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 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 q aud 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 IL right TO do
so; when He putteth forth His own sheep He
goeth before them, aud the sheep follow Him,
for they know His voice John T., ~.
20 generation Of vipersl (R. v, We off,
spring OF vipersl who hath warned You 10 flee
from the wrath TO Gomez Matt ill.,, Z, says
that he addressed these words to the many
Phnrisees and Sndducees 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 by men, while their
hearts were full of hypocrisy and iniquity
Matt. xxiii., 2S); the latter denied the resur-
rection and that there were angels or spirits.
Jesus called them by tho same name ms John,
and told them that they were children OF the
devil, the father of lies John viii, AZ.
y. "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 I've
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.
o. 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. vii, l9,
and taught the same truth in His parable of
the barren fix tree luke xiii. go. In the
creation the word to every living creature
was; "Bc fruitful and multiply Gen. t., -,
. al. 4. .s..l, .a,I
Ny Father gloriiled, that yo bear much fruit
John Sv., 81.
10 II. ''Thc people (R. V, the multtudcsl
asked him, saying: "What shall we do. then"
Having heard His words to 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-
Z haps felt that they had none To speak Of; they
/ were the working people, and II 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 at hand: they
/ had come to I've baptized. and now how can
/ they show their sincerity The answer is, By
| doing good with just what they have.
! IL, 10. Then came also pubicans TO be
baptized, and said unto Him. Master, what
/ shall we do" These were the tax collectors
/ whose temptation, and perhaps custom, was
10 collect more than the regular tax, 50 that
! their own pockets might be well lined. They
were apt To- be thieves and Covctous II Cor.
vi, iO, and for them John has 10y the Spirit
! Just the right word. Rich Iacchcus, chief
among the publicans, seems toacknowledge
! that he had made n 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 ho had wronged' luke xix, -.
IA. "And the soldiers likewise demanded
of Him. saying: And what shall we dop 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 us
of Paul's words to Timothy: Goodness with
contentment is great gain; having
food and raiment let MS be Herewith con-
tent Il Tim. vi, q, ~. So they all got 10
Just az they needed and we can fancy the
looks of each party as they swallowed their
own medicine and then watched the others
taking theirs.
10 "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 Elijah
! and Micah.
H. "One mghtier than ] comcth. tho
latchet of whose shoes | am not worthy TO
| unloose" He clearly gives them to under
stand that he is not the Christ
He shall bapti2e you with the Holy Ghost
! and with fire" The water baptism was a
symbol of the inward renewal, and token
| of subjection 10 the One unto whom they
|
| dom, then at hand, but He Himself would
| give them the power 90 serve Him and pu-
| rify them from all their droSs and this Nal
achi had foretod as well rs the other proph-
cts NAL. ill.,, l-3; Eek. xxNvi., 27-2g.
Il. Whose fan is in His hand, and He will
thoroughly purge His floor, aud will gather
His wheat into His garner; but the chaff 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
| the daughter of Zion and all this been ac-
complished: but in Matt. Kill e. 80 39-i3, Jesus
declares that this harvest will not be now
! till the end of this age; and the reason IL
found in Matt. xii, IL, where il is said that
the Pharisees had determined 10 kill Him. In
Luke xix, 1l-l9, He most plainly teaches
that the kingdom shall not come till He re-
turns from the far country.
Is. 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 to
the nation had they been meek enough 10 re-
ceve the tidings and Him who brought them.
10, 20. "But Herod the tetrarch, =
added yet this above all, that he shut up
John in prison." Had John not reproved
Herod no might have escaped the prison.
| Had he not taken such II decided stand
against evil and so fearlessy rebulSed it even
in high places, he would have made IL easier
for himself But John was set for the main
tenance of Righteousness and the overthrow
of iniquity, and was willing for his Masters
sake 20 walk in the footsteps Of the prophets
| I'll Chron. xvi, 10 xviii, 2Gl.
81. Jesus also being baptized and praying
the Heaven was opened We step back now
in the record TO the greatest event in all Johns
baptzing. According 10 Matthew and Mark,
it came to pass in those days that Jesus came
from Nazareth Of Galilee 10 Jordan unto John
10 be baptized of him. John at first refu sed,
feeling unworthy 10 baptize such AN one, but
Jesus persuaded and John consented; then rs
Jesus came up out of the water the heavens
were 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 is
spoken of as praying.
22. "And the Holy Ghost descended in a
bodily shape like dove upon Him" He il
the true ark in whom alone the Spirit finds a
perfect resting place, reminding us of Noah's
dove returning 10 the ark while the raven
unclean bird, could find n resting place on
any dead carcass. Ho is the only refuge
from coming judgment.
| nd sok