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CONVERSATION XXI.

SPIRITUAL REVERENCE.

HUMILITY.

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John's Testimony to Jesus, from the Sacred Text. Sentiment of Reverence. - Forerunners. Idea and Emblem of Retribution. nition of Jesus.

Recog

MR. ALCOTT. Where did we leave John and Jesus? SEVERAL. Jesus in the wilderness; and John at

Jordan.

Mr. Alcott pointed out the places on the map, and then read the

TESTIMONY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST TO JESUS.

Before the

Vulgar Æra, 26. Reverence.

Julian Period,

4739.

Bethabara.

Matt. iii. 3.

JOHN i. 19-28.

19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusa

salem to ask him, Who art thou?

20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

*Matt. iii. 11. Acts xix. 4.

Sentiment of
Reverence.

27* He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

JOHN B. I did not understand about untying the "shoe-latchet."

JOSIAH. John wanted to express in a very strong way, how much greater Jesus was than himself.

MR. ALCOTT. What is that mode of expression called?

EDWARD J. A parable.
ELLEN. An allegory.
FRANKLIN. An emblem.

LUCIA. A figurative expression.

CHARLES. Stooping to unloose a shoe-latchet expresses feeling lowly in comparison, unworthy, humble. When he says he was not worthy to untie the shoelatchet, he expresses a very great degree of elevation in Jesus, and great unworthiness in himself. I think John was very conscientious to deny that he was the Christ. If he had loved to get power, he would have taken advantage of their predisposition.

FREDERIC. Why did not John tell them his name when they asked?

MR. ALCOTT. Was it not more important to tell them of his office? What do you suppose he meant by the "Voice of one crying," &c.?

FREDERIC. That he was a preacher of goodness.
AUGUSTINE. That he came from God.

MR. ALCOTT. Why did he not say, "I am a man crying," &c.?

FRANKLIN. He did not feel worthy to call himself a prophet.

GEORGE K. He was a preacher, and the most important part of a preacher is his voice.

WELLES. He wanted to make them think only of his preaching.

EDWARD. He was a teacher.

Forerunners.

JOSEPH. Why did not John say, I am a

man come to tell about Jesus?

I should

think he would have done so.

CHARLES. He was a herald.

MR. ALCOTT. One great man usually prepares the way for another.

CHARLES.

applied it.

Fulton discovered steam power, others

ELLEN. Ministers prepare the way for the Judgment

Day.

Idea and Em

MR. ALCOTT. What do you mean by Judg

blem of Retri- ment Day?

bution.

ELLEN. The last day, the day when the world is to be destroyed.

MR. ALCOTT. When will that day come?

CHARLES. The Day of Judgment is not any more at the end of the world than now. It is the Judgment of

conscience every moment.

MR. ALCOTT. Ellen is thinking of burning worlds, open books, a Judge, an assembled universe.

LUCIA. I think the day of Judgment is when any one dies; the conscience judges.

JOSEPH. Mr. Alcott, it does not mean any particular day; but they wanted to express how very certain and real the judgment is which goes on all the time, and so they expressed it in this way, for no words can exactly express it.

JOHN B. Whenever we do wrong it is a day of judg

ment to us.

MARTHA. Death is necessary for complete judg

ment.

EDWARD J. Death is necessary for any judgment. AUGUSTINE. I do not think the world is to be destroyed.

(Several agreed.)

CHARLES. Some people think there is a throne of diamonds for God, and that bodies will go up.

MR. ALCOTT.

Cannot you take all these outward things away from the Judgment, Ellen, and still have Judgment left?

ELLEN. Yes, but I think there are these outward things besides.

Recognition of Jesus.

MR. ALCOTT. But to return. Why did they ask why he baptized?

George K. They seemed to think that only Elias or some prophet could baptize.

MR. ALCOTT. They perhaps understood him to say that he was no prophet. What does he mean when he says, "there is one among you whom you know not"? WELLES. Where was Jesus?

AUGUSTINE. In the wilderness.

SOME. He was present among them there.

MR. ALCOTT. How many of you think you would know a Saviour, if you saw one among you?

FRANK A. I should not know him, if he was dressed like other people.

MR. ALCOTT. Jesus was dressed like the others, and this was perhaps a good reason for their not knowing him?

CHARLES. I could tell him by his face.

WELLES. I could tell him by his actions.

MR. ALCOTT. We have had too much heat in the room to-day, yet some of you have been interested.

CONVERSATION XXII.

CONCILIATION OF SPIRIT.

SELF-SACRIFICE.

John's Testimony to Jesus, from the Sacred Text.— Emblem of Love and Innocence. Spirit typified in Nature. - Idea and Emblem of Self-Sacrifice. Purification by Self-Sacrifice. Excellence. John's Mission. — Spiritual Experience. - Idea of Absolute and Derivative Being. - Test of opinions. Synopsis of the preceding conversations.

Mr. Alcott pointed out Bethabara, Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Hebron, where John was born. Then he discriminated John the Evangelist, or Gospel writer, from John the Baptist. John the Evangelist was John the Baptist's disciple, and heard his first testimony to Jesus. Having explained these things, he read

Before the

JOHN'S TESTIMONY TO JESUS.

Vulgar Era, 26. Self-Sacrifice.
Julian Period,
4739.

Bethabara.

*Matt. iii. 16.

JOHN i. 29-34.

29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with

water.

32 * And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

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