THE FAMILY ALTAR

June 24.

"There was a man sent from God whose name was John. The

same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all

men through him might believe." John 1:6-7.

This day was known of old as the day of John the Baptist.

We may still observe it, not, indeed, like the Eomanists, who

think that they shall merit heaven when they celebrate the festivals

of the apostles and other saints. No; as true Bible-Christians,

we observe such days, as Hebrews 13, 7 admonishes, gratefully to

remember these faithful witnesses and confessors of God's Word

and to follow their example of piety and steadfastness. John the

Baptist was the forerunner of Christ, of whom our Lord Himself

declares, Matt. 11:9-10, that he is more than a prophet. "For

this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger

before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee." John

prepared the way of the Savior into the hearts of the people by

his earnest call to repentance. "Bepent," he cried, "for the king-

dom of God is at hand !" So effective and impressive was his

preaching that "there went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea,

and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of

him in Jordan, confessing their sins." (Matt. 3, 5. 6.) Without

true repentance no one can come to true faith and to forgiveness

of sins in Christ. For true repentance implies that you sincerely

acknowledge your sins before God and are truly sorry for them.

But if John had preached only this kind of repentance and nothing

more, he would not have prepared the way of Christ into the

hearts of his hearers. For Christ comes to us only in His blessed

Gospel. And John preached this Gospel very sweetly and clearly

when he pointed the people away from himself and to Christ with

these words: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the

sin of the world." Then will we celebrate his festival in a God-

pleasing manner when we let John direct us to Jesus as our only

Savior. For that was the Baptist's greatest joy when he saw poor

sinners coming to Christ, as he himself declares, John 3:29-30 :

"He that hath the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the

bridegroom, that standeth and hcareth him, rejoiceth greatly be-

cause of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled.

He must increase, but I must decrease."

Saint John, the Baptist, biddeth me

To cast my burden, Lord, on Thee,

Since Thou hast left Thy heavenly throne,

That for our sins Thou mightst atone.