New-York tribune., 1902-08-02

in utter ruin.
FORCEFUL LANGUAGE
John looking at these men and v at the Reople o
vipers. it was forceful and terrible language in
dcative Of the prophets righteous %
affairs. His sense of sin was also proved by the
Questioned nesaf him To the common multltudes this
Of 6rs as h m & G Wofd Of
now is the axe also laid unto the root of the trees
fvsry fr9 is 'f hwn doWn and cast into the re The
is laid unto the root Of the trees. That Is a
pruning 9 of q the Enife but the destrgeton
n aE 1T Is Secs not In an Tb tree IN is
and the is laid at it's root Outwardiy fair but
inwardly decayed. the tree is doomed to an imme-
But the vision was clearer than this alone would
approaching. but the definite coming Of one. for
hear his e that fometh ot after drtbT me t
bear; he shall baptze you with the Holy Ghost
mark We'll the characteristics of His activity. as
John foresaw them: Whose fan IS in his hand
and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshng floor;
and he will gather his wheat into the garner. but
the chaff he will burn up with unquen,:hable fire
symbolized by the fan and he fire. and the con-
and the qaherng into the '' garner of precious
things John had a sense of the sin of the people,
and eonstrnctye With tbis double "onscIo1sness
multiudes that focked to the ralley of the Jordan
e h or 1t If is e hs that 5o had Hhe n
boyhood days. long years had elapsed since their
the priesthood had gone to the splendid isolation
OF the wilderness in preparation for the work
the midst of the common places of everyday life,
moment came when the " was hS' to on
upon the face of the King. and it wonderful
soul when for the arst time he looked into the
foretold.
THE STATEMENT OF THE FIRST DAY.
openly to men He that cometh after me is be-
of Whose shoe I not worthy to unloose" That
1t would appear though on the second day
Jesus no longer merely stood among the crowd as
preached John IN made DE- his greatest pronouncement
b ne d the Lamb Frs q God s wRsh on taxes * sa he
second, declaration concerning his work The
Him at once arrests attention 1t declares the
character Of the Christ and suggests moreover the
Gates meekness. gentleness. forebearance- May IT
he looked into the face of Him whose coming he
had foretoid? All the language In which he had
strepgth force, authority and administration. 'one
hsF is % his nd n2t He w 70
oushly cleanse his threshIng foor: and he Will
nam Of aSe and Pesu eyes and cam
Nothing MN Of the 6n IN hs @ face 0l
Purity even to innocence was the impression pro,
Lamb & o yet f there ths Ka h
In the phrase It fell from the lips of John; and
Impression: The Lamb Of Cod suggests the
demeanor and purity OF impression but adds weight
TO this conception OF the meaning OF the phrase
say. Behold the Lion OF the trb- of Judah no
thought OF sacrifice could have been connected
Herewith But the very submissive beauty so eyi-
thought of the forerunner from the majesty OF the
work soon to to be accomplished into the mercy OF
the method We In great danger to-day OF losing
sight of that second suggestion of the great phrase
To interpret Scripture Alright must ever find
our way back into the temper and tone. into the
We're addressed To the Jewish mind there was no
Th. season at which these words were spoken lent
weight to this view Of the meaning. The Passover
droves q sheep and cattle in all prYbability
feng sn b @ S f0 of the oh M
ment the morning and evening lambs. OF sacrifice:
R 8e word IN the m mind of The people he
declared that here at last had appeared upon the
one who shonld fulfil al til the promises and
tions concerning sacrifice in the old economy.
USE OF THE WORD LAMB
To dwell for moment longer upon this bis as; as;
only occurs four times In the ' New Testament. un-
I'll the book of Revelation is reached twice in the
where Philip reads from the, prophecy of Isaiah.
He was sf led as 2 sheep to the shHghteT @ and as as
the first Epstle of Peter where the apostle speaks
bIemish p'i Pnd Without 0s spot. even the blood Of
Christ" These are the only occasions where the
The last two most evidently have reference to His
do ana nave h Of So Johns on
guage of Scripture Is not contradictory. but unified
The words following place this beyond the posi-
hty of The Lam Lsmb Of TIC God whiGR
Of the phrase "taketh away" is that Of bearing or
fRnf heFy ssg Sf'da
had become responsible for the sin OF the world
has made it HIS own. He has become responsible
at Ike
what vision for the world. The spotless Lamb n
been asking for Him from the days of Isaac. Be
hold Him! He stands before the crowds In quiet
was never burdened He carries the 81 SIN 10 OF
The M Sas Moe Mp e into His
and has made himself responsible for all that sin
hear of as he to ga the Of
Thus John. who had been heavily buEdened nSyit with
words that had scOrched the co olscfences or the
feSifg tes FROM ht and carried in way
never could have carried It. by the meek x ann tn
the crowds that his knowledge of Jesus was the re,
suit of the divine sn of which ne had reSeived
ending his whole declaration with the words, 'I
sog Of and MHa & Of
seems be in the words 81 have seem The eyes
few faithful souls had almost sckened with hope
deferred but last the prophet h had
fact concerning this person this Lamb of OF
%.tery re Of + the perso1aty of Jesus He
God man. the Lamb of God. the Son OF God TWO
two facts in the person lay the possibility OF
his doing the mighty work of bearing away the
sin of the world.
THE VISION OF THE THIRD DAY.
Now lastly, we have the account of the vision
Of the third day. Jesus is leaving John and the
crowds He is going to His work. and as He leaves
John points his disciples toward Him and cries.
Behold, the Lamb of Goo" These were In real
fty the final words of Johns message. They have
In them the of great conviction. 1t is the
crowning climax of all his marvellous message.
The herald OF the King. the forerunner of the