The Lakeland evening telegram., 1920-10-07

John, the herald of our Savior. was
about six months older than Jesus
and; like Elijah, he seemed to step out
OF a dark room into the light unan-
nounced-no notice whatever. And
how did he draw his crowd? But he
did; and great ones, too, He did not
stop in swell room---he was under
no obligations, so he could preach
the real thing, calling everything by
its right name. Result. He lost his
head. He laid the ak to the root of
the tree; he played with no subject.
They had to bring the fruit or no go.
A new minister comes on the scene
and he has the names of a lot Of So
called members to take off the book
but that kind could not get in on
John. One day as John was preach
ing to his great crowd, he saw the
unassuming gentle form Of Jesus COM
ing toward him through that throng
OF people. Can't my reader almost see
his whole being swell up with emo
tion as he looked and pointing, said:
Look, behold the Lamb of God which
taketh away sin of the world" Yes,
he as coming then to be baptized, not
to make him a son of God, but be.
cause he was, You baptize the devil:
yes, yon may wear out his clothes on
the bottom of the river and he'll come
up the devil. Baptism, church mem
hership and Lords suppers are for
the child of God. Jesus said: "If you
love me" (John 1929 you will keep
my words and my Father and
l will love him and we will come unto
him and make our abode with him"
And, say, this is no cheap thing; Jes-
US and the Father abiding in our
home. John baptized him with water
and God the Father with the Holy
Ghost and he had been feeding for
years on the word of God, so now he
was ready for his mission. Now he
is tempted, not for his good, but for
ours-to show us how to stand in
such times. He was led into the will
derness-there 40 days without food
OF bit in sight. You see the Holy
Spirit loved him too much to led him
into bakeshop to fast. Nor will he
lead anyone into temptation.
Seldom, indeed, does anyone go in
to temptation without a leader and
only the devil will do that--poison a
life A minister said to me before I
was converted that T. was the cause
Of the downfall of more than one fine
fellow, and after my conversion I
tried so hard to undo my wrong but
could not and as he told me. the tears
of bitter sorrow rolled from his face.
Yes, Jesus lived 40 days without food
DR.. Tanner Of New York lived AZ. He
said: Il started in for 40 to show the
whiskey doctors that ] could do It
without liquor of any kind and / went
them two days better A barber nj
Two Harbors tasted 3S days-never
lost a day in the shop. In what form
satan came to Jesus we don't know,
but we are sure he did not come as
satan. In regard to this one divine
said: If the devil had to travel with
ar uncovered face, only devils would
follow him. : Another, "If he came in
bodily form at all, it must have been
as an angel of light, or in the guise
of friendly stranger, with gracious
manner and plausible speech" Oh,
don't he? You see, there was not a
thing wrong about either of the things
he suggested in themselves. Well,
that is, the way he goes at it today.
He'll say, why, it's no harm to do
so and So whereas the thought
should be first and last, Can ! glor-
ify God in the thing" He is mighty
wicked, but he's no food at that--in a
way. He'll never come to you with
bad thing, but the no harms. See!
Well, by the word of his grace you
may be saved from them. Don't think
that you have sinned because he has
succeeded in bringing even a real bad
thought to your mind; not so. You
sin only in accepting his proposition
He has you half licked already if he
can make you think that. The MAN.
ma saw her little tot take the apple
three different times and as often take
it back and hen run away, saying.
There now, satan, you see who's
boss not knowing her mother saw