The Penn's Grove record., 1908-04-24
THE PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. j. A. HANSEN.
Theme: Small Mans Treasures.

Baptist Church, Sunday, the pastor
the Rev. J.. A. Hansen, had for his
subject "A Small Mans Great Treas.
ures. The text was taken from
Luke 1910. Mr.. Hansen said:
we need not know much about
some people to know all about them.
or Zaccheus we know Just three
things: He was chief among the
publlcans, he was rich and of small
stature. These facts constitute the
background of a very interesting pic
ture, "A Genuine Conversion" AS a
chlef publican he had bought the
right to tullect the Roman taxes. All
the publicans were despised by the
Jews, not only because they served
the goats, but more so because they
sheared the sheep. 1t was not only a
matter of what Rome wanted, but
what the publican could get. 1t was
this taking of 1.-The pound of flesh
that hurt and humbled the Jew and
made him hate the publicans.
Thus allied with Rome and ar
ralgned against the Jews by an un-
popular and dishonest method, Fac
cheus had grown wealthy. He was
not only rich, but he was a rich pub
llcan. This not only said he had
money, but told how it had been Sc
cured. 1t proved him what we would
call a CRATER, and a good one-more
correctly, a bad one. His wealth was
greater than his treasures; a man
may be rich and not have much that
belongs to himself. Zaccheus at
least feared that some of his means
belonged with the assets of others.
What a shrinking and swelling of
bank accounts there would be if all
financial injustice were righted by
the return of the amount multiplied
by four.
The first treasure that came into
the experience of Zaccheus was un-
doubtedly the gems of truth, which
that day he discovered and found
precious. A walk, a talk, a meal,
Jesus a guest, and the man is
changed-converted. A little man
who could not see, could thank God,
hear. Truly, faith came not by sight,
but by hearing. And what did he
hear? Millions of men have walked,
talked and dined together without in
huencing each other. Of course, he
had seen Jesus, but like another, He
had Him, now" Words of divine
truth and sublime thought had flowed
from His gracious lips. The Water
of Life" became a stream making
fresh and fruitful the best where the
worst had predominated.
What an ancient lesson for modern
needs. The Christian worker of to-
day has left the path of success be-
cause he seeks changes that will con-
vert the man. Change the nan and
he will change his conditions. And
yet here is an external force that
blesses the soul. I'VE shall know the
truth and the truth shall make you
free" If the Son make you free, We
shall be free indeed. 1t was undoubt-
edly these two-personality and
truth-that proved of inestimable
value to Zeccheus.
Christianity is the Droadest and
best thing of everyday life-for our
matter-of-fact day, if you please. 1t
makes every man a brother and every
brother a missionary. If those who
love and live the truth would give
the truth, who doubts the result?
1t was not only what Jesus was, but
what He was and said that touched
the conscience and moved the heart
of Zeccheus. We have this treas
ure" indeed in earthern vessels; yet,
whatever the vehicle, the treasures of
truth are committed to US and by
them we persuade men to be recon-
ciled to God. Oh, for a willingness
and effort to make our walking, talk
ing and visiting tell for religion and
life. GO A." " = teaching them
whatsoever l have commanded . 3 g
and 10 l am with you Away, said
Jesus" THE truth" is after all the
worlds and the church's greatest
treasure. .... e
The second treasure that he Sc
cured was light and sight together
they were created for each other.
Again it was not seeing the great
rabbi, but seeing himself that proved
his great blessing. Self-sight is a
thing to be priced and prayed for.
Oh, wad some power the giftie gle
us;
To see ourselves as ithers see us.
We believe the light revealed Fac
cheus that day to be small, not only
in stature, but in character as we'll.
AS Achan, with his wedge of gold and
Judas with his thirty pieces of silver
shrink into men too small to be SOL
der and apostle, so Zaccheus is af-
fected by his wealth. He happily be-
comes big enough to be willing to
give away one-half and to restore as
much as necessary. But he is small
before the implied methods of its OBJ
tanning.
The lack of character is not only a
want to be deplored, but l%ittleness in
this sense is the ground of great
evils. A man of small body, small
mind, small heart must be limited in
his ability to do good; but the small
character is unlimited in his POSSIBLE
tiles of evil. He may be restrained
by self-fear or interposed providence,
yet the probabilities are he will be a
whitening and blighting curse. In
making money the publican was con-
stantly tempted to fleece both the
rich and the poor. Dishonesty" was
his ability and "tricking' his trade.
Herein lies the value of the truth ac-
quired that day. Money secured at
the price of the sorrows and suffer-
ings of others is acquired at the cost
of a blighted conscience and a lost
soul. His contact with the good in
life and thought in Jesus made him
see himself and seek betterment.
Herein lies the power of the Christ
and the Christian.
Life is an opportunity. 1t is no
virtue to be so small we will not en-
ter doors. There are, of course, op-
portunities that any one worthy of
the name of man will not embrace.
A bigness to be coveted. There are
also invitations of sin and solicita-
tions of self that call for a smallness
that is ~despicable. There are doors
all about us and it is a fact of human
existence that we will enter some
the high or the low, for veal or for
woe. Behold the wisdom and mercy
of God that no life is left without it's
opportunity for good. Esau may sell
his %birthright, but God sets in the
life OF every Jacob a ladder that
reaches heaven.
What If the great opportunities of
history had all been embraced by
wicked and designing men? Indeed,
history under such circumstances
would cease TO be history and become