The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-07-19
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Arrogance and Humility" ;"
TEXT: "God be merci f,tl unto me, sinner


coronet than Mount Moriah. The glories oi
the ancient temple bazed there. The noun.
tain top was not originally large enough to
| hold the temple, and 80 wall GOO feet high
was erected. and the mountain was built out
into that wall.
It was at that point that satan met Christ
and tried to persuade Him to cast Himself
down the 600 feet. The nine gates Of the
temple flashed the light Of silver and gold
and Corinthian brass, which Corinthian brass
was mere precious stones melted and
mixed and crystallized. The temple itself
was not 80 very large structure, but the
| courts and the adjunctS Of the architecture
| made it half a mile in circumference.
We stand and look upon that wondrous
structure What's the matter2 What
| strange appearance in the temple? Is 1t fire?
| Why, it seems as If 1t were a mantle all kim
died into fame. What's the matter? Why.
it's the hour Of morning sacrifice, and the
smoke on the altar rises and bursts out Of
the crevices and out ofthe door and wreathes
the mountain top with folds Of smoke
| through which glitter precious stones
gathered and FURNISHED by royal mu-
niflcence.
1 see two men mounting the steps OF the
building. They so side by side; they are
very unlike; no sympathy between them
! the one the phsrisee, proud arrogant, POM
pous he goes up the steps OF the building |;
he seems by his manner to say: ''Clear the
track! Never before came up these steps
such goodness and conservation.
Beside him was the publican, bowed down,
seemingly, with load on his heart. They
reach the inclosure for worship in the midst
Of the temple. The pharisee goes close up
to the gate OF the holy OF holies. He feels he
is worthyto stand there. He says practically :
81 am so holy want to SO into the holy OF
holies. Oh Lord, am a very good man
am a remarkably good man. Why, two days
In the week eat absolutely nothing. am
so good. I'm very generous In my conduct
toward the poor. I have no sympathy with
the common rabble; especially have none
with this poor, miserable, commonplace,
wretched publican, who happened to come
up the stairs beside me.
The publican went clear to the other side
Of the inclosure. as far away from the gate
OF the holy OF holies as he could get, for he
felt unworthy 10 stand near the sacred place.
And the Bible says he stood afar of. Stand
ing on the opposite side OF this inclosure,
he bows his head, and as orientials when
they have any trouble beat their breasts, 80
he begins to pound his breast as he cries,
"God be merciful to me. sinner"
Oh, was there ever a greater contrast? The
incense that waited that morning from the
priests censer was not 80 sweet as the pub
leans prayer floating into the opening
heavens. while the prayer OF the pharisee
died on his contemptuous lips and rolled
down into his arrogant heart. WorshipinS
there, they join each other and so side by
side down the steps, the pharisee cross,
wretched, acrid, saturnine.-the publican
: with his face shining with the very joys. OF.
heaven, for "I tell you that this man went
down to his house justined rather than the
other" s..
Now, put this publican's prayer under
analysis, and I discovered in the first place
that he was persuaded Of his sinfulness. He
was an honest man he was taxgatherer !;
he was an officer of the government. The
publicans we're taxgatherers, and Cicero
says they were the adornment OF the State.
OF course they were somewhat unpopular,
because people then did not like to pay their
taxes any better than people now like to pay
their taxes, and there were many who dis
liked them.
Still suppose this publican, this tax gath
erer. was an honorable man. He had an
Office OF trust there were many hard things
said about him, and yet, standing there in
that enclosure Of the temple amid the
demonstrations Of Gods holiness and power,
he cries out from the very depths Of his soul,
;''God be merclful to me, a sinner ". Ey what
process shall prove that am sinner? BY
ner? Shall ask you to weigh Your motives,
to scan your actions, to estimate your be-
havior2 I will do nothing Of the kind.
will draw my argument rather from the plan
Of the work that God has achieved for your
salvation.
You 60 down in a storm to the beach, and
you see wreckers put on their rough jackets
and launch the lifeboat and then shoot the
rockets to show that help is coming out into
the breakers, and you immediately cry, "A
shipwreck And when SEQ the Lord jesus
Christ putting aside robe and crown and
launch out on the tossing sea OF human SUI
fering and satanic hate, going out into the
laundering surge OF death, l cry, "a ship
wreck"
know that our souls are dreadfully lost
by the work that God has done to save them.
Are you sinner! Suppose you had COM
mercia! agent In Charleston or San Fran
cisco, or Chicago. and you were paying him
promptly his salary. and you found out after
awhile that Notwithstanding he had drawn
the salary he had given nine-tenths Of all the
time to some other commercial establish
ment. Why, your indignation would know
no bounds. And yet that is just the way We
have treated the Lord.
He sent us out into the world to serve
Him. he has taken good care OF us. He
has clothed us, He has sheltered us, and He
has surrounded us with 1000 benefactions.
and yet many OF us have given nine-tenths OF
our lives to the service OF the world, the flesh
and the devil. Why, my friend, the Bible is
full Of confessions. and do not find anybody
Is pardoned until he has confessed.
What did David say? II will confess my
transgressions unto tha Lord" What did
man Of unclean lips" What did Ezra say?
"Our lniquities are increased over our head.
and our trespass is grown up into heaven"
And among the millions before the throne OF
God tonight not one got there until he con-
fessed. The coast Of eternal sorrow is strewn
with the wreck Of those who, not taking the
warning, drove with the cargo OF immortal
hope into the white tangled foam of the
breakers.
Repent! the voice celestial cries.
Nor longer dare delay:
The wretch that scorns the mandate dies
And meets the fiery day.
But analyze the publican's prayer a step
further. and find that he expected no reiief
except through Gods mercy. Why did not
he say. I am an honorable man. When I get
$40 taxes, pay them right over to the gov
ernment. give full permission TO anybody
to audit my accounts. appeal to Thy JUS
tice. o God! He made NO such plea. He
threw himself fiat on Gods mercy.
Have you any idea that man by breaking
of the scales Of the leprosy can change the
disease? Have you any idea that you can by
changing your life change your heart-that
you can purchase your way to heaven2
Come. try it. Come, bring all the bread you
ever gave to the hungry. all the medicine
you ever gave to the sick, all the kind words
you have ever uttered. all the kind deeds
that have ever distinguished you. Add them
all up into the tremendous aggregate of
4 i I&kz ,x,sh
Pau! sharpen his knife as hs cuts that spirit
OF self satisfaction as he cries SPY the deeds