The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-09-24

To seize this supreme opportunity in.
volved risk. She dare nos wait to weigh
the chances too minutely. Life itself is a
stewardship. Duty constrains us to pay
out its energies in proportion to obligations
and opportunities. Sometimes The whole
price must be paid down at once. But II
J life be held at the disposal of God it will
make little difference whether it be paid
in installments or at one payment. Life Is
a possession that we must surrender any
way, but we may elect whether it shall be
invested in eternal treasure OF squandered
in temporal qualification.
Esther was shut up to two courses, and
both threatened death. Silence and inert.
ness would mean to be oyertaksn in the
general massacre. Attempt at Sa.vatioa
could but anticipate death by few days.
and had the chance of success. There is
not much room for choice. Death is the
worst that can come, and that viii come
either way Esther said, IF / perish. 1
perish" This is synonymous with those
expressions made by the martyr spirits OF
history. 1t is the only attitude and expires.
sion that will fit the supreme crisis and
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. am ready to die" Who
ever goes upon great mission must, like
the early Christians, take his lie in his
hands. 1t is only along tnat pathway shat
salvation lies. IT lis a great price; but OF.
ten paid for an inferior purpose. Herolsm
asks for life as the price of patriotism,
home and freedom. Ambition demands
| life for reputation and honor. Conve-
| nience and progress do not hesitate to ac.
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-
spcctive of history We applaud the martyr
spirit. God help us to value and eovet it
when near at hand
Esther went with fear and trembling,
but not cowardice. Heroism is not foot
hardy. To go forward in the ..ace OF dam
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.
"If / perish"-but such a spirit cannot
perish. 1t may seem to fall in self-sacri.
| tice. but it does not perish. Some heroes
of faith come out unscathed from conflict,
| they are delivered from the edge OF the
sword. the force OF violence and power OF
| 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-
| livered. The witnesses who burned at
| Smith6eld were as triumphant as the three
men who could not be burned by the seven
fold heat of Nebuchadnezzars furnace.
The Huguenots who fell on st. Bartholo-
news Day were no less conquerors than
Joshua's army. Christ did not perish on
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
a sufferer with them. From their side she
was moved with compassion. From her
aueenly position she obtained deiiverance.
This is the object of all mediation. Our
Saviour as the man Jesus is touched with
the feeling of our intirmities As the ex-
alted 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 temDted to
abuse this great carte blanche of our Lord.
Salome. who received the same overture
from king as did Esther, asked the death
of John the Baptist. Many a petition OF
prayer would end in death il granted. But
no CT nal, selfish supDlication viii receive
the Endorsement OF the Lord Christ, and
consequently fails.
Then we come to the banquet scene. Il
is most suggestive. Only the hostess and
balances. Esther is under sentence OF
death. The dark hour is drawing nigh.
Haman, the prime minister, is in glee; he
is succeeding most marvelousiy. 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 MS in the very
darkest hour, while failure may be dog
ging the tracks Of the most lightsome
in the conflict with evil. Good measures
seem to fail, evi. ones to triumph. Scru-
pulous honesty goes TO the wall. while
trickery and fraud are crowned with sue
cess Virtue is seemingly strangied and
vice is robed with royalty. And we are
tempted to be envious at the prosperity or
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. Herods ard .fldases all
Righteousness and truth have the quality
of Immortality. II.
At the right moment Esther not only
stated the plot. but named the adversary
and enemy-this wicked Haman 1t was
an awful crisis. 1t is always a 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 time when We must
be specific in naming the foe. No salvation
comes from generaties. This adversary
and enemy may wear different rames in
our disposition 1t may be pride, envy,
jealousy, bitterness. worldliness, etc.
Whatever it mSy he, it has planned our
ruin and waits the moment of execution.
II we would save our lives. families. cities
and the world We p'nst deal uncompromis-
inglv with the particular Haman who is
working destruction Not until Haman
goes to the galIows can life stand secure.
Having seized rhe supreme opportunity
ut great risk. Esther finds great reward.
The clerks write the message OF life more
rapidly than thev wrote the sentence of
death. The good work is hastened with
more speed than the message of woe. Joy
supplants sorrow and lie comes in the
nlace Of death The harvest Of sacrifice is
life. We SOW in tears, we reap in Joy. In
this successful mission of Esther the me-