The Pulpit Commentary — Esther — Section 10

contra;r, be was_anima~ed onJy with the vainglorious wis~1 of exhibiting to the world "the nches of his glor1ous kmgdom, and the honour of his excellent majesty." And he could think of no better way of gratifying this wish than by making an extrava- fl'ant_ feast. Do!1~tlese there was poverty, ~nd wretchedness, and suffering enough m his vast dom1mons, and to have used Ins abundant resources to nlleviate these evils vtould have reflected immortal glory upon hie name ; but he preferred to llquander his substance in riotous revelry, a proceeding which must soon have neces- llitated the levying of fresh imposts, in order to replenish his impoverished exchequer. A right feeling may have a wrong development. The desire of excelling is truly laudable ; but when it is alloyed with unworthy motives it becomes most despicable. Let us notice, in the first place, torong ambition., of which we have an instance in the text_; and, in the second place, ri,ght ambition, of which the former is but a per- Yers10n. I. WnoNG AMBITION. The most common forms of this are-1. An immoderat6 love of fa=. We have instances of this in every walk of life ; some of the most brilliant characters in history have heen victims of it. There have been authors who prostrated their divine gifts to gain the admiration of the world. There have been orators w-hose chief aim was to secure the applause of the multitude. And there are men now who will face danger, endure hardship, sacrifice property, for the sake of world-wide renown-or even a paltry distinction in the narrow sphere in which they move. 2. An immoderate lO'IJe of power. Men hasten to be rich i;iot because of the inherent value of riches themsefves, but because rather of the power which riches enable them to command ; for at the word of the rich luxury, gratification, service spring up e.s if at the touch of a magic wand. The thirst for power is insatiable. The amount enjoyed, however great, only begets a craving for more. It has led to the most sanguinary wars that have defiled the earth in ancient and modern times. Alexander, Clllsar, Buonaparte, whom Christian enlightenment has taught us to regard with horror, are but types of all conquerors, however exalted their professed aims. 3 . .tf.n imwwderate lave of di-splay. This is the most contemptible form of all, and to this King Ahe.suerus became a willing victim. Think of the sumptuousness of this feast, the number of the guests, the magnificence of the palace, the costliness of the furniture, the gorgeousness of the drapery, by which he sought to impress the world with the "honour of his excellent majesty" on this occasion. The morbid desire among the well-to-do classes of outshining each other in the grandeur of their man- llions, and the splendour of their entertainments, is a standing reproach upon modem civilisation. In spite of the gigantic frauds and disastrous bankruptcies-the natural results of this spirit-which occasionally startle society, the evil seems as flagrant ae ever. Il. RIGHT AMl!ITION. It does ·not follow that a feeling is essentially wrong because it is sometimes allowed to flow in wrong directions. Thus ambition, however uncomely in certain connections, may be in itself healthy, and conducive to our highest wel- fare. Ambition, then, is commendable when it is-1. A. desire to c'llltivate the powers with which we are end{)Wed. These powers are various: physical, mental, spiritual. A man cannot lay claim to the highest virtue simply because he strives to have strong nerves and well-developed muscles; still perfect manhood is not independent of these things. The struggle for intellectual distinction is certainly more dignified, and has a more ennobling influence upon those who are engaged in it. The chief glory of man, however, is his spiritual nature, hie ability to hold communion with the unseen ; hence spiritual pursuits are the most exalted. However strong man may be physically, or great intepectually, if his_ spiritual powers be dwarfed, he com_ee miserably short of the true ideal. 2. .d. de8tre to make the wwst of our outward cir- cum..~tances. No man's circumstances have been so adverae as t" make all excellence unattainable to him. The most barren and desolate life has some spots which, by cultivation, may yield glorious results. In the majority of cases unfruitfulness is due to culpable negligence rather than external difficulties. Just think of the numer- ous instances in which formidable disadvantages have been conquered. Poor boys have worked their way up into the/resence of kings, blind men have mastered the intricacies of optics, the children o profane parents have been renowned for their 11aintliness. All honour to those who have wrestled with fortune ond defied her r11. r. 1-9.J THE BOOK OF :F:STIIER. 7