The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-11
International SundaySchooi
 Lesson
IMtMNMMslInmlnMMMMmMMMm
First Quarter. Lesson H. January IF,
Jesu. md Jon. the Baptlst.

First Quarter. Lesson III. January IT, 1908.
 Jesus and John the tBaptist.
 The current average notion, of the Forerunner. as. indeed. of the other prophets, is probably too mechanical; 10 wit. that at an exact period and fixed place. he appeared. and having spoken certain prescribed words, moved off the stage again. That reduces to an automaton one of the freest beings who ever drew breath. and to a piece of acting one of the most genuine and Hateful contests of history. John was intenselyIhuman. He had like passions with others The glory of 1t Is that with these he yet acted dfvinely in a great national crisis. And that not be- cause irresistibly impelled by a power external to himself His ascetic life was a rational protest to the voiup- tuousness of his age. His solitariness rebuked the self-interested combina- tions in Chuych and State. He sought the desert that, he might think to q finish patriotic course of conduct. and might fortify his soul with those ma tured conyictions of truth which would inure him even to maytyrdom. When at length he felt that he was ready to speak and some at least ready to hear himy he went to the place where the most people would naturally congre- gate.
 He was granted an immense and as- tonishingly large auditory It had been five hundred years since proph- cts voice had fallen upon Israers ear, and the reading of the ancient proph- cts in the synagogue was perfunctory. It. was uninterpreted by the sympa- thetic accent, and so was spiritless and without effect. The conjunction of man and message in-John was recog- nized instantly. In this sense he was a 'man come from God" The Jews. with their social instincts hated the desert. but they recognized 1t as the birthplace of their deiiverers. And John had come from the desert. That predisposed them in his favor. Again, he was of priestiy percentage. but of a percentage untainted with the vices incident to the hierarchy. Finally mat ters had come to such a pass through the naughty intolerance of the Roman governors and the low and cunning fawning of puppet priests that revolu- tion was in the air. To some it seein- ed that darkest hour. which presages dawn. However the Baptist avoided all political entanglements. He afhl- lated with no party. He was found to be solely a preacher of righteousness He sought the regeneration Of his na- tiOU.r Ete UnbuS DluIbcAA OOh~ lessor. He called for words of repent ance and deeds to match them. He made the Jews themselves submit to the sign which they, enforced upon heakhen proselytes to Judaism. He baptized them.
 The ecclesiastical rulers at Jerusa- lem could no longer maintain their cornplacency. They could not ignore the Incident. All Jerusalem and Judea, and later Perea, SamarIa. and Galilee were going out to Johns preaching and baptism. Who could tell what the end would be? The Sanhedrim sudden iy asserts itself. It sits in Moses' seat to determine who are true and who false prophets. No one can teach without its authority. John is ai- ready in their view a usurper. At least they will now test his doctrine and de- mand his credentials. This is the meaning and Intent of the sending of the delegation.
 It is a psychological moment. Hu- manly speaking. it' is Johns oppor- tunity. He already has vast and ever-fncreasing clientele. He has the sense of power. The acute condition of the national life would seem to jus tify an assertion of himself If not tempted at this moment, he was more than human. On the dark background of that thought the whiteness of his