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The Sunday School
CHRIST'S WITNESS TO JOHN THE
BAPTIST.
June 16, 1912. Matt. 11:2.19.
Golden Text: "Among: those that are
born of women, there Is not a greater
prophet than John the Baptist: hut he
that is least In the kingrdom of God is
grreater than he."?Luke 7:2 8
HOME DALLY BIBLE READINGS.
Monday: Christ's "Witness to John
the Baptist. Matt. 11:2-19.
Tuesday: John the Messiah's Forerunner.
Mark 1:1-8.
Wednesday: John's Ministry. Luke
3:7-14.
Thursday: John's Witness to Jesus,.
John 1:29-34.
Fridny: Jesus" Commendation of
John. Luke 7:24-35.
Saturday: John's Death. Matt. 14:1-12.
..Sunday: Faithfulness ,unto Death.
Rev. 2:8-11.
SHORTER CATECHISM.
Q. 2. What rule hath God given to
direct us how we may glorify and enjoy
Him?
A. The word of God, which is contained
in the Scriptures of the Old
and New Testaments, is the only rule
to direct us how we may glorify and
enjoy Him.
LESSON COMMENTS.
Time and Places: The sermon on the
Mount,, which -we have been studying,
was delivered In the early part of
the summer of A. D. 28. Following it,
Jesus returned to Capernaum and there
and at Naln, twenty five miles southward,
wrought notable miracles. It was
probably near Na1n that the messengers
of John, coming from iMachaerus,
east of the Dead Sea, met Christ.
Matthew and Luke. The narrative is
given by Matthew's and Luke's Gospels,
with about equal fulness and with
very small incidental variations. The
references to the Old Testament made
it peculiarly fitting that Matthew, the
writer of the Jewish story of Christ's
Tife, should 'record It, w(hile Luke's
Greek or Gentile aim was met in the
fact that the incident recorded bore
upon Christ's relations to the world at
large, quite as much as his relations
to the Jews.
The Obiect of the Inquiry: Opinion
is divided between the two suggestions
that John sent his messengers for the
purpose of confirming their faith and
that of others of his disciples, and that
he sent them for the purpose of strengthening
himself or of receiving renewed
assurance. If it was the former, then
we have to note a singular hiding of
the real end on the part of both John
and Christ. The suggestion is had out
by the narrative, unless we are willing
to consent to a certain amount of insincerity
on the part of the Saviour.
"Go and show John.* Practical demonstration
is the best proof. Jesus
kept John's disciples long enough with
himself for them to see what he was
actually doing, and how literally and
unmistakably the prophecies of the
Old Testament concerning the Messiah
were being fulfilled. "Now," says he,
"go and show John again these things
wliich ye do hear and see." He did
not ask them to carry a message but
to deliver a report. They were to give
no argument but to tell of facts. Life
* rather than logic would help John in
his present season of gloom and in
quai
John the Victim of his Surround In its.
John was but a man, and like all other
men ho was affecfted by the conditions
abort hlfh. The gloom of his prison
cell fhad penetrated his heaTt and had
for a time cawt a shadow across his
soul. Adverse circumstances, sickness.
THE PRESBYTERI,
a morbid state, brought about by adverse
conditions, often becloud the soul
and shut ofT faith's vision. Yet. with
true nobility, and in an earnest effort
to fortify himself against unbelief's assault,
John sent his messengers to inquire.
Instead of nursing his grief and
harboring his doubts, he dealt promptly
with them and took immediate and positive
steps to answer them. It was a
good example.
This is Elias Th prn WAA fln iinWnr
ranted expectation on the Jews' part of
a second coming Of Elijah. The
Scriptures nowhere promised such a
thing. Their announcement was of one
who would come "i!n the spirit and
power" of Eliijah. In the nature and
characteristics of his prophetic work,
John came nearer fulfilling this than
any prophet who ever came after Elijah.
But Christ's word settled the question.
Several times, but notably In the conversation
with the three disciples as
they and he were coming down from
the Mount of Transfiguration, which
was shortly after John's death, and immediately
following his appearance on
the Mount with Moses and Christ, he
declared that John was the Elias which
was to come.
