Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-05-05
Il Zaooheus Still Living?

Mr.. Moody made a thrilling allu
sion to the sins of the people gener
ally, when preaching of Zaccheui
and his sudden conversion. He said
"Zaccheus had gone up among the
branches and leaves of sycamore
tree, but as Jesus passed under he
saw the man, and said at once to him,
'Zaccheus, come down. and the eye
and the voice of the Son of God
flashed like into the soul Of Zaccheus.
Some professed Christians talk
against sudden conversion; but how
long did it take the Lord to convert
Zaccheus? He must have been con-
verted getting down. 1t was right
in the air, between the branches and
the ground. You see people who
say, I don't believe those are genuine
conversions All, l wish we could
have few more conversions like that
of Zaccheus. Zaccheus gave one
half of his goods to the poor. Do
you think you could make a poor
man in Jericho believe that CONVEX
sion wasn't genuine? Idon't believe
that there was poor man in Jericho
that didn't believe in Zaccheus' con-
version. If people are converted like
Zaccheus, the people wouldn't be
talking against conversions them
Zaccheus gave half his goods to the
poor.
"Zaccheus did more than that; he
said, "If I have taken anything from
any man falsely, I will restore him
fourfold.' 1t made q great stir in
Jericho. The people said, 'There is
a true disciple You must remember
one thing; if you don't give half
your goods to the poor, you must
make restitution. If you have lied
about man, if you have slandered a
man, 60 and tell him that you have
done him an injustice, go and make
a restitution. l felt much encourag-
ed last night; man came into the
inquiry room and said, 'Mr. Moody,I 1
want you to forgive me- why
said I, Il have got nothing to forgive
you for; l never met you before.
'Well,' SAID the man, L have been
abusing you for about year. was
here last night, and I got converted,
and l want to ask your forgiveness
He had been abusing me and SLAM
dering me, and had been talking
about something he didn't know any
thing about. There was a man in
Brooklyn who said in his converse
ton, 'There is a shoemaker's bill l
have been owing, and I have owed it
for nine years So he went around
the next day and paid 1t. The shoe
maker said, 'Well, 1 believe in that
kind of meetings now.' He didn't
believe in them before. may be
speaking to some clerk tonight who
has taken money from his employer
falsely. 1t may be that he has COW
cred up his track, and no one knows
it but the all-seeing God. But you
can't be converted unless you make
restitution. Make restitution; but 60
right to that man you have injured
and confess it, and work all your life
to pay it back. If you have defraud-
ed man, or obtained money by over
reaching or any kind of dishonesty,
you must make restitution, or you
can't have peace with God. If you
owe man anything, and are refusing
to pay him, you mustn't think you
can be Christian till you pay up
You must be honest if you would
have the favor of God"
What a new face, remarks the New
York Observer, would be put upon
the business world if men were gov
erned by the principles of the gospel
in their daily pursuits and intercourse
with each other! Or, if the church
members would be true to their pro-
fessions, and deal with the world and
one another, as fellow heirs OF the
grace of God!
And let us be candid while we are
at it, and not 60 looking about among
our neighbors to find the man at
whom Mr.. Moody was preaching
Every man should take the sermon
to himself and ask: els it II" eft
you have lied about a man, If you
have done him injustice i'll thought
or word or deed, 60 and make resti-
tuition" That is sound instruction.
They who make newspapers and they
who read them, may well take it to
heart. 1t would not do harm to those
who are in debt to any one, to make
restitution; perhaps fourfold restitu-
ton like Zaccheus, would be too
much in these degenerate gospel days;
but back pay, and the longer that
debt has been due the greater the
obligation, would be some evidence
of genuine religion. We have had
several cases of conversion among
our readers, whose first fruits of re-
pentance were the payment of old
debts.