The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1890-02-13
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON FOR SUNDAY. FEB. 10.
"Ihe Ministry of john" Luke 8; 7-22-
Golden Text. Matt. 8; 2-Ex-
planatory Notes.


came forth 10 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 81 and He came forth at
His command We should always be sure
that God is calling, and not enter upon any,
work simply because we think 1t right TO do
so; when He putteth forth His own sheep He
goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him,
for they know His voice John 4, ~.
20 generation Of vipers! tR v, We off,
spring OF vipersD who hath warned YOU TO flee
from the wrath TO Gomez Matt ill.,, Z says
that he addressed these words to the many
Phnrisees 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, 8. The religion of the former was
all outward, to be seen by men, while their
hearts were full Of hypocrisy and iniquity
Matt. xxiit., 2Sl; the latter denied the res,ir-
rection and that there were angels or spirits.
Jesus called them by the same name ms John,
and told them that they were children of the
devil, the father of lies John viii, AZ.
=. Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy
OF repentance" They trusted in the fact that
they were descendants OF Abraham. and
therefore th' promises to him were sure to
them: they did not see that in order TO I've
true children of Abraham they must believe
rs 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.
o. Every tree, therefore. which bringeth
not forth good fruit is hcwn down and cast
into the fire" Jesus used the very same words
in His serpion on the mount Matt. vii. l0.
and taught the same truth In His parable Of
the barren fig tree luke xiii, go. In the
creation the word to every living creature
was: BE fruitful and multiply Gen. t., ~,
2Sl. To the disciples Jesus said: Herein "
My Father gloriiied, that yc bear much fruit
! John Nv., 81.
10. II. ''The people R. V, the multitudcsl
asked him, saying; What shall we do, them
Having heard His words 10 the religious 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 IL required all
their efforts to earn enough and keep body and
soul together; but they had heard the cry To
repent, for the kingdom was Mt hand; they
I had come to I've baptized and now how can
| they show their sincerity The answers, by
| doing good with just what they have.
| II, -. ''rhen came also publicans TO be
/ baptized, and said unto Him, Master. what
shall we doy' These were the tax collectors
whose temptation and perhaps custom. was
/ 10 collect more than the regular tax 81 that
/
were apt to bc thieves and covctous Il Cor.
vi, lOl, and for them John has by the Spirit
! Just the right word. Rich XaccheuS chief
among the publicans, seems 10 acknowledge
that he had made a 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 wrongedn luke xix, -.
IA. "And the soldiers likewise demanded
of Him, saying: And what shall we doY' His
answer 10 them is nearly in the words of
Micah vi, &: 'Do justly love mercy and
walk humbly with thy God" and reminds us
of Paul's words to Timothy; Goodness with
contentment Is great gain; having
food and raiment let us be Herewith con
tent Il Tim. vi, u, Sl So they all got II
Just as they needed, and we can fancy the
looks Of each party as they swallowed their
own medicine and then watched the Others
taking theirs.
15 "All men unused in their hearts Of John,
whether he were the Christ or not" Not
! since the days of Malachi had preaching like
this been heard Those who had read the
prophets might truly say, He talks like Eli iah
and Micah.
16 "One mightier than | cometh. the
latchet of whose shoes | am not worthy %
| unloose." He clearly gives them To under.
stand that he is not the Christ.
He shall bapt2e you with the Holy Ghost
and with fire" The water baptism was a
]
/ of subjecton to the One unto whom they
| were baptized, the King OF the coming king.
dom, then at hand, but He Himself would
| give them the power TO serve Him and pu-
rify them from all their dross; and this Nal
| aChi had foretold as well rs the other proph.
cts Nal. ill.,, l-3: Eek. xxXvi.. 27-2gD.
L. Whose fan is in His hand, and He will
thoroughly purge His floor, and will gather
, His wheat into His garner; but the chaf He
! will burn with fire unquenchable." Had
Israel received John as the herald OF Christ,
| and received Christ as their Messiah, the
kingdom then at hand would have come to
I the daughter of Zion, and all this been ac-
complished; but in Matt Kill 30, 39-43, jesus
| declares that this harvest will not he now
! till the end of this age; and the reason Il
| found in Matt xii, H. where IL is said that
| the Pharisees had determined 10 kill Him. In
Luke xix, ll-l9, He most plainly teaches
| that the kingdom shall not come till He re
| turns from the far country.
1S. And many other things in His eNhor
tation preached He unto the people or. as In
the Revised Version, with many other ex
hortations therefore preached He good It'd
ings unto the people" That the kingdom
was at hand, and that all their sins might
be forgiven, and they enter into it, was sure
ly good tidings, and would have proved so tc
| the nation had they been meek enough TO re
ceive the tidings aud Him who brought them
10, 90. But Herod the tetrarch, I
| ADDED yet TINS ABOVE al, tnaJ ne smut NJ
John in prison" Had John not reproved
Herod he might have escaped the prison
Had he not taken such decided stanC
against evil and so fearlessly rebuked it ever
| in high places, he would have made 10 easier
for himself But John was set for the main
tenance of righteousness and the overthrow
of iniquity, aud was willing for his Master,
| sake 10 walk in the footsteps of the prophets
! I'll Chron. xvi, 10 xviii, 26.
n. Jesus also being baptized, and praying
the Heaven was opened" We step back now
in the record 10 the greatest event in all John,
baptzing. According 10 Matthew aud Mark
IL came TO pass in those days that Jesus came
| from Nazareth of Galilee To Jordan unto Johr
10 be baptized of him. John at first refu sed
feeling unworthy 10 baptize such an one, bu
jesus persuaded and John consented; then M
Jesus came up out of the water the heavens
We're opened. Luke is the only one who re
cords His praying at this time, and this is one
of seven different occasions on which He /,
spoken of as praying.
% "And the Holy Ghost descended in a
bodily shape like dove upon Him" He is
the true ark in whom alone the Spirit find a
perfect resting place reminding us of Noah's
dove returning TO the ark. while the raven
unclean bird, could find resting place on
any dead carcass. He Is the only refuge
from coming judgment
And a voice came from heaven, which
said; Thou art My beloved Son; In Thee
am well pleased At the TRANSPORTATION