Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-07-14

No mountain ever had 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 a wall GOO feet high
was erected. and the mountain was built out
into that wall.
1t 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 AMI
mixed and crystallized. The temple itself
was not SO very large structure, but the
courts and the adjuncts OF the architecture
made it half mile in circumference.
We stand and look upon that wondrous
structure. What's the matter? What
strange appearance in the temple? Is it f1re2
Why, it seems as if it were q mantle all kim
died into fame. 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 of the door and wreathes
the mountain top with folds of smoke
through which glitter precious stones
gathered and FURNISHED by royal mu-
niicence.
I 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
he seems by his manner to say: CLEAR the
track! Never before came up these steps
such goodness and conservation"
Beside him was tho 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 holes. He feels he
Is worthyto stand there. He says practically
81 am so holy / want to go into The holy OF
holies. Oh Lord, am a very good man! !
am 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 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 Enclosure. far away from the gate
Of the holy Of holes as he could get, for he
felt unworthy to stand near the sacred place.
And the Bible says he stood afar off. Stand
ing on the opposite side of this inclosure,
he bows his head. and as Orientials when
tkey have any trouble beat their breasts. so
he begins to pound his breast as he cries.
"God be merciful to me. sinner =
Oh was there ever greater contrast? The
incense that waited that morning from the
priests censor was not so sweet as the pub
ican's prayer floating into the opening
heavens, while the prayer OF the phariSee
died on his cOntemptuOIs lips and rolled
down into his arrogant heart. WOrshiping
eide down the steps. the pharisee cross,
wretchod, 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 put this publicans prayer under
analysis. and l discovered in the first place
that ne was persuaded of his sinfulness. He
was an honest man he was q taXgatherer
he was an officer of the government. The
publicanS were tGXgathererS. 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 foods holiness and power,
he cries out from the very depths of mis- soul
'.God be merciful to me, a sinner" By what
process shall prove that L am a sinner! BY
what process shall prove that you are sin
ner? Shall ask you to weigh your motives
to scan your actions, to estimate your be-
havior? 1 will do nothing of the kind
will draw my argument rather from the plaI
of the work that God has achieved for you
salvation.
You go down in storm to the beach, am
YOU see wreckers put on their rough jacket
and launch the lifeboat and then shoot tn
rockets to show-that help is coming out int
the breakers and you Immediately cry, -!
shipwreckn And when | see the Lord Jesu
Christ putting aside robe and crown an
launch out on the tossing sea Of human SUI
fering and satanic hate, going out into tn
laundering surge of death, l cry, "A ship
wreck y
know that our souls are dreadfully los
by the work that God has done to save them
Are YOU sinner! Suppose you had a com
mercial agent in Charleston or San Fran
cisco. or Chicago. and you were paying hir
promptly his salary, and you found out afte
awhile that Notwithstanding he had draw
the salary he had given nine-tenths of all tn
time to some other commercial ESTABLISH
ment. Why, your indignation would knO
no bounds. And yet that is just the way v
have treated the Lord.
He sent oUt into the world to serV
Him. He has taken good care OF us.
has clothed us, He has sheltered US. and F
has surrounded Us with 10, 900 benefactiOn
and yet many of us have given nine-tenths
our lives to the service of the world. the fle:
and the devil. Why. my friend, the Bible
full of confessions. and do not find anyboC
is pardoned until he has confessed.
What did David say? 4 will. confess n
transgressions unto the Lord" What d
Isaiah say? Woe is me. because l am
man of unclean lips" What did Ezra sa
Our iniquities are increased over our hea
and our trespass is grown up into heaven
And among the millions before the throne
God tonight not one got there until he co
fessed. The coast OF eternal sorrow is Strev
with the wreck of those who, not taking Il
warning, drove with the cargo Of immort
hope into the white tangled foam Of Il
breakers.
Repent! the voice celestial cries,
Nor longer dare delay;
The wretch that ScOrnS the mandate dies
And meets the fiery day.