REV DR. TALMAGE A § § : The Brooklyn Livine's Sunday Sermon, J SE Subject: “The Homesick Soul’ Yexr: “I will arise and go to my father,” = Luke xv., 18, There is potning like hunger to take the energy out of aman. A hungry man can toil neither with pen, wor hand, nor foot, There hax been many an army defeated, not 0 much for lack of ammunition as for lack of bread. It was that fact that took the fire out of this young man of the text. Storm and exposure will wear out any man's life in time, but hunger makes quick work, The most awful cry ever heard on earth is the ory for bread, A traveler tells us that in Asin Minor there are trees which bear fruit looking very much like the long bean of our time, It is called the carab. Once in a while the people reduced to des- titution would eat these carabs but gener- ally the carabs, the beans spoken of here in the text, were thrown only to the swine, and they crunched them with great avidity, But this young man of my text could not even get them without stealing them. Bo one day amid the swine troughs he begins to soliloquize He says: ‘‘These are no clothes for a rich man's son to wear; this is no kind of business for a Jew to be engaged in —feeding swine; I'll go home, I'il go home; I will arise and go to my father.” I know there ars a great many people who try to throw a fascination, a romance, a halo about sin; but notwithstanding all that Lord Byron and George Sand have said in regard to it, it is a mean, low, contempti- ble business, and putting food and fodder into the troughs of a herd of antiquities that root and wallow in the soul of man isa very poor business for men and women in- tended to be sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. And when this young man re solved to go home it was a very wise thing for him to do, and the only question is whether we will follow him. Satan promises large wages if we will serve him, but he clothes his victims with rags, and he pinches them with hunger, and when they start out to do better he sets after them the bloodhounds of perdition, Satan comes to us to-day and he promisesall luxuries, all emoluments if we will only serve him. Liar, down with thee to the pit! “The wages of sin is death.” Oh, the young man of the text was wise when he uttered the resolution, “I will arise and go to my father.” In the time of Mary the Persecutor, a per- secutor came to a Christian woman who had hidden in her house for the Lord's sake one of Christ's servants, and the persecutor said, “Where is that haretic™ The Christian | woman said. “You open that trunk and you will see the heretic.” The persecator opened the trunk, and on the top of the linen of the | trunk he saw a glass. He said, “There isno heretic here.” “Ah” she said, ok in | the glass and you will see the heretic,” / ] take up the mirror of God's word today | would that instead of seeing the prodigal son of the text we might see curselves—our want, our wandering, our sin, our lost con dition—so that we might be as wise as t young man was, and say, “Il will arise go to my father * The resolution of this text was formed in disgust at his present circum«‘ances. If this young man had been by his employer s»t to culturing flowers or training vines over an you tis or overseeing other laborers be would not bave thought of going home. if he had had | his pockets full of money, if be had bean able to say, “1 havea thousand dollars now of my own: what's the use of my going bac: to my father's house’ do you think I am going back to apologize to the old man? why be would g on around the ola place such conduct as is po reason why I should go home: [ have plenty of money, plenty of pleasant sur- roundings, why should 1 go home? Ah’ it was his pauperism, it was his beggary. had to go home. Some man comes and says to me Why do you talk about the ruined state of the buman soul? the progress of the Nineteenth century, and talk of something more exhilarating” It is for this reasom: A man never wants the Gospel until be realizes he is in a famine struck state. Sappose 1 should come to you in your home and you are in good, sound, robust health, and I should begin to talk | about medicines, and about how much better | this medicine is than that and some other | medicine, and talk about this physician and that physician. After a while you get