CHAP. III.-VIII.
“DESTROY, destroy all Israelites
In borders of my land.”
So reads the proclamation
From Ahasuerus’ hand.
Low wails of deepest sorrowing
Are heard in every home,
And Jacob’s scattered children
Send up a bitter moan.
No law of Medes and Persians
Can altered be at all;
And sure the sentence terrible
On Israel must fall.
Proud Haman, Mordecai
To hang, he did conspire;
And he a lofty gallows built
To further his desire,
Dark clouds are quickly gathering
Around the covenant band;
And sighs and cries are rising up
For the Deliverer’s hand.
God ever rules in heaven and earth,
The Queen was early taught;
And under His protection
Fair Esther feared naught.
“I go, and if I perish now,
I perish in the way
Where duty bids me enter in;
My people, for me pray.
“Held forth a sceptre fair I see;
Of hope it speaks to me,
Of coming great deliverance
For Abraham’s family.”
The night is dreary, lone, and dark;
No sleep draws near the King.
“Bring out,” he cries, “the Chronicles,
That I may read therein.
“What’s this? A noble deed, I read,
Performed by a Jew:
My life preserved; no honour done,
And honour great his due.
“What honour shall be done to him?”
And with the King’s delight:
“Come, Haman, speak you out your mind;
It is a counsellor’s right.”
“Him deck in royal robe and crown,”
The traitor did exclaim.
“For me this honour,” Haman thought,
“And I love carnal fame.”
“Make haste, make haste,” then said the King,
“And all this honour do
To Mordecai, at my gate,
By birth and creed a Jew.”
Now decked in royal robe and crown,
Before all people’s sight,
They lead the man whom Persia’s King
To honour doth delight.
A royal banquet day has come,
And Haman is a guest,
And there the King in kindness asks,
“Oh Queen, what’s thy request?”
“My life, and people’s life, oh King,”
Queen Esther did reply;
“For we are now, by cruel act,
To be cut down and die.”
“Who, where is he?” exclaimed the King
“That would presume in this?”
“The wicked Haman,” said the Queen,
“The adversary is.”
In anger great the King went out,
And saw the gallows high,
And bade that Haman on it might
Be hanged, until he die.
Once more the Queen implores the King,
“Oh do thy power employ:
Reverse all letters purposing
My people to destroy.”
“Write as you like,” the King replied;
And scribes wrote, “Let it be
That each of Zion’s captive tribes
Stand up for liberty.”
Dark days the chosen watched and prayed,
With hearts borne down and sad;
But now their Ruler’s time is come,
And He has made them glad.
The powers of Rome may gather fast,
And march with mighty band
To crush the royal seed and law
Out of our favoured land.
The craft and wicked power of hell
May aid them on the way;
But from the darkening clouds shall break
A Reformation day.
“Destroy, destroy,” is Satan’s cry,
“And root it out of place—
The quickening work in sinners’ hearts,
Of free and sovereign grace.”
Not all the power in earth or hell
Can this blest work destroy,
For it shall grow from strength to strength,
And fill the heart with joy.