St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-07-25

uSHEIt IcSlOuS -
locusts and wild
money. This man, Voice from God,
coming with his message of, Repent
ye, Tor the Kingdom of Heaven is at
nand." The cry stirs' the expectant
Jews OF all classes, and they flock to
the wilderness to see and hear the
strange prophet who has arisen to pre-
pare the way of the Lord. Among
those who come from Jerusalem, and
I'll Judea and all the region round
ABOUT Jordan" are many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees, the two prin-
capal sects of the Jews who controlled
and directed the religious thought and
worship of the Jewish people at that
time And when John sees them, with
Elijah-like bluntness, he says: 80
generation of vipers, who hath warned
you to flee from the wrath to come
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for
repentance" These are the circum-
stances connected with the words of
our text. And in answer to their in
ward protest if not outwardly express
ed exception to Johns arraignment,
the prophet goes on to declare: Think
not to say within yourselves. we have
Abraham to our father: for say unto
you, that God is able of these stones to
raise up children unto Abraham"
I UKE gives us the additional informa-
l. ton that the people, following the
lead of the Pharisees and Sadducees,
also came asking: "What shall we do
then?" To which John replied: ''He
that hath two coats, iet him impart to
him that hath none; and he that hath
meat, let him do likewise" Thus re-
buking the selfish, avaricious spirit
which prevailed at that time, and
which in this, our day, is again TAX
ing hold Of the people of the world in
their relations one with another. And
the publicans-that large class OF tax
gatherers which had grown up under
the Roman system of government
came, asking what they should do.
"Exact no more than that which is APP
pointed YOU" was Johns reply. And
then came that other great class OF
people, the soldiers, by aid of whom
Rome had brought into subsection the
known world and maintained her rule,
and desired also to know what they
should do. And with them John began
likewise with those matters which
most vitality concerned their own
selves and their relations to others,
for he replied do violence to no
man, neither accuse any falsely; and
be contented with your wages.
THE burden Of Johns message was
j the cry: "Repent ye." And lest
they might make the mistake which is
80 often made that repentance was
merely lip confession with no out
ward change Of heart or life, he went
on to demand that they ...bring forth |
fruits meet for repentance"
The religionists of his day, the people,
the publicans, the soldiers. were
face to face with the practical
side of life. The way of the coming |
Lord was not to be prepared by more
intense Journalism and devotion to I
traditions, but the path
way over which He was to pass was to-
be paved with the changed hearts and
altered lives of the penitents. Religion
was to be cast into new mold and all
life was to feel its vitalizing influence.
Il there less need to-day for Johns
of repent ye; bring forth
therefore fruits meet for repentance"
Than there was when that message
[irst broke on the wilderness air? Has
The element of genuine repentance
been lost in greater or less degree from
The Christian life and the Christian re-
igion? Is it not true that the great
of the Christians of to-day
have their periods of emotional re-
pentance, and, in response to
troubled conscience because of way
vardness and faithlessness, express
.ontrition in the public meeting or in
he private audience of the heart, and
hen resolve to do better, but who
never get beyond the point Of lip re-
,entance and good resolves? How is 1t
n your own case? Repentance is not
sorrow or contrition. It is infinitely
more.
THAT little girl in certain Sunday
i school, who was asked what re-
,entance meant, got it pretty nearly
orrect when she replied that repent
nee was being sorry enough to quit"
that is the thought which Paul ex-
resses in his second letter to the 4,
,orinthian church where he says:
Now I rejoice, not that ye were made
orry, but that ye sorrowed to re-
entance, for ye were made sorry after
J Cody manner; for Cody sorrow
yorketh repentance to salvation not
q be repented of; but the sorrow of |
he worldworkethd DEATH" Words lose
heir force and meaning, BECAUSE care
.ssly used. Repentance is not .
ynonym for sorrow. Sorrow may be I
d element Of repentance, but 1t is
ever repentance. Sorrow may be the .
motion which makes one desire to
ct out of the pit and miry clay of sin, !
ut repentance is the ladder by which ]
he soul may climb. The test of genu- ,
,eness of repentance like that Of the i
liver coin is not in the ring, for the a
,unterfeit often gives out sound !
uual to that Of the genuine coin, but I
= test is found In its ability to stand +
ne application Of the acid. The spuri- 9
~ coin will be eaten into by the biting '
mid, and the bogus repentance will be 9
.yealed when the biting circum- a
;ances Of desire and temptation again 8
e felt. Repent ye, but the fruits OF 9