The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-10-07
A SERMON FOR" SUNDAY
AN Ell oauENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
"a SUPREME OPPORTUNITY"

The Rev. Cornelius Woe1flsin breaches
Enterta1ningly on the Fascinating Bib
lical Romance of Esthcr-Seize Your
Opportunities Resolutely.
New YORK CIrY-Sunday morning the
Rev. Cornelius Woellkin, minister or the
Greene Avenue Baptist Church, had for his
subject "a Supreme Opportunity" he
chose as his text Esther iv: "a: who
knoweth whether thou, art come to :he
kingdom for such a time as this" MIR.
Woelfkin said:
The history Of Esther is a fascinating
romance. Every changing scene IN the
panorama is graphic illu. tration OF the
providence 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 O 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 lie
was limited. Her chief endowment was
beauty, and that, rs the world goes, is
more likely to become snare War p Of eyll than
humble, modest life there is working the
might, wisdom and love Of God. The
Queens throne ia 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 eondi-
tions that environ us may not seem prom
Using. But what are these with God? His
strength is made perfect in weakness. The
vast majority of men and women who have
made the rrolds of history were those
whom Gods 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 dignifed as any
royal throne, because it is divinely ap-
pointed. The steps leading thereto may
seem to be contingencies, accidents, Tor.
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 onr place, until we,
through .unbelief and disobedience, have
forfeited the privilege of its occupancy,
Every life has it's owl, 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-
tion. But if they be held in trust as sa-
cred stewardship, used for the furtherance
of His purposes and the bringing OF His
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
| SC Nt YIft
spised BY Satan in his attempt to ruin
poul; then why should it be discredited as
| q power for good? The lad had only five
loaves and two fishes. but, consecrated to
| His service, they fed the lnul ltitude 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
| life 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 bountcous
queen. She enjoys the honors and emolu-
ments of royalty. Ranquets are held in her
| honor and retinue of servants minister
to her continually. Can she support the
| dignity thus thrust upon her? Will adu-
lation, fattery and vanity encrvate her
souTs ability, or will she grow strong and
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
comforted. All the captives are wailing
with fear. What could it mean? II she
had only been party to the conference be-
tween her royal husband and the prime
minister prince che would have understood.
l.; she could see all the clerks writing the
sentences Of death which were being .hur.
ried throughout the empire she would have
1 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
painful reminders Of hfe's sorrows. BUT
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 Saviour, forgiving sin, bringing
glory out of the crucble Of suffering and
planting the light of hope amid the
shadows OF death. II Esther seeks to saw.
her life alone she will lose it. But il in
seeking to save others she lose it, she shall
save it. We cannot III time of epidemic
think of ourselves alone. Individual care
tulness will prove fatal.
There came a momen: 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 ia always 80. A grave
crisis ever brings the shadow of despair.
Eiere are problems that confront every
generation that seem insolublc. We become
bewildered and perpiexed; We feel our in.
despair is purely human. It's shadow never
falls upon the throne of God. He shall
not fail nor be discouraged till He hsth sct
judgment in the earth. All that He re-
| Quires is an instrument that viii not balk
| at the cost, and lie 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 slins
whole, and to conserve our personal ease
aud comfort that makes situations difficult
Paul was al optimist. because he threw
his life into the crisis. Comfort, ease,
quiet. pleasure, were not aimed at by him,
therefore he could confidently write: az am
pressed On every side yet not straitencd
perpexed, yet not unto despair; pursued.
vet not forsaken: smitten down, yet no:
destroyed" f:::,liishncsss brings the mid
| night. self-sacrifice the duwn.
Then followed Fsther's heroic resolve.
| a crisis always develops the character. In