Willmar tribune., 1897-12-28

mulllLuQeS crowded 10 near him. Inc
whole nation was stirred to the depths
with fear, repentance and hope.
z. "When He saw many of the Phari-
sees and Sadducees:" The two leading
religious sects of the Jews, including
the principal men of the nation. "Come
to his baptism:' Why? Possibly
with a half-conscious feeling of sin
and need. If the new kingdom was
coming, they might want chief places
in it. They would be baptized Uuke),
if by so easy form they could be par
takers in the kingdom. 20 generation
of vipers:" The most venomous and
dangerous Of the many poisonous
snakes of Syria. 1t is of small size, gives
no warning rattle and closely resemble:
the gray rocks where it lives. It darto
upon it's victim unawares. This treach-
erous habit of the viper and the deadly
poison of it's bite gave point to the
comparison. "Who hath warned you
to flee from the wrath" They had
come to be baptized, not to repent, to
go through form, not to change their
natures. Who had told them that the
wrath to come:" The punishment that
must come upon the guilty nation, and
the sinful individual, unless they for
sook their sins.
s. Bring forth therefore," if you
really wish to be saved, and to escape.
If you wish to be baptized. Fruits
meet for repentance"
II. Il indeed baptize you with wa
ter:" give you the sign and symbol.
call you to repentance; but cannot
give you new life. point you to one
*'that cometh after me-" whose fore
runner am, but who is so much great
er, better, more worthy than I, that
his "shoes am not worthy to BEAR"
I am not worthy to perform the low
est, most humble service for Him.
''He shall baptize you with the Holy
| Ghost, and with fire." of whom and Of
whose work fire is the symbol; enlight-
ening, purifying, life-giving, health
giving, comforting, consuming impuri-
ties, full of power.
~. "Whose fan is in His hand:" A
winnowing fan. I'm His hand" all
ready for use. '.And He will thorough
ly purge (cleanse) His floor" separat-
ing the chaff from the wheat, the bad
from the good. His wheat:" The
good, the true members of His king
dom. Into the garner:" Granary;
the right place for the wheat; the king
dom of Heaven; Heaven. But .
the chaff:" The refuse, the useless, rep
rcsenting all who continue in sin, unre-
pentant, good for nothing, harmful.
HE will burn with unquench-
able fire." that no power can put out
Or enable them to escape.
Baptism and Descent of Holy Spirit
VS.. 1917. 13. "Then cometh Jesus: "
Probably in January, A. D. ~, after
John had been preaching six months.
''To be baptized of him." AS the other
people were doing.
II. "John forbade Him." He protested
against it. II have need:" He recog-
nized in some degree who it was.
Is. ''Thus it becometh us to fulfill all
] righteousness: So that He would be
prepared for His great work. (D AS
a teacher of the law He should recognize
| Its authority and OBEY 1t.
16. "Went up straightway out of the
water" and up the bank of the river.
He was praying as He went. Luke 3:21) }.
Thus it was when He was transfigured.
''The heavens were opened" in Mark, R.
", trent asunder." ""He (Jesus) saw" so
did John John 1:34), and doubtless
all who were looking. 1.-THE Spirit of
| God descending like dove:" The dove
was historically connected in the Jew
ish mind with the abatement of the
waters after the food, and has become,
as we'll as the olive branch, a symbol of
peace among all Christian people.
II. "Lo, a voice from Heaven:" Three
times during our Lords earthly minis
try was a voice heard from Heaven: ~
at His baptism; (2) at His transfgura-
ton (Mark o:7); (3) in the courts of
the temple during Passion Week John
1929. ''This is my beloved Son, il,
Whom am well pleased" Thus God
Endorsed Him and His mission. and
showed to the Jewish nation that here
was the Messiah. It must also have
strengthened and confirmed the human
|
| PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS
For every great work there is need OF
preparation beforehand, both of the
workers and of the community.
| There is preparation in childhood
for the work of life It is often-per-
laps usually-unconscio of the fu-
ture, but faithful in daily tasks and in
using present opportunities.
! The first need of soul and of the
nation is deep sense of sin and guilt
and of danger flowing from them, with
also a way and a hope Of better life.
Every Christian needs a baptism OF
the Holy Spirit, whose symbols are q
dove and fire. -.
J.. sy,*T.. A.. "% - s~~ - ~ y.