Men's Inconsistency: The Master
used the occasion of John's disciples'
visit to emphasize the fact of the human
indisposition to receive divine
Truth. Here was an austere man, John,
and they reject him because he was so
austere; and here was another, who
allowed himBelf to mingle freely with
everybody and to be approached by
the worst, and they reject him because
he was not austere. The truth
of the matteT was that thev were on
posed to the faith in whatever form
it came. They did not like the truth.
That was the secret of their treatment
of both the forerunner and the Messiah.
They were like foolish children
who will not respond to either piping or
mourning.
The Scriptures Fulfilled: The Master
did not rely solely upon his works
and the testimony which John's disciples
should give concerning them, as
a means of cheering the prisoner's
heart and strengthening his faith. He
tock pains to show that what he was
doing was just what the ancient Scriptures
had predicted, and that these acts
were in attestation of his claim according
to the divine word. The message
to John was taken from Isaiah
35:5, 6; 61:1, which foretold the Messiah.
John's familarity with the Scriptures
would cause him to recognize
them at once and to see their signiflcancy.
No proof could be more satisfactory
and helpful to him. Jesus knew
this, and his message was a happy accoTimodation
to the case.
m m? liio encomium 01
ChnBt upon John was the most remarkable
ever uttered. John was pronounced
the greatest man ever born. This,
coming at the time when John was perhaps
suffering a semi-eclipse of his faith
was the more remarkable, as Indicating
the affection and confidence which his
Master felt towards him. John's very
auble made the Master's heart all the
more tender. But the opportunity to
say a little more could not be lost. And
ro we have Christ declaring that the
very humblest In the kingdom of Heaven
is Incomparably greater than the
greatest on earth. Eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, neither hath it entered
into the heart of man to conceive, the
things that God has prepared for those
that are his in their heavenly home.
How sordid our best earthly accomplishments,
and desires and deeds are
going to appear!
Lessons: "Believe me for the very
works' sake." The Sincereet and greatest
belivers have seasons of doubt. The
true believer will not nurse his doubts,
however, but will adopt prompt meas(Oontihued
on page 21.)
A. N OF THE SOUTH
Young Peoples Societies
BEING PLEASANT.
Topic for Sunday, June 10: The Dolly
of Being Pleasant. Psalm, BIS: 1-3.
DAILY HEADINGS.
Monday: A merry heart. Proverbs
16:12-14.
Tuesday: Suppressing unpleasantness.
John 16:1-4.
Wednesday: Cheer In trial. Acts
27:21-26, 36.
Thursday: Songs In captivity. Acts
16:22-25.
Friday: A singing heart. Ephesians
5:18-21.
Saturday: The soft word. Proverbs
15:1. 2.
I
"Now look pleasant," says the photographer.
"You may resume your
usual expression," he says, when the
camera has been snapped!
If it is desirable to "look pleasant"
in the "counterfeit presentment," how
much more should one look so in the
daily reality.
But looking pleasant is the smallest
part of the matter. "Being pleasant"
is the condition to be sought for with
eatest earnestness.
"Being pleasant" is no more a piece
of hypocrisy than the effort to be or
to do anything else that is good. And
is certainly better, even with a heavy
heart, than sour looks and surly words.
The source of being pleasant is the
possession of a good heart. Behold
how good and how pleasant it is for
brethren to dwell together in unity!
"Goodness and pleasantness have close
elation.
It is hard to define or describe "being
pleasant." "It is like the precious
uniuucut. iyuDv;iiue ur ucirnc, ii yuu
can a delicious odor, the perfume of
the flowers, the fragrance of the ripe
fruit!
"A merry heart maiketh a cheerful
countenance." "He that hath a merry
heart hath a continual feast." sustained
brightness of face and cheerfulness
of manner come from within. Get the
heart right and the life will soon accord.
The dew In Palestine is a source cf
beauty and fertility as in tew other
lands. In the seasons when there are
no rains it keeps many things alive.
Pleasantness is "as the dew of Hermon,
the dew that descended upon the
mountains of Zion."
"Being pleasant" is a grace, indeed,
but like all graces ft is incumbent upon
all, and it can be cultivated by all. The
germ of it may be a gift, but the development
of it is in our hands. It is
therefore a duty no less than a grace.