tired, and you would say: *'l don't want to hear | about medicines. Why do you talk to me of physicians’ 1 never have a doctor.” ut suppose 1 come into your house and I | find you severely sick. and I know the medi- | <ines that will cure and I know the physi. | cian who is skillful enough to meet your case, You say: "Bring on that medicine; bring on that physician. [am terribly sick and I want help.” If I came to you and you feel you are all right in body, and all right in mind, and all right in soul you have need of nothing: but supnose I bave per y taat the leprosy of sin is upon you of all sickness; oh, then you say that balm of the Gospel; bring vine medicament: bring me Jesus Christ But says some one in the au “How | €0 you prove toat we are in a ruined condi. | tionby sin® Well, I can prove it in two ways, and you may have your choice. | can prove it by the statements of men or statement of God. Which shall it be? You all say, “Let us have the state. ment of God.” Well, He says in one place, ‘Ine heart is deceitful above all things and Gesparately wicked” He says in another piace, “What is man that he should be «'enn’ and he which is born of a woman, that he should he righteous™ He says in another place, “There is none that doeth good, no, not one” He says in another place, “As by one man sin entereth into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” * Well,” you say, “I am willing to ac<nowl- edge that, but why should 1 take the partic. ular rescue that you propose™ This is the reason, “Ex a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This is the remson, ‘There is one name given under heaven among men whereby they may be saved.” Then there are a thousand voices here ready to say, “Well 1 am ready to ac capt this help of the Gospel: | would like to have this divine cure; how shall 1 go to work” Let me say that a mere whim. an undefined longing amounts to nothing You must have a stout, tremendous resolu. tion like this young man of the text whey he said, “I will arise and go to my father.” “Oh!” says some man, “how do I know my father wants me? How do I know, if I go back, I would be received” “Oh™ says some man, “you don't know where I have Leon: you don't know bow far I have wan- wered; you wouldn't talk that way to me if vou knew all the iniquities I have commit td™ What is that futter among the a oi God? It isnews, it is news! Christ {.und the lost. Nor angels can thelr joy contain, But Kindle with oe peat The sinner lost, Is found, they ning, And strike the sounding iyre. When Napowon talked of going into Italy, they “id: You can't get Ras, t NY knew what the Alps were you wouldn't talk about it or think of it. You can't got Jou en his ience, by the animumition Whom over the Alps. i apoleon rose in stirry way band toward the Moanin Resa “There Jani be no Alps.” That wonder) maltreated his father, It is a sad thin after a father has done everything for a chil to have that child be ungrateful. How sharper than a serpeni’s tooth, If 1a, To have a thankless child, That is Bhakespears, “A foolish son isthe heaviness of his mother.” That is the Bible, Well, my friends, have not some of us been cruel prodigals? Have we not maltreated our Father? And such a Father! Bo lov. ing, so kind. If Ho had been a stranger, if He had forsaken us, {f He had flageliated us, if He had pounded us and turned us out of doors on the commons, it would not have been so wonderful-—our treatment of Him: but He is a Father so loving, so kind, and yet how many of us for our wanderings have never apologized. We apologize for wrongs done to our fellows, but some of us perhaps have committed ten thousand times ten thousand wrongs against God and never apologized, I remark still farther that this resolution sickness, man, how many months, how many years he had been away from his father's house; but there is something in the reading of my text that makes me think he was homesick. away from home sometimes, surrounded by everything bright and pleasant—plenty of friends—you have said, “I would give the world to be home to-night” Well this young man was homesick for his father's house, I have no doubt when he thought of his father's house he said, “Now, perhaps father may not be living.” We read nothing in this story able founded on everyday life nothing about the mother, It says