Matthew 11:15

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

A formula used by Christ to give especial emphasis. The truths announced were of great moment to those who could hear and understand. He had declared John's mission and exalted place, and in doing this, had really declared that he was himself the one spoken of by Malachi before whom the messenger should go. He had thus, to those who understood it, made. striking revelation of himself.

PRACTICAL AND SUGGESTIVE.

Doubts come often from inactivity: John working beside the Jordan bears testimony to his faith; but shut up in the prison begins to doubt.

Doubts may arise from incomplete knowledge: John can only judge of Christ's works from the partial and prejudiced accounts of visitors to his prison.

There is no better way to be relieved of doubts than to tell them fully to Christ.

The best answer is, not In words, but in deeds. The words of Jesus demonstrate him to be the Christ. Christianity has also an answer in words. It connects its deeds with the worker and the result. "Tell John." Its words illuminate its deeds by the expanse of the underlying law, force, and aim of its activity.

"To the poor the gospel is preached." This explains the miracles. There appears all the divine origin of the gospel; there is illustrated the divine intent of the gospel; there blossoms the divine method of the gospel.

THE SIX ARGUMENTS.--By six works of mercy Christ wrought miracles upon the body, and by those six also doth he work miracles upon the soul. Blindness is ignorance and error; lameness is infirmity and waywardness of will; the leprosy is concupiscence of the flesh; deafness is obduration of the heart; the separation of grace from the soul is death; poverty is the defect, or want of the knowledge of God, the power to receive the gospel.-- Sutton.

NOT. REED.--Our light is like. candle; every wind of vain doctrine blows it out, or spends the wax, or makes the light tremulous; but the lights of heaven are fixed, and bright and shine forever. John 5:35; Ephesians 4:14.-- Bishop J. Taylor.

J OHN THE. APTIST.--Thirty long years of preparation; then. brief and wonderful success, brimful of promise; that success suddenly arrested; all means and opportunities of active service plucked out of his hand. Then the idle months in prison, and then the felon's death! Mysterious, inexplicable, as such. life might look to the eyes of sense, how looked it to the eyes of God? The lips that never flattered have said to John, that, of those that have been born of women, there hath not arisen. greater; his greatness mainly due to his peculiar connection with Christ, but not unsupported by his personal character, for he is one of the few prominent figures in the sacred page upon which not. single stain is seen to rest. And, though they buried him in some obscure grave, yet for that tomb the pen that never traced. line of falsehood, has written the brief but pregnant epitaph: " John fulfilled his course. "-- Hanna.

POINTS FOR TEACHERS.

1. Bring out the former relation of John to Christ, his prediction of the one coming after, the Baptism; the Spirit and the Father's Voice, the Witness of John to his Disciples. 2. Point out the Position of John now, long. Prisoner exposed to Death, his Expectation of Christ as. Temporal King. 3. Show why he was Disappointed and in the Dungeon losing heart, hope and trust in Jesus. Why the messengers are sent. 4. Point to Jesus when they come, at work, Healing, Helping, Teaching. 5. Bring out the Reply of Christ; Not an answer of Words but of Deeds; What Points in It; the Last and Greatest; contrast that with the way of Jewish Rabbis, Scribes and the Heathen Philosophers; With that of such men as Ingersoll. 6. Note Christ's Testimony of John; not. Reed, not. Courtier, more than. Prophet; none Born, Greater. Show why. 7. Who are Greater. Show why. 8. Show Logical Sequence. John, not in kingdom, not set up, when set up. Show how John was the Elias to come. 10. Deduce the inestimable privilege of Being in the Kingdom. Who is in it. (Matthew 7:21.) Are you in it?