Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-09-27
&eadiuaHfar the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED By
REV. ROBERT LATH AN.
IOriginal.
LOST...SAVED.

| IOngina.
LOST...SAYED.
In the 18th chapter of the gospel as record
ed by Luke, there is a very interesting and
! instructive incident in the life of Jesus
Christ. Itoccurred Immediately prior to the
last passover When the company or car
avan, With which Jesus travelled, arrived at
Jericho, they found sitting by the wayside,
blind beggar. When the beggar heard
the noise of the caravan, he asked what it
meant. Some one replied, "Jesus OF NaZa-
reth passeth BY" The blind beggar began
mercy upon me-" Jesus commanded the
beggar to be brought before him. This was
done, and in answer to the request OF the
unfortunate man, his eyes were opened and
he saw. In the same region of country
there was man by the name of Zaccheus.
This Zaccheus was a Jew, but he held the po-
sition of collector of the revenue levied on
the Jews by the Romans. He was rich, but
it is very probable that his wealth was part
ly acquired dishonesty, or by grinding the
faces of the poor. ..
For many reasons, publican or taxgath-
erer was held in bad repute by the Jews.
This was natural. He was Roman officer,
and it is highly probable that many OF the
|
No hieh!nairlded jew, itwas thought, would
accept the office of taXgatherer. Whoever
accepted this Office degraded himself in the
ewes of the Jews. The result was that the
words publican and sinner, among the Jews,
meant the same thing. In some way, TINS
Zaccheus had heard of Jesus. 1t is probable
that he had heard that the blind beggar,
who sat by the wayside, had been made to
see. Led, possibly, by an idle curiosity, ne
made his way to the caravan for the purpose
of seeing Jesus. The press or multitude
was so great that he could not accomplish
his design because of his diminutive stature.
Such being the case, he ran before the cara
van and climbed up a sycamore tree, that
he might be able to see Jesus as he passed
by. When Jesus came to the place he looked
M into the tree and bid Zaccheus to come
down out of the tree in haste, for, said Jesus,
ssto-day must abide at thy house" This
Zaccheus did promptly and received Jesus
ioyfully. When those Jews who accompa-
MED Jesus saw that he "was gone to be a
guest with a man that is a sinner, they all
murmured." Indirectly to these murmur-
announcement, am that ''the Son of man is
come to seek and to save that which was
lost" From this incident in the life of our
Saviour, we may learn some very lmpor-
tant lessons:
lst. 1t is probable that in his anxiety to
see Jesus, Zaccheus was melted, so far as he
was conscious, by nothing but an idle curl
Osity. He ran to the caravan, as boys often
run to meet travelling showmen. He had
no doubt heard many things about Jesus.
The miracle which he had recently per-
formed had been published in all the coun,
try surrounding Jericho. The Spirit OF GOO
directed every circumstance SO as to result
in bringing salvation to the house OF Zac,
cheus. Thus it will always be. Men will
be convicted and converted when they are
apparently moved only by idle curiosity.
md. Ali that were with Jesus:murmured
because be went into the house of Zaccheus,
the taxgatherer. They thought that Jesus
had disgraced himself in the eyes of all civ
ilized persons, by associating with one whom
the whole Jewish nation regarded as sim
ner. No doubt Zaccheus was bad man
His political creed was certainly very differ
ent from that Of the mass of the better class
of the Jews, and his occupation dishonora'
BILE in the eyes of his nation. 1T may be
that he had grown rich by unjust taxation
Admit all these things, and still the mur'
muring of those who were with Jesus be-
cause he went with Zaccheus, was as sense
less as it was wicked.
Jesus professedly came into the world tc
cheus was lost. Prove that he was very
bad man-an exceedingly bad man-the
stronger the argument is made in favor o.
Jesus going with him. If Zaccheus actually
was disreputable man, the Jews ought tc
have been glad thathe was rescued from the
power and dominion Of sin.
As it was in the days of Zaccheus so it il
vet: The company of professed Christian;
to-day hold as foolish and wicked notions
with respect to the mission of Jesus Chris
into our world, as did the Jews OF old
Perhaps the majority of church member:
look upon the Individual who endeaVOrs t(
save drunkards and prostitutes from the
power of sin, as degrading himself. The
notion that those who are brought into the
Church must be of good families-must have
an aristocratic ancestry, is widespread anC
deep-rooted. No taXgathers, no publlcans
no persons holding political notions differ
ent' from those held by the majority in the
community must be sought, that they may
be saved. This is Jewish murmurlng re
peated in the nineteenth century. Jesus
Christ came into our world to seek and tt
save sinners; for the salvation of sinners he
toiled and labored during the whole periot
of his abode on earth. AS the Saviour o
sinners he made no discrimination in favo
of the proud Pharisee or against the tax
gatherer.
Socially, there are many ana marked dl1
ferences between members of the human
family, but morally, all are by nature ant
.. by practice alike. The proud nobleman
who can trace his ancestry through lons
line of heroes and heroineS, needs Jesus as
Saviour as much as the miserable son o.
daughter of ObScurity. Jesus Christ came
into the world to save sinners-tO save bat
men and bad women of all kinds and char
; acterS.
; TO those who would exclude from the
, Church of God or earth, and from heaven
all except those who belong to the better
. class of society, estimated from human
standpoint, the following language of oul
Saviour is sadmonitory "The publicans ant
the harlots go into the kingdom of God be-
fore YOU" There is such thing as making
the gospel of Jesus Christ repulsive. Thi:
may be done in variety of ways. One
way is to make it the gospel of a caste, or tC
make appear thatitis nOtadapted to those
miserable wretches, who, by their folly anC
vices, have excluded themselves from re
fined society. There are not 4 few OF the
human family, who, although born in Chris
! tian communities, and in the midst OF grea
wealth, arc the sons and daughters of igno
miny and shame. The portion which thell
: ancestors have left them as 4 heritage is OBJ
scurity and gaunt poverty. This class o.
the human family is, to great extent, ever
in communities thought to be thoroughly
Christanized, excluded from the means O.
grace Few care anything for their souls
, Those who are more favored, rarely retiec
that these otfscourings, as they are called, o
) the human family have souls to be saved OF
4 ~,nI. l. t~1