nothing about going home to her, I think she was dead. 1 think she had died of a broken heart at his wanderings. A man having lost his mother. her here. But he is homesick for his father's house, He thought he would just like to and walk around the old place. thought he would just like to go and see if things were as they used to Le. hos a man after having been off a long while has gone ger has come. It is the old homestead, but a stranger comes to the door. He finds out father is gone and mother is gone and brothers and sisters all gone. 1 young man of the text said to himself, *‘Per- haps father may be dead.” Still be starts to find out. He 1s homesick. Are there any here to-day homesick for God, homesick for heaven? A sailor, after having been long on the sea, returned to his father's house, and his mother tried to persuade him not to go away again. She said: “Now you had better stay at home. Don't goaway; we don't want you to go. You will have it a great deal batter here.” But it msde him augry. The night before he went again to ssa he heard his mother praying in the next room, and that made him more angry. He went far out on a storm came up, and be was uty, and he ran up shrouds of tha at he bad heard in whistle it off courage, ould not silence that voi be in the next room, and there m and the darkness he said: “0 J. ch I have been: what a wretch alp me just now, Lord God” And Gi assenDiage to-day y 0 may have the mem or a mother's prayer HY upon the soul, and that ur they may make the same resolution “1 will arise and 9 had a father's ion this bh £0 to my father.” A lad at Liverpo went out too f went 3 wry ond A ship i went out to bathe, ar. got his de sth and be floated far away on board, Bailors are generally very goner a oap and him shoes, beach A gentieman passing at Liverpool found i 4 along on the Inls ¢ father >hild They had beard nothing from him day But the lad took ship very day the garments wrived. He knocked at the door, and the father was overjoyed, Oh, my friends, have you waded out too deep’ Have you wa lad down intosin? Have you waded from tie shore’ Will you come back? When you come back, will you come in the rags of your sin, or will you come robed in the Saviour's righteous ness’ I believe the latter. Go home to your He is waiting for you. Go home! But I remark concerning this resolution, it was immediately put into execution. The father.” The trouble in nine hundred and ninety nice times out of a thousand ix that our resolutions amount to nothing because wa make them for some distant time. If | resolve to become a Christian next year, that If I rewive to a Christian to-morrow, that amounts r at all I i resolve at the service wie 8 Cnriatian, that smmouats ¥ wolve after become ing { r yicid my beart to ing at all. Ths only Lt amounts to anyths that is immediately put rnd, Kin 7 into cution, There is a man who bad the typhoi 1 fever Hesmid: “On! if I could get over this ter rible distress! If this fever should depart, life sorve God” The fever departed. He got well enough to walk around the block. He got well enough to go over to New York and attend to busines He is wall today-—as well as he ever was, Where is the broken vow? There is a man who said long ago, “If I could live to the year 1801, by that time | will have my busi- ness matters ed, and I will have time to attend to religion, and I will be a good, thorough, consecrated Christian.” The year 15801 has come. January, Febru. ary. March, April, May, June ilmost half of the year ». Where is your broken vows, "Oh" says some man, “I'll attend the rest of m up. am now given to strong drink,” or, says the man, “I am given to dishonesty. When I get over my present habits, then I'll be a thor ough Christian,” 1 worse and worse, until Christ takes you in hand. ‘Not the righteous; sinners, Jesus came to all.” that, but 1 must put it off a little longer.” Do you know there were many who came as near as you are to the kingdom of God and nover entered it. 1 was at East Hampton side by side—the graves of sailors. This crew, some years ago, ina ship went into the breakers at Amagansett, about three miles away, My brother, then preaching at East Hampton, had been at the burial Theus men,of. the craw caus very near being saved, The from Amagansett saw the v from shore, and sliows got into the boat, and