Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-07-08
REV. DR.. 7ALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun
day Sermon.
Subject; "Arrogance and Humility.

TEXT; "God be merciful unto me, a si,nerr'
Luke xviii. IS.
| No mountain ever had a more brilliant
coronet than Mount Moriah. The glories OF
! the ancient temple blazed there The noun.
tain top was not originally large enough to
hold the temple, and SO wall 600 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 so very large a structure, but the
courts and the adjuncts of the architecture
made 1t half a mile in circumference
We stand and look upon that wondrous
structure. What's the matter? What
strange appearance in the temple? Is IT fire?
why, 1t seems as II it were a mantle all kim
died into flame. What's the matter? Why.
its 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-
n1fcence.
see two men mounting the steps of the
building. They go side by side they are
very unlike; no sympathy between them
the one the pharisee, proud arrogant, pom.
pous; he goes up the steps of the building
ne seems by his manner to say; "Clear the
track Never before came up these steps
such goodness and conservation"
Beside tim was the publican bowed down.
seemingly, with load on his heart They
reach the Enclosure for worship in the midst
OF the temple. The pharisee goes close up
to the gate of the holy of boies. He feels he
is worthy to stand there. He says practically
II am SO holy want TO go into the holy of
holes. Oh Lord, / am a very good mani l
am remarkably good man. Why, two days
In the week l eat absolutely nothing | am
so good. I'm very generous in my conduct
toward the poor. have no sympathy with
the common rabble especially have l 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 Enclosure. as far away from the gate
OF the holy OF holes as he could get for he
telt unworthy TO 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 so
he begins to pound his breast as he cries.
God be merciful to me- sinner
On, was there ever a greater contrast? The
incense that waited that morning from the
priest censor was not so 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. Worshiping
there, they join each other and go 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 Il tell you that this man went
down TO his house justified rather than the
other"
Now, L put this publicans prayer under
analysis and | discovered in the first place
that he was persuaded of his sinfulness He
was an honest man he was a taxgatherer
he was an officer of the government. The
publicans were 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 L 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 merciful to me- a snner!n By what
process shall prove that l am sinner? By
what process shall prove that you are sin
ierr Shall ask you to weigh your motives,
to scan your actions, to estimate your be-
havior? l 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 go down in 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 see the Lord Jesus
Christ putting aside robe and crown and
launch out on the tossing sea of human suf
fering and satanic hate, going out into the
laundering surge of death, l cry "a ship
wreck p
know that our souls are dreadfully lost
by the work that God has done to save them.
Are you a sinner Suppose you had COM
mercial agent i'll 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 u.s. He
has clothed us. He has sheltered us. and He
has surrounded US with 10. 900 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? Il will confess nv
transgressions unto the Lord What did
Isaiah say? Woe is me. because ] am
man of unclean lips What did Ezra say?
our 1niqult1es are increased over our head
and our trespaSs is grown IN into heaven y
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.