The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-10-01
A SERMON FUR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
"A. SUPREME OPPORTUNITY"


lical Romance of Esther-Seize Your
Opportunities Resolutely. !.
New YORK CITY.-Sunday morning the
Rev. Cornelius Woelfkin, minister Of the
Greene Avenue Baptist Church, had for his
chose as his text Esther w: ia: "Who
knoweth whether thou art come to the
kingdom for such time as this?" Mr..
Woelfkin said:
The history of Esther is fascinating
romance. Every changing scene In the
par ma is a graphic illus tration of the
prov. .ence of God. 1t traces the transi-
ton from obscurity to prominence; from
weakness to power. The scene opens
showing Esther an orphan girl belonging
to captive and despised race. Naturally,
every door of influence would be closed to
her. Alone In the world, dependent upon
a cousins bounty, the horizon Of ner life
was limited Her chief endowment was
beauty, and that, as the world goes, is
more likely to become 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
acme OF all ambition. But the providence
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-
tons that environ us may not seem prom
lslng. But what are these with God? His
strength IS made perfect in weakness. The
vast majority of men and women who have
made the molds of history were those
whom Gods providence brought from OBJ
security and lowly conditions. Your way is
not hid from the Almighty. There is a
place held vacant for your filling. That
place Is as honored and dignified as any
royal throne, because it is divineiy ap-
pointed. ahe steps leading thereto may
seem to be contingencies, ACCIDENTS for
tultous chances, and through the moods of
other persons. But if there be the spirit
Of faith to trust Him, diligence to discover
His will 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
manner in which we hold these posses
sions. If we hold them selfshly to profit
ourselves withal, they turn into corrup-
ton. But if they be held in trust as a sa-
cred stewardship, used for the furtherance
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
soul; then why should it be discredited as
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 of
self and by the energy of self, or whether
we are living and working in cooperation
with Him and for His glory. The form of
a lite will vary. God does not duplicate
and make all lives to conform to like pat
tern. There was 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
God who worked in each.
The orphan girl became the bounteous
queen. She enjoys the honors and emolu-
ments of royalty. Banquets are held in her
honor and retlnue of servants minister
to her continually. Can she support the
dignity thus thrust upon her? viii adu-
lation, hattery and vanity enervate her
souls ability, or will she grow strong and
potent for good amid opportunities? Only
trial can answer such queries, and that
comes soon enough. From the outer world
she hears the lamentation of her kindred
people. Mordecai her cousin, is in sack
cloth and mourning and would not be
comtorted. All the captives are wailing
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
Ii she could see all the clerks writing the
sentences OF death which were being hur-
RED throughout the empire she would have
known. She seems to be exempt Does
blackness overshadows her even there.
No circumstance or condition can shut it
out. The court of Persia permitted no one
wearing sack cloth, that symbol of sorrow
and mourning, to enter the royal pre-
clncts. They would not be disturbed by
painful reminders of LIES sorrows. But
even the royal purnle can neither ignore
not shut out by HID 1g and ignoring them.
We can build no barrier that will prevent
their invasion.
The Redeemer of the world did not ic-
nore them. He did not isolate Himself
from human woe, but through suffering
became Saviour, forgiving sin, bringing
glory out Of the crucible of suffering and
planting the light Of hope amid the
shadows of death. If Esther seeks to save
her life alone she will lose it. But if in
seeking to save others she lose it, she shall
save 1T. We cannot in time of epidemic
think OF ourselves alone. Individual care
fulness will prove fatal
There came moment of despair TO
Esther. What can she do more than 9th
ers. She had not been called into the
Kings presence for whole month. And
to venture unbidden might mean death.
She had her limitations. Even her position
seemed unequal to the need. Her privil-
eyes fell short. It is always so. A grave
crisis ever brings the shadow of DESPAIR.
There are problems that confront every
generation that seem insoluble. We become
beewlldercd and perplexed; we feel our in
adequacy and despair. This perpiexity and
despair is purely human It's shadow never
falls upon the throne of God. He shall
not fail nor be discouraged till He hath set
Judgment in the earth. All that He re-
cures is an instrument that will not balls
at the cost, and He brings speedy relief:
Let us fling the sacrifice of life into the
situation, and nothing shall be impossible
to us. It is this desire to keep our skins
whole, and to conserve our personal ease
and comfort that makes situations difficult.
Paul was an optimist, because he threw
his life into the crisis Comfort. ease.
quiet, pleasure, were not aimed at bv him.
therefore he could confidently write: ri am
pressed on every side yet not straitened:
perplexed, yet not unto despair; pursued,
yet not fo,rIsaken; smitten down, yet not
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