St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-30
Pharisee and the other publican
and continued.

~ have liking for this Pharisee:
there is much good in him. He sells, l
am sure. to each pound sixteen ounces
and to every yard thirty-Six inches. He
keeps strong grip on the reins of appe-
tlte and gives 10 per cent of his profits
to the synagogue. ] wish we had more
men just like this Pharisee. / also am
pretty sure that this publican must
have been a pretty bad fellow. seri-
Ously believe that he would have been
tempted to put the best olives from the
mountain over there OH the top, and
have said that the VIII lie case was as
good as the first layer. And l think it
more than probable he might have
taken the last pullet of the poor widow
over in Bethlehem to settle her ia xes.
He might very we'll stand by himself
and keep his eyes down. Yet Christ
tells us that God looks Oh this publican
as righteous and this Pharisee as un-
Our purpose, therefore, in our half hour
together, is to correct our judgment bya
deeper study of these two representa-
tive men.
1T Is plain that this Pharisee, whom
we will for short, and as Christian
name, call Mr.. Goodenough, is de-
ceived. He tells lie to himself. He
is not good enough, The outside of the
cup of his character is Ornamented With
the silver band of honesty and the
golden circle of charity: but inside it is
full to the very brim of the crushed
seeds OF his sins. Do you know your
self? Do you examine and cross-eX-
anime yourself? Is it wise to keep no
books of business? Is it wise to have
no moral and spiritual reckoning with
yourself? For years Napoleon Third
knew war was to break out between
lieutenants to make preparations,
and they told him his army was
we'll disciplined-wel equipped. Napo-
leon allowed himself to be de-
ceived most bitterly. AIRS you allowing
yourself to be deceived as to your vigor
and resolution and moral hardwood?
Do YOU know what it means to think
you are good enough, and at last to find
out that you are not at all good? You
may be mistaken, but there is no need
of mistake. You can easily learn
whether you are living over coal mine
OF powder magazine.
"Our self-complacency, fficiency
deters from inspection of motives, ideals
and principles of character. We feel we
are each of US Mr. Goodenough. We are
sure we are better than many. We get a
| great deal of comfort out OF their fancled
faults. Do you know it takes little good
to make some men feel very gOod? A
self-suffi Gent man is usually very
small man. He must be, or he would
want something better and larger than
himself. Self-cOnceit comes from COM
pairing yourself with men smaller than
yourself. If man is pulled up, you
may be sure his ideals are low and his
| standards narrow. 1t is always pleas
| ant to see men contented with business,
home and general surroundings: but it
is never pleasant-it is Away painful
| to see men contented with their moral
and Christian character.
''Self-deception, too. as to character,
is caused by reason the very opposite
of self-sufflciency: 1t is fear that we
are not good enough. We dread exami-
nation lest it prove how feeble our
| character and resources are. A man
| that he is not doing business quite as
he ought, that he is not quite true to
his home, that he is not thinking such
thoughts as he ought to cherish, that he
| is not lending himself to such intlu-
ences and comprehensive as he ought
to foster, that he is not growing in
| such ways as he ought to grow. He
does not question and cross-question
himself as faithful doctor does his
patient. He knows himself too well to
90 down into the depths of his nature.
| This man we will call Self-Distrust.
Mr.. Self-Distrust, want to talk with
| you. You are not as good as you
ought to be. You should not fear,
you should not hesitate to send the diver
| down to the bottom of the pond of your
character. If you have the consump-
ton you better know it and try to cure
it. If you are poor. miserable sinner,
as you probably are, know it, feel it.
repent it and be saved. Some time you
will have to see yourself just as you
are. Don't you think you had better
try to see yourself just as you are nowP
Oh, modern Pharisees, your hearts are
all rotten. Oh. Mr.. Goodenough, you
are not good enough. Oh, Mr.. Self-Dis-
trust, you should distrust yourself.
Pray your long prayers, Oh Pharisee;
better pray such prayers than not to
pray at all. Screw out the last cent
that justice admits, mount high the
seats of your self-esteem, but know
that the memorial addresses given in
your honor will not ennoble your fame,
and that the highest seats are pretty far
from the heavenly places"