Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-02-16
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAYSCIlOOL
LESSON
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY is.
MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

GOLDEN TExT-Repent We: for the
Kingdom OF heaven is at hand. Matt 81.
The story of John the Baptist's min
istry, opening as 1t does with q
prophetic reference, connects the Old
and the New Testaments, showing the
New to be the fulfillment of the Old.
Thus we say: The Old is in the New
contained, the New Is in the Old ex-
planned; the Old is in the New con-
cealed, the New Is In the Old revealed.
Christ is the theme and unifier of both
Testaments. If he had not been COM
ing, the Old would not have been writ
ten; il he had not come, the New
would not have been written.
What strange impression this fiery
preacher of the wilderness, John, must
have made upon his hearers! His
dress, as his message. bore the marks
OF the wild. Strange, Is it not, that
such one should be chosen to pre-
pare the way for the Messiah? We
might have chosen different instru-
ment-a well dressed. polished, elo-
Quent, silver-tongued orator.
The Baptist's message had its basis
In the word OF God-"The word of God
came unto John in the wilderness"
That Is where every pulpit message
ought to come from. The business OF
the preacher and teacher of Christ Is
not to invent gospel, but to proclaim
one already provided. The Bible Is the
final critic nf fha rnpusavo
Johns ministry was preparatory; 1t
looked forward to the coming of some
thing better. Just as John himself
gave way to Christ, SO his message OF
repentance made room for faith In
Christ. John baptized with water I'M
20 repentance The Baptists's ministry
went no farther than that. Jesus
Christ turned the water Of Johns bap-
tism into steam by the fire of the
Holy Ghost. John prepared; Jesus re-
generated.
The necessity for repentance cannot
be overlooked in this lesson. In
sense, it is the first step into the King
dom. Both John and Jesus began their
ministry with call to repentance.
Repentance is clearly defined in this
lesson as turning from life OF sin
to q life of righteousness. There are
three elements in repentance: First,
the intellect is involved--it is
change of mind or viewpoint; second.
the emotions are involved-it means
to hase care regarding the thing In
question, SO we find the words sigh"
grief" substituted for repentance:
third, the will plays prominent part
In repentance, for there is included IT.
the word the idea Of an after-thought,
resulting in a change in ones course
OF action. Repentance is not only O.
heart broken for sin, but also from sin.
That this is Johns meaning of re-
pentance Is clear from his exhortation
to those who asked him the meaning
of his call to repentance-exact no
more than that which is appointed
you: do violence to no man. neither
accuse any falsely; bring forth, there
fore. fruits worthy of repentance. A
little boy was once asked the meaning
Of repentance. He replied: ut means
being sorry enough for q thing so as
not to do it again"
John preached the wrath to come.
Evidently he believed in future pun
ishment. He did not believe that the
desire to escape future punishment
was SUFFICIENT or the best reason why
men should receive Jesus Christ. And
1t may be that no man really becomes
m rsy.wfr+;o~, xuEr, ~ar1rc ~ In ,v%a <,v,fy
that he may escape the results Of his
sin. We are saved that we may glori-
fy God in the life that now Is as well
as to be delivered from the wrath to
come. He who does not serve Christ
hers will not dwell with him In
heaven.
The fact of wrath and future punish
ment is not an invention of modern
theology. Christ believed in 1t and
taught 1t when he referred to the
worm that dieth not, and the fire
that Is not quenched," and pictured
the ungodly being cast into "everlast-
ing fire." We should have to blot out
q large part of the Bible If we were
to blot out all the Scriptures which
teach future retribution for sin.
When we consider the fearful atroci-
ties perpetrated upon the sons OF men,
the frightful iniQuities practiced upon
helpless women and children, and then
see the ease and luxury and splendcr
In which the perpetrators Of these
crimes live, we would be very sorry
to be assured that there Is no future
retribution for the perpetrators o
such deeds Give the justice OF heavel
the same degree OF common sense
consideration that you give to the jus.
tice Of earth, and somewhere In the
other world you must place peni.
Tertiary.
Johns preaching drew the crowds.
and 20 will the preaching and teach
Ing Of the Gospel today. when pro
claimed by men as consecrated to their
mission as John the Baptizer was to
his. The crowd have not tired Of the
Gospel hut only of the average preach |