The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-16
TWO TYPES OF MEN
FOUND IN THE CHURCH.
The PharIsee and the Publican Dis
cussed by Rev. @. ii. strong.

cussed by Rev. @. ii. Strong.
Rev. Chas. H. Strong. preached a
sermon on 1.-THE Pharlsee and the
Publican; Types of Religious Charac-
ter" at St. Johns Church last night.
The sermon was one of a series to
be delivered on the parallels of Christ.
The text is from St. Luke XVIII:10,
Two men went up into the Temple
to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the
other a publican"
In plcturing this scene, Rev. Mr..
Strong said, referring to the words of
the text, the time was the same the
circumstances were the same, and the
men had the same object in view yet
what a wide difference in the charac-
ter of the men, the one a Pharisee
and the other a publican. l do not
imagine that our Lord intended in this
parable to treat the whole class of
Pharisee with contempt, but rather
that he brought up these two char
acters as types of men that existed in
the Jewish religion. They exist also
in the Christian religion.
Every religion worth talking about
seems capable of developing hypocrites,
and the higher the religion sometimes
the greater the hypocrite. Men in
or life described by Christ sometimes
fall very low. 1 do believe in the higher
religions can be found and are found
some Of the worst of hypocrites.
Watch these men in their religious
| attitude and devotion. The Pharisee
is an example of spiritual pride as he
says God, thank thee, that 1 am
not as other men are Why is it that
man is not willing to work out his
l al
the lives of other men? When the
day comes that we must appear be-
fore the judgment seat Of God it
makes no difference how our lives COM
pare with others; we are to be Judged
by our own lives
The Pharisee is a type of false relig-
1ous character met every day and
yet absolutely inconsistent with the
character of Christ. He criticizes other
men, lis all self complacency over
what he has done, and when he prays
confession, no word of gratitude to
his maker.
Nov see another picture, that of
the publican. He has the same right
in the Temple as the Pharisee, yet
he stands afar off, not so much as
lifts up his eyes, and says God be
merciful to me, the sinner Not a
sinner, but the sinner. There can be
no doubt why our Lord esteemed this
man rather than the other.
1T is too often the case that God is
looked on as a task master; that he
has set men in the world to perform
certain tasks and that man, If he pays
tithes as ordered, carries out the form
and ordinances of religion, has then
only to go and demand his payment.
All high ideas are entirely absent.
I'm the higher form of religion it is
seen that the world is ruled by right
eousness. Man sees his sin through
Gods righteousness, and sees his for
giveness III Gods love. l wonder when
we are going to reach in our modern
life that idea; l wonder when religious
people are going to stop comparing
their religion with others.
I'VE must get rid of the idea of the
task master. Nothing in the world is
more beautiful, sweeter and inspiring
than Christ's character, and If the
churches would only catch the true
idea of what Christian character Is,
how different would be the world. The
problem of each mans life must be
solved by him and by him alone.
These two types, the Pharisee and
the publican, are found everywhere
but the trend of religious thought is
helping us, men are getting away from
the idea that God is a task master; il
seems we are passing from the old
ideas of Christian duties and more and
more realizing that a Christians duty
is like that a child trying to please
a loving father.
1.-Two men went up into the Temple
to pray Dear brethren, if two men
come into the church to pray come
with all your life, all your faults, all
your failings to put it out In an earn
est plea for forgiveness"