The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-09-25
Aitemnt at sairplion

worst ,ha, can come. and that will come
either way. Esther SAID. III | perish. 1
perish This is synonymous with those
expressions made by the martyr spirits OF
history. 1, Is the only attitude and cxpres.
sion that wall ht :he supreme crisis and
opportunity. In lust such situations Moses
said. Blot ne, | pray thee, out oi the
| book which thou hast written, Jesus said,
Il hold not NV life ~ any account rs dear
| unto Myself 1 am ready 10 die" Who
! ever goes upon a grea; mission must, like
the early Christians, take his hfe IN his
hands. IL Is only along that pathway :hat
| salvation lies. Ii is a great price, but OF
ten paid for an inferior purpose. Herolsm
asks for lie ss the price OF patriotism,
home and freedom, Ambition demands
life for reputation and honor. Conye-
nience and progress do not hesitate 10 ac'
oept life as price. Our bridges, buildings
and tunnels are built with the cost of life.
Shall we, then, murmur az the missionary
who is willing 20 risk fever and riot IN the
interests OF eternal salvations When ex-
smples of self-devotlon fall into the per.
spcctiye of history We applaud the martyr
spirit. God help Us TO value and eoyet II
when near a; hand
Esther went with fear and trembling.
but not cowardiee. Heroism is no; iool-
hardy. To 50 forward m the face OF dan.
ger, despite iear, Is true courage. Paul
ministered IN Cormth with much weak
ness, fear and trembling, but beneath all
was the splendid heroism Of seli-devction.
III i perish'-but such a spirit cannot
perish. Ii may seem 90 iaU IN self-saerl-
hce. bat II does not perish. Some heroes
OF faith come out unscathed from conflict,
they are delivered from the edge Of the
sword. the force OF violence and power ot
FIRE. Others are stoned. sawn asunder and
killed. But they do not perish. The mar
tyrs torn by lions on the Roman arena
were as victorious as Daniel who was de-
lvered. The witnesses who burned az
Smithhed were as triumphant as the three
men who could not be burned by the seven
fold heat of Nebucha dnezzars furnace.
The Huguenots who fell on st. Bartholo-
news Day were no less oonquerors than
Joshua's army. Christ did not perish on
the cross. Paul did not perish in Rome.
Te,emachus did not perish IN the Roman
arena. Such dying is the highway - life
and power.
The Queen asked the forfeited lives os
her people. She was related TO them aud
a sufferer with them. From their side she
was moved with compassion. From her
Queenly position she obtained delivcrance.
This is the object OF all mediation Our
Saviour as the man Jesus is touched with
the feeling of our inhrmitios. As the eX-
allied Lord lie intercedes 10 supply our
need according TO His riches IN glory. The
privilege OF prayer is granted to us, that
from the human side we may feel the bur
den OF human sorrow and woe. aud SO be
pressed into an intercession for divine sue
cor. In our weakness we are tempted to
abuse this great carte blanche of our Lord.
Salome, who received the same overture
from king a. did Esther. asked the death
of John the Baptist. MANY a petition ot
prayer would end in death II granted. But
no carnal, selfish supplicatiop viii receive
the Endorsement of the Lord Christ, and
consequently fails.
Then we come TO the banquet scene. II
ls most suggestive. Only the hostess aud
two guests, but what issues tremble IN the
balances. Esther IL under sentence of
death. The dark hour is drawing nigh.
iaman, the prime minister, Is IN glce: he
is succeeding most marvelous,y. Yet in
one day all is suddenly reversed The
Queen becomes the author of life aud lIa-
man Is sent TO the gallows built for an
other Success may be upon us in the very
darkest hour, while failure may be dog
ging the tracks of the most lghtsome
heart. Righteousness seems 10 bc 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 stranglod and
vice is robed 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 viii
come day when Righteousness shall -four
ish and evil perish. The plots Of the
worlds Hamans, Herods and Iudascs all
miscarrv. 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-ths wicked Iiaman. II was
an awful crisis. IL is always a crisis when
cnntapdinu priupipl.C on,n. IN a.. dario,,.
strdgg,e. In every soul there IL a Haman
who seeks the betrayal and destruction Of
the spiritual life. In our conflict with this
evil self there comes time when we must
he specific IN naming the foe No salvation
comes from generalitios This adversary
and enemy may wear different names IN
our disposition. IL may be pride, envy,
jealousy, bitterness, worldliness etc.
Whateyy- II CAV be. IL has planned our
ruin and waits the moment OF execution.
II we would save our lives. familiep cities
and the world we must deal uncomprDmis-
lngiv with the particular Haman who is
working destruction Not until Iaman
goes to the Rallows can life stand secure.
Having seized the supreme opportunity
ai great risk. Esther finds a great reward.
The clerks write the message OF life more
rapidly than thev wrote the sentence Of
death. The good work is FASTENED with
more speed than the message oil woe. Joy
supplants sorrow and life comes IN the
nlace Of death. The harvest Of sacrifice u
life. We SOW m tears, we reap "a Joy. In
this successful mission OF Esther the me
datrix we have an adumbration of the sal.
vation wrought ont by Jesus Christ. lie
took HIS life M His hands He died aud
rose again from the dead He secured
reversal Of the sentence Of death written
| against US and prnciams forgiveness Of
sins and the gift OF eternal life. Ours ~
The privilege first 90 receive and rejoice ~
this truth. and then TO speed the glad It'd
ings to every creature IN all the word.
These are our supreme opportunities. They
may be shadowed with sell sacrifice but "
they are resolute'y seized they will issue in
the morning Of JOY.
TIE Man Of cheer.
We love the man with the smile. thp