Studies on the Gospels.

BY CHARLOTTE M. YONGE,

AUTHOR OF "THE HEIR OF REDCLIFFE."

CHAPTER III.-PREACHING OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST.

ST MARK begins his Gospel with the forerunner of Christ, giving almost the same account of him as St Matthew. For the parentage and mission of John, see Luke i. 5-25 and 57-60. Thus he was a priest by birth, and also a Nazarite by training (Num. vi.) Malachi (iv. 5, 6) had predicted the return of Elijah, and the angel had told John's father how the prophecy was to be fulfilled (Luke i. 17). The likeness to Elijah lay in the wild, stern life in the deserts (2 Kings i. 8), and the calls to repentance that began the dispensation of prophets. Indeed, our Lord himself pronounced him to represent Elijah, though there may yet be a further fulfilment to come. His raiment was the rough tissue of camels' hair of which Arab tents are made. Wild bees abound in the hollows of the rocks of the land "flowing with milk and honey." It is doubtful if the locust means the insect, which is eaten by the Arabs, or the locust bean. Either way, rude, chance supplies from the desert are shown to have been his food, to accord with his exhortations.

The whole purport of the law had been to show mankind their sinfulness, in order that they might feel the need of the Saviour (Gal. iv.); and John, the last prophet of the law, and great forerunner, brought as it were this teaching to a point, as the voice crying in the wilderness and preaching repentance. Only the sense of sin could open the heart to the reception of the true benefit of Christ's coming. Therefore he prepared the way, according to Isaiah's prophecy (Isa. xl. 3-5). The allusion is to the harbingers who went before to make a road for the cumbrous progress of an Eastern monarch through wild country, and to the Jews of the time it must have spoken of the Roman roads, straight as an arrow, paved and carried over valleys and levelled hills. Even so the swellings of pride and baseness of falsehood must alike be levelled for the pathway of the Lord. By the kingdom of heaven most would have understood that for which the Jews were always looking-the rule of Messiah as a great temporal sovereign, a new David, restoring all things, and therefore needing that repentance should be the preparation. Those who were

willing to pledge themselves to accept that kingdom and leave off their sins were baptised in the Jordan. Baptism, which literally means in Greek washing, was the natural token of purifying, and was used by the heathen before sacrifices, also by the Jews on the admission of those proselytes called 'of the gate,' who believed and forsook their idols, but without being circumcised and entering on the observances of the law. Thus it was the sign of a new beginning; but St John clearly taught that his baptism was merely the token of repentance and willingness to receive Him who should bring a greater baptism, as in Acts i. 5 and Acts ii. 2-4, -a baptism that should cleanse, while his own was only the token of the desire to be cleansed (Matt. iii. 11).

The Pharisees were so called from a Hebrew word meaning separate, because in the time of apostacy before the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanus, they had separated themselves from those who were falling into heathenism. They were zealous for the observance of the Law in full perfection; but as the Hebrew of the Scriptures had not been commonly spoken since the captivity, only a dialect called Aramaic (from Aram or Syria), explanations were in constant use, and were treated by the Pharisees as of equal authority with the Word. As the only faithful, too, they showed great pride, and were exceedingly hard on all trivial offences against their own interpretation of the law. The obedience on which they plumed themselves was entirely outward, not of the heart; and thus they only came to John from fashion, not from repentance.

The Sadducees took their name from Sadoc, a teacher 150 years before, who had declared that man's goodness should be simply out of honour to God, not from fear of punishment or hope of reward. From this his disciples had come to denying that there was any future hope or fear. Moreover, they did not accept as Scripture any books save those of Moses; and as scarcely anything is there revealed about angels or the resurrection, they denied both (Acts xxiii. 8). They were, in fact, trying to pave down their faith into agreement with Greek philosophy; and they were far better able to be on good terms with the Romans than were the Pharisees, and most of the men in high authority were thus Sadducees, while the learned men and teachers who were most respected were Pharisees. Party spirit between them ran very high, and their disputes had done much to cause the fall of the free Judean kingdom of the Maccabees.

St Luke (iii. 10-14) shows how St John advised the persons

who came to him in sincerity, but St Matthew only gives the rebuke to those who came from fashion or curiosity. His term for them as children of the evil one was repeated by our Lord in His last warnings (Matt. xxiv.), just before He finally left the temple. They must show real signs of repentance, such as He had required of the soldiers and the publicans before they could be accepted.

The children of Abraham had the promise (Gen. xxii. 17, 18); but these fallen Jews were not to claim it in his right. He is the father of the faithful, rather than of those born of him by natural descent (Rom. iv. 11-13). The cold stony-hearted Gentiles should become his true sons (Gal. iii. 7).

