Now, the season of Lent reminds us of self-examination, of self-judgment; and surely if self-judgment, it will be self-condemnation. It bids us take everything to God: thus shall we be blessed in the Lord, and in the power of the Holy Ghost we shall have His peace pervading our hearts. Now let us proceed to—
2. The Witness.
It was in “the fulness of time” that our Lord came. They had often been asking, Where are the signs of His coming? It is of no use for man’s clock to strike before God’s. If I may say so with reverence, God’s clock struck, and then John the Baptist came—six months before the Lord. Long predicted and anticipated, at length he came. He was of good parentage. There is a great deal in being of good parentage. “The seed of the blessed of the Lord” (Isa. lxv. 23). The real thing—that is what we want; not gilding or veneer, but the good heart of oak. “They were both righteous before God,” etc. (Luke i. 6). That is the good parentage. Children are apt to follow parents really walking “in the ways of the Lord.”
His witness was uncompromising. It was no time for mincing words. “The axe is laid unto the root of the tree,” etc. (Matt. iii. 10). He went straight to the mark.
His witness was general. Observe this, when you hear men say, “The Gospel is not to be preached to all; it is only for the elect.” God has His elect; God forbid that we should deny it. But how shall we know them?
It was a good answer of John Newton’s (too familiar it may have been) when one was finding fault with him for preaching the Gospel to all men, he said, “You chalk the elect, and then I will preach to them apart.” Though the words are too familiar, they strike the right note. John preached the Gospel to all, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Mark you, the same word his blessed Master preached (Matt. iv. 17). “Repent ye,”—change your mind; go straight to Christ, to God. Cease to do evil by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Though the Gospel has been preached from this place forty to fifty years, there are those who sit there, year after year, just as they were. How will they be found in the Day of the Lord?
As his witness was wholly uncompromising and general, so was it practical. He went direct to the mark. The soldiers, the publicans, the people, all came to him; even the Pharisees stripped off, or rather covered over, their phylacteries. The Spirit of the Living God to convince of sin and quicken the conscience of each sinner—that is what we want. Unless we speak in the Holy Ghost and in power, we might as well, and far better, never speak at all.
The soldiers were coming into very great power at that time; he told them, “Do no violence,” etc., “and be content with your wages.” Then the tax-gatherers (who were utterly different from ours) had great opportunities of over-reaching; and some did not fail to take advantage of the power. Sad advantage for them. He told them, “Exact no more than that which is appointed you.” “He that hath two garments, let him impart to him that hath none.” If you can do good to any one, do it; if you have small means, use them; if you have great, use them. John used very plain language, “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Yes, beloved, John could hardly have moved in polite society, for he ventured to speak of hell, of “the unquenchable fire,” of “the wrath to come.” He told them to flee, not to creep, not to walk, “from the wrath to come.” He urged—his Master rather urged—“Repent ye,” etc. He spoke to the conscience. Oh, that the Lord in my few remaining days, if any more days are given me, oh, that He would make my words more plain. I have striven to be plain, brethren.
John was the uncompromising, the faithful, the affectionate witness. We want a practical religion. If not practical, we had better throw it behind our backs; it will not profit us in the last day. What is the use of our religion if it is not to influence our life, if it is not to make you, dear children, better children, more obedient children, keeping your tongues from evil words, making you kind and gentle, your father’s joy and your mother’s darling, because they can trust you? As a dear little grandchild of mine said, “I don’t know what papa would do without me; I’m his right hand, he says,” and she added, “Oh, I don’t know what I should do without him!” Yes, we want practical religion. If we are not honest-hearted, faithful to our trust, if we do not to others as we would they should do to us, when we get to the gate of heaven and begin then to look for our religion, to hunt for our certificate, it will not be found. The man without the wedding garment was speechless.