The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-02-02

bad: Have the people. ana Ias jesus
mistaken hi> character: l. he mis-
Judged and unapprecisted man:
Not 80 do | read The story. Tie
wov,iS Wh.,a We are thinking OF are
not meant Ia describe hi past. but his
future. They 10 not set forth WHAT
has he, 4 ii> habit. his manner of liv-
ing: they arr the announcement OF
suddenly formed purpose. And that
purpose. a. we shall see presently. J.
the natural reaction from what have
been up to this time the motive and
method OF lis life.
Though Le has done all these bad
things. Justly won tne Od!um that lie
enjoys. none the less Jesus sees in him
pos, ri iueS OF amendment and nobil.
i;y and calls hin. down from the tree
on which he has perched himself 10
become his guest. This conde scenIion
involves an interview and an Influx OF
the personality of Jesus upon his soul.
This brings about a tremendous revui-
SION. The reyu!Son NY perhaps he
The end of n long. slow process. Has
be not fOnnd that his riches after all
did rot pa" him for the loss of his own
peace az min and fC the hate Of the
community in which q lives. for The
scorn az a whole city: Has he not
found that after all his wealth did not
satisfy OF make him happy: That Ia
sin oil It's acquisition was like canker
al its heart
More than his. when the light comes
IL brings out the dark lines. Like
fash Of lightning. the presence or
Christ illuminates his past: and just as
Peter. when hn realized the divinity
of his Lord. cried: Depart from me,
for ] am sinful man. q Lord. 80
| Iacchaeus feels all at once the enor-
nifty of his sin. II stands up in strong
relief against what has been his mas
| ter passion. his greed. In IN instant
! be sees tie turpiiude. the uSliness or
! what he has been doing. What he has
seen before dmly is now emphasized.
! stands before his mind in clear. strong
| lines He is in the light and all AT
| once a mighty resolve seiZes him. He
| will break with bis past will give up
! his besettinc sin: yea will with all bis
might battle with il. lust As in Ephe-
! sus. among the converts of Paul, those
who had been dabbling with magic
! brought their hooks Ia burn: just as
! drunkard knows that if he is 10 follow
| Christ he must dash the cup forever
| from his lips. 81 /acchaeus forms ana
announces his purpose 10 break with
| his greed.
| This resolve includes two things.
| First-Generosity. Behold. Lord,
the half of my goods, Of my income.
| L give 10 tne poor
| Notice ihe proportion. Moses asked
| at least ons-tenth. Add to that de-
mands for public requirements and
fifth was reached. This man SAYS
| half" Compare that with the gifts
of some of our VIGOROUSLY rich men
to-day. Very few attain to the mark
of this converted publican. A man
who died the other day left an estate
OF some $500. 5000 OF which 100000
was bequeathed to charity. and the
! newspaper spoke Of a large amount
being beQueathed for charitable be-
quests. One hundred thousand dollars
out OF $1.JOo,OO0 is a very small pro-
portion. Let US hope that during his
life time the man did better than
that. There was something extraor-
binary in the bigness Of this purpose
| of Iacchaeus. Our multi-mlilionaires,
| most of tnem, even those who at times
startle us by their gifts. have still
something TO learn from Jericho's pub
lican.
|
taken am thing from any man by
false accusation, restore him four
| fold
What a vista these words open back
into his life. They show how part
at least Of his wealth had been won.
They show also how the methods of the
| past look now 10 his awakening con-
science. He proposes to deal with his
| I,l I,-.
restore fourfold." As h, carries out
that purpose. imagine. if you can. the
effect upon those. who in the past.
had had bitter and exasperating exper-
iences with him. Should the like be
done to-day. what stirring mp there
would be. What change OF places
between the rich and the poor. What
vast swellincs OF the conscience fund
of the government, What thousands.
perhaps Millions Of acres OF public
land would be returned t. government
control. What dis ,rging there
would he of exborbitant freigh,s. How
many policy holders would be made
glad. How many crushed out hrms
| would be resus"itatad. Imagine, II
YOU can. the restitution OF all wrongly
gotten W attn. Why it would be like
streams OF water flowing through dry
places. Ii would be like a transforms
ton scene in pantomime.
1t j. almost inconceivable. and yet
that is what Christianity meant 10
| ZacchaeuS. II was a salvation not
from death eternal. il was primarily a
salvation from his greed from his sell
fishness. rom his isolation. from his
fellows. And notice that Jesus accepts
his purpose a. a perfectly proper
thing. He has the true spirit of a con-
verted nfo-lJrge-h"arted nberality,
restitution Of all wrongly taken prop
erty. Given these two thi"gs every
where and religion becomes real and
vital Deny them and there j. only a
name to live. II j. ice To talk about
being Christ -. unless our religion
means open-heartedn' - and righteous
ness.
| Christ Anchors the soul.
| Pav rlopIpra 1, t'uNlpr SungkiuS