The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-13
JESUS MESSAGE ID JOHN THE BAPTIST The Rev. w. R. Hendrix Breaches at St. Johns Methodist ESSENTIALS OF CHRISTIANS No censure Due John for His Seem. ing Vaclllation--Duty of Chris
 tianlty to Teach the
 Poor.
ESSENTIALS OF CHRIS HANS

The Rev. W. R. Hendrix. pastor of St. Johns Methodist church. occupied lis pulpit at that church yesterday. preach ing on "A Message of Relief" His text was taken from Matthew 11:4:G.
 He spoke in part as follows
 The language of the text is the Ie- sponse of Jesus to the cry of soul in distress.
 In few months after Jesus had en- tered upon His public ministry, John, ths Baptist had been cast into prison. and most of his disciples had gone after Jesus Save occasional visits from his dise.ples. John spent his nights and days in tho dreary solitude of a dungeon cell After more than ten months waiting and re- peated Interviews with Herod. he seems to have abandoned all hope of release from prison, and prepared himself for the worst that might come As he drew near the shore he found the darkness im- penetrabe and all he could do was to cast anchor and call for help.
 So in the midst of the labors of His Gallilean ministry Jesus was visited by two of Johns disciples, who came say ing. Art thou he that should come or look we for another?"
 Jesus answered and said unto them. "Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see. The blind re- ceive their sight and the lame walk. the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he whosoever is not offended in me :,
 Faith Renewed.
 Nothing could have so renewed the faith of this good man as the knowledge from eye witnesses that Jesus was ex. erting an unearthly power in behalf of the unfortunate, and opening by means Of pnrables to the peasantry of Gallilee, the things of the kingdom of God.
 The message doubtless lighted the way into the harbor where he cast anchor while the storm ragged in vain about him. To the upright in heart there arose light out of darkness, his mlsglvings and doubts were calmed and in the full as- surance of faith he marched before his Master to the martyrs death and pre- coded Him in joining that goodfy com pany where the wicked cease from trou- bling and the weary be at rest.
 No censure.
 Lest some of his hearers should censure John for his seeming vacillation, Jesus added immediately His high appreciation of Johns sturdy integrity. declaring that he was not a reed shaken by the wind nor an effeminate time-server, but a prophet, yea and more than n prophet.
 The circumstances that led up to his perplexity would perplex even the strong est of our own day with all the added light that the children of the Kingdom enjoy. Through all his dreary confine- ment Jesus made no visit and as far as we know sent no message of cheer nor assurance of love.
 With his conception of the Messiah such conduct could not be explained. Why did He remain silent when His friend was suffering in the clutches of the ene- mics of the kingdom? Was such course right? And if not, how could He be the Lamb of God? Had he been deluded in his own heart when the conviction that he declared was from God pointed out Jesus as the Holy One whose shoes he was not worthy to loose?
 Prison walls and a cruel death were mere infnitesmals compared to the pos sibility that the strength of his life had been given to propagating falsehood. These questions came like fiery serpents into his gloomy abode. and made life an insufferable burden.
 In the grasp of this helpless doubt there was but one manly course to pursue and that was to acquaint Jesus with the whole matter and ask from His lips the answer to these questions
 ChrIstlanity's Credentials.
 This message contains the two essen tial characteristics of our holy religion. The first Is an unearthly power moving upon men accomplishing results that can not be explained by any process known to men.
 Many good men have foolishly endeav- ored to define miracles, overlooking the fact that they would not be miracles If they could find di1nition in terms of hu man thought. Others are endeavoring to show that the moral and spiritual teach ings of Jesus can subsist apart from the scriptural claim that He wrought mir acles.
 The sources from which We derive the moral and religious teachings of Jesus. declare that He claimed that He wrought miracles and that He regarded them as evidences to humanity of Ills divine power and unlimited authority If He wrought no miracles He bore false tes- timony to men. and many sincere souls