The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-08-30
EPwoRTH LEAGUE.
Topic For the Week Beginning
Sept. 2, "Scck SouIs--pext,
Luke Nv, 40.

"Thls man recelveth sinners and cat
eth with them"
Nothing in the life of Jesus was more
startling and revolutionary of the no
tioDs of the times than His treatment
of the people who were not counted as
religious. Then drew near unto Him
all the publicans and sinners to hear
Him" shows Him possessed of an at
tractive power of personality such as
no other reformer, however eloquent,
ever had. Nowhere do we read of the
multitudes of the common people Of
ferlng any opposition to Him unless
first stirred up by the professedly good
leaders of religion. The publicans were
cordially hated as being for purposes
of gain In league with the foreign con.
querors and political masters of the
nation. Oftentlmes they were probably
eXtOrtiOnate In their demands and vic.
lent in their methods of collecting the
taxes. 1t is quite likely that as n class
they We're socially inferior and morally
of low type. They are usually coupled,
as In this instance, with sinners. These
two classes were the openly nonreli.
g!ous people of the times. They were
the most needy of spiritual help, and
no effort was made to reform them by
those who made most profession of
plety. one good thing remained true
of them Ia all the.evlls of their occupa-
Of srpn1-
ness, of which they were destitute.
There was no sham with them. They
We're openly in life what they were
and concealed nothing under IA cloak OF
false profession OF sanctlty. If they
defrauded any man, it was not under
the disguise of pious duty and godly
helpfulness. If they overreached any
one, they did not make their evil
doubly hateful by long prayers and
hypocritical CALCULATIONS. They were
not given to cant.
Such people need the gospel and are
much more easily reached by 1t than
those who appear to be more righteous
but who are righteous only in appear
ance. A publican is an easier man to
reach with truth and appeals of duty
than self satisfied Pharisee.
Jesus shows the real heart of all
truth in seeking those who are most
needy of His hclpfulness. He reverses
all false estimates of the worth Of OK
ternal forms of religion and centers all
value In the intention and soul desires.
Mechanical motion and mere ceremony
belong to the realm of the unfree but
whatever is of the nature of compul-
sion, whatever is forced and necessi-
tated, loses value in the sphere of the
free spirit of man. Oblige child to
repeat n prayer, and as prayer 1t is
worthless 1t may he useful perhaps,
as lesson of obedience, but not as a
religious expression of soul desire
The publican and sinner are ignorant
of their real nature, and needs and, not
as the Pharisee, openly defiant OF
known right. Jesus awallens in the
evil ones the dormant desires and calls
into active eXertion the powers of good.
he seeks those lose to right and saves
them by rousing them to put forth
their energies in cooperation with the
spirit of holiness. Sinners recognize in
Him a Saviour and, penftently forsak-
ing their sins, follow Him In the re-
generation Of purity and power.
SO the followers of the Christ are
called not so much to n routine and
ritual of worship as to the active eXer-
tion of godliness in n,scellingiand, Saving
the lost.