The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-28
--
John THE BAPTIST.
(selccted For The Tirnes .DIspatoh.

(Selected for The ines-Dispatch.)
"But the angel said unto him: Fear not
Zacharias for thy prayer Is heard and
| thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee son,
and thou shalt call his name John. :.
And many Of the children of Israel shall
| he turn to the Lord their God" Luke,
| /: 1915.
| The first event recorded in st. Lukess
gospel is tho sudden appearance OF an
angel to Jewish priest named zacharias.
Tho angel announces that a son Is to be
given him, and that this son Is to be
the forerunner OF the long promised Mes
| siah.
The word OF God had plainly foretold
that when Messiah should come one would
| be sent before to prepare the way. And
now In the wisdom OF God 1t was pro-
vided that when this forerunner should
appear he should be born In the family of
a priest.
| It was the first communication from God
to Israel since the days OF Malachi. 1t
broke the long silence OF four hundred
years with a blessing. 1t told the true
Jsra elite that the prophetic words Of
Daniel were at length fulfilled. and that
He in whom all the nations Of the earth
should be blessed would shortly appear.
At this period Of the world we can form
very little idea of the immense impor-
lance attached to the angels announce
ment. To the mind of any pious Jew 1t
must have been a message of great JOY
How much more, then, 70 the aged priest,
walking in all the commandments OF the
Lord?
| Both Zacharias and Elizabeth had grace
when grace was very rare, and kept with
loving zeal all the burdensome observ-
ances OF the ceremonial law. Such Is the
example which this. holy pair hold up to
all Christian families. To, serve God
faithfully and continually and to live up
to the standard Of duty always, such Is
the select record left by them. Amid all
their zeal and prayers and faith they had
4 one great sorrow. We4are told they had
no child. This was. indeed,al heavy aft
| Fiction and borne with meek submission.
But prayers are not Il ecessarily rejected
because the answer is delayed. Zacharias
had no doubt often prayed for son, and
apparently prayed In vain. Yet the very
first word Of the angel shows plainly that
this prayer had not been forgotten: Fear
not, thy prayer is heard.
We shall do well to remember this fact
when we kneel to pray. Beware of the
conclusion that our snpplications are use
less, especially in the matter of inter
cessory prayer. 1t is not for US to pre-
scribe either the time or the way In which
| cur requests are to be answered.
He who knows best the time for son
to be born knows also the time for them
| to be born again." Delay of effect
must not discourage our faith" says an
old divine. 1T may be God hath long
! granted 1t before we know 1t. AS 1t takes
hundreds of years for the light to reach
us from the stars. so 1t may be with the
/ answer to our prayers"
But one thing remains for us to do:
Continue In prayer" to pray always
and not to faint. and leave with chlldike
confidence the result in His hands.
No child can give such true joy as one
i filled with the grace Of God. Such an one
was John the Baptist. zacharias had
waited long but now his cup was to over
flow with joy and gladness. for not only
was there to be a son. but the shall be
filled with the Holy Ghost" was the COM
plete and wonderful blessing.
Grace and the full measure of the Holy
Spirit is the great thing we should desire
| for our children. 1t Is thousand times
better than beauty or riches or honor or
! rank. Whatever we seek for our chill
dren. let us seek first that they may have
| a place In the Book Of Life and be filled
with the Holy Spirit. Never forget that
the heart which Is not too young to sin
is also not too young to be filed with
i the grace OF God.
We learn In the last place the character
of really great and successful minister
OF God, The worlds measure of great
ness Is utterly false. Princes and con-
querors. statesmen and philosophers
these the world calls great" But such
greatness Is not recognized In heaven.
Only they who do great things for God
are counted great there. Man and his
acts are valued according to the standard
of the day of Judgment. The faithful
minister. like John the Baptist. will turn
hearts"-turn them from Ignorance to
knowledge, from carelessness to though
ltlIesS, l'o1H OH W Spo' 1AC WIZ ~
before the Lord" he will delight in be-
Ing the herald for the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will strive to make ready people
for the Lord"--to gather out of the world
company Of believers. watching for the
day of His appearance,
For such ministers let us pray night
and day. They are the true pillars Of q
church--the true salt of the earth. tbs
true light of the world. Happy Is tina,
church. and happy is that nation which
has many such,
Observation-Disclosures
: Baltimore is another city that is wrest
, ha ola nrnhlana rlf