The Alaska citizen., 1916-03-27

| denly ana many "Ill cry out III rear for mercy Dante won his first hold on Italy by the terrors of the In ferno" Savonarola moved all Flo
 renee with his portrayal of hell and
 its dire consequences. Jesus com ing could not begin until men were ready to receive Him. Give the wicked their soothing syrup of love of God while they still continue in their wickedness and the devil has i were taught that things are good to him who thinks they are good
 Murder suicide, immortality, theft. dishonesty and a host of evils then
 reap a mighty harvest. Johns gos-
 pei was given him of God to preach and he preached with neither fear nor favor. Before the flood wicked ness prevailed and destruction of the inhabited world was necessary
 in order that a new world might begin. Abraham was called to leave his own country and home 10 go into
 new land that he knew not, for
 God would plan the seed of nation
 jealous for Him. This same people when contaminated with the evils
 that caused the utter ruin of their forefathers. must likewise b. lief.
 behind, and Jesus came in person
 to save men. The same old devil is in the world yet and now we see not men destroyed 90 much as
 nations, but we see the individual responsibility coming to every man
 to be accepted or rejected. God governs rocks by force wild beasts
 by fear, wise men by reason, but
 his saints add His immLlable love. All men must be governed and each
 should stop to reflect with what form of government God is 70 T. pelled or pleased to exercise over
 him The gospel of John tore up
 the soil and narrowed 1t we'll soon
 was to come the gospel of love that new seed planted should ripen
 new fruit. And men thank God
 for the preparation.
 God would prove many things by
 the life of John and his deeds. John
 was to be alone In the wilderness
 eating locusts and wild honey. clothed in garment of camel's
 hair and leathern girdle, and men
 world might know by full illustra- tion that the real gospel to use the
 words of Talmadge. must be
 clothed In shoes'
 The Pharisees had long ago proved
 that giving testimonies in meetings, and reading from their traditions only
 darkened the way for the troubled
 wayfarer John fled to the wilder ness, forswears marriage, turns
 back on the delights Of the home ami wife and child, is superior to
 the temple anC the worship therein, spurns the lecture hall and the
 book. God will prove tU the world by John that such will never bring men into the light of the gospel oi truth, Truth must be lived rather
 than told A photograph can tel
 it, but it takes a man filled with
 the fact that he bears the image
 of his Creator to live it. Simon Stylites, climbing his pillar and de pending entirely upon the peopl@
 to supply him with food wastes hi
 life as he exposes his body to the
 fierce winds of winter and the
 scorching heat of summer Bernard
 of Clairveaux. sleeping in a cave
 covers himself with leaves, forswear
 ing the bath, as he emulates John
 the ascetic. The day came when
 the great Pascal begged his sister
 not too speak too kindly to him
 lest he love her too much and to
 sprinkle ashes upon his food that it might not be too sweet to his mouth. The asceticism Of John was to be carried to it's full in the era of the monks, and their blast ing of the seed of true religion that Christ brought into the world 1 The Japanese gardener will show
 you a tree 100 years old that is no taller than he is. Ali of it's branch es have been dwarfed and growth discontinued. It is given to man to develop upon the sams lines as
 the flower; protection from the heat
 and cold and right conditions fol life. At the end of the day God i looked on His work and behold, all
 was good. Who cannot say that i the body is not rearfully and wonder i fully made? God has said protect
 1t from the heat and the cold place it in conditions for health;
 or neglecting these lay it away in i Gods acre out of the sight John
 was to prove that those who were so 1 busy in the desert saving their own souls were turning their back on 1 the publican and sinner in the city
 who needed the message of soul
 health and body health as we'll