LECTURE X.

CHAPTER V. 9-14.

N the last lecture we saw Esther, inspired with a

IN

courage which was the fruit of prayer, offered up by herself and by others in her behalf, venturing to transgress the established law of the kingdom of Persia, and braving death that she might save her people, by going into the king's presence in public when she was not sent for. The same prayer, however, which strengthened her for this bold undertaking, was effectual in crowning it with success. A divine influence rendered her superior to those fears which made her shrink at first from the undertaking which was urged upon her; and a divine influence was at the same time put forth to soften the heart of the king toward her. She was saved from the penalty which by the law she had incurred. When she appeared in the royal presence, the sceptre was stretched out toward her-a token that she had obtained favour in the sight of the king; and as she came in the character of a suppliant, the large promise was given her that her request would be granted so far as the kingly munificence could satisfy it. For reasons which are not specified, but which it is not difficult to conjecture, Esther did not presume at that moment to

present the request which lay nearest to her heart. She felt that she must be first fully established again in the confidence and affection of the king; and that, in a matter which involved the annulling of a decree which had been formally issued, she would more likely gain her end when she had possession of his private ear, than when he was surrounded by his counsellors, and when, for the sake of his own dignity, and of preserving his consistency, he might feel it necessary to say nay to her. She therefore only entreated him to come, along with Haman, to a banquet which she had prepared. This petition was readily complied with, although the king evidently knew that she had something farther to ask, which she could only ask in private. And accordingly, at the banquet he again expressed his desire to gratify her, whatever she might wish him to bestow. Not yet prepared to lay open her mind, and, as we believe, withheld by a special providence, she put the matter off, with a request that the king and Haman should come again on the morrow to feast with her, when she would fully make known what was her desire. At this point, then, we are brought to consider the passage which forms the subject of the present lecture. Ver. 9: "Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai."

Our attention in the present discourse must be directed chiefly to Haman. He is the principal character in the picture which is presented to us in the

remaining verses of this chapter; and we shall find that the study of his feelings and conduct, although it is not pleasing, may nevertheless be turned to some advantage. But Mordecai is also introduced in an interesting light, and we shall first of all make some reference to him. It is very obvious, from what is here said, that after he found he had made that impression upon the mind of Esther which he desired-and no doubt, also, after he had, with the rest of the Jews in Susa, engaged in earnest supplication for her, according to her request-he had laid aside his sackcloth, and resumed his usual place in the king's gate. As has been already said, he could not have appeared there in his mourning dress; and the circumstance of his being there, would thus seem to indicate not only his anxiety to obtain the earliest possible tidings of Esther's procedure, but also his confidence that the Lord would listen to the prayers of His people in their time of trouble. One thing, however, is peculiarly to be noticed, that with all his consciousness of Haman's power and influence, he still refuses to pay him homage. A man of low and grovelling spirit would have crouched at the feet of the favourite, and endeavoured to gratify him by any act of submission, so as to mollify his wrath, and to draw him to listen with a favourable ear to any intercession that might be made for the poor Jews who were doomed to destruction. But Mordecai was no fawning flatterer. His opinion of Haman, as one of a race on which the malediction of the divine law lay, and as personally the declared enemy of the Jews, remained unchanged, and

therefore his conduct toward him was unchanged also. And thus, when the Amalekite came forth from the queen's banquet, more inflated than ever with a feeling of self-importance, Mordecai looked at him, perhaps with a glance of disdain, as he passed, and sat still as a statue, without doing him reverence. This fact of itself adds weight to the remarks which were made formerly, when the subject of Mordecai's deportment toward Haman had first to be noticed-viz., that it was from a conscientious conviction that he, as one of the seed of Abraham, from the first refused to pay respect to one of the seed of Amalek. The conviction was founded upon the statement in the law of Moses, that between the two races there should be war for ever—the Amalekites being the representatives of the enemies of the church of God, and the Jews of its members. We therefore venerate the memory of Mordecai the Jew, who, when the affairs of his countrymen were in the most desperate condition, would not be moved to perform an act which he felt to be unbecoming, although by doing it he might have hoped to gain some advantage for himself and for his people. He would not have refused to give due honour to any of the nobles of Persia, however much he might have pitied them in his heart for their ignorance of the true God; but that haughty and wicked Amalekite he disdained to pay court to, even when he was reduced to the necessity of feeling that his own life, and that of many thousands besides, lay at his disposal. We say again, that his memory deserves to be venerated on account of his steadfast adherence to principle. If it

had been a question of mere personal liking and disliking, we would have been disposed to say that Mordecai acted irrationally in suffering his dislike to Haman to carry him so far as to confirm that favourite of the king in his hatred of the Jews. If it had been a matter of indifference whether he made obeisance to the royal favourite or not, we would have been disposed to say that he would have been inexcusable to let slip any possible opportunity of advancing the interests of his countrymen; but it was a matter of high principle, and therefore, whatever might be the consequence, Mordecai would not swerve a hair's-breadth from the course which he had formerly pursued.

It were a blessed thing if, in matters which affect the interests of religion and practical godliness, the followers of Christ would exhibit the same kind of firm determination as we read of in the case of Mordecai. There would then be a more decided separation between the church and the world, and less of that tendency to combine the two services of Christ and the world which prevails among us so extensively. If men were estimated according to their real character, and treated rather as their moral worth merits, than with deference to their wealth-if the true elements of greatness, such as the fear of God, the love of truth, and unbending adherence to Christian principle, were honoured by those who profess to follow Christ, and the opposite qualities were visited with the disapprobation they deserve, then the church would occupy her proper ground, and her members, although hated by the world,