they pulle! mightily for the shore, but Just before shay 80 the shore the rope soappeia and they were lost, their bodies afterward washed up on the beach. Oh, whats solemn day it was] have been told it by my brother when these twelve men lay at the foot oi the pulpit and be read over the funeral service! eRe very near shore ~within shouting distanc: of the shore —yet did not arrive on solid lanl mon who come almost to the shore of God's marey, but not quite, not quite. To be only sumnost saved is not to be saved at all, I will tli of two the the other that not get iss very prosper the door of that beauttful home one night there was a great outery. The young man of the house ran down and opened the door to see what was the matter, It was mid night. The rest of the family were aslee There were the wife aad the children of this prodigal young man. The fact was he had come homennd driven them out, He saidg “Outof this house, Away with these chile Out into the storm The mother gathered them up and ded, The next morning the brother, the youn man who had staid at home, went out to fin this prodigal brother and son, and he came where he was, and saw the young man wandering up and down in front of the place where he had been staying, and the young man who had kept his integrity said to the older brother: ‘Here, what does all this mean? What's the matter with you? Why do you get in this way?™ The prodigal looked at him and ssid: “Who am If Who do you take me to be?” He said “ You are my brother.” ‘No, I am not; i Have you seen anything of my wife and children? Are thoy dead? 1 drove them out last night in the storm. lama brute. John, do you think there is any help for me? Do you think I will ever get over this life of dissipation” He sald, **Brother, there is just one thing that will stop this’ The prodigal ran his finger across his throat and said: “That will stop it, and I'll stop it before night. Oh! my brain: I ean stand it no longer.” That prodigal never got home, home, In England two young men started from not pursue his could not leave home, and so he wrote a letter down to Mr, “Mr. Grifin, 1 wish you The father could wish you would Jitunnde them back.” Mr, he tried to persuade them He persuaded one to go. with very easy persuasion, because he was The other young I have had enoug I'll never go homa.” Mr. Griffin, “then if you won't go home, I'll "No you won't," said the prodi lam going as a com- able ship.” Years passed on, and Mr, Griffin was seated in his study one day when a mesiaze came to him that there was a young man in irogs on a ship at the dock demusd to death-— who clergyman. Mr. Griffin went dock and went on shipboard man said to him, "You don't know ah be sal i; 1 don't wr tha wished to see this down « do you . Hg man , and he Griffin, iy yt You remen Foul tried to persuade to wouldn't go Oh, yes" Are that man’ man,” th : RO hi you said 4 f Be va or and I mans flurntial young a dock, the father came He bad board that his mn, under a disguised name, had boss com. erims and was go be nut to 3 y Mr, Griffiag and went on the sh gf dock, and al the vory moment Mr. Griffin offered the pardon to the young man, the old per threw his arms around neil: “Fataer, | k nod the ng and [ am very sorry, ne oO tae father A tting wy have done very wr I wish 1 had never } “Oat mention it; it don't make now, It is all over. | forgive you, and be kissed hiso and kissed him and kisssd him full pardon, free pardon. I do pot care waat your sin has bees. Though you sar you have committed a crime against God against your own soul, against your fellow. man, against your family, against the day of ju igment, against the cross of Christ what*ver your orime bas been, bere is pardon, full pardon, and the very moment that you take that pardon your heavenly Father throws His arms around about you and says: “Myson, [forgive you. Itisall right. You areas much in My favor now as if you bal never sinned.” ©! there is joy on earth and joy in heaven. Who will take the Father's embrace? There was a gentleman in a rail ear who saw in that same oar three passengers of very different circumstances. a maniac attendants, His mind, like s ship dismasted, was boating against a dark, desolate coset, from which po help could coms. The train asvium to waste sway, perhaps, through years of gloom. The second