Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-02-14
THE MINISTRY OF JOHN.
LESSON VII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. 16.

mission of H. S Hoffman, publisher, Phadel
phia.
John is supposed to have been now about
so years of age. Verse % of this chapter
informs us that Jesus was about that age
when He began His public ministry. John
was about six months older than Jesus and
probably preceded Him in His ministry about
that time. The Levites were not to begin to
serve about the tabernacle until they were 80
years oi this is stated just seven times in
Mum. Nv, and may have been the reason why
John and Jesus began their ministry at
that age. All we know of the history of
Johns thirty years is summed up in two
sentences: "He shall be filled with the Holy
Ghost, even from lis mothers WON'T" and
"The child grew, and waXed strong in spirit,
and was in the deserts till the day of his
showing unto Israeli luke /, 1850.
Z. "Then said He to the multitude that
came forth to be baptized of Him" He had
not come forth from the wilderness of His
own accord, He did not run without being
sent, for the word of God came unto Him in
the wilderness Verse p and He came forth at
His command
go generation of vipersl tR. ", We off
spring of vipersl who hath warned you to flee
from the wrath to Gomez" Matt. iii, Z, says
that he addressed these words to the many
Pharisees and Sadducees who came to his
baptism. They were the religious people of
the day, fully described by Jesus in His eight
woes in Matt. xiii, and by the Spirit in
Acts xiii s The religion of the former was
all outward to be seen of men, while their
hearts were full of hypocrisy and iniquity
Matt. xiii, 2Sl; the latter denied the resur
recton and that there were angels or spirits.
Jesus called them by the same name as John.
nd IN hni1 tn lpl
(Alatt xii, So. On another occasion He
told them that they were children of the
devil, the father Of lies John viii, "A.
s. bring forth therefore, fruits worthy
of repentance They trusted in the fact that
they were descendants of Abraham, and
therefore the promises to him were sure to
them; they did not see that in order to be
true children of Abraham they must believe
as he believed and live as he lived. They
were like those IN our day who think that, be-
cause they have been baptized in infancy and
in due time confirmed, therefore they are
Christians and sure of heaven, no matter how
they live. To all such the word is, 'If you
have truly repented and turned to God, prove
it by your works. Faith without works is
dead CJas. ii, 20, 2Gl.
8. Every tree, therefore, which brngeth
not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast
INTO llc lire. Jesus used lne very same
words in Iii, sermon on the mount CIatt vii,
lD, and taught the same truth in His parable
Of the barren fg tree duke xiii, 90.
10, II. "Tne people (R. v, the multitudesD
asked him, saying: What shall we do, them
Having heard His words to the relig ous lead
ers, the common people ask what message He
has for them. They made no boast of their
goodness did not display their religion, per
haps felt that they had none to speak Of they
Were the working people, and it required
all their efforts to earn enough to keep body
and soul together; but they had heard the
cry to repent, for the kingdom was at hand
they had come to be baptized, and now how
can they show their sincerityi The answer
is, BY doing good with just what they have.
"IIe that hath, he that hath let him d,
what he can with that to help those who
have nothing, and thus prove the sincerity
of his repentance. James says just the same
thing in chap. ii, 10, 10; and John asks how
the love of Go%can dwell in any one who
has this worlds goods and seeth his brother
have need, yet shutteth up his bowels of com
passion from him Il John iii, n.
II, 10. Then came also pubicans to b.
baptized, and said unto him, Master, what
shall we DOE These were the tax collectors
whose temptation, and perhaps custom, wa:
their own pockets might be well lined.
II. "And the soldiers likewise demanded O
Him, saying, And what shall we dog Hi
answer to them is nearly in the words q
Micah vi, s: "Do justly, love mercy, anC
walk humbly with thy Cod and reminds IL
of Paul's words to Timothy: Goodness witt
contentment is great gain; having
food and raiment let us be Herewith con
tent" Il Tim. vi, u, -. So they all got it jus
as they needed, and we can fancy the look
Of each party rs they swallowed their owl
medicine and then watched the others takin.
theirs
10 "All men unused in their hearts o
John, whether he were the Christ or not.
Not since the days of Malachi had preachin;
like this been heard. Those who had rea,
the prophets might truly say, He talks Xix
Elijah and Micah. Some, knowing from
Daniel that about this time the Messiah
should appear, wondered i'll their hearts i
this was the long promised Messiah.
IS zone mightier than | cometh, tn
latchet of whose shoes | am not worthy t,
unloose.n He clearly gives them to under
stand that he is not the Christ. He said it IL
so many words: Il am not the Christ" Ill
also said he was not Elijah, but simply
voice crying in the wilderness, MAKE stragh
} the way of the Lord John /, 1928. He re
joiced TO be heard and not seen, if only h.
might point them to the mightier than he.
II. Whose fan is in His hand, and He vii
thoroughly purge His floor, and will gathe
His wheat into His garner; but the chaff II
will burn with fire unquenchable." Hal
Israel received John as the herald of Christ
and received Christ as their Messiah, tn
kingdom then at hand would have come Il
the daughter of Zion, and all this been &C
, complished; but in Matt. xiii 80 80 49
Jesus declares that this harvest will not D
. now till the end of this age; and the reason
is found in Matt xii IA, where it is said tina
the Pharisees had determined to kill Him.
81. Jesus also being baptized, and praying
the Heaven was opened" We step back nov
in the record to the greatest event in all John
| baptizing. According to Matthew and Mark
it came to pass IN those days that Jesus cam
from Nazareth of Galiiee To Jordan unit,
John to be baptized of him. John at first re
fused, feeling unworthy to baptize such al
one, but Jesus persuaded and John consent
: ed; then, as Jesus came up out of the water
the heavens We're opened. Luke is the onll
, one who records His ura wing Mt this time anf