Evening star., 1908-01-11

THE CON Nto flUsN.af sFe., ts;ss. no
break between the SctipNars. sc tfd gast
Sunday and that assigned ff2s. to5kays aGlig
passage follows the osisk iRsdes1Htts S.
There is this fact. howerssl tesb, alsot ed 10,
the transition: The closias sveiasesi pfs, u st
lesson 10 to Isl presented iJhi,ti;s .S4n srxl
testimony to Christine ssttstdss ma lttfsavr
been uttered several ttnlt 81 In III tpis j Ito
The audience that gathered sisyeQtf ffi t / II
the present lesson ue- silsl.l gdPt thtst ht
made a special test imonya caiiedt hfL: liy
the visit of persons semi dfsse,i atTy Ii " f.-
quire concerning him sJSkS the iEtsptist
had acquired extended fpffse e. !, Men Sftnss.-
ed from all parts and f4tqm all fsghSsi.asld
stations in life to sec aEb ,hal,;. ,liif dr. Els
was the greatest preachsE anl 5rsSsRtn5Qt
of the hocr. 1t was ua1ar3 =, liafs,s piie,
that the authorities at .Jt9'if5iesp Z aosa
should desire i:.formatipr eaEss !nipgIt..s
wonderful man. n. 49, ~. r.
INQUIRY (yerses,,li ii; ii .,s14.tps. npirs-
Der of priests ard hevises .,beioi,gSn s;.to
the sect of the PhariseeHI Iverss 2Dtcan,e
with direct and. what would Sc splsto us.
very blunt question, ..'Who, art flioSi p
Without waiting for an answer - mo
ceeded 10 divide their itouir u, into stslre )
parts. by which they indicasedt 1hh disi
cussion that had been III prosTess anon G
influential persons as 10 TIE .IaItist GOV
ering in this way the eva rttss,. Gptsieas
that had been eSpressedEs sErirst. WAS John
the long-expected Messiali2. Second. Was
he Elias? referring to the sretur1.l pr e,s-
pected return, of that emtG ents pEopllet
of the eighth century Is. &C. iMal...3f,..5>.
John. apprehending their idea Of. rein
carnation. replied no. Third. Ar. .tkous
that prophet, or. rTore apnrorrssAcfy' a
prophet Here was a dase given byttbe
scribns WHO claimed that 2 rnul genuine
prophet. like those of thu iold aiapensation.
would appear. not TO elpse the dispeasa.
ton, but TO re-estahlisl., the OH. order.
John denied that he was sloil a,p 2rson.
DECLARATION fserses 2..ap,-r
The visitors were perphexed. They had
exhausted the suggestions made, BY the
scholars, and Were compelled to al!eiv ne
Baptist to make his own answer withc Ut
any hint from them. falling. bacis, Iiposl
their first inquiry They made bold. how
nver to state the reason fer their. oies-
tioning-that they might answer them
who sent them. Understanding. there
fore. that his words would be- rsturhed TO
the hierarchy at Jerusalem, and that they
might have large influence Upon these in
| power. John made his reply in ;vety b;'ief
yet comprehensive. ternls.3 .rhe simplici-
ty and appropriateness of.fhat reply Will
appear now as it did nbt then. He.de;
clared himself a voice crying in the. will
derness Losing sight aItogethertef any
name. honor or office. he. dsscrihad. him
self by his only function. Ite wDHld' ba
known by his utteraness+ rather mot
known at all, if his words.wailld be heard
He came with one fiessaSe: = IIakt
straight the way of he4Iord |, / Get ready
for the Masters coming.ss Jae-awss like ia
courier herading the abptoaehiiof the
king and calling them to'rreRsre far him
BAPTISM (verses i, q sa::s72s5. j: $ .4John,.
reply did not fully satisfEsthe, men swsi,o
were about him-or, ratlefs the wSras did
not explain the work Of 1JSllaal 7 Fl e, IVA
doing what seemed to- s11eY ;tos ;simply
greater dignity than hesclahir.ied Tor him.
self If he was merely al aSpreAaaier tcarine
only for his message and, that "a ,vrrry. !!brie,
one. pertaining to a psrStp.i ssavity slbuld
he baptize? The ordinAnt:e sQf. baptism
signified in those days nisssS tIfap u mere
bearing of a sentence. hlH,fker,. big the
sentence might have beeEl1 l1s.fFnoalS other
things it implied that tlk,adipjEi StEa OF
desired to attach persopagtoI il hIalseif to
make them his discipleSrH SUPPORTERS
| and so to build up more, orslSss of,a;con-
gregation, company Of fsiffttftSd ais ists-
tanning a common causo q LUhf sfhGtefofe
explained his BAPTISM q, = sftS,sfyas. with
water. symbol of reperitHne ett ID att, i'll
ID. administered only tdyyliofes who cen
fessed their snS-an iiipdTSant. pEsfIni-
nary. designed to usheri fust he nne Whom
he proclaimed, one sE.tIe Nass cot ing
after, but who was ,hiEfe ned TO lIin
because superior. "a ~ ia.
TESTIMONY vesssssfl 20, ffssGl, !, !4,,,rha
interview between John ssnN tT1less ss.mfssen-
gers from Jerusalem cloSsl kith his an
swer explaining his s9atEn !; fPgoB SADLY
they returned. The nextEHJytllS had op-
portunity to show in "a asiNyasi way ust
what he came TO do. HetWNsf bl; the open
air. standing in a grouDss6fi his disciples.
Lifting up his eyes hes3sA.He j Jeslsi .ap-
preaching. 1t was affert 4fa. i te rlptation
in the wilderness UulSsysAis;fN to which
he was led by the Spirit.s EESufing his alb
sence John had moved -fro1iptha Jordan
to BethabGra little sd3At aHee beyond
(verse 2S As Jesus came Jfsar Jphn spoke
to those about him. TO fh3Ss0YIs follow
ers. making two importHrtt clara ataons.
The first was. "Beholds tie u Gafnb Of Tod
that taketh away the sifE ;Sf. The sMoTla.s
Here was undoubted .sSfsrente ITO the
lamb offered in sacrifce- Ipd aItsthe Levitt
cal dispensation Ex:. yihSp..tta ful hlnent
of what had been tybihad thEough al
the centuries and what NYst'Te ell under
stood by Jews CActs. stiit!sssss.55;;. :. what. II
fact. became a promineilt asfmei of Ills
course in the new disIsnsa tfpn >C1y Pet.
IT'D. The other statenaelt w a s .ttor the
effect that Jesus was lits.es .tperspn. TO
whom he had red jtl-,As preaching.
The disciples might nowt;see him. y
MISSION (verse s3la An opportu-
nifty was thus presentsd9fsE tJohn, to de-
clare his mission 10 b-s sown disciples.