The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-09-10

II.
Zaccheus. When our Saviour stood he
meath the tree He looked up full 10 the
face of Za.cheus and said. Come down."
and he came down from the sycamore tree
and from his curiosity. down from hls
pride and bis doubt. down to the feet OF
Jesus. and he found salvation. The best
thing that Zaccheus ever did was to come
down. and so will it be for every one OF
you What can I do to be saved! Some
one il even now asking. and there il no
more important question. According to
the Scripture you can merely live because
of your good works. and While in. the one
place it 10 said. Work out your own sal.
vation with fear and trembling" two
things must be remembered. First. this Is
Gods message-to Christians. and second.
VT can only work out what has already
been worked in.
working wilt not save me,
Purest deeds that can do.
Honest thoughts and feelings. too,
Cannot form my soul anew.
Working will not save me-
We must FIRST OF all come down Il we
would be saved. 1t Is only by chiidlike
trust IN Him and absolute confidence IN
His word that we pass from death 70 hie.
With come there must be coming d0wn
from pride. We must reach the place
where we will not fear what the worla Will
SAY.
A Young man in a former congregation
promised me that he would g,ye up samb;;
Inc and accept Christ. He assured
me that hls difficulty was his
evil COMPANIONS, and he would never
be able to live a Christian life until
he could leave them. He wns afraid OF
what they would say, but at last gave me
mis- promise that he would confess Christ
the next morning. With one Of his friends
whose Influence over him was always bad
he walked to his place Of business the next
morning, trying all the way to make his
confessioa. until at last the store was
entered and the words were not spoken.
Finally by great effort he made his way
into the store, called his friend back and
said. Il have made up my mind to be
Christian, and unless you will 60 with me
Tears came into his friends eyes and he
SAID, 1T is the best thing you ever did; 10
there any hope for me-" There is no one
really worth having as your friend but
what would say the same thing. II any
one whose eye lights upon thfb. page should
accept Christ and confess Him the same 10
a coming down from morality, for what the
world calls morality does not say we are
not saved because we are good. but be.
cause Christ is and always has been and
our faith is in Him, and every so-called
moral man out of the church Is against the
preaching of the minister and may be q
dangerous friend for the man who 10
weake.. than himself, for we are our broth.
ers keeper whether We will or not. with
the most Of us it is a coming down IRON
sin. and we must give that up. Tor u we
regard iniquity in our hearts God will not
hear US, neither can He save Us, but the
very moment we are ready and willing to
strength to do it. Just as the man with
the w,thered hand had no power to stretch
forth his hand. that is in himself. but the
moment he had the will to do it Christ
gave him the power and Immediately he
was healed.
Ill.
The result When Jesus went to the
home of Zaccheus as He entered He said
This day is salvation come to this house. ="
The greatest heritage 4 Christian child
ever had left to him is Christian home.
There must have been l great change IN
Zaccheus before he met the Saviour. l
doubt not he was selfish. know he was
sinful. After his meeting with Christ his
whole family came to know God. There
could be no better position for any father
will witt until my boys grow up, said
will all become Christians together" l
told HIM what doubtless he already knew
that Noah took his boys into the ark by
going in first himself. The saddest thing
in the world is 70 see family divided, and
divided by the nest sacred things in the
world. In George MacDonald's great book
on Robert FaulkeEer there is story said
to be founded upon fact Of the father OF
Robert Faulkener. whose life was irrellg.
ious. His wife had done everything she
could to lead him to the knowledge Of the
Saviour Finally just before she died she
had q dream She left the dream for her
husband. which resulted in his conversion.
She s,id ~ dreamed that had died and
entered into the other world, and I
searched everywhere for you. Andrew, but
could not find you. At last came to IN
abyss that was, oh, so very deep. but not
so very wide, and it was tinted with blue
like the blue of the sky. when suddenly
on the other side saw you. l gave cry
that all the universe must have heard,
when suddenly turning about / saw one
coming toward me. He had wonderful
race. ne nau on Rarment WHICH cdhe
down to His feet, and as He came nearer
I saw in His hands and feet the print Of
the nails Then knew who He was. and
I fell at His feet and cried out. oh. Lord.
my husband. my husband! and He took
me by the hand and led me out over the
abyss and put our hands together. and
then He led Us back again and we were to-
gether" In the story which she left for
her husband she cautioned him TO meet
her. and to give her no such disappoint.
ment, and it is said that he came, but if
we are not united in this world we shall
not be in the next Between the saved
and the lost there is a great gulf fixed, and
no man can pass over it. To-day, however,
is the day OF salvation, and we may know
f'hrist 70 We will