Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-15
DRAWS NEW LESSONS
FROM ESTHER'S LIFE
WHEN EXALTED, REMEMBERED
HUMBLE KINSMAN
Humans Fall Cited by Dr.. shoaff as
Illustration of Dangers Attend
ing All Unexpected Eie-
walton

At the evening service Rev. DR..
shoaff. pastor of Trinity Methodist
Episcopal church, South, delivered the
third of his series Oh "The Life ana
Times of Queen Esther, or the Drama
of Providence"
Reviewing that part Of the history IN
which Mordecai, sitting at the king
gate. refused to bow down before Ha-
man. thus arousing Humans wrath
against him and the Jews throughout
the Medo-Persian empire. the speaker
said in part:
LET us try to CLEAN some practical
lessons from the study of the evening
In Esther we have a striking illustra-
tion of a spirit that is always worthy
of the highest commendation-th
spirit of grateful recognition. The he
brew orphan made a queen did not
forget Mordecai, her humble kinsman:
This did credit both to her heart ana
her head. My young friends, II you
get on we'll in the world, II you rise
to rank and influence, do not forget
your old friends in the past. Do not
let your automobile pass by them with
a naughty speed that will not give
time for friendly recognition. That
was a sad comment on the lngrati-
tude of children who wanted to be re-
lieved of the presence of their dear OLD
mother by placing her in boarding
house. when with the anguish of
wounded spirit she exclaimed, I found
thew were ashamed of my bent old
body and withered face-ashamed or
my rough, wrinlSled hands, made so
toiling for Them
From the story before us let us re-
member that we should magnify our
providential stations in life by fidelity
to duty. Mordecai sitting at the gate
of the kings palace, faithful to duty
in his humble sphere, rendered invalu-
able service. Faithful service in lowly
positions is the best preparation for
higher ones with corresponding respon-
sibilities. Our Lord made a statement
of universal application in both the
secular and spiritual realms when he
declared that he that Is faithful In
little is faithful in much
LEARN the danger of sudden eleva-
ton. To Hannah, pulled up with pride
and vanity, it meant short-lived glory.
followed by hopeless downfall Some
one has said, Whenever man is adj
vanced without reason he loses his
head. A man, therefore. should always
be greater than his office The man
who is unaffected by elevation Is the
man who. possessing inherent worth
and developing along modest lines.
rises before his fellows in unconscious
greatness.
From Pride to Fall
when see a man leap into sudden
prosperity or unexpectedly exalted TO
some lofty place of trust and respon-
sibility l always tremble for him lest
his feet prove unequal to the giddy
heights to which he has assembled. BE
not high-minded, but fear There IS
but q step between victory and defeat,
between exaltation and downfall.
1--WE have in the story of the even
ing a most striking illustration of in
flexible religious principle. When 9TH
err men bowed in the dust that they
might do honor to Hannah, Mordecai
bowed not nor did him reverence. He
would pay snch reverence to no one
but the Lord God of Israel. What
cared he for the anger Of Ha-
his religion and true to his God.
The time-serving spirit of the age
says 'bowing down costs nothing.
Why should we trouble ourselves about
a sentimental act, a piece of etiquette
and ceremony. If we can get promotion
by it?' He who bows down to such q
principle as this is guilty of base idol
airy.
Learn from the history before us
something of the heartless cruelty of
revenge. Because Mordecai would not
bow down as a Jew, Hannah deter
mined there should be no Jews. He
would drink their blood as the earth
drinks up water. Give no place to re-
venge. She is as cruel as the grave
and as relentless as death. Her mouth
drips with the blood of saints and her
eyes burn with the flame of destruc-
ton. Give no place to wrath. Let love
and mercy, the twin sisters of heaven,
assert their sway over heart and life.
They bless and curse not. Their vest
ments are as transparent as the light
and their eyes flash with the radiance
of the skies With voices as enchant-
ing as the melody of angelic praise
they sing, Mercy and truth have met
together; righteousness and peace have
kissed each other"
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