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CONVERSATION XVII.

BAPTISM OF SPIRIT.

TEMPERANCE.

The Ministry of John Baptist, from the Sacred Text. Idea and Emblem of Purification. Spiritual and Physical Purification. - Mission of Temperance. Repentance. Spiritual Life. - Righteousness. -Temperance. Justice. Confession of Sin. - Pharisees and Sadducees.- Retribution.

Review.

SEVERAL.

reth.

MR. ALCOTT. How old was Jesus at our last conversation, and where was he then? Thirty years of age. He was at Naza

MR. ALCOTT.

How old was John, whom we left a

baby in the hill country of Judea ?

SEVERAL. Six months older.

MR. ALCOTT. They were both old enough to become teachers. The Jews did not allow any of their nation to be teachers till they were thirty.

He then read

Luke iii. 1.

Luke iii. 2.

THE MINISTRY OF JOHN BAPTIST.
MATT. iii. 1-13. MARK i. 2-9. LUKE iii. 1-19.

Before the Vulgar Era, 26. Julian Period, 4739.
Wilderness of Judæa.

Repentance.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judæa, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituræa and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Matt. iii. 1.

Mark. i. 4.
Luke iii. 3.

Matt. iii. 2.

Mark i. 2.

Luke iii. 4.

Luke iii. 5.

Luke iii. 6.

Matt. iii. 4.

Mark i. 5.

Matt. iii. 5.

Matt. iii. 6.
Mark. i. 5.

Matt. iii. 7.

Luke iii. 7.