The Pulpit Commentary — Esther — Section 61

dc>w>tedly. And no wonder. Her beautiful form, and still more beautiful soul could not have developed themselves beneath his eye without stealing away hi~ )ieart. But 'Yhen the grand_ prospect of her being raised to ~he throne presented itself, he hesitated not to give her up. So far we are constramed to admire. But deeper reflection makes us plluee. In this most important juncture they seem to have been too completely actuated by mere POLICY. That success crowned their efforts is no ex?use for their conduct. On ~he same ground Y?U mig·ht justify some of the most hideous stratagems ever devised by depraved mgenuity. Never let the dazzling glare of the prosperity sometimes attendant upon false moves make us blind to the beauty of eternal principles. Nor can they be excused on the ground that they were carrying out the designs of Providence. For in the same manner yo•1 might justify the conduct of Joseph's brethren in selling their brother nnd even the conduct of the Jews in crucifying the Saviour. What is POLICY? It is the substi- tution of the expedient for the right. It is the spirit which constantly asks What will best promote our own interests ? instead of asking, What will best sati~fy the immutable claims of justice, truth, and honour ? Observe- I. THAT POLICY HAS A WORLDLY AIM. What is worldliness? An inordinate love of the present, the sensual, the temporal, with corresponding neglect of the future the spiritual, the eternal. Any line of conduct that is prompted by this temper of the heart must be accounted worldly. Esther had set her mind upon the crown and Mordecai supported her ambitious views. From a heathen standpoint it ~as a glorioll8 prize, but to a Jew it was a forbidden acquisition. Probably they contrived to conceal from themselves their real aim by investing it with fictitious attributes. 1. Esther might have desired to elevate the religious tone of the court by gradually making known the God of Israel. 2. Mordecai might have hoped to serve his nation by placing at the seat of power one who would be willing to help them in time of need. But wrong can never be right. We may glorify it with fine names, forgetting that a change of name does not necessarily imply a change of nature. Let us con- sider how policy affects men's conduct in politics, in religion, and in private life. (1) In poli,t,ics. Wars are sometimes undertaken, with the professed aim of extending to benighted races the blessings of civilisation and Christianity, whose real object may be to flatter national vanity, and satisfy the greed of rulers. Thus base acts acquire a dignity from the halo cast around them by high-sounding names. (2) In religion. Men will contend for the success of a religious party, with whose prosperity their own honour is bound up, under the mistaken notion that they are fighting the battles of religion itself. Like the idol-makers who defended the faith of their ancestors by crying out, "Great is the Diana of the Ephesians," while they thought of nothing so much as the gains of their own craft. (3) In private life. Think of illegitimate trades. They are engaged in simply because they happen to be lucrative. A man opens a gin palace, and finds that his coffers are rapidly filling with gold. To allay any qualms of conscience which may occasionally disturb his peace, he pictures to himself the vast power for good which an accumulated fortune may place at his command ; but in hie heart of hearts he really worships wealth. 11 PoLICY BTOOPB TO QUESTIONABLE MEANS. Granted that the crown which Esther sought to secure was a lawful object of an Israelite's desire, how did she endeavour to accomplish her purpose? 1. By contracting an alliance with a heathen monarch, which the Jews, as God's chosen people, were expressly forbidden to do. 2. By becoming that monarch's concubine before she became his wife. The loose notions in reference to this amidst which she bad been educated may explain her conduct, but cannot justify it. It may also be urged that she had no option in the matter, that the monarch's will would brook no opposition, that disobedience might bring death. The only reply is that death is better than dishonour. 3. By having recourse to duplicity. She never made known her people, for fear it might interfere with her chance of promotion. In all this it is evident that Esther-and Mordecai, her adviser, too-bad thought more of what was expedient than whatwae right. Note-(1) That the condwt of good people, even in tlu most important transactwns, are not always to be imitated. Not only in small matters, but also in great matters, are they liab1e to err. Precedent is a poor standard to appeal to, for it may mislead us when the most momentous principles are at stake. (2) TIULt true heroism conaista in doing right, OIi. II. 19-23.] THE BOOK OF ESTHER. 59