The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-11-10
THE TAX COLLECTOR.
DR.. Talmage Discourses on the Con-
version Of Zaccheus.

The Sycamore Of Philosophical Speculatios
Restoration Of DIshonsstiy Acquired
Prepsrty-Christ In the Home
Importance Of Prayer.
The subject selected for his sermon,
through the press. last week by Rev.
T. Dewitt Talmsge was ''The Tax
Collectors Conversion" the text being
taken from Luke xix, 0: "This day is
salvation come to this house."
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 "was
. sinner"-that Is, in the public sense.
Now 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
integrity arc deeply fxed. Many =
msn, upright in IN insigni6cent posi-
tion, has made shipwreck in . great
one. As far a. can tell, in 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 streals
of good about him, rs there Is about
almost every man. Gold Is found In
quartz. and sometimes in . very small
percentage.
Jesus was coming to town. The peo-
pie turned out On masse to SEQ Him.
Here He comes-the Lord of 0lory-on
feot, dust-eovered and road-weary,
limping along the way, carrying the
griefs and woes Of the world. He looks
to be 90 yesrs Of age when he In only
20. Zacoheus was . short man, and
could not sse over the peoples head
while standing on the ground: 70 he
got mp into sycamore tree that swung
its arm clear over the road. Jesus sd-
vAnced amid the wild excitement of
the surging crowd. Tho most honor
able and popular men Of the city are
looking on, and trying to gain his At
tsnti0n. Jesus, instead Of regarding
them, looks up 1t the little man In the
tree, and aays: "Zaccheus, como down.
I am going home with you" Every
body was diagusted TO think that Christ
would 90 homo with 90 dishonorablo .
man.
see Christ entering the front door
Of the house Of ZaccheuA 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 10 salvation
come TO this house"
Zaccheus had mounted the sycamore
tree out Of moro inquisitiveness. He
wanted to see how this stranger looked
tho color Of His eyes, the length of His
hair, the contour Of His features. the
height Of His stature. Come down, p
said Christ
And 70 many people, In this day. get
up into the tree % curiosity or specu-
lstion to see Christ. They ask thou
sand questions about His divinity,
about 0Sfs Sovereignty, and the eter-
nal deofees. They speculate, and criti-
ciss, and hang on to tho outside limb
Of . great sycamore. But they
must come down from that II they
want to be saved. We cannot
b saved - philosophers, but
- little children. You cannot
60 to Heaven BY way Of Athens, but
By way Of bethlehem. Why be per
plsxed about the way sin came into
the world, when the great question Il
how shall we get sin driven out Of our
hearts? How many spend their time
in criticism and religious speculation!
They take the Rose of Sharon, or the
Lily Of the Valley, pull out the snther,
scatter the corolls, and say: ''Is that
the beautiful flower Of religion that you
arc talking about? No flower is beau
tiful after you have torn u al to pieces.
The path to Heaven in 20 plain that .
foel need not make any mistake about
It, and yet men stop and savil. Sup
pose that, going toward the Pacific
slope, had resolved that wonld stop
until ! could kill all the grizsly bears
and the psnthers on either aide Of the
way. would never have got to the
Pacific coast. When l went ont to
hunt the grisxly bear. the grizzly bear
would have como oat TO hunt me. Here
IL . plain road to Heaven. Men say
they will not take . step on It until
tney can make game OF Al the sneor,es
that bark and growi % them from the
toackets. Tney forget the net tnAs q
they 70 out to hunt the theory, the
eheory comes cut % nunt them: ana %
tney perish; we muss receive sne
xnguom Oh 'ne.,en N s1Ap..S.y:
We .s.E ouI ..ISs =. -. P.S =.
tne cactus insteea Oh ssssenins oer eys
ON ita tropical oaoom. a great com
pany OF people now ss swinging tnem'
selves ON tns sycamore tree OF tneli
PRIDE ana /! cry 70 you: 1ecanens'
come oowA! Come oown out OF your
Psaoe, Out OF your inquisis'vsns o.'
OF your sPecuias'on' xeu cannot Fioe
INTO the gaze OF heaven wssa = ooscn
Snd Tour, PoeNl.on eneeo ana a.SxSy ,:a;
schadren. ye cannot enter the kingdom
|ef God God has chosen the wesh
hings OF the world TO confound tne
'mtehty. Zaccheus. come down! come
'dewsr
noeace tnat this tax9atherer accom'
panied Aissnsrenderto Christ with the
restoration oeQPsety that did NOS be
long to HIM. ngs: III AhAve taken
anything BY fal.s seps.tion, restore
fourfoid." That y Hfheve taxed eaj