not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire; whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner, but burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering, said unto him, Suffer it to be SO now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. REFLECTIONS. What a comment does this account afford us, on the emptiness of our excuses for neglecting the or dinances of religion! We think, perhaps, that we stand in no need of them; we suppose our principles too firmly fixed to receive aid from the ministrations of a fellow mortal in public worship; or we are over fearful of appearing ostentatious in our goodness. We fear lest the world should suspect us of a desire to appear holier than others. How many, from feelings like these, refrain from approaching the table of Christian communion ! How many, by such thoughts, are withheld from engaging in family worship, from regular attendance on the public service of God, nay even from private prayer! Such thoughts derive no sanction from the example of Jesus. Wherever an opportunity presented itself of leaving his testimony to the cause of holiness, of acknowledging his God, of instructing those around him, that opportunity he improved. Does not his example speak to each of us, in his own words, "Go, and do thou likewise"? HYMN. SUFFER IT TO BE SO NOW; FOR THUS IT BECOMETH US TO FULFIL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS." And shall I, of my strength secure, Resist instruction's call, When thou, the holy and the pure, D Oh let me meekly serve my God, Unmoved, if mortals blame or praise, His love, my joy in prosperous days, SECTION VIII. TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS. MATT. IV. THEN was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple; and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down; for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, it is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him REFLECTIONS, "All these things will I give thee." Such is ever the call of temptation. "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship thy passions, if thou wilt sacrifice what is noble in thee to what is base, philanthropy and religion to selfish enjoyment, the future to the present, heaven to earth." Let us flee from idolatry. The moment when inclination becomes sufficiently strong within us to banish from our minds the thought of God, and make duty seem unattractive, that moment we are in danger; that moment we may be sure that an idol has erected an altar in our hearts. Let us at that moment resolve never more to worship before it. All those things for which we ask, it may give us or it may withhold; but it will rob us of our peace of mind, our social and religious feelings, the rational esteem of the wise and virtuous, the approbation of our conscience and of our God. HYMN. 66 THOU SHALT WORSHIP THE LORD THY GOD, AND HIM ONLY SHALT THOU SERVE." When a thousand voices raise Sweeter strains of soft desire Mammon bids thee view the store Heaped for him from ev'ry shore. |
