Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-09-24

come down, come downr'
What Zaccheus Did.
i notice that this taxgathorer 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. l restore
fo1rfold''-that is, if have taxed any
man for $40, 900 when he had only S5.
eco worth of property and Put in my
: own pocket the tax for the last So, 600,
viii restore to him fourfold. II 1 took
from him $40, will give him $40. II
took from him $40, will give hin,
SlG0
Hundreds of thousands of dollars have
been sent to Washington during the past
few years as conscience money" l
suppose that money was sent by men
who wanted to be Christians, but found
they could not until they made restitu-
ton. 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 and for the sake Of defraud-
ing your creditors you put your proper
ty Ill 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 rainy day,
to assign property to your wife, but if,
i'll time of perplexity and for the sake
OF defrauding your creditors, you make
such assignment you become q cul9rit
before God, and you may as well stop
praying until you have ma,:o 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-
tion block. and the property is struck
down at half price, and the mortgage
buys it in. The mortgage started to get
the property at half price and is thief
and robber. Until he makes restitu-
tion there is no mercy for him.
There Must Be Restitution.
You say: II cannot make restitution.
The parties whom Iswindled 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 Zacoheus He becomes
q different man; his wife O different
woman; the children are different. Oh,
it makes great change In any house
when Christ comes into it'll How many
beautiful homes are represented among
you'll There are pictures on the wall,
there is music in the drawing room, and
luxuries in the wardrobe, and full
supply in the pantry. Even if you were
half asleep, there is one word with
which I could wake you and thrill
you through and through, and that
word is "homep' There are also
houses of suffering represented in which
there are neither pictures nor ward
robe nor adornment-only one room,
and plain cot, or bunk in corner.
Yet it is the place where your loved
ones dwell, and your whole nature
;ingles with satisfaction when you
;hink of it and call it home. Though
the world may scoff at us and pursue
IS, and all the day we be tossed about,
1T eventide we sail into the harbor Of
nome. Though there be no rest for us
N the busy world, and we go trudging
lbout, bearing burdens that we'll nigh
rush us, there is refuge, and it hath
IN easy chair in which we may sit, and
a lounge where we may lie, and seren-
ty of peace in which we may repose,
and that refuge is home. The English
soldiers, sitting on the walls around
5evastopol. one night heard company
of musicians playing "Home, Sweet
Home" and it is said that the whole
army broke out in sobs and waihng, SO
great was their homesickness. God pity
5he poor, miserable wretch who has no
1omel
II Christ Came to Your House.
Now, suppose Christ should come
INTO your house. First the wife and the
mother would feel his presence. Re-
igion 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
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
,hides the children more gently. Her
face sometimes lights up with an un-
earthly glow. She goes into some unoc-
,upied 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
han on the day when, years ago, they
stood at the marriage altar, and he
mows that Jesus has been putting upon
ler brow wreath sweeter than the
,range blossoms. She puts the children
% bed, not satisfied with the formal
prayer that they onoe offered, but she
fingers now and tells them OF Jesus
who blessed little children and Of the
good place where they all hope 10 be at
last. And then she kisses them good
night with something that the child
a a. -.