The occasion for being pleasant is
always at hand. It is an every day
affair. Other graces may not be called
out except In peculiar circumstances
or conditions. This grace is in order
all the time.
Test the matter by a question or two:
When is one warranted In being unpleasant
or disagreeable? When one's
enemy is nigh? Willi that conquer
him? When one's indignation is stir
red? Will the conditions be Improved
by disagreeableness? When one does
ot llk<5 the equation? Will that better
It?
The situation has nothing to with the
the duty, as the mire or muck In which
flower grows has nothing to do with Its
fragrance. Nay, the unhappier the surroundings,
the sweeter will Its odor be.
The very contrast brings out Its beduty
more. And If there Is any place that
needs Its presence It Is that which is
unsightly and malodorous.
Be.ng pleasant in unhappy surroundings
shows the grace of It. As Mark
Tapley put it, there Is no credit *ih
being cheerful when everything Is smiling
around us.
[June 5, 1912
The Prayer Meeting I
THE DEITY OF OUR LORD.
Luke 16:13-17. Weew of June 9.
This is a subject which many of us
too readily assume needs no discussion.
It Is also one of the two great
truths which are being most doggedly
attacked by the enemies of the cross
of Christ, many of these enemies professedly
the followers of the Nazarene.
The other subject of attack is the inspiration
of the Scriptures. The rea
son for attacking Christian faith and
life at these two points especially is
that if faith of the church in either of
these two fundamental truths could be
destroyed the triumph of infidelity
would be assured.
The evil heart of unbelief selects
these two lines of attack. When the
mind of John the Baptist in prison seem
ed baffled by the strange things that
had come to pass, the first struggle ot
his faith was at this point; he ser-t
two of his disciples to the Master to
ask, "Art thou he that should come or
look we for another?" The answer
given to these disciples was sufficient.
"In the same hour he cured many of
their infirmities and plagues and of evil
spirits and unto many that were blind
he gave sight." "Jesus answered, "Go
and show John again those things
which ye do hear and see," and enumerated
the classes of miracles he was
working, adding, "The dead are raised,
to the poor 'Le gospel is preached."
Here then we find sufficient proof.
The works which he wrought bore witness
of him; his life of earthly ministry
was the vindication of his claims to
equality and unity with the Father.
This 1b the proof that makes its appeal
to every class of mind, to all rational
intelligence. What he was and
what he did formed a ceaseless demonstration
that he was none other than
the son of God.
The prophecies which foretold his
character and work were fulfilled and
in the light of their fulfillment we have
proof of his divinity. The place of his
birth, his sojourn in Bgy.pt, the place
of his residence, his lowly life, how
the world would receive him and much
else is foretold. Especially was the
*?/> nn J Utr.
iiaiuic aiiu uicaiiuig LFI uio ucaiu
figured in worship and described by the
pen of the inspired prophet.
His Ipwn statements are (perfectly
clear and positive; 'He that hath seen
me hath seen the Father;" "I and my
Father are one;" "AM power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth." He
ever assumed the attitude of supreme
authority in teaching, working and receiving
homage from others. Any creature
who would receive such homage
would be branded as the enemy of God
and deceiver of the people.
His enemies bore testimony to h s
divinity. The demons cried out saying,
"Thou art the Son of God, never
man spoke like this man" were the
words of those sent to apprehend him.
The centurion said "Truly this was
the Son of God.
His friends gave ample testimony.
Peter sajd, "Thou art the Christ the
Son of the living God." Thomas said;
"My Lord and my God." The writing of
Peter and Paul and the evangelist8
abound In testimony. At the time of
his birth and infancy, the wise men
and the shepherds, Simeon and Anna,
aooreo mm aB tne .vies?'?Q. twice
Father spoke declaring in audible word"
from heaven, "This is my beloved Son."
?vents attending his death supported
the claims of his Hfe. Darkness pr"vailed
for three hours; the vail of the
temple was rent. The earth quak-d
and the dead came forth.
The evidences here named are h1''
a few of a great number that conet'tute
many infallible proofs.