The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-04

Sermon by the Rev. John Parker ut
First Presbyterian Church.


yesterday morning to the Congregation on
John the Baptist" His sermon was ex-
pressive OF the purpose. God-sent, of all
mankind. Taking the language of the Bap-
fist There was man sent from God,
whose name was john" he preached. in
part, as follows:
II am very partial to the name OF john.
This is due in part 1 suppose, TO the fact
that L is my own name. II Is an interest
ing study to pick out the noted men OF
history who have borne it; and l have al
ways been glad that, in name at least, l
belong to the company OF the great. There
Is John, the beloved disciple; John ChrySos-
tom, the golden-mouthed orator; John Wye
lif, John HuSS, john CALVIN, John hnoA'
John Bunyan, John Milton, John wesley,
John Howard. John Eliot, John Hancock,
John WithersroO Don and many more But
among these Johns there is one that towers
head and shoulders above them all; and
that is the John of our text For, In speak
ing to the people of this John, Jesus christ
said, Verify l say unto you, among them
that are born of women, there hath not
risen a greater than John the Baptst.
And this is remarkable praise from the
lips that could speak nothing but truth;
Was this John greater than ADraham
Yes, greater than Abraham. Greater IMAM
Moses and Isaiah and David? Yes, greater
than any of these For while they were
merely a part of the Old Testament econ
omy and dispensation, he was the summing
up and the embodiment of all the great
ness of the past and also prophecy OF al
the greatness of the future He was the
greatest of the prophets. for ne
was more than d prophet. lie was
the greatest man of his day, was
he indeed born great Recall the
account of his birth and answer for your
self. His father was a priest. and as he
ministered one day in the temple, an anger
of God visited him and announced that 10
him and his wife is granted the desire OF
their hearts-the birth of son, whose
name shall be called John which means
the Lord is gracious. Many shaH re-
joice at his birth" declared the angel, for
he shall be great in the sight OF the LORD
filled with the Holy Ghost from his moth
er's womb. He shall be the forerunner' the
run before the royal chariot TO proclaim
the coming One and TO make ready peo-
pie prepared for the Lord.
BROKE FROM RESTRAINT.
1.-The child was born and called by his
God-given name but one ever given from
heaven to a child of earth. John and Jesus
Jesus and John-they are heaven-sent
names, and like two golden bells they have
for ages been ringing their glad music IN
the hearts of men, telling of Him who was,
who is and who is TO come Being born TO
the priesthood the youthful John was soon
in training for his special work. But early
in his manhood, in obedience to divine
impulse, he broke away from priestly in
fluence and betook himself to the desert:
Amid solitude and gloom, far from the
madding crowd with the old prophet
garb for his dress, with locusts and wild
honey for his food, with the wild beasts
and bright stars for his companions there
the lonely man opened his heart to re-
ceiVe Gods great thought and purpose ana
there he was fitted for his great office ana
work. And while he was musing the nre
burned And while God was preparing
man for the times the times were ripening
for the man. Discomfort and dissatisfaction
were rife in Israel. Spirituality was at
low ebb. Religion was largely matter
of forms and ceremonies, with little of
reality and earnestness. new life, a new
energy, new spirit are sadly needed. And
they are here.
For like the rustling of a breeze through
the forest, rumOr suddenly StlrS through
out the nation that a new prophet has
arisen. Where? In the palace? No. In
the temple? No. Surely somewhere in the
| city? No; IN the wilderness. And obeying
the command. the wilderness prophet came
| to all the country about Jordan, preaching
| the baptism of repentance for the remis-
| sion of sins. He was strange figure for
| a preacher, clad in the old-time prophet
| garb of Gamers hair, his appearance was
| well-nigh as eloquent as his lips. Spare in
| build, with wiry and weather-beaten frame,
| features that were sharp and worn with
! fasting, an eye as keen as an eagles, a
! lofty and commanding air, the long, unkempt
| hair that told of his Nazarite vow-all this
! gave powerful enforcement to his claim of
being, as he said, "a voice crying in the
| Wilderness And he was listened to. A
man sent from God always is. Ever in
! creasing crowds fiocked to hear him. The
| lone voice from the wilderness swept over
the land like the very breath of God, and
| the strange prophet swept down the Jor-
| dan valley in whirlwind of popularity and
| success. Carried from lip to lip, the voice
| echoed through country, city and town. 1t
| penetrated 10 the royal palace, awakening
| there the curiosity and the conscience of
| the wicked Herod. Every corner of the
| land felt the sensation that this new voice
| aroused and from every quarter men came
to sit at the feet Of the new teacher.
PREACHED REPENTANCE.
'And what did they hear? What they
went out for to see? A reed shaken with
the wind?' preacher of rebellion and
revolt? prophesier of smooth things?
! Nay; John was no time-serving prophet
driven by the wind Of human opinion
There was not even the charm of variety
about his speech, for John and Jesus were
| two preachers who dared repeat them
| selves. His message was condensed into
a word. Repent. Speech that was SHARP
and short and rough and cutting fell from
his lips. Repent, repent. Flee from the
wrath to come. The AK is laid to the ROOT
of the tree. Fruitless trees will be cas-
into the fire.. There was in it no tricks Of
oratory, no graces of speech. 1t was the
simple, straightforward langua ge of a mar
who was in deadly earnest. over all hi:
words, as over all his pure and holy life
there was written so plainly that all coulC
read Not of this world-sent from God.
And because they knew and he knew tina
he was man sent from God, he moved tn,
muitltudeS Swayed hearts and conscience.
to penitence and prayer. What was tn,
secret of his success? 1t was not in hi
peculiar dress, nor in his long hair. 1t wal
not in his claim that he was a prophet, no
in the fiery power of his speech 1t wa
not in the Odor of sanctity that hung abou
him, nor in his utter disregard of fame ant
luxury and wealth which were to him a
! the dust he shook from his feet. None O
these, nor all of them together, can accoun
for a success which touched not merely tn
surface emotions and passions of men bu
| which reached to the conscience, to tn
secret chambers of the heart to the hol-
place where dwels the soul. What the1
was the source of his power? Ii was this
that he was man of God In God he live
and moved and had his being His Yer
! life was a divine inspiration; IL was God
| breathed. AS to its motive and power nj
| life was God-centered. He knew whose n
was, and whom he served. He knew tina
he was a man sent from God He kney
il and realized ii and acted upon it, An
this was the secret of his influence hi
success and power.
} EVERY MAN is SENT.
And. my friends, this is the secret toe
and the foundation of all success an
: power in your life and mine to-day. tn
knowledge and the practical realizatio
that you, 1, and every man. are men sen
from God. Not that we are all sent to d
Johns work. or to do the same work Ru
in every life there should be this feeljn
of being sent. n was in the life of JohI
1t was in the life of Jesus. for He said
, must work the works OF Him that sem me
nv Is,-