The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-06-24
PRAYERS
or PharIsess, PublIcans and Slnners-The Awful
ShipWreck Of Human Souls.

OF PharIsees, Publlcans and Slnners-The Awful
S~hlpWreck Of Human Souls.
Brooklyn, June 13.-The following dis
course was called forth by al unprece-
dented revival of religion, FIVE hundred
and thirty souls having united with the
Brooklyn Tabernacle, by far the largest
Presbyterian membership in the world.
DR.. Talmage announced his subject as
follows
suBJEcT-"PoMPoUs PHARIsEE N HUM
BILE PUBLICAN"
Text-LuKe 1918: God be merCifll
to me, a sinner"
No mountain ever had a brighter cor
onet than Mount Moriah. The glories
of the ancient temgle blazed there. Orig
inally the top of the mountain was not
large enough to hold so large a building,
and therefore a wall six hundred feet
high was reared, and the mountain was
built out unto it and it was at that
great height that Christ was acCosted
by the devil, and the devil tried to per-
suade Him to jump down the six humid
red feet. The nine gates of that temple
flashed with silver and gold and CORN
THAN brass, which was made of precious
stones, melted and mixed and crystal
lied. The temple itself was not 30 very
large, but the courts and adjuncts of ar
chitecture made it half q mile in circum'
ference. l look off upon that splendid
building. What is the matter? FIreY
1t looks like a mansion just kindled with
fame. Why, it is the hour of morning
sacrifice, and the smoke bursting out
through the doors and crevices of the
building, wreathe the mountain top in
folds of smoke, through which glitter
precious metals gathered and FURNISHED
by royal magnifcenCe, I see through
the smoke two men going up the steps
of the building. They 60 side by side,
and yet they have nothing in common
have no sympathy with each other. One
is the Pharisee, erect, arrogant, pomp'
GUS, looking down with utter contempt
upon the poor man who happens to be
going up beside him. The Publican
goes up with his head bowed, and seems
to have a world of trouble. Now the
two have reached the main Enclosure,
and are about to begin their worship.
The Pharisee goes to the gate nearest
the Holy of Holes he feels he is fit TO
stand there he says in substance: 20
God, there are two days in the week l
eat absolutely nothing, and l give a great
deal of money to good objects, and am
one of the best of men. l have nothing
to do with the common rabble-Certainly
nothing to do with that poor Publican
who came up with me-" The Publican
goes clear off to the other side; he wants
to get as far away from that gate into the
Holy Of Holes as possible; he does not
feel fit to stand there. The Bible says
he stood afar of, and then-as the peo'
pie of the east to this very day do when
they have any great trouble, shifting
themselves-he bowed down, striking
his breast, and crying out, "God be mer"
ciful to me, a sinner" The incense that
went up from the high priests censor
that morning was not so sweet as this
publiCan's prayer, waited into the open
ing heavens, while the exhilerant prayer
of the pharisee dies on his contemptu.
GUS lips and rolls down into his AFRO.
CANT heart. Now l see them again on
the stairs; they are going down side by
side; the pharisee cross, sad wretched;
the publican happy, the joys of heaven
glowing in his cheek and flaming from
his eye. For I tell you, this man went
down to his house justified rather than
the other"
When l come to analyze the prayer of
the publican, 1 find in it tristan appre-
of his sinfulness. He had an
honorable Office; the publicans were tax.
yatherers, Cicero says they were the
brightest ornaments of the state. l know
hey were very unpopular, for the rea.
ION that people did not like to pay their
axes. 1t was then as it is now, and |
suppose some people, because they did
not like to pay their taxes, despise the
publican or tax gatherer. Bat, notwith.
this, the man no doubt was
of trust He proved himself
honorable, and there were many admir-
sble things about him, and yet he utters
his cry of elf.abnegation. What was
he matter with him? Had he lost his
'eason? Had some low, contemplate
,OWardiCe seized upon him2 Oh, mol
For the first time in all his life he saw
himself; he saw he was a sinner before
God, utterly helpless and undone. Just
when that flashed upon him l know not;
out standing there in the court of the
surrounded by all the demon.
STATIONS of holiness and power, his soul
las extorted from it the anguish bitter
Try of my text.
By what process shall l persuade my
jelf that | likewise am a sinner, and per-
Juade you that you are a sinner? Shall
[ ask you to weigh your motives, to scan
your desires, to search down in the deep
recess of your soul to see if there is any
lydraheaded dignity there2 Oh, no. l
shall not do it in that way. Shall l ask
you to call up all the bad words you ever
and all the bad deeds you ever
lid and all the bad thoughts you ever
.nGulged in? Oh, no; 1 shall not ask in
hat way. l shall rather point you to
The forces God has brought out for your
salvation, and prove in that way you are
Suppose in the winter time you
we're a little distance from the beach,
and you saw the wreckers Fastening on
10 the beach, putting on their rough
launching their life boatg and