, 1876-12-01

| delivered at 1hc Methodist chapel in this
place, on sunday the 2Gth instant.I
In their original principles, purposes
and actions the PhariSees were doubtless
pure and holy class OF the Hebrew peop'P,
but a S!aviSh observance of the letter. with
a gradually increasing disregard OF the
| spirit of the law had 50 completely chang
ed them that in the DAYS of our Lords lite
ON earth the word PhariSee had become in
the estimation of more honest men al
most synonymous with hOlOw-hearted hy-
pocriSy. Yet fond as we are of snpering
at, ready as we are to despiSe him. think
| he would have made very respectable
member of not a few Christian congrPga-
tiOns in this nineteenth century. First,
| He was no aduterer. Second, He was at
least honest in his commercial transactions.
| He paid one bundled cents for every dol
lar that he owed. Third. Our struggling
poor in the great cities and towns of our
| land would be better off than they are if
all our men of weath coud truly say rs
did this PhariSee. II am no eNtOrtiOner."
/ More thrn this give tithes Of all pos
sess. As fast as gain anything give the
tenth part of it to the house nf God and to
the poor :" Would God that we had
many more like him; charitable though
righteous though only according to the let
ter of the lava Fourth. This Pharisee
was moreover devoted man-very reg
uar in his public devOtiOns. His place IN
the fan lily pew was always occupied.
Would it not be n perfect GOd-Send if we
had more OF tins kind Of PhariseeS among
the honorary members of the Christian
| Church and the non-prOfeS>Ors of our citi
zens? You can s,'e the man was earnest
| in mis- faith and honest IN his purpose hy
his voluntarily paying more than the law
demanded even tithe of One-tenth upon
inUease'O of personal property As well aS
the legal tithe by like percentage upon
his n al estate-a large Income TAX. and
direct properly tax. and no fIlSe swearing
about it eithpr---tOr the support OF the
priesthood and the house Of God and God =
poor who needed charitable aid: That
would he something wonderful among
most of our loudest- talking Christians.
am not making personal applications
of this almost universal Christian delin-
q lpncy. I leave that for your own con-
sciences to do---humb'y eonfessing and. sin
Crrrly regrefting tlIat we are NEARLY all
cu pabie IN this important particH'ar. |
mention it especially in this present con-
nectiOn to show that we need not out
J IIhlfT Sts6 illt tlt VI lltCN lCAb ny
thanking God bec;luse we are nOt~as lie
was. when the real fIet is. that III actual
support Of the gospel anf; charity towards
Coils poor. very few, If any of us, do halt
as well IA he did.
Was I nor right a few minutes ago
when said that this much abused Plmr-
/ isee wou d have made quiz respectable
member Of not few Christian congn'ga-
tionS in this nineteenth ctniury. Dunk
enness would not roll down our streets
like mighty river bearing upon its dead
| llv waves 80 many thousands of the brave
aud BEAUTIFUL. Bribery. corruption and
all ma mer Of political and commercial
dishonesty sh0ultl no more bring the blush
Of honest shame upon CHEEKS now made
Of brass. Why. this wOnd be quite n
model word il 1t were not cursed by tens
Of millions. aye, thousand times worse
mAn than any honest Phmrisee Another
question becomes "a practical. as well as a
very solemn one: How l. 1t that the Pub
lican. ancient and moIlerI--the nan who
e "a bef,re hls God colIfessing hi4 vleness
~ d lie of wrong doing. and by so doing
in no way exaggerating the facts. not
making himse any worse than he knows
he l., and with heartfelt penitence. and
earnest desires calls unto the all-m0rCitul
Father. s. o God be mercifll to me a sim
neri" descends to this busy world justified
rather than the proud. boasting. indie
\ pendent and selt-righteOus Pharisee !?
! How L. 1t that he gets 80 mnch deeper into
the all-Father's heart than the other whose
outward conduct Il 40 much more eXem-
plary? What is the matter with this Phar-
isee What l. 1t that keeps him shivering
and his respectability cold and spotless--
lOveless as the icebergs by polar sea.
Something must be wrong. Man looking
upon the outward appearance sees not al
the iacts needed to solve the problem. else
he would know that the warm sunlight
of God's love. though It g itters from those
floating ice mountains and snowy plains
of moral perfection Is too far away TO
warm the frigid. frOst-lnden atmosphere.
And the Pharisee stands slivering In the
scaIlty garments Of his selfrighteOnsness,
surrounded by the spOtless icebergs Of his
own l0veless respectability. Tie despised
and much maligned honest Pharisee. OF
both f1e ancient and the modern schools.
- composing sea and land to make one
pr0selyte, 4 an arciiangel beside your
lcareless. holiday Christian who thinks he
can calmly enjoy his own salvation while
he lends no helping hand to save the many
millions ofimmortal spirits who are per-
ishing for lack Of knowledge In the lands
far away. as well as those who are perish.
ing In the home lands around our doors
and by our firesides.