Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-09-29

cept 20 become as little Children, We
cannot enter the kingdom of God God
has chosen the weak things of tho world
to confound the mighty. Zaccheus.
come down, como DOWN.
What zaccheus Did.
notice that this taxgatheror accom-
panied his surrender to Christ with the
restoration Of property that did not be-
long to him. He says, IF have taken
anything by false accusation, restore
fourfold "-that il, if have taxed any
man for $40, 900 when he had caly So,
600 worth Of property and put III my
own pocket the tax for the last So, 600,
will restore to him fourfold If took
from him SO, l will give him $40. If
took from him $40. viii give him
$3.50.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars have
been sent to Washington during tho past
few years as conscience money" /
suppose that money was sent by men
who wanted to be Christians, but found
they could not until they made restitu-
tion. There is no need Of our trying to
come to Christ as long as we keep fraud
ulently dollar or farthing in our
possession that belongs to another Sup
pose you have not money enough to pay
your debts ard for the sake of dofraud-
ing your creditors you put your proper
ty in your wife's name. You might cry
until the day of Judgment for pardon,
but you would not get it without first
making restitution In times of pros
perity it is right, against a rainy day,
to assign property to your wife, but if,
III time of perplexity and for the sake
of defrauding your creditors, you make
such assignment you become culprit
before God, and you may as we'll stop
praying until you have made restitu-
ton. Or suppose one man loans another
money on bond or mortgage, with the
understanding that the mortgage can
lie quiet for several years, but as soon
as the mortgage is given commences
foreclosure-the sheriff mounts the auc-
ton block, and the property is struck
down at half price, and the mortgage
buys it in. The mortgage started to get
and a robber. Until lie makes restitu,
ZION tnerc IS no mercy Tor him.
There Must BE Restitution.
You say: II cannot make restitution.
The parties whom | swindled are gone"
Then | say, Take the money up to the
American Bible society and consecrate
it to God. Zaccheus was wise when he
disgorged his unrighteous gains, and it
was his first step in the right direction.
The way being clear, Christ walked
into the house of Zaccheus. He becomes
different man; his wife different
woman; the children are different Oh,
it makes a great change in any house
when Christ comes into it! How many
beautiful homes are represented among
you'll There are pictures on the wall,
there is music in the drawing room, and
Injuries in the wardrobe, and full
supply i'll the pantry. Even if you were
half asleep. there is one word with
which | could wake you and thrill
you through and through, and that
word is ''homel' There are also
houses of suffering represented in which
there are neither pictures nor ward
robe nor adornment-only one room,
aud plain cot, or a bunk i'll corner
Yet it is the place where your loved
ones dwell, and your whole nature
tingles with satisfaction when You
think of it and cab it home. Though
the world may scott at us and pursue
us, and all the day we be tos ed about,
at eventide we sail into the harbor of
home. Though there be no rest for us
i'll the busy world, and we go trudging
about, bearing burdens that well nigh
crush US, there is refuge, and it hath
an easy chair in which we may sit, and
lounge where we may lie, and a seren-
ity of peace in which we may repose,
and that refuge is home The English
soldiers, sitting on the walls around
Sevastopol. one night heard company
of musicians playing "Home, Sweet
Home, and it is said that the whole
army broke out il sobs and wai,ing, so
great was their inconsistencies. God pity
the poor, miserable wretch who has no
homel
If Christ Came to Your House.
Now, suppose Christ should come
into your house. First the wife and the
mother would feel his presence. Re
ligion almost always begins there 1t is
easier for women to become Christians
than for us men. They do not fight so
against God. If woman tempted man
originally away from holiness, now she
tempts him back. She may not make
any fuss about it, but somehow every
body in the house knows that there is a
change in the wife and mother. She
3hides the children more gently. Her
face sometimes lights up with an I'M
earthly glow. She goes into some unoc-
eupied room for little while, and the
husband goes not after her, nor asks
why she was there He Knows without
aaking that she has been praying The
husband notices that her face is brighter
than on the day when, years ago, they
stood at the marriage altar, and he
knows that Jesus has been putting upon
her brow Il wreath sweeter than the
orange blossoms. She puts the children
to bed, not satisfied with the formal
prayer that they once offered, but she
fingers now and tells them of Jesus
who blessed little children and of the |
good place where they all hope to be at
last. And then she kisses them good |
night with something that the child |
feels to be a heavenly benediction-
something that shall hold onto the boy
after he has become a man 40 or so |
years of age, for there is something i'll o
good, loving, Christian mothers kiss
that so years cannot wipe off the cheek.
His Troubled Conscience.
Now the husband is distressed and |
annoyed and almost vexed If she
would only speak to him, he would
elbow her up" He does not like to say
anything about it, but he knows that |
she hasa hope that he has not and a |
peace that he has not. He knows that,
dying as he now is, he cannot go to the
same place. He cannot stand it any |
longer Some Sunday night, as they sit
in the church side by SIC, the floods of
his soul break forth. lie wants to pray,
but does not know how. He hides his |
a