The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1901-10-12

"a 1.lO records the conversion
.haeus. Is it not more probable
"a massage is unique and pleas
,sount Of a converts glad recog
Sn d his Lord2
/. ,.cts are these: Jesus passint
'sgb Jericho, informs zacchaeuf
n will lodge that night in hi
zacchaeus received him joyfully
s,oWd thereupon finds fault that
4 cone to be guest with g mar
Y asinner''--a man who, though 9
yet fills the position Of chief pub
n tax-collector for a foreign
.sr AS snch he Is excommunl-
N tits obvious that this murmur
,muudently loud-mouthed, and
" " both Jesus and zacchaens.
.hseus thereupon declares. sBe'
rord the half Of my goods ! give
n moor; and if l have taken any
from any man by false accusa-
! restore elm fourfoId. And Je-
Ia 10 him: This day is salvation
4 Is this house, forasmuch as he
Il son Of Abraham, for the son
Ian is come to seek and to save
which was lost"
i assumed that this visit OF Jesus
aIted in the conversion.of Zacchaeus.
n Because the words of Jesus are
. X AZ his declaration that Zacchaeus
ssyed that day; and, inasmuch as
.olg converted man brings forth
4 meet for repentance, Zacchaeus
IMPOSED to have given evidence OF
,ersion just then realized, in his
Ned purpose to repair wrong-doing
safter,
IN the recorded facts say notking
M a PURPOSE of Zacchaeus. He
4 not say: II shall give;" 81 shall
|ure;;' but II give, / restore" The
|.eis present in the inspired Greek,
LA the translation of both the Au-
|.ized and the Revised Versions.
sse renderings iafford no counte-
'ce to the idea that the inspired
.hors were inexact in the use OF
Ii lenses. Says Winner Up. 264):
'lihregard to the lenses of the verb,
N Testament grammarians and ex-
|ltOrs have been guilty of the great
mistakes. In general the lenses
y employed in the New Testa-
BIT exactly in the same manner as in
sek authors. No one Of these
|ses strictly and properly taken can
pa for another. as commentators
en would have us believe. .. Ac-
aingly 1.-THE PRESENT tense, which
presses present time in all its rela-
ng,is used only in.appearance for the
pre-, when an action still future is to
designated as good as already pres
!, either because 1t is already firmly
|Olyed upon or because Ii follows ac-
ding to some unalterable law: as
u. XVI, 2; Know that after two
y IS the Passover" Many com
niators have taken it for granted
y IN the case OF zacchaeus, restitu-
! y firmly resolved upon. How is it
y Winer fails to cite q passage SO
splcuous and so aptly illustrative
AZ exception to the rule, If this
iage be an exception Doubtless he
InOt see an exception. Neither does
YET, the eminent expositor recently
eased. In his commentary on this
aage he says; "Most modem inter-
1efs take the words Of Zaccnaeus as
pE inspired by his gratitude, for
grace which he has just re-
'eo Idou, BEHOLD. is taken
indicate a sudden resolution.
Ae note Of this resolution: From
moment | give. and I pledge
seli to restore ... But II ;the pres
aeLvE may certainly apply to a
which Zacchaeus makes at the
snt, once for all. the present I RE-
hE FoUR-FoLD.' seems rather to
gnate rule Of conduct already ad-
'ed and long practised by him. 1t
1aatural to apply it to a measure
'Sn would relate only to some spec
'sse Of injustice to be repaired in
lature."
y It be observed that nothing is
Shout the conversion of Zaccha-
Hitherto Jesus has uttered no
except to invite himself 70 be
'naeus' guest, Not till after zac-
'os says, Il give, l restore" does
y say anything about his being a
y Abraham. II he were converted
W interview, how is his convers-
2 be accounted forP No intelli-
seader can hold that he was con-
"a because Of the resolution to un.
.ong doing. On the contrary, q
'e Of reformation is always con-
'snt upon a change Of heart. No
''nt Is given Of zacchaeus' con-
I, ooes Jesus undoubtedly say that
converted man2 Let us in
II ne must be understood 70
!. ''.1aszacchaeus was only then, dur
. ne 4. recorded interview, converted,
give" and Il restore" express
lose' II He Is not 70 beso nn-
'e'al then = give" and Il re-
|. 49,.