passenger was a culprit. The outraged law bad seized on him. As the cars jolted the chains rattled, On his face were crime, depravity and “alr The train halted and was tq ran to the peniteniary, fo wich he had been ocobilempel, Toere was the third passenger, under far diferent circumstances She was a bride, Every hour wis gay as a marriage bell. Lit glittarad and beckoned. Her companion was taking ber to his father’s The train halted. The old man was there to weloome her $0 her new home, and his white looks snowed down upon ber as be Quickly we fly toward sternity. We will soon be there. Some leave this life eon Oh, may it be with us, that leav. ing this fleeting life for the next, we may find our Father ready to greet us to our new home with Him forever. That will be a marriage banquet! Father's welcome! Fathor's bosom! Father's kiss! Heaven! Heaven! iii ii oI sss Why Manilla is Oue Day Behind. ae oa @ places of its size in the world. This cu. Although the Philippine Islands lis near by Spaniards who sailed from America. Sunday suddenly changes into Monday, these flery dons of proud Castilian ances- tors did not revise their calendar. When toid of this years later, when informed that their mode of reckoning time was not up to modern notions, they only said that that was so much the worse for mod. ern notions. Anyhow, the fact remains that these Puilippise Islands keep plod- ding along one day behind all the rest of LOOXING FOR A Love hans a wenkness peaches, says a Sun pondent i spenk met iphorically, into the murket you up the ripe peach and buy that. for preen Frunelsco naturally Sut to look for the green and unripe girl, alone. I think myself —although I don’t know anything at all about iv—that giris should be left to riper on the parent tree and plucked in the proper i should most certainly be more easily But it is not so. Man, unthinking man, tukes the bloom on fust co'or, and the naivets of yeuth for un everlasting charm. Women as like nuts, not fruit. They are soit and tasteless when they are : and they harden with age. i fn ning, and they keep their favor for all simp. FER A If this thing weee distinctly uo stood parents would have less d with their children, and a great de of anxiety and labor would ared In Europe the affectionate sther only lets one of hor daughters out at and the others until has been taken. It is an ex- plan, but it does not always weil. It sometimes gives tae flattering aspect of an only snd if the father is rich that is y effective deception. America they are 80 proud of them all that they put them all oa as soon as possible, and say: The result i ba 8 i ro conceals callent work It is somehow a knack a Em — He Wanted Assistance and Got It. The truslees had Just begun the business of their monthly meeting, and floor, says the They were 1 had the New York Evening Sun. egisiating for most prosperous churches. Two of the members had late busicess engage- and Deacon shop or: the malo street, near Mon, hi hosen for the meeting Ml Deen © r the sak f con vaniann WHE BRKE OF convenianon I'be deacon was well under way when ghtly, » i #5 * in $ and be paused to note the cause of the Connecticut 18 famad for the exten inleresting type now appeared. the door was sufficiently ajar 0 admit raged beard. “Gentlemen,”’ he began, ‘your par- ; but 1am very He paused after this announcement to note the effect “1 went to the doctor,” he soon con. tinned, “and he gave me the pills he held in the each meal, and I would like very much to have some assistance.” “Well, why in thunder don't you take interposed a deacon who “Gentlemen.” replied the tramp He got that meal -— Spent Two Fortunes, In the Hoffman house last night man, I met we were talking a seedy-looking man of stalwart frame came up 0 him and He pot it and turned away, when Johnson said “There goes the wreck of two left him a fortune of about $100,000. spent his money in less than eighteen months and drifted back to Denver, broken down in health and the most most sorry, abject-looking specimen of humanity you ever saw. oe had sown the seeds of consumption, but in- sisted on going into the mine again Instead of perated, strong again, and in the course Just about a year ago I was standing by the a lawyer, whom 1 know and who had tell him that he was for a 000. ‘For heaven's sake,’ he exclaim- § style, sss