The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-10-01

portunity, we shall some time understan,
that we, too, are come to the kingdom TO
a specific end.
To seize this supreme opportunity in
volved a risk She dare not wait to weig
the chances too infinitely. Life itself is
stewardship. Duty constrains us to pa
out it's energies in proportion to obligation
and opportunities. Sometimes The Who'll
price must be paid down at once. But
life be held at the disposal of God it will
make little difference whether it be pait
IN lnstallments or at one payment. Life i
a possession that we must surrender any
way, but we may elect whether it shall b.
invested in eternal treasure or squanderet
in temporal qualification.
Esther was shut up to two courses, ant
both threatened death. Silence and inert
ness would mean to be overtaken in tn,
general massacre. Attempt at salvation
could but anticipate death by few days
and had the chance of success There il
worst that can come, and that will come
either way: Esther said, eff I perish,
perish This is synonymous with those
expressions made by the martyr spirits o.
history. 1t is the only attitude and expires
sion that will fit the supreme crisis anc
opportunity. In just such situations Moses
said, Blot me, | pray thee, out of the
book which thou hast written Jesus said
Il hold not My life of any account as dear
unto Myself. L am ready to die" Who
ever goes upon q great mission must, like
the early Christians, take his life in hi
hands. 1t is only along that pathway that
salvation lies. 1t is great price, but OF
ten paid for an inferior purpose. Heroisnl
asks for life as the price of patriotism
home and freedom. Ambition demands
life for reputation and honor. Conve
M aan nV,d i L IL
cept life as price. Our bridges, buildings
and tunnels are built with the cost of life
Shall we. then, murmur at the missionary
who is willing to risk fever and riot in the
interests of eternal salvation? When ex-
amples of self-devotion fall into the per-
spective of history we applaud the martyr
spirit. God help us to value and covet it
when near at hand.
Esther went with fear and trembling
but not cowardice. Heroism is not fool
hardy. To go forward in the face of dan
ger, despite fear, is true courage. Paul
ministered in Corinth with much weak
ness, fear and trembling, but beneath all
was the splendid heroism of self-devotion
eff [ perish"-but such a spirit cannot
perish. 1t may seem to fall in self-sacri
flce, but 1t does not perish. Some heroes
OF faith come out unscathed from conflict,
they are delivered from the edge of the
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-
hvered. The witnesses who burned at
Smlthfleld were as triumphant as the three
men who could not be burned by the seven
fold heat OF Nebuchadnezzar' furnace
The Huguenots who fell on st. Bartholo-
news Day were no less conquerors than
Ioco - i
the cross. Paul did not perish in Rome
Telemachus 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
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 lnfrmities. 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, that
from the human side we may feel the bur
den OF human sorrow and woe, and 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
llOiIt a hlLS Vlu asked C06 u6dID
of John the Baptist Many a petition OF
prayer would end in death if granted. But
no carnal, selfish supplication will receive
the Endorsement of the Lord Christ. and
consequently fails.
Then we come to the banquet scene. 1t
is most suggestive. Only the hostess and
two guests, but what issues tremble in the
balances. Esther is under sentence OF
death. The dark hour is drawing nigh
L
is succeeding most marvelously 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 us 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 robed with royalty. And we are
tempted to be envious at the prosperity oil
the wicked. But we may not pass judg-
ment until the issue is seen. There will
come day when righteousness shall -four
ish and evil perish. The plots of the
worlds Hamans, Hlerods 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 Hannah. 1t was
an awful crisis. 1t is always crisis when
contending- principles come to the decisive
struggle. In every soul there is a Haman
who seeks the betrayal and destruction of
the spiritual life. In our conflict with this
evil self there comes a, time when we must
be specific in naming the foe. No salvation
comes from generalities. This adversary
and enemy may wear different names in
our disposition. It may be pride, envy,
jealousy, bitterness, worfdliness, ETC.
Whatever it may be, it has planned our
ruin and waits the moment of execution.
If we would save our lives, families, cities
and the world we must deal uncompromis-
ingly with the particular Hannah who is
working destruction. Not until Hannah
goes to the gallows can life stand secure.
Having seized the supreme opportunity
at great risk, Esther finds great reward.
The clerks write the message of life more
rapidly than thew wrote the sentence of
death. The coed work is fastened with
more speed than the message of woe. Joy
supplants sorrow and life comes in the
place OF death. The harvest of sacrifice is
life. We sow in tears, we reap in Joy. In
this successful mission of Esther the me-
diatriX we have an adumbration of the sal
walton wrought out by Jesus Christ He
took His life in His hands. He died and
roce AGAIN from the dead Ha coo,,rod a