which surpasses the marvels of heroic story, and sends a wild pulsation of startled admiration to vibrate through all hearts to the end of time. Who can read of Deborah delivering Mount Israel from ruin, without rapture; or Margaret Roper breaking through a London crowd to kiss her father, Sir Thomas Moore, about to be beheaded; or Joan of Arc-that light of ancient France-who, a mere girl, delivered her country from invaders and restored the crown to her sovereign at the high altar of Rheims; or, "Her, who knew that love can vanquish death Who kneeling with one arm about her king, Not without profound knowledge of human nature did Bunyan make Christiana to be accompanied all through her pilgrimage by Mr. Greatheart. "Now I saw in my dream that Christiana and Mercy went on, and Greatheart before them." So, now Queen Esther went in unto the king, and Greatheart before her. "God was the strength of her heart." She obtained favour in the sight of the king, and he held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. "So Esther drew near and touched the top of the sceptre." In that moment all the danger has passed away like a cloud—all plots defeated-Israel is saved! But, even yet, though all is safe, God will work out the salvation of his people by means-by the wisdom and wit of Esther-by the words of a book-so that his people, to the latest age, instead of foolishly looking for signs and wonders, may be assured that the ordinary ways and habits of mentheir hopes and fears-their sorrows and success-are the channels by which the spirit of God moves society as He wills. It is not needful that he should make us to heal the sick, or raise the dead; but it is needful that He should bless us in availing ourselves of ordinary means-in appealing to memory -in pointing to the fleshy table of the heart-in waking up conscience by the terrors of the Lord; and if our ways please the Lord, He will bless our use of those means which are mighty through God;-and miracles are nothing without Him! Oh this is what the church needs to feel and recognize, in this our day! Not by seeking the extraordinary-the uncommonthe rare device to awaken attention-but by the investing of common and plain means with unusual interest, and inspiring them with the warmth of devotional earnestness, and above all, by using plain means with single purpose-joining the common salvation with entire devotedness on the part of those who dispense it. It is thus we must expect to save Israel in our time. Therefore we are instructed here by Esther's address, that God blesses activity of mind-not vacancy-not the "brute unconscious gaze," that waits for deliverance without memory -and while her wisdom desires to bring the king and Haman together to complete the work, God works with her. "Help yourself, and God will help you," says the proverb. The wit of a woman finds a fellow-helper in the providence of God. "On that night could not the king sleep!" What of that! Every one has passed a sleepless night. Pain-anxiety -trial-anything may keep you awake all night; yes, and God may, by one of those means, keep you awake, because He has something to teach, some last warning, some clear appeal, some unmistakable note of preparation, to give you in the watches of the night or in the grey dawn; some passage to read to you out of your past life, which you have never so heard read before-a line out of your records which He can so emphasize that it shall seem to startle the ears of night, like a voice of doom. So, on that night, God had somewhat to say to Ahasuerus: yet, observe, the common means are used, not the miraculous: he cannot sleep, therefore, he will have one read to him. In the still night, the king hears it read how Mordecai had saved his life from the assassins. "And what had been done to Mordecai for this?" asks the king. "There is nothing done for him." Nothing done? Ah! that was a mistake; a gallows was made for him! That was a memorable night. Here is Esther preparing the feast; there is Ahasuerus reading the book; and there is Haman, consulting with his wife and friends, inflated with the honour of an invitation from the queen, and building the gallows fifty feet high for Mordecai. "There are many devices in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand." Haman is come to the king's house to speak to the king to hang Mordecai; he arrives there at the very moment when the king has asked, "What has been done for Mordecai?" He enters just in time to answer the question, "What shall be done for the man, whom the king delighteth to honour?" and is obliged to submit to the bitter mortification of adorning his hated rival with marks of royal favour; and of thus announcing his own downfall, by proclaiming, before the steps of his foe, through the streets of the city, "Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour." We will proceed no further in the history of the humiliation of Haman, and of his family: enough has been said to illustrate the purpose of the book of Esther. III. EVERY BOOK THAT GOD HAS WRITTEN HAS A DIVINE IDEA, WHICH IT IS OUR BUSINESS TO DISCOVER AND STUDY. In the narrative, in the parable, amidst the tumult of human passions, and the competition of ambition, and of interest, there is clearly to be seen the great end and object for which the narrative was selected—as the earthen vessel of a heavenly treasure. And the thought that looks down on us from Haman's gallows; the idea which, like the eyes of a good painting, seems to look out on us wherever we stand, to survey the whole of this history-the thought is, that God identifies himself with his people; whoso touches them, touches the apple of his eye; the little one, who puts his weak unguarded hands into the hands of God, becomes girdled with the attributes and consuming fire of Him who is engaged to punish any, and every one, who dares to offend one of such little ones. "Better for him that a mill-stone were tied about his neck, and he were cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of them." Their redeemer is strong; "the Lord of Hosts is his name." And we are taught here, that to effect deliverance, or to inflict punishment, there is no need that He should resort to a miracle. The overruling providence that shuts in all human affairs, like the great over-hanging firmament, can predispose or influence minds by ordinary motives, and guide passion, and cupidity, and vanity, to its own aims. And thus, the dreaded enemy -the Herod-the Belshazzar-the Haman-the Pharaohdisappear suddenly, or are struck down and carried away by the returning wave; or are lifted up as signals-beacons to the end of time, to be gazed at on the historic page, and reading to all, the lesson, that they who were terrors while they lived, are warnings now they are dead. "All is best though we oft doubt, what the unsearchable dispose Of highest wisdom brings about; and ever best found at the close. Oft he seems to hide his face, but unexpectedly returns, And to his faithful champion hath in place, borne witness gloriously Whence (all shall mourn) who band them to resist His uncontrollable intent." It is this "uncontrollable intent," which the Book of Esther so strikingly illustrates; and when you have seized the purpose of one book, you have the key to the interpretation of all. Thenceforward the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is pervaded by a vital unity, which will overpower the devout student with the sense of its divinity. Everywhere, in one form or another, he will see the determination to put away sin-to punish it-to raise up and bless a peculiar people zealous of good works-to protest against the usurpation of evil, and to be a light in a dark place; "a city set on a hill which cannot be hid; " whose foundation is in the holy mountains, and whose security is covenanted by "oaths, and promises, and blood."-To be found in that city of God is the great thing! Now, amidst temptation, unbelief, and sin -amid the confusions of our daily life, and the strong allurements of business to make us forget God; to be found among the people of God in hearty fellowship of interest and prayer, of hope and fear,—this is the great thing: and if we would speak truly, the one thing needful; the supreme consideration. For Christ has said, "I give unto my sheep eternal life; they shall never perish, neither shall any one pluck them out of my father's hand." Do you not feel the need amidst the dangers of life- of being held in the father's hand? Whence neither life nor death, nor things present, nor things to come, can separate you? Hasten to give yourselves to God and to his people. Be now, stand now, where you would like to be found standing at the judgment day. Choose your company-but let it be company, among whom you will not be ashamed to be seen under the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God! B. KENT. |