The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-11

reported addresses no word concerning
judgment in the world beyond; but of
the condemnations of the Present Judge
he had intense realization.
Some graphic particulars are given of
Johns appearance. He was clothed
with coarsely-woven cancels hair gar
ment, identical with the mourning sack
cloth; it expressed for John his prophet
ic character and his contempt of the lux
urious priestly fashion in dress; it was a
suggestion of the skin-mantle of Elijah.
John also had leathern-girdle about
his loins; more exactly, belt of untan
ned skin, such as common people wore;
such as the Redouins wear to this day.
This was in contrast with the priestly
sashes of brilliantly embroidered
elk, so fascinating to Oriental eyes. For
sustenance he ate locusts and wild hon,
ey. The spontaneous products of the
barren region in which he lived, such
as the locusts or grasshoppers, three
inches long, boiled and preserved as
meat, the honey of the wild bees which
swarmed in abundance in the solitudes,
gave to him his physical support. He
had, in short, renowned the world He
scorned all its favors.
Such were the attractions in the Bap-
fist which drew the long suffering Jew
ish people under his temporary sway.
mo wonder" says Edersheim, seven
Pharisee and Sadducee focked to the
spot. They would not see anything in
the messenger that could give their ex
pectations rude shock. His was not a
call to armed resistance, but to repent
ance, such as all knew and felt must
precede the Kingdom: The hope that
he held out was not of earthly posses
sions, but Of poverty. His appearance
would command respect, and his charac-
ter was in accordance with his appear
ance. Not rich nor yet Pharisaic garb
with rich fringes, bound with many
colored or even priestly girdle, but the
old prophets poor raiment and leathern
girdle. Not luxurious life, but one of
meanest fare. Not reed shaken by
the wind, but unbendingly firm in deep
| and settled conviction. For himself he
sought nothing; for them he had one ab
sorbing thought: "The Kingdom is at
hand; the King is coming; prepared
The people began to believe that the
new prophet was the long expected
Messiah. So prevalent became this
faith that the Jewish authorities in Je.
rusalem deemed it we'll to ask of him
that he should declare himself. The
Sanhedrim appointed commission to
formally demand of him who he was.
John i, 49,
L, The Prophet Points the In
quiring People to Coming One.
vs. 1917.
| Johns unmistakable declaration was:
1 indeed baptize goa Nth aoater; but
there cometh he that is mightier than I,
| the lachet of aohose shoes I am not
| acorthy to unloose. He declared him
self not worthy to fulfil a common ser
wants service toward the one of whose
coming he was the herald. We assume
| that John was already aware of the
main facts in the life OF his kinsman
Jesus. While the childhood home of
John was in Hebron in southern Judea,
and rhe home of Jesus was in Nazareth
in far-away Galilee, and while such a
1 ~ olr,o
to an ocean voyage in our days, we may
| nevertheless believe that the mothers of
the two boys found means of communi-
cation, and that each Of the young He
brews was made acquainted with the
prospective life-mission of the other.
| John believed in Jesus as a recipient
of larger measure of the Spirit than
had been vouchsafed to himself. He
believed that he would be the incarnated
Justice that would summon the world
| to the absolute judgment. He shall
baptize you ivith aoater and aoith fire;
achose fan is IN has hand, thoroughly to
cleanse has threshing floor, and to gather
the aoheat into has garner; but the chat
he aoiU burn acith unquenchable fire.
Neither the Baptist nor his Master
ever spoke of immortal souls, however
depraved, as chat 1t is the evil that
perverts and vitiates souls which is des-
| tined to destruction. ~ H/ G
2. The career of John the
| BaDtist.- VS.. 1920. IciH I'd
Luke pauses in his narrative to inter
| ject general account of the mission of
the Baptist. With many other erhor
tations therefore preached he good It'd
ings unto the people. ea
Does it seem strange that the Baptist's
preaching. SO replete with stern condem
nation, should be characterized as good
tidings? 1t was a word of good cheer
because it was word of hope. 1t was a
mighty impulse Of the Spirit conveyed
to the heart of the hearer, which lifted
him to the altitude of a new moral
purpose. 1t was the gospel of escape.
1t was not the threat of an after-death
doom; but it was plain declaration of the
visible judgments of sin impending over
that generation. So far as John was
commissioned to declare it, it was the
gospel of spiritual hope. But he did not
profess to proclaim all the truth. He