The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-09-24
A SWEET STORY.
OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SERMON.
The Beautiful Story of Esther
Dellneated In An Attractive Style
By An ELOQUENT Preacher.

NEW YORK CITY.-Sunday morning tne
Rev. Cornelius Woelfkin, minister OF she
7 Greene Avenue Baptist Church, had for hi:
subject "A Supreme Opportunity" Ht
chose as his text Esther iv: IA: "Whc
knoweth whether thou art come to tht
kingdom for such time as this?" Mr.
Woelfkin said:
The history of Esther is a fascinating
romance. Every changing scene in the
panorama is graphic illu; .ration of the
providence of God. 1t traces the trans
tion 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
cousins bounty. the horizon of ner life
beauty, and that, as the word goes, is
more likely to become a snare of evil than
| benediction of good. Yet, behind this
humble, modest life there i, 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
acme of all ambition. But the providence
of Jehovah has reserved the place for
Esther, the orphaned Jewish girl.
This same divine power seeks 20 mold
every life. The circumstances and condi-
| tions that environ us may not seem prom
ising. 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. God's; providence brought from OBJ
scurity 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 dignihed as any
royal throne, because it is divine.y ap-
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 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,
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
sons If we hold them selfshly to profit
| ourselves withal they turn into corrup-
ton. But il they be held in trust as sa-
I cred stewardship, used for the furtherance
Of His purposes and the bringing of His
kingdom, they will turn out eternal treas
| ureS. ouc temptation 1S TO QlScreQlC 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 discredited as
| 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 or
self and by the energy of self, or whether
with Him and for His glory. The form of
life will vary God does not duplicate
and make all lives to conform to like pat
tern. There WA vast difference between
the captive maid that served in Naamau'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 he'd in her
honor and a retinue of servants minister
dignity thus thrust upon her? Will adu-
lation, fattery and vanity encrvate 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
peop.e. Mordecai. her cousin, is in sack
cloth and mourning and would not be
eomforted. All the eaptives 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.
J.; she could see all the clerks writing the
sentences of death which were being hur
ried throughout the empire she would have
known. She seems to be exempt. Does
she not dwell in the palace? But the
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-
cincts They would not be disturbed by
even the royal purple can neither ignore
nor escape them. The tragedies of life are
not shut out by hiding and ignoring them. |
We can build no barrier that will prevent
their invasion.
The Redeemer OF the world did not ig-
more them He did not isolate Himself
from human woe, but through suffering
became a Saviour. forgiving sin. bringing
glory ont of the crucibie of suffering and
shadows OF death. IF Esther seeks to save
her life alone she will lose it. But if in
seeking to save others she Jose it. she shall
save it. 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- |
eges fell short. 1t is always so A grave
crisis ever brings the shadow OF despair.
There are problems that confront every |
generation that seem insoluble We become |
bewidered and perp,exed: we feel our in
adequacy and despair. This perp,exity and |
despair is purely human. It's shadow never |
falls upon the throne of God He shalt |
not fail nor be discouraged till He hath st |
judgment in the earth. All that He re-
qures is an instrument that will not balk |
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. 1t is this desire to keep our skins |
whole, and to conserve our personal ease |
and comfort that makes situations difficult. |
Paul was an oDtimist. because he threw !
his life. into the crisis. Comfort. ease,