SERMON XVIII.

ZACCHEUS.

ST. LUKE, Xix. 9.

This day is salvation come unto this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

THESE words were spoken of Zacchæus, whose story, mentioned by St. Luke alone among the four Evangelists, was read in the second lesson for this morning's service. Although it is in its principal points in exact agreement with other passages in the Gospels, equally relating to our Lord's treatment of sinners, yet I do not know that the whole view of the Gospel forgiveness of sins is anywhere more fully given than in this particular case, and it is for this reason that I wished to make it the subject of our consideration this day.

Zacchaeus was a chief among the publicans, and rich. I need not say that by publicans are meant farmers of the taxes; that is to say, not simple

collectors of taxes, whose business it is merely to collect from different individuals a certain sum fixed by the law, and which they, having collected it, then pay over into the hands of other officers appointed to receive it; not tax-gatherers or taxcollectors in the present sense of the word; but farmers of the taxes, men who made it a trade. or speculation, first paying to the government a certain sum, and then being empowered to repay themselves, and to make their own profit, by getting as much as they could from the people. Having thus a direct interest in the collection, they were not only watchful to exact to the utmost every thing which might legally be demanded; but, as the times were bad, and the law not always strong enough to protect the poor, they often frightened persons into paying more than was due, by the terror of bringing false or frivolous accusations against them if they did not comply with the publican's extortions. Accordingly, they became so generally odious, that they are, as we know, represented as one of the worst classes of men; so unprincipled that it was a discredit to any respectable person to mix with them in society.

A calling in such ill repute as the publican's, and abounding in so many temptations, must have been highly unfavourable to any man's virtue. If a disgraceful mark be fixed upon any business or

calling in life, men of the best sort are apt to avoid this calling, and it gets filled chiefly with the worst. Again, in a way of life which is very ill spoken of, a man is likely to think a great deal of a very low degree of goodness. He is not so bad as others in his profession, and of that he makes a merit. He might thus be at once living in great sin, and in much self satisfaction also; living worse than the generality of men in other callings, and yet proud of himself, because he was not so bad as the generality of men in his own. So exceedingly dangerous is it to have a low standard of virtue in that particular society to which we belong, as we are thus disposed not only to live wickedly, but to deceive our consciences all the time by thinking that we are better than our immediate neighbours.

With these temptations in his particular calling as a publican were united, in the case of Zacchæus, the general temptations of wealth besides. These are, to draw us away at once from God and from our poorer brethren, and to fix our minds on our own enjoyments; for indulgence, like other things, grows by practice and exercise. He who is rich has the means of indulging himself; and the more he does so, the more he wishes to do it. Further than this, if public morals be low, or public opinion not able to reach the highest classes, then the indulgences procured by wealth will often be

of the worst kind; and riches will lead not only to selfishness, but to that degree of shameless wickedness which we find noticed both by sacred writers and profane about the time of the beginning of Christianity.

Thus Zacchæus was, humanly speaking, in as unfavourable a situation for turning to God, as any one could be at that time. He was one of a set of men who might emphatically be called, "that which was lost." And therefore when we find our Lord saying of this man, "This day is salvation come into this house; for that he also is a son of Abraham," it is impossible not to perceive the freeness and fulness of the grace of the Gospel, which at once, with no long probation of penitence or trial required, at once forgiving all the past, and trusting for the future, declares to this lost sinner that he was one of Abraham's children, and partaker therefore of Abraham's blessing.

This is so true that to deny it were to deny the very foundation of the Gospel. But yet in giving this statement, I have not yet given the whole picture contained in the account of Zacchæus, and what remains is no less essential. The forgiveness was entire and immediate, because the repentance had been no less unhesitating and no less entire. "Zacchæus sought to see Jesus," we know not with how much of mere curiosity, nor with what

an imperfect knowledge; but he sought and took pains to see Him; and He who is found by all that seek Him, said immediately, "Zacchæus, make haste and come down, for to-day I must abide at thy house." But when Christ was come to him, when his first imperfect desires for good had been so largely blessed, then the love of Christ constrained him, and with no reserves, with no hesitation, he gave up all his heart to Him. Zacchæus stood and said unto the Lord, "Behold, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold." His repentance goes the full range of his temptations: he was rich, and had probably been self indulgent and neglectful of his brethren; behold, now "he gives the half of all his property to the poor;" half of all his means of support and indulgence he throws from him at one blow. Again, he was a chief among the publicans, he had done as others of his calling had done; he had exacted more than the law allowed, by the terror of false informations: behold, now, if he has robbed any man in this manner, he resolves to restore him fourfold: he cares not for the sacrifice; he does not ask whether strict justice required so large a measure of restitution; much less whether the law was ever likely to enforce it. But he wishes to free himself wholly from the accursed thing, unlawful