Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-09-24
"SUPREME OPPORTUNITY
A Brilliant Sunday Sermon By Rev
Cornelius WOeIfkin.
The Fascinating Biblical Romance OF Esther
Seize Your Opportunity Resolutely.

Woelfkn said:
The history of Esther is a fascinating
| romance. Every changing scene III the
| panorama is a graphic lllli sration OF the
providence of God. 1t traces The transl'
| ton from obscurity to prominence; from
! weakness to power. The scene opens
showing Esther an orphan girl belonging
| to captive and despsed race, Naturally,
every door of influence would be closed TO
| cousins bounty, the horizon OF ner lie
was limited. Her chief endowment was
beauty, and that, as the world goes, Is
| more likely to become a snare OF evil than
| benediction of good. Yet, behind tins
| 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
acme of all ambition. But the providence
| of Jehovah has reserved the place for
| Esther, the orphaned Jewish girl.
| This same divine power seeks 70 mold
every life. The circumstances and condl'
tons that environ US may not seem prom
isng. But what are these with God! Ills
strength is made perfect in weakness The
vast majority of men and women who have
made the molds of history We're those
whom Gods providence brought from OBJ
| security and Lowry conditions. Your way IS
not hid from the Almighty. There il a
place held vacant for Your filling. That
place is as hono,ed and digniied as any
| royal throne. because it is dvlnc.y APP
pointed The steps leading thereto may
| seem to be contingencies, accidents for.
tutous 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, lie 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 cndow-
ment. Success or failure depends upon the
manner in which we hold these posses
sions If we hold them sellishly to profit
ourselves withal, they turn into corrup.
ton But il they be held in trust as sa-
cred stewardship, used for the furtherance
kingdom, they will turn out eternal treas.
urcs. Our temptation IL to dlscredt 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 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 VIC are
using our endowmcnts in the interest ot
self and by the energy, OF set, or whether
we are living and working in cooperation
with Him and for His glory. The form OF
life will vary. God docs not duplicate
and make all lives to conform to a like pat
tern. There was a vast difference between
the captive maid that served III Naaman 5
/ home and the orphan captive who mounted
tn" Persian throne, but 1t was the same
God who worked in each
queen. She enjoys the honors and e'noIu'
| mentS OF royalty. Banquets arc held IN her
honor and Il retinuc Of servants minister
to her continually. Can she support the
dignity thus thrust upon her! Nlll adu'
atlnn, iiattery and vanity cncrvata her
souls ability, or viii she grow stroAE and
potent Tor good AMID opportunities; Only
trial can answer such queries, and that
comes soon enough. From the outer world
she hear! the iamentaton OF her kindred
people Mordecai, her cousin. IS IN sack
cloth and mourning and would not D"
comtorted. Al the cnptives are walIIng
with tear; Nhat could 1t mean! ii she
| had only been party TO the conference hc'
tween her roya husband and the prime
minister prince she would have understood,
l. she could see all the clerks writing the
sentences of death which were being .hnr.
rlcd Throughout the empire she would have
| known. She seems to be exempt. Does
she not dwell IN the pa.ace? But tn"
blackncss overshadows her even there.
40 circumstance or condition car, smut 1t
out. The court OF Persia permitted no one
wearing sacl, cloth, that symbol OF sorrow
aud mourning. To- enter the royal pre-
cincts., They would not be disturbed by
painful reminders of hf"'s sorrows. But
even the royal purple can neither ignore
nor escape them. The tragedies OF lie are
not shut out by hiding and ignoring them,
we can build no barrier that will prevent
their INVASION.
The Redeemer OF tn" world did not ig.
| more them. He did not isolate Himself
| from human woe, but through suffering
| became saviour, iorgivlng SIN bringing
glory out of the crucib,c OF suffering and
planting the light OF hope amid the
| shadows of death. If Esther seek, to save
her life alone she will lose it. But il in
seeking to save others she lose 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 unbddcn might mean death.
She had her limitations. Even her position
seemed unequal to the need. Her Drvil-
eyes fell short 1t is always so. A grave
crisis ever brings the shadow of despair.
There are problems that confront every
generation that seem insolube. We become
bewldered and perpexcd; we feel our in.
adequacy and despair. This perp,exitv and
| despair is purely human. It's shadow never
falls unon the throne of God He shall
not fail nor be discouraged till lie hath set
| judgment in the earth. All that He re-
quires is an instrument that vii! not baiIi
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
nnn comfort that makes situations difficult.
| Ia"l was an optmist, because he threw
| his Itp Intn the prlsIs 'nlnfnrt