The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-01-03
sermon By the Rev. | rl.rks.

Yesterday morning In Hanover Church,
Rev. l.. Marks dsconrsed as follows from
Matthew 8: 10: And Jesus answering,
said unto him, Suffer it to be SO now, for
thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteous.
ness"
John the Baptist was one Of the most re
markable preachers the world has ever
seen, He wrought no miracle, we are
told, and yet he attracted q vast amount
OF attention. He swayed the people as
mighty wind sways the forest, All class.
es OF men owned his power. The corrupt
Herod who murdered him achieved his
talents and invited him to become his
court preacher and gladly oboyed his teach
ings in some respects.
Mothers tell Of the great numbers of
Pharisees and Sadducees who came to his
baptism. John lnarveled at this and snote
them with burning words. 80 generation
Of vipcrs, who hath warned you to flee
from the wrath to Gomez" Il seams that
both of these sects had been shaken out Of
their old notions and old beliefs. They
now come confesslng their sins aud
humbling themselves before God. They
were quite ready to receive the baptism OF
repentance from tho great trenchant
preacher of the wilderness. Let us not
think that it was all II matter of curiosity
to see and hear the forerunner OF Christ.
1t is true that his ministry was somewhat
sensational He were course raiment of
Cancels hair and the people wanted to sec
q man thus clad.
He wore lcathern girde about his loins,
and they wanted to see man who wore
leathern girdle about his loins. He liv-
ed upon locusts and wild honey and they
wanted 70 soc u man who lived upon locust
aud wild honey. His food and raiment,
his desert speech and desert manners were
all matters of curiosity. Yet this will not
account for the wonderful effects Of bis
ministry. The Spirit of >,od was mani
testify moving upon the hearts OF the pao'
pie A great tidal wave of religious inter.
est had struck the shores of Judea and
swept even into the streets of Jerusalem,
and these people by receiving the baptism
of John, said we want to confess our sins,
we want to do better for the future.
We have left our Pharisaical and cur
Saducean lives behind u.s. and we mean
henceforth to seek the kingdom of God
and his righteousness And when John
had baptized oil the people at the close OF
the day-as 1t would seem there cometh
Jesus of Nazareth to be baptized Of him.
by the direction of the Spirit, or by some
thing distinctive in his appearance, John
recognized Jesus as the Messiah But we
are told that he shrank from laying his
hands upon him in holy baptism. Il
have need to be baptized Of thee, and com.
est thou to NO." John Is not the only one
who shrank from doing the will OF God.
Moses was unwilling to go down into
Egypt, Jonah was unwilling to go to
Nineveh.
Isaiah felt his unfltneas for the work of
prophet. But Jesus bid away his fears
by saying, "I1et it be so now; for 1t becom-
eth us to fulfill all Righteousness" The
baptism OF jesus by his Cousin John.
What scene for the imaginationI The
Holy Son of God would thus give his per-
sonal sanction and endorsement to the
ministry of his forerunncr. He would
have the great crowds who tlocked to his
baptism to recognize the voice of one cry
ing in the wilderness. lie would also
show the high regard in which he held all
the religious ordinances and customs of
his own people. From his earliest child
hood he had been strict observer Of the
religious institutions Of the Jews
He would not make the ministry and
baptism of John an exception. Again. in
receiving baptism from John, Jesus
would show US tho importance ofan hon.
est and right profession Of religion. He
would encourage every right act OH tho
part OF those who were penltent for their
past sins. While he needed no repentance
no baptismal cleasing for himself, yet as
the Saviour and exempIar of his people he
was perfectly willing TO condescend TO the
form Of Johns baptism, In this he has
set us IN example that We should follow
his steps. In conclusion, Mr.. Marks cx-
horted his hearers to conseCrate tho new
| year to God to live in the spirit and ac-
cording to the mind Of Christ. Let us
| celebrate the incoming year by II flrner
| hold upon God and things unchanging
and eternal.