The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-08
THE TINES DIsPATcT RICHMOND VA SUNDAY JANUARY s. 1911


one thing with ono age. or nation. and
another in another. Each profession
mas dts conventional morality, current
nowhere elsc-and In each case comes
tho temptation to live satisfied with
tho standard of our own profession or
society; and this is the real difference
between the. worldly man and tho truly
religious ono. In zacchcus's profes-
sion the moral standard was low little
was generally expected of IL publican
ans. 80 here again was he tempted to
that hardness in evil which comes from
having no character to support. The
extent to which sin hardens often de-
rends on the estimate taken of It by
society To stigmHtize is to ruin-to
take away character Is to take away
all. This, then. was a temptation arts
ing out of Zaccheus's circumstancc--to
become quito hardened by having no
character to- support lie had done
wrong, and no fourfold restitution will
undo that. where only remorse exists
There is great difference between re-
morse and penitence. Remorsc is the
consciousness of wrong doing with no
sense of love. Penitence is that same
consciousness, with the feeling OF ten
derness and gratefulness added, also an
earnest desire to be forgiven.
Past guilt Is n hindrance because 1t
makes fresh sin easier. The first act
OF guilt made us shuddcr with the
burrO. IF ~. .t,a ea.o,., ,;,,,. ..,
faint reluctance made more faint by
the recollection of the plcasantness of
the first transgresslon; and the last
time there is neither shudder nor re-
luctance, but an eager plunge down tho
precipice on the brink of which we
trembled once. a publican had lost
self-respect. and therefore sin was
easy. Let us now pass on to tho
triumph over these hindranccs, and
here we have mans part and Gods
part. In Zaccheus's case mans part
was shown In the discovery of OK
pedents. The Redeemcr came to
Jericho. and this man desired to see
His blessed countenancc, whose very
look shed peace upon restless spirits.
Being small of stature and in the midst
of 4 great crowd who surrounded the
Master, zaccheus ran before and
climbed up into great sycamore tree.
This was not an act TO crafty
curiosity-lt was the pursuit OF
knowledge under difficulties" II we
are in earnest. as Zaccheus was, we
must Invent peculiar means of getting
over peculiar difficulties. There are
times when you must climb over tho
crowd of difficulties between your soul.
and Christ. o: lou may be on the point
of seeing Him and DO shut out by some
unexpected hindrancc.
Then was Zaccheus so touched by the
sight of Christ that he proclaimed his
resolve at once. Behold Lord the half
of my goods give to the poor: and II
have taken anything from any man
by false accusation, ! restore him four
fold" Now this may have been q
statement Of his past life which he
Xiv was not believed by mon, and he
felt would be understood by the Master.
or else it may have been that sorrow
for his past harshness and misdeeds
forced him in the sight of Christ 10
true penitence and rcparation. This
man had either been maligned by those
who did not know, when after the
standard of his time he had led a
righteous life, or else he was so
touched by the love of Christ that he
at once proclaimed his intention to
right the wrongs done b. him. And
now came Gods part in this triumph
over hindrances, and before the mul-
titude He said: "Zaccheus. make haste
and come down; for to-day must
abide at thy house" Christ knew and
understood this mans heart
salvation came that day to Zacchcuss
house through the Divine understand
ms and love of the Divincst Man Ir
zaccheus meant he had been doing the
best as ne saw it all the time, or II
he meant he now understood and re-
solved TO do uprlghtly. it matters not.
for either way it was the love Of
Jesus which made him surmount all
hlndrances and come to declare his
faithful resolve to Christ before the
assembled crowd
What was true of zaccheus may be
true OF every one who to-day will
hear His voice.
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When Governor Bleasc takes Iris seat