of propriety. Hence, the frequent ablutions and lustrations of the Mosaic ritual. As is usual in such matters, the ritual took on in the course of time numerous unauthorized and trivial details, so that in the time of our Lord the Pharisees bap- Mark vii, 1-4. tized even their cups, and pots, and brazen vessels. Seizing on this instinctive custom of ablution as a sign of moral cleansing, John adopted it, and put it forward as one of the features of his ministry, so that his habit of baptizing gave him his title— John the Baptizer. But John put into the old rite a new meaning. It was as though he had said: "I indeed baptize you in water; but it is no mere ceremonial cleansing, like the lustrations of Moses, or the Pharisaic baptism of dishes: my baptism means the cleansing of repentance, even a genuine change and rectification of character, unto the remission of sins. I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance." At the same time, John the Baptizer knew that his baptizing was only a symbol, having no real power to change and cleanse the character. And so he proceeds to add: "But there cometh after me One mightier than I, the latchet of whose sandal I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose; he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire." It was as though the forerunner had said: "The Messiah, whose menial I am not worthy to be, is at hand: he will bestow upon you the true cleansing; he will flood you with all spiritual influences and blessings, purifying you as by fire—this is why he is mightier than I. My baptism is only a symbol-it conveys no real grace; Messiah's baptism is the substance-it really changes, and renews, and saves." Ah, this is the reason why he who is least in the kingdom of heaven-the Messianic reign-is greater than John the Baptist; he has received the baptism of the Spirit. But the coming Messiah will not only baptize in the Spirit; he will also discriminate. His winnowing-fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor, and gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. It was as though the hermitpreacher had said: "The time for unerring discrimination and reverseless judgment has come : the Divine Child, appointed for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, has been born; and now thoughts out of many hearts will be revealed. Ay, the Lord, even the angel of the covenant, has suddenly come to his temple. But who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap, sitting as a refiner and purifier of silver. Now shall ye discern between the righteous and the wicked-between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree that beareth not good fruit is to be cut down, and cast into the fire. Then shall the strong be as tow, and his work as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them. But Jehovah knoweth those who are his, and in that day that he is preparing he shall spare them, as a man. spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the king dom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear." With these and many other exhortations, Luke iii, 18. preached John unto the people. Such is the proclamation of the forerunnerthe voice of one crying in the wilderness. Has that voice died away? No; the Church of the living God is a second John the Baptist. Hers it is to lift up her voice in the world's great wilderness, and, making proclamation of the coming King, prepare the way before him, removing all obstructions, filling every valley of want, leveling every mountain of pride, straightening every crooked habit, smoothing every roughness of environment, and so ushering in the day when all flesh shall indeed see the salvation of God. Be it ours, then, to be as true to our mission as John was to his, reduplicating that ancient voice in the wilderness, and shouting to Pharisee and Sadducee, to profligate and reprobate, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! The Church a Second John the Baptizer. O Lord Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send Collect. thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen. |