Democratic messenger., 1894-09-29

cannot enter the Kingdom of God. God
has chosen the weak Things of the world
to confound the mighty. Zacchcus.
come down, come down.
What Zacci,cus Did.
notice that this taxgathcrcr 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
| fourfuld that Is. if have taxed any
man for $40, GOO when he had only So,
600 w,rih Of property and put in my
own pocket the tax for the last 81, 900,
l will restore to him fourfold. Ii took
from him $40, will give him $40. If
l took from him $40. will give him
$3.50.
! Hundreds Of thousands of dollars have
been sent to Washington during the past
few years rs conscience money" !
suppose that money was sent by men
who wanted TO be Christians, but found
they could not until they made rcstitu-
tion. There is no need Of our trying to
come to Christ as long as we keep fraud
ulently a dollar or farthing in our
possession that belongs to another. Sup
| pose you have not money enough to pay
your debts and for the sake Of defraud-
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. Ill times of pros
perity it is right, against - rainy day,
TO assign property to your wife, but il,
i'll time of perplexity and for the sake
of defrauding your creditors, you make
such assignment you become culprit
before God. and you may as well stop
praying until you have made restitu-
| tion. Or suppose one man loans another
money on bond or mortgage, with the
understanding that the mortgage can
lie quiet for several years, hut ~ soon
as the mortgage is given commences
forcclosurc--the sheriff mounts the auc-
tion block. and tho property is struck
down ut half price. and the mortgage
buys il ill., The mortgage started to get
tho property at half price and is n thief
and - robber. Until he makes restitu-
ton there is no mercy for him.
There Must he Restitution.
You say: Il 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
disgorgcd his unrighteous gains and it
was his first step i'll 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 m1scs u great change i'll any house
when Christ comes into it'll How many
beautiful homes are represented among
you! There are pictures ON the wall.
there is music in the drawing room, and
luxuries in the wardrobe. and a full
supply in the pantry. Even if you were
half asleep. there is one word with
which / could vale you and thrill
you through and through, and that
word is ''home!' There are also
houses of suffering represented in which
there are neither pictures nor ward
robe nor adornment-only one room,
aud n plain cot, or bunk in corner.
Yet it is the place where your loved
ones dwell. and your whole nature
tingles with satisfaction when you
think of it and call it home Though
the world may scoff at us and pursue
us, and all the day we DO tossed about,
at evcntidc we sail into the harbor of
home. Though there be no rest for us
i'll the busy world, and we 90 trudging
about, bearing burdens that well nigh
crush Us, there is a refuge, and it hath
an easy chair in which we may sit, and
n lounge where we may lie, and seren-
ity of peace i'll 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 il is said that the whole
army broke out i'll sobs and wailing, so
great was their homesickncss God pity
the poor, miserable wretch who has no
home.
| II Christ Came to Your House.
Now, suppose Christ should come
into your house. Fir.t 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 ncn. 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 il, but somehow every
body i'll the house knows that there is q
change in the wife and mother. She
chides the children moro gently. Her
face sometimes lights up with an un
earthly glow. She goes into some unoc-
cupicd room for little while, and the
husband goes not after her, nor asks
why she was there. He knows without
asking 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 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
| tccls ~ Uc %
something that shall hold onto the boy
after he has become man 40 or so
years of age. for there is something i'll q
good, loving. Christian mothers kiss
that 80 years cannot wipe off the cheek.
His Troubled Conscience.
Now tho 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
sho has hope that he has not and
peace that he has not. He knows that,
dying rs he now is, hc cannot 20 to the
same place He cannot stand it any
longer. Some Sunday night, rs they sit
in the church side by side. the floods OF
his soul break forth. ale wants to pray.