Psalm 2:1-3. Why do the heathen age, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. The conspiracy was both strong and influential, The kings and the rulers combined against Jehovah h and against his Christ. They were very determined; they set themselves with resolute purpose; they took counsel together. They were full of a horrible enthusiasm; they raged; they thought the work as good as done, but they imagined a vain thing. The fight was against Jehovah, and against his Anointed, the Christ, the Messiah. What came of it all? Did they break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from them? Listen: - 4. He that sitteth in the heavens shalt laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. For what can mortals be as compared with the Eternal? The fire can readily enough consume the tow. Shall men set themselves in opposition to omnipotence, and hope to prosper? And when God determines to glorify his anointed Son, shall worms of the dust prevent him from doing so'? What can come of all their opposition? God simply laughs at them, Jehovah has them in derision. 5. Then shall he speech unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sere displeasure. He scarcely needs to lift his hand, he has only to speak; and when Jehovah speaks in wrath, his words are thunderbolts. Men's hearts are indeed troubled when God's words come hot with anger into their spirits. This is what God said:- 6. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. "You have raged, you have deliberated, you have resolved; but it is all nothing. There is my Son, the crowned King." And such is the Anointed tonight; the Christ is on the throne, let Isis enemies say what they will, and he must reign, nothing can prevent it. He must be King of kings and Lord of lords, for thus is it written concerning him. 7. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. This is the seal of the Anointed. He is the Son of the Highest, the only begotten Son of the Father, who says to him, "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." 8. Ask of me, and I shalt give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Christ is asking of his Father; even he cannot have what he desires without asking for it. Prayer is so essential to the progress of the kingdom of Christ that even Christ himself must ask. But then God has promised to give to Christ the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth to he his possession. This is the great strength of all missionary enterprise. Dear friends, we may be quite sure that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord when we read such a text as this: "I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.'' If men will not yield to the Lord when he is made known to them, if they resist the drawings of divine love, what will happen? Listen:- 9, 10. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces, like a otter's ye set. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. "Ye rulers, ye magistrates, ye senators, ye governors of the earth, be wise, be instructed." 11. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. "If you are wise, you will obey the superior King; you will yield obedience to the great Lord of all." 12. Kiss the Son, test he be angry, and ye perish from the Way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. The kings and rulers are bidden to do this; let each one of us do the same, let us give the kiss of homage to him whom God has made to be our King, and take him to be our Lord and Ruler for ever and ever. 12. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. It is so; those of us who have tried it can hear our witness that it is so, there is no life like a life of trust in God. The nearest approach to heaven that we can live in this mortal body is a life of simple confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now let us read concerning our Lord's first coming and appearance amongst the sons of men. Turn to the Gospel according to Matthew, at the third chapter. Matthew 3:1, 2. In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. There is no entering the kingdom of heaven without leaving the kingdom of darkness. We must repent of sin, or we cannot receive the blessings of salvation. Of every man, whoever he may be, whether outwardly moral or openly wicked, repentance is required. It is the door of hope; there is no other way into the kingdom: "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 3, 4. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts end wild honey. His raiment and his food were like his doctrine, rough and simple. There was no mincing of words, no making of pretty phrases with John the Baptist; his message was simply, "Repent ye: repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is coming." We want more of this John the Baptist teaching nowadays, that men may be plainly told their faults, and warned to put away those faults that they may receive Christ Jesus as their Savior. 5-7. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and at Judaea, and out the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come These were the influential people of the times; the Pharisees were the Ritualists of that age, and the Sadducees were the Pationalists of the period. Why, John, you ought to have smoothed your tongue a bit, and have said some very pleasant words to these great men; for, by so doing, perhaps you might have won some of these Pharisees, or coaxed some of these Sadducees into the kingdom! Ah, no; that is not John's method! He is plainspoken, and he deals truthfully with his hearers, for he knows that converts made by flattery are but flattering converts that are of no real value. 8, 9. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: and think not to say within ourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I soy unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham Pointing to the stones in the River Jordan, and all along the banks, he said to the Pharisees and Sadducees, "There is nothing, after all, in your natural descent from Abraham. God has promised that Abraham shall have a seed, but think not that he is dependent upon you for that seed. - He can fulfill his premise without you. He can turn the very pebbles of the stream into children for Abraham. God is not short of men to save. If some of you will not have him, do not think that he shall have to come a-begging to you. There are others who will have him, and his rich sovereign grace will find them out. Beware, ye that are proud and think much of yourselves, for God will not humble himself to you. He hath regard to the humble and the lowly, but the proud he knoweth afar off." 10-12. 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 seater unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shalt baptize you with the holy Ghost, and with fire:-whose fan is in his hand, and he wilt throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he wilt burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The Christ is the minister of mercy, but there is about his doctrine asearching and a trying power. Only the sincere in heart can endure Christ's winnowing fan. As for the insincere, they are blown away like the chaff on the threshing-floor, and their end is destruction. God give us to be numbered amongst the wheat that Christ shall gather into his heavenly garner! 13, 14. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbid him, saying, I have need to be baptized of' thee, and comest thou to me? It seemed very strange that John, the servant, should be required to baptize Jesus, the Master. 15. And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill alt righteousness. Then he suffered him. That is to say the Teacher must himself obey the laws, which he is about to lay down; and inasmuch as he is going to bid others to be baptized, he will set the example, and be himself baptized. I think also that the baptism of Christ was the picture, the type, the symbol of the work, which he afterwards accomplished. He was immersed in suffering; be died, and was buried in the tomb; he rose again from the grave; and all that is set forth in the outward symbol of his baptism in the River Jordan. 16, 17. And Jesus, when he was baptized, scent up straightway out of the water: and, In, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and to a voice from heaven, saying, This in my beloved son, in whom I am well leased. And we are well pleased with him.
