The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1915-07-03

tHX8H[1WEEH6 s.t.E ZHAHXtt III Q
H&#W NS this story to all,
the best man In
the world and the
worst. The Pharisee stood and
prayed thus with himself, God. I thank
thee, that l am not as other men are,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or
even al this publican. l fast twice in
the week, I give tithes of all that I
possess" Note that he stood, he
prayed with himself rather than to
God, and he used 81" five times. All
the points he enumerates may have
been valid, yet he might have voiced
the same facts on this wise: II thank
thee, o God, l am not unjust, but
thou knowest how unmerciful l am;
l am not an adulterer, but a look of
lust is adultery and l am unclean; l
am not as this publican, but with his
opportunities l might have beer
worse; l fast twice In the week, yet
l choose the market days that l may
be een of man, and my fasting needs
to be forgiven; l give tithes of all, be-
yond the requirements of the law, yet
the weightier matters of the law l
omit"
Those who trust in themselves that
they are righteous forget
The Possibility of Evil Within.
The English martyr. John Bradford,
cried out as a murderer was led to the
gallows, There l go but for the grace
of God" That which Is born of the
flesh is flesh" Every soul has the
finder of sin within it, and needs only
the spark of temptation to set 1t
aflame. No man, apart from the grace
of God, knows to what depths he may
descend.
The self-righteous forget
The Humility Of the Saints.
Holy men never boast of their good
ness. Paul, after suffering many things
for Christ's sake, wrote himself down
the chief of sinners" John Bunyan
spent twelve years in Bedford Jail for
Christ, yet he calls his autobiography
"Grace Astounding to the Chief of Sim
ners." When John Wesley thought
he was dying, he reviewed his sixty
years of Christian service, yet said his
hope of salvation was expressed in
the words of the hymn,
I the chief of sinners am.
But Jesus died for me.
When Charles Spurgeon was i'll, he
said he would have many things to
preach should he recover, but that just
then four words were enough,
Jesus died for me-.
This is the way the saints speak of
themselves.
Those who trust in themselves that
they are righteous forget
The Necessity of Calvary.
Why did Jesus die? In order that
God might be just and yet justify the
ungodly. A solution of this problem
was found only by the wisdom and
love of God in sending his Son to die
as the substitute for sinners. 1t
meant the strong crying and bloody
sweat of Gethsemane-and we believe
Christ really sweat blood. 1t meant
the scourging, which was the punish
ment of slaves and criminals, often de-
stroying the eyes or exposing the en-
trails. Christ was so faint they car
ried him to the cross, and the coming
forth of blood and water from his side
showed he died, literally, of a broken
heart. But one element in his suffer
cry, my God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?' In loneliness and dark
ness he bore the sins of men and this
cry was like one breaker on the shore,
telling Of a sea of sorrow unimagin-
able. Thus a holy God shows his esti-
which he provides redemption. What
folly for a man to trust himself that
he is righteous!
The self-righteous forget
The Great White Throne.
John writes, Il saw a great white
throne, and him that sat on it, from
whose face the earth and heaven flew
away; and there was found no place
for them. And l saw the dead, small
and great, stand before God; and the
books were opened: and another book
was opened, which is the book of life:
and the dead were judged gu of those
things which were written in the
books, according to their works. And
whosoever was not found written in
the book of life was cast into the lake
of fire" Grew. POLL, ~, 15). No man
could face that ordeal hopefully, un-
less he had put his trust in the Savior
and was written in the book of life.