sass. sth How They Are Mada to Look Pleasant, A traveling photographer in New York has a large monkey for an assist. ant. In fact, the animal does most of the work. Mounted on a forked stick stuck mto the ground, position of the or £ ¥ again™ It was a queer speech but prophetic. He's broke again, as you back to the mine. I guess I'll have to do it, but was there aver before such a fool ish spendthrift?” ——————— A Curious Calenlation, A London paper has oeen giving the results of some curious caloulations, which, if correct, will make a fellow a i EUNDAY, JULY & 183L The word Made Flesh. “obo: 1-18, Memory verses: 11-13) LESSON PLAN. Torre or THE YUaRTER: Son of Ged, Jesus the Goroex Trexr ror tae Quinren 1 hese are written, that ye might be. licve that Jesus is the Christ, the Son have life his 20 ; 81, through Lmssox Torio: The Son's Personal Glory. Lessox Oorrixg i Father, v8. 1.4.8. 10 LZGlory FProciaimed Men, ve. 5, 11-14, 16.18 The dwell among QoLpex Texr: Nlesh, and Dany Home Reapixas: M.—John 1 : 1-18. The Bon’s per- sonal glory. T.—Gen. 1; 1-81, of creation, W.—1 John 1: 1-10, ning of redemption, T.—Frov. 8: 1.31. The eternity of wisdom. V.-John 14 : 1-14. ing the Father. 8—Col. 1 1-20, work. B.~—1 John 8 dren of God. The beginning The begin- Jesus reveal- The 1-24, LESSON ANALYSIS, 1. GLORY ENJOYED WITH THE FATHER I. Glory of Divinity: And the Word was God (1). His name shall be called. ... Mighty | God (lsa. 9 : 6). { I and the Father are one (John 10: 30, | Thomas said unto him, My Lord | and my God (John 20 : 28), In him dwelleth all the fulness of the ! Godhead bodily (Col, 2 : 9). Il. Giory of Fellowship: The same was in the beginning with God (2). Let us make man in our image, our liken ss (Gen, 1 : 26). The Word was with God (John 1 : 1). The glory which 1 bad with thee before the world was (John 17: 5). after John 17:24). i { i111. Glory of Creatorship: The world was made by him (10), { Then 1 was by him, as a master work- man (Prov 3: 30 All things were made by him (John 1: i 3) { In him were all things created (Col. 1: 16). Through whom also he made the worlds tHeb, 1: 2). 1. “In the beginning was the Word with God wag God.” The Word (1) Eternal; (2) Personal; (3) Divine. —The Word; (1) When he of the world Whom he was 2. “All things were made by him ” (1) Creation’s Agent; (2) Crestion’s extent; (3) Creation’s perfection 3. “The world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” (1) The Creator's work; (2; The creature's stupadity. GLORY PROCLAIMED BY JOHN THE BAPTIST I. John's Authority; | A man, sent from God, whose name was John (6). Behold, I send my messenger (Mal 8 : 1. e word of Go 1 came unto John (Lake 12 IL 3:2) They be persuaded that John was a all might believe (7). i (Mal. 3: 1). In those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching (Matt. 3 : 1), John came, who baptized .... preached (Mark 1 : 4), That he should be made manifest. ... came I (John 1 : 31), 111, John's Testimony: This washe. . . . he was before me (15), The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye (Isa. 40 : 8), He that cometh after me than I (Matt. 8 : 11), and is mightier Ghost (Mark 1 ; 9), Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh God.” (1) The Sender; (3; The mission. 2. “The same cameo. . . . that he might bear witness lieve.” (1) John's immediate aim; nenoe; (2; Jesus’ Jesus before John (1) In personal existence; (2; in official rank; (8) In abiding power. IIL. GLORY DISPLAYED AMONG MEX, 1. As aShining Light: The light shineth io the darkness (5), Light is come into the world (John 3 ; 9). I am the light of the world (John 8; 19: Yet a little while is the light among on (John 12 : 85). ver belie on me my not abide in the darkness (John 12 : 48). Il. Asan Exa'ting Bansfaotor: children of To them gave he the right to become Tod (12). Ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Crist (Gd 8: 2). ; i'eloved, now are we children of Gof (1 John 3: 2. 11. As a RMevalation of Cod: The only begotten Son,....he hath We beheld hus glory, glory as of. the Father (John 1 : 14, that sent me (John 12: 45. He that hath seen me bath Father (Johnld: 9). Who 1s the image of the invisible God (Col, 1: 15, 1. “The light shineth in the dark- ness; and the darkness apprehend- ed it not.” (1; Light shining : (2 L'srkuess abid ng. —1) The fins: (2) The darkness; (3) The contact; (4) The consequence. 