The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-18
THE MINISTRY OF JOHN.
INTERNATIONAL SuNDAi-SCHOOL
LESSON FOR JO-MVRROT.
How the Word OF God Came Upon John
the Baptist--Dr. r.. l.. ren's
Deductions.
January ls.-The Ministry OF John tAs

Baptist.--Luke ill.,, i5-22.
A single sentence contains all that Is
recorded of John from his birth to the
time OF his showing unto Israel Blt /
this sentence tells US all that We need 10
know. IL is easy to imagine how boy
who was full OF the Holy Ghos; from the !
beginning grew waxed strong In spirit,
and II is easy TO understand how, oeihs +
fun OF the Holy Ghost, he came 10 hVe
in the deserts" lie was LED INTO .he
wilderness as Jesus was-not by whirn' ,
but by the Spirit
Ii was important that the forcrunner /
should have correct views of the MESSIAH I
whose coming he was to herald. IL was f
clear that he could not get these views
from the teachers OF his time The rapbiS /
were learned In all the wrong notions OF (
the Messiah that existed. and they could
only give him what he would nave 10
unlearn: and as he had come INTO the
world on a special mission. and not to
make a living or to be q patters for men
daily lives. there was no reason why ne
should not spend his TIME in the wilder
ness where the song of bird could ne
heard a mile away and where he coutn
listen without distraction 10 the ohly
Teacher who could tell him what he need
ed TO know. With our modern IDEAS o.
education we are somewhat skepticai OF
a
school: but we should remember that
there have been moments In our own
lives when out OF reach OF the world and
Us distracting cares we have clCsen
our books and turned toward God. Sfd
there has come into our hearts more heh'
than has come out OF all our studies Tor
six-month Evidently God WAS very
near 10 John all through those long years
for when he came forth he had more WIS
- n 10
together. We must not think OF MIN as
nm erratic genius whose eccentricties we're
intensified by the loneliness of his lire.
Ito WAS not eccentric. except az one VINO
~ full OF the Holy Ghost is eccentric.
I'm the fifteenth year OF the reign or
liberals Caesar the Nord OF
/. God came unto John in the VIII
derness" The Word Of God comes 10 US
I'm many places Sometimes in the midst
Of a storm his Word comes with the sud-
danness Of a fash OF lightning. Some
times In quiet evening hour IL steals
softly into our minds and opens before
us as y flower opens Sometimes In the
midst Of pressing cares word or Scrip
ture is flashed upon ms with a meaning
II never had before. But the Word Of God
comes 20 us with peculiar force In the
| wilderness. Every man Is given an op-
portunity 10 20 TO school TO the Holy
| Ghost in the wilderness. This is the
meaning Of the blank spaces in our lives
of the long days spent i'm waiting and
| In confinement; il is the meaning OF much
| of our poverty and suffering and loneli-
ness. These hours OF enforced stiffness
! are the Holy Spirits school hours. But
the quiet hours in which God comes To
| us are not idle hours, and the wilderness
where God reveals himself Is not the will
! derness 10 which we go to escape lies
/ NJ no gpn
| to John in the wilderness. not because he
| went there to shirk responsibility. but
because he went there to hear the Word
| Of the Lord
with this Word bearing down upon his
mind and heart. he appeared one day i'm
| the country round about Jordan preach
| ing the baptism OF repentance for the
| remission of sins" The news sUon spread
that a new prophet had arisen. and there
were rumors Of wonderful tidings which
/ he brought. The multitude focked to him
! from every quarter. There is no age 80
J dark that a preacher OF righteousness
cannot get a congregation II he has
message from heaven. This strange
preacher had an CID sermon with a new
meaning other prophets had come
| preaching repentance. but this prophet
/ brought an argument to which no Jew
! could be Indifferent. The kingdom of hea-
his people and he must not find them I'm
! their sins They must sanctlfy them
I selves and prepare the way for HIS com
! ing ReDantl-it was his first and last
! word There was no need 20 90 further.
| Until the people stopped short i'm their
sins and turned about they could not be
ready for the Messlah's coming. If they
! turned about. they would be ready for
| the Messiahs teaching. and John would
{
10 preach sermons on the higher life: IL
! was enough II he could get people TO quit
| their meanness And so when the null
! titudes asked him what they must DO in
stead OF urging them 10 lay hold OF some
high spiritual privilege he only told them
10 give up their sins and be brothery.
, lie did not discuss theology or speak
darkly Of spiritual mysteries as some mo-
! dorn teachers do when poor, ignorant sin
ners come 10 inquire the way Get rid
| of your avarice he said. BE unselfish.
omen your hearts and your pockets 10
others. "IIe that hath two coats let him
[ impart 10 him that hath none When
the publicans came TO know what they
should do. he reminded them OF their be-
! setting sir, and told them TO quit that.
| When Tho soldiers came ne treated them
IN like manner.
II IS not strange that at n time when
! an the world was on the tip-toe % ox-
recitation the people should begin to won
! der whether this new prophet was the
: christ Nor would IL have seemed strange
; for a weaker man than John 10 have
1 taken advantage Of the popular state Of
/ mind. and claimed 10 be- the Messiah But
tho man God had chosen 20 be the herald
{ ~ HE Son turned out to be the most UNI
/ selfish men IN the world. He came alb
solutelv without an axe to grind. He had
uo personal interests or ambition. lie was
not tied 10 the world; he was In no way
dependent upon the world he did nor
! come 10 make his mark: he came only 70
|