The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-07-09

Our Master, wisely and with becom
ing modesty, hesitated to declare His
own greatness. He allowed His &C
lions to SPEAK and to tell to His dis
ciples that He proceeded and came
forth from God, and that In the per
forming OF miracles. and particularly
In His teachings. He was the finger
OF God and His mouthpiece. John the
Baptist was sent to be His special
forerunner. 1t was he that declared
that Jesus was 1.-The Lamb OF God
which taketh away the sin Of the
world" It was ne that declareth that
the Master was SO much greater than
himself that he was not worthy tc
stoop down and loose the Masters
sandals.
But after Jonn had borne Him wit
ness, testifying, This is He," and
had declared that he saw the holy
Spirit descending upon Jesus like
dove. and that this was a sign giveI
him whereby he might know his Mer
siahship, then came the time for the
Master to bring the matter pointedlJ
to the attention OF his followers. JONI
had been cast into prison and later
had been beheaded. Johns prophetic
testimony was fulfilled, when he saio
OF Jesus, HE must increase, but
must decrease" The mission Of Jesus
and his Apostles became more promi
nent every day, and those VINO nae
formerly talked about John were now
asking respecting Jesus. whether He
was a prophet sent OF God, or whethe'
He was the Messiah. Do the rulers
indeed know whether this Is the Mes
slab or not? Surely mo man could
DO the miracles which He doeth un
less God be with Him" in some spe
cial manner.
Our Lord first inquired respecting
the general opinion Of the people con
corning Himself. He did this, not be
cause of His own ignorance, but tha'
He might draw out the thoughts OF
his disciples. They replied tina,
some thought He was John the Bap
fist: others supposed he was one o.
the prophets. The ideas OF the
heather were gradually making In
roads upon the Jews. The doctrine
of reincarnation, wholly unscripturai
Is suggested in these answers. Al
the answers, Of course, were wrong
for the prophets were all dead anc
could not reappear until the resur
rection. Then our Lord pointedly put
the question TO His chosen followers:
who do we say that l ann" The
courageous St. Peter promptly an
swered as spokesman for the whole
company, Thou art the Christ (MeS
siah), the Son of the living God" This
was the very answer designed TO be
brought forth. Ii was the truth, but
our Lord hesitated to present 1t, he
cause II would better come from the
disciples themselves and then have
His endorsement. His answer to st
Peter was, Blessed art thou, Simon
Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood hatr
not revealed 1t unto thee, but mJ
Father which Is In heaven.
II was not that st. Peter had ex
perienced a special vision or relation
but, such a great spiritual fact as was
then under consideration, at thai
time could be appreciated only by
those who were specially favored Of
the Father. Indeed, IL Is evident thei
the same principle still operates. FOL
we read, No man can come unto Me
except the Father which sent Ne
draw him" Our primary drawing
and calling is OF The Father up TO the
time when We accept his grace IN
Christ and make our conservation tc
do his will and receive the spirit oI
adoption into his family as Gods chill
dren: we are then put into the schoo
Of Christ to learn Of him. Let VI
learn the lesson that the special bless
ings always come. not only from be
lieving in Christ. but also from con
Tossing to and before others.
According to the Greek, our Lore
replied to Peter. Thou art a stone
and upon this rock will | build Ny
church." The rock upon which the
church Is built Is this confession
which st. Peter made. st. Peter him
self was not the rock, but he was one
OF the living stones built by faitf
upon the rock of truth. II was this
same apostle who so beautifully eK
piained the Whole matter. assuring
us that all consecrated believers are
living stones" in the temple OF God
whose foundation and cap stone Il
Christ, in whom we are builded to
gethe1 through the operation, Of the
holy Spirit Peter 2:4-7.
The expression. Upon this rocl