The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-02-14
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON ron
FEBRUARY 10.
Lesson Text: Tho Ministry of John,
Luke 81, 7-22-Golden Text: Matt.
ILL.,, 2.-Commentary ON the
Lesson.

4
wn accord, He did not run without being
mt for the word Of God came unto Him in |
he wilderness (vcrse q and He came forth at
His command We should always be sure |
work simply because we think it right to do
so; when He putteth forth His own sheep he
poeth before them, and the sheep follow Him,
for they know His voice John &: ~.
80 generation of vipers! R ", yo on
spring of vipers) who hath warned you to fee
from the wrath to comey' Matt Ill, z, says
that he addressed these words to the many |
Pharisees and Sadducees who came TO ms
baptism They were the religious people or
the day, fully described by Jesus in His eight
woes In Matt xiii. and by the Spirit in
Acts xiii, S. Tho religion OF the former was
all outward to be seen by men, while ther
hearts wers full of hypocrisy and inlquty |
Matt. xiii. 2s; the latter denied the resur-
rection and that there were angels or splriS |
Jesus called them by the same name as Jonn,
and told them that they were children Of the \
devil, the father of Les John viii ~.
g. "Bring forth therefore fruits , ~ WORTHY thay
they were descendants of Abraham, ana
therefore the promises 70 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 ne hved: ihey
were like those in our day who think that, be.
cause they have been baptized in infancy ana
I'm due time confirmed, therefore they are
Christians and sure Of heaven, no matter now
they live. .,,
@ EVERY tree, therefore, which bringeth
not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast
into the fire" Jesus used the very same words
In His sermon on the mount Matt. VIZ l9l:
and taught the same truth in his parapie OF
the barren fig tree uuke xiii, go. In tho
creation the word to every living creature
was: "Be fruitful and nlszSk $ stSEas tts ~;
2S) To the disciples Jesus Said: Herein is
MY Father glorfied, that ye bear much truit'
John XIV, 81.
asked him. saving "NVhat shall we do thenT'
Having heard His words to the religious lead
| ers, the common people ask what message he
| has for them They made no boast OF thelr
goodness, did not display their religion, per
| haps felt that they had none to speak OF; they
were tho working people, and it required oil
their efforts to earn enough and keep body and
soul together; but they had heard the cry tc
| h.a come to be baptized and now how can
| they show their sincerityS The answer is, By
doing good with just what they have.
| 12 13 "Then camc also publicans to be
baptized, and said unto Him, Master, what
shall we do?' These were the tax collectors,
whose temptation, and perhaps custom, was
to collect more than the regular tax, SO that
their own pockets might be well lined. They
were apt to be thieves and covetous Il Cor.
| vi 1O) and for them John has by the Spirit
just the right word. Rich naccheus, chief
among the publicans, seems to acknowledge
that he had made good deal of money in
this way but when Jesus came to his house
and heart he brought forth fruits meet for
repentance by restoring fourfold to every
one whom he had wronged" luke xix, s.;
H. ''Ard the soldiers likewise demanded
of Him, saying: And what shall we do?' His
answer to them is nearly in the words OF
Micah vi. s: do Justly, love mercy and
walk humbly with thy God" and reminds u.
of Pauls words to Timothy: Goodness with
feed and raiment let us be Herewith con
tent" Il Tim vi, 8, s).. So they all got;i'
Just as they needed, and wo can fancy tllt
looks of each party as they swallowed thei!
own medicine and then watched the other'
I5 "AM men muscd in their hearts of John
BlfSssj}hReeats BfSssj}hReeats h. HevSvtSe-G'''rie'.'Hn'>e@"s'
and
latchet Of whose, shoes am not worthy t
unoSse" S e. He clearly gives gSs;.t them to under
He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghos
and with fire" The water baptism was
symbol of the inward renewal, and a tokeI
of subjecton to the One unto whom they
DOM then at hand, but He Himself woult
give them the power to serve Him and pu
rify them from all their dross; and this Nal
achi had foretold as well as the other proph
cts (Mal. ill.,, l-3; Eek. XxXvi. 27-2N.
II. Whose fan is in His hand, and He VII
thoroughly purge His floor, and will gathe
His wheat into His garner but the chaf H
will burn with fire unquenchable." Ha'
Israel received John as the herald of Christ
and received Christ as their Messiah, th
kingdom then at hand would have como t,
the daughter of Zion. and all this been &C
complislled; but in Matt. Kill, 80, 39-43 Jesu
declares that this harvest will not be nov
till the end of this age; and the reason
found in Matt xii, II, where it is said tina
the Pharisees had determined to kill Him. Ii
Luke xix, 11-19, He most plainly teache
that the kingdom shall not come till He re
The Rer;-od vsr-s ~ =, as y
hortations therefore preached He good It'd
ings unto the people" That the kingdom
was Mt hand, and that all their sins nigh,
be forgiven. and they enter into it, was sure
~ good tidings and would have proved so tc
the nation had they been meek enough to re-
ceive the tidings and Him who brought them
19 20. But Herod the tetrarch, = =
added yet this above all, that he shut ur
John in prison. Had John not reproved
Herod he might have escaped the prison
| Had he not taken such decided stanG
| against evil, and so fearlessly rebuked il even
In nigh places, he would have made il easier
Tor himself. But John was set for the main
tenance or righteousness and the overthrow
OF inlqulty, and was willing for his Masters
sake to walk in the footsteps of the prophet,
uI Chron. xvi, 10 xviii, 26).
=, 2l Jesus also being baptized, and praying
| the Heaven was opened" We step back nov
IN the record to the great est event in all Johns
baptizlnS. According to Matthew and Mark
IL came to pass in those days that Jesus cam6
from Nazareth of Galilee to Jordan unto John
10 be baptized OF him. John at first refused
feeling unworthy to baptize such an one bu,
JESUS RGeffAAA RGeffAAAaAed Ms I and John consented; then, as
were opened. Luke is the only One one who re.
cords His praying at this time, and this is ono
OF seven different occasions on which He is
spoken OF as praying
~ And the Holy Ghost descended in a
nooiy shape IKE dove upon Him" Heis
the true ark i'll whom alone the Spirit finds n
perfect resting place. reminding us of Noah's
dove returning TO the ark, while the raven
unclean Dird, could find resting place on
any dead carcass He is the only refug,
from coming judgment.
ana voice came from heaven. which
SAID: Thou art My beloved Son: in Thee
an am well pleased" At tho TRANSPORTATION
the same voice said the same words IF W,
are Wen pleased with Jesus, then God will be
well pleased with us for His sake -Lrssom
HeLDer. ''"
A Truly Remarkable Shot.