The Bossier banner., 1894-11-08
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
A Timely Discourse on the Tax
Collectors Conversion.
The Story of Zaccheus and Its Application
to Modern Conditions Christ In
the Home-Importance
of Prayer.

Rev. I. Dewitt Talmage made the
following selection of sermon for
publication this week. 1t is on the
subject of ''The Tax-Collector's Con-
version and is based on the text:
This day is salvation come to this house.
Luke, xix, 9.
Zaccheus was politician and tax
gatherer. He had an honest calling,
but the opportunity for ''stealings''
was so large, the temptation was too
much for him. The Bible says he twas
sinner''-that is in the public sense.
How many fine men have been ruined
by official position! 1t is an awful
thing for any man to seek office under
government unless his principles of in
tegrity are deeply fixed. Many man,
upright in an insignificant position, has
made shipwreck in a great one. AS far
as can tell, in the city of Jericho this
Zaccheus belonged to what might be
called the ring" They had things
their own way, successfully avoiding
exposure-if by no other way, perhaps
by hiring somebody to break in and
steal the vouchers. Notwithstanding
his bad reputation, there were streaks
of good about him, as there is about
almost every man. Gold is found in
quartz, and sometimes in a very small
percentage.
Jesus was coming to town. The peo-
pie turned out en- masse to see Him.
Here He comes-the Lord of Glory-on
foot, dust-covered and road-weary,
llmping along the way, carrying the
griefs and woes of the world. He
looks to be sixty years of age when He
is only about thirty. Zaccheus was a
short man, and could not see over the
peoples head while standing on the
ground; so he got up into a sycamore
tree that swung its arm clear over the
road. Jesus advanced amid the wild ex.
citement of the surging crowd. The
most honorable and popular men of the
city are looking on, and trying to gain
His attention. Jesus, instead of regard
ing them, looks up at the little man in
the tree, and says: ''Zaccheus, come
down. I am going home with you.''
Everybody was disgusted to think that
Christ would go home with so dishonor-
able man.
l see Christ entering the front door
of the house of Zaccheus The King of
Heaven and earth sits down; and as
He looks around on the place and the
family, He pronounces the benediction
of the text: This day is salvation come
to this house"
Zaccheus had mounted the sycamore
tree out of mere inquisitiveness. He
wanted to see how this stranger looked
the color of His eyes, the length of
His hair, the contour of His features,
the height of His stature. "Come
down. said Christ.
And so many people, in this day, get
up into the tree of curiosity or specu-
lation to see Christ. They ask a thou
sand queer questions about His divini-
ty, about Gods sovereignty, and the
DEGREES. They speculate, and criticise,
and hang on to the outside limb of a
great sycamore. But they must come
down from that if they want to be
saved. We can not be saved as phi1oso-
pliers, but as little children. You can
not go to Heaven by way of Athens,
but by way of Bethlehem. Why be
perplexed about the way sin came
into the world, when, the great
question is how we shall get sin
driven out of our hearts? How many
spend their time in criticism and re-
igious speculation! They take the Rose
of Sharon, or the Lily of the Valley,
pull out the anther, scatter the corolla,
and say: SIS that the beautiful flower
of religion that you are talking about?''
No flower is beautiful after you have
torn it all to pieces. The path to
Heaven is so plain that fool need not
make any mistake about it, and vet
men stop and cavil. Suppose that, GO
ing toward the Pacific slope, l had re-
solved that would stop until could
kill all the grizzly bears and the
panthers on either side of the way.
I would never-have got to the Pa
cifc coast. When went out to hunt
the grizzly bear, the grizzly bear
would have come out to hunt me.
Here is plain road to Heaven. Men
say they will not take a step ON it un-
til they can make game of all the
theories that bark and growl at them
from the thickets. They forget the
fact that as they go out to hunt the
theory, the theory comes out to hunt
them, and SO they perish. We must
receive the kingdom of Heaven in sim
plicity. William Pennington was one
of the wisest men of the country
governor of his own state, and after
ward speaker of the house of rep
resentatives. Yet, when God called
him to be Christian, he wen
in and sat down among som,
children who were applying fol
| church membership, and he said t.
his pastor: Talk to me Jast as you Dc
to these children, for I know nothing
| about it" There is no need of bother
ing ourselves about. mysteries whe1
there, are so many things that ar,
plain. DR.. Ludlow. my professor il
the theological seminary, taught me ;
lesson | have neyer forgotten. Whil'
putting variety of questions to hin
that were perplexing. he turned upol
| me somewhat in sternness, but more il
love. and said; "Mr, Talmages yoV