2, “The nght to become children of God.” (1) High honor; (2: Divine right; (3) Gracious bes owment, 8. “The only begotten Bon....he hath declared him ” (1) The Lord's honorable sonship; (2) Lhe Lord's essential work.—~(1) The unseen God; (2) The untsugiht world; (8) The competen. Revealer, seen the LESSON BIBLE READING. JESUS REVEALING THE FATHER, The Fater unseen (John 1: 18), The bon declares him (John 1: 18), As the word (John 1: 1, 14. As the Creator (John 1: 8, 10) As the lLafe (John 1: 4, 12, 13, As the Light (Jolin 1: 4-9). Coming smong men (John 1: 10, 11), Displaying God's Glory (John 1: 14 i}. 16). LESSON BURROUNDINGS, The first part of the lesson (vs. 1-5) deals with what is before all history, The historical portion begins with the yreacher, but refers to the incarnation ‘erse 15 may point to some specific ui terance, but more probably sums up the witness of John beforeSthe baptism of Jesus (comp. Luke 3: 15-17, and par- | allel passages). It will be convenient | to make this the historical date of the lesson. The interval between the Old Testa ment lessons and the baptism of Jesus !is over six hundred years. The cap- tivity in Babylon cured the Jews of | idolatry; the restoration began a new | era. For several centuries this people prepared for the coming of the Mes- siah, ‘“the true light.” Other nations had their share in this preparation | The history of the three centuries from Alexander to Augustus Cesar is n rightly stode 4d, unless this provident ordering of “the fulness of the time" is recognized. In the Gospel history the leading | events narrated by Matthew and Luke | are as follows: Tie appearance of Zach- | arias; the annuneiation; the visit of | Mary to Elizabeth; the birth of John | the Baptist; the appearance of an angel to Joseph; the birth of Jesus in Beth- | lebem; the incident of the shepherds; the presentation in the temple; the | visit of the magi; the flight into Egypt; the massacre of the children: the desth ; of Herod and the return from Egypt; | the visit to Jerusalem when Jesus was { twelve years of age; the years of silence, subjection, and growth in Nazareth; the appearance of John the Baptist and the effect of his preaching. Mark and John begin their accounts of the his. | tory at this point. \ | Praoe a (Bev. Ver.) or | Beth-abara (Auth. Ver.) beyond Jordan | (John 1: 25) is the place where John | was baptizing; but he began to preach | in the wilderness of Judea. There is | much discussion as to the correct form { of the rame, and also as to the local {ity. Captain Conder thinks Bethany | is the name of the distr.ot (Batanis— } Bashan) in which Beth-abara lay, “If | this view is correct, the place of John's { baptizing was in Perea, at a ford of the | Jordan, about twenty-two miles south- east of Cana, about fourteen south of | the Bea of Galilee,and a little above the jcity of Beth-shan.” The tradition. | al site, near Jericho, has little to sup- , port at thirty years of age, the date would be in the summer of 779, year of Rome, | The baptism of Jesus may be placed in that is, | January, 780, year of Rome: For copvenience, December | cepted as the probable date of the birth Feansg Pemsons.—God and the Word, that “was God;"” John the Baptist and the incarnate Word, The Jews are re- ferred to as “‘they that were his own,” and believers as “ihe children of God.” Pararien Passages. —On the theory that the lesson refers to the time ime mediately before the baptism of Jesus, the following o% are parallel: Matthew 3: 1-12; Mark 1: 1-8; 5 1-18, DESTINY. Srush 1did aL dream u our wa rough together; y » handed her some strawberries and ¢ ersam, And then we talked, I think about the weather. t bored, And she, 1 notioed, scomed a little restly Our hearts dud not then beat in sweet 2000r) ; Resides—“the weather” did not prove mug gestive, Nor when I knew her better did 1 think That 1 should wake some morning to dis tover That Tate at length bad forged the missing And bound me to that maiden as ber lover. Bot Fate is strong. We and met gain At Srused lowe in the Row, at tennis, To war with i= ail in . We even met, by PAL, oo Vontes, fe time rol still I saw no ' A EE Tea Ad a eh Ee, Hd I EST at i Sr wet noon. 0 &
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