The National tribune., 1894-07-26

K;,ndon ST. Mt. ,4:23 9:35;
r. iN'"s"o". "a: IA.
God. '' 'hA'
Peace Eph., 6: 10.
Salvation, Is 1:13.
Son (of God) Ro., / %.
With the doctrine Of Christ's conception
by the Holy Spirit, the term Son of God
has more significance than attaches to the
expression in ordinary birth. He was more
Son of Ged-sueh in stronger sense-such
in differing sense from the ordinary idea
1t is held by many that the expression, Son
of God, as applied to Christ, is recognition
of His Deity. The, orthodox view is, that
He was Sun of God and Mary, and Joseph
is uni ornlly spoken ofo as his foster-faiher.
On Son of God, see ST. MI, 49, 16; 26 GO;
ST. Luke, 90: 81, 7ol 81
The meaning of Jesusis Savior. st. Mt,
1:21. Christ means EIDE anointed or set
apart to any office. Gur,Savior was ordained
of God to become the Rsdeemer of the
world.
Verse q
We must study aesonee ST. Matt, II 10;
st. Mark, 1:2, andrSt. Luke, 7:27. The
messenger referred to was ST. John Baptist
His coming prior to Christ had been sub
ject of prophecy. Mai, 81. Compare st.
Luke, l II, rs. See St. Mt, g.: st. Lu.,
81, 4; st. John, e, Z, Is, %. Malachi
wrote about 400 B. G.
The sense, rs given in the three Gospel
accounts. of the prophet Malachi, is not IN
exact reproduction, translation, of his words,
but covers the meaning. We may draw the
inference that We need not be too sqaeamish
rs TO verbatim quotation Of the Holy Scrip
lures Though SIS Matt, Mark, and Lake
neither Of them, gives an exact rendering Of
either the Hebrew Or Greek (Septuagint),
yet there is no possible misunderstanding as
to the sense.
1t was an Oriental custom to send before
great parsonage reiinue, who announced
his coming and got every thing ready for his
comfortable advance
We keep before rs the fact Christ hads
been subject of prophecy, and thus learn
10 appreciate the oneness Of the sw0 Testa-
ments.
All effective work requires much patient
preliminary preparation. Great products
have fOrerunners.
In Verse 2, for which" say who.
Verse g.
We have in ST. Matt, 3 80; st. Mark, 1:3,
and st. Luke, ga, practically the same
40:3. Isaiah wrote about 700 years E. C.
The form Esaias means the same as Isaiah.
The wilderness, as that ward denoted, was
the uncultiyated region. Our Western prai-
ries are in the same wilderness. St. John
Baptist was to be an aydnt courier. He saw
to it that rough ways were made smoother.
Such care was a mark of royalty.
Verse 4.
- o.
1: A, and St. Luke, 3;3. The work Of ST.
John was to preach and baptze. Compare
ST. john 3: %; Acts 10: a.
There was much of wilderness land about
Judee. Some people lived in the wilder
ness. Then many, hearing of the presence
OF st. John Baptist in the wilderness, left
the towns and cities to go cut and see and
hear him.
In certain sense the Jewish Church was
wilderness~like. 1t was cold, barren.
The name John means one whom God be-
slows. That WAS a fit name for one who
was to be forerunner of the Author OF grace.
st. John has been called pioneer, harbin-
ger, messenger, envoy.
st. John preached repentance as condi-
ton of remission Of sins. The repentance
must be genuine. It's cause must not be the
fact punishment is sure.. One should feel
sincerely sorry On accopnt,of having sinned
and so having offended God, wronged his
own soul, done violence to the eternal prin-
cipIe of right and justice. With reM repent
ance comes determination to stop SHINING
Remission is forgivenessE.
Preaching is proclamation. The word
rendered preach means to be Il karaT, her.
aid or public crier. "a sssich one goes into
the streets and open fields to proclaim.
Much such declaringIwas done out of doors
V9r$eo5.
Study together st.eNIatt., 8: 5; st. Mark,
>, and st. Luke,I3,7, The expression
all indicates very large number. 1t is
taken literally; the meaning is the resi-
dents Of that section. TSo the second "all
is also probably hyperbolical. The baptism
was in the river Jordan, in the vicinity of
Bethabara. Candidates were required to
confess their sins. The baptism was unto
repentance, and hence not for the sinless.
Sinfulness was thus in sense quali6ca-
ton in all cases except that Of Christ. He
was sinner only as he bore cur sins-be-
came responsible for them in some sense.
Verse 6.
Study as one ST. Matt, 3:4, and ST. Mark,
1:6
st. John is styled the Baptist to distin-
guish him from ST. John the Evangelist. He
was the son OF Zlcharias and Elizabeth.
He was six months older than Christ. The
tive were first cousins He wits officially the
herald of Jesus. (Ma1 3: I; st. John, Is
He was ascetie. His raiment was of eamePs
hair. A leathern girdle fastened his apparel