and ignoring them
we can build no barrier that will proven
their invasion.
The Redeemer Of the world did not ig
more them. He did not isolate Himsel
from human woe, but through s%ufferin,
became a Saviour, forgiving sin, bringin
glory out of the erucibie of suffering an,
planting the light Of hope amid tn
shadows of death. If Esther seeks to saw
her fife alone she will lose it. But if i
seeking to save others she lose it. she shal
save lit. We cannot in a time Of epidemi
think, Of ourselves alone. Individual care
fulness will prove fatal.
There came a moment of despair t
Esther. What can she DO more than otf
ers.3 She had not been called into tn
kings presence for a whole month. An,
to- venture unbidden might mean deatE
She had her limitations. Even her positio
seemed unequal to the need. Her priv
eyes fell short. 1t is always so. A gray
crisis ever brings the shadow of despair
There are problems that confront ever
generation that seem insoluble. We becom
bew1ldered and perplexed; We feel our il
adequacy and despair. This perplexitv an
despair is purely human. It's shadow neve
falls upon the throne of God. He sha
not fail nor be discouraged till He hath Sc
judgment in the earth. All that He II
Quires is an instrument that will not bal
at the cost, and He brings speedy relic.
Let us fling the sacrifice of life into tn
situation, and nothing shall be inpossibl
t1>us. 1t is this desire to keep our skin
whole, and to conserve our personal cas-
and Comfort that makes situations dificult
Paul was an optimist. because he threl
his life into the crisis. Comfort, east
quiet, pleasure, were not aimed at by hin
therefore he could confidently write: II al
pressed on every side yet not straitened
p~erplexed, yet not unto despair; pursued
yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet nc
destroyed" S.alishness brings the mix
night, self-sacrifice the dawn.
Then followed Esther's heroic resolv,
A crisis always develops the character. l
a-moment she read the meaning of he