The axe, &c., is a proverbial expression. The keen edge of which would divide between those able to stand the test and those

who could only be cast away. In like manner he speaks of the division that the great Judge makes in the threshing-floor of the earth. "His fan" is a comparison taken from the sails which were made to winnow the corn upon the threshing-floor, blowing away the chaff to destruction (Ps. i. 4; Isa. xxx. 28). John had called men to repent; He who was coming would try whether the repentance was real, and whether those who possessed it were true and solid, or light and empty.

Then came to John He whom he had come to announce, JESUS Himself, to be baptised. Apparently John, as His kinsman after the flesh, knew His perfect life and his own inferiority, so as to shrink from baptising Him till enjoined to do so, but did not know that this his Cousin was the Messiah whose coming he was foretelling till the sign foretold was fulfilled (Matt. iii.) It is likely that this appearance was not of an actual Dove, as shown in pictures, but light taking the form like that of a hovering Dove. This was a manifestation of the Holy Trinity-God the Father speaking from above, God the Son as man below, God the Holy Ghost resting on Him. Thus was the testimony of God borne to His eternal Sonship (Ps. ii. 7). So in like manner are we baptised into the Name of the Holy Trinity (Matt. xxviii. 19). "Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness," is understood to mean that as He was circumcised to take upon Him the Jewish covenant, which He only perfectly fulfilled, so He was baptised to take on Him the Christian covenant, which He not only Himself fulfilled, but enables His members to fulfil,

MISTRESS OF METHOD, STOCKWELL TRAINING COLLEGE, LONDON.

Two Sketches on the same subject, to show the different methods of treating it, according to the age of the class.

[SUITABLE for children of about nine years of age, who are likely to have seen the sea, or at least a picture

of it.]

Time required.-Half an hour.

Apparatus.-Picture of a stone and a wooden lighthouse (unless the teacher can draw them on the black-board.)

Aim of the lesson. To make the children express what they learn about the subject.

Sea Voyage Described.-Teacher very briefly describes a voyage by sea; the weather rough, the wind driving the ship along at a great rate.

Sunken Rocks.

Dangers.-No harm in this while the ship has only the water to push against, but sometimes rocks may lie in the way, just under the water, yet not deep enough down for the vessel to go over them. What must hap

pen then? (The ship must be driven against the rocks; be lifted on to them and knocked to and fro by the wash of the water. The rocks will make holes in the ship-planks get torn out and washed away-ship be upset-people be struck or washed off, and drowned.)

Darkness.-What causes this mischief? (Rocks.) How is it that sailors do not keep the ship away from the rocks? (They cannot always see them.) How is this? (The rocks are covered by water.) Even if a part of the rock comes above the water, it cannot always be seen. When can it not? (At night-in a fog -in a snow-storm.)

*These "Outlines" are inserted in the belief that they will afford to young teachers valuable help in the study of practical lesson making, not merely in writing "Notes of Lessons."-ED.

Means of Lessening these Dangers,-So many ships and people have been lost, that plans were made long ago for helping the sailors to keep clear of rocks. (Children may suggest means of marking the rocks.)

Floating Bells.-First a large bell was chained to the rock, and fastened to a wooden float. But when the storm was roaring and the waves dashing, this would not be heard. What would be better?

Lights. (A light fastened to the rock.) How could they keep it from being blown out? (Have a strong lantern.) How keep it from being put out by the water getting in at the air-holes?* Put it up on a post or high stand, to keep it out of reach.) This is very much like what they really do. They build Outside of a high stand, and fasten the lantern at the top. Lighthouse described. Here is a picture of the kind of stand they used to 1. Wooden. build, and still build sometimes. Some very strong posts of wood are rivetted to the rock and to each other, made very firm with cross pieces, and then a kind of box is made on top of them, with the lantern on top of that.

2. Stone. Here is a picture of another kind. You can see what this is made of (stone). Where is the lantern? Why is it placed so high? Why so large? Why built into the stonework? Interior of Building.-The rocks are often miles away from land, and in rough weather people could not go to light the lantern. Can you see the use of the box-like top in this one? (It serves as a shelter to a man, who lives there on purpose to keep the lantern clean and light the lamp every night.) Where will the keeper live in the stone building? (Inside.) It would be very dull for one man to live there for weeks alone; so there are generally two or three. What will they want to keep there? (Food. Water; they cannot drink sea-water. Clothing for cold weather.) What will they want for the lamp? (Oil. Wicks. Leathers for polishing the glass.) You can see the windows of the rooms where the men live and the stores are kept.

What shall we call the building? [Teacher here Name given. writes the words "A Lighthouse" on the board as the first part of the definition, and fills up the sen

[If the children have not been taught before (as they should) that a light will not burn without air to feed it, some one may here suggest "Stop up the holes." In such a case, the teacher will find it best simply to state that the light would then go out for want of air. It would be unwise to digress for a long scientific explanation, which might expand into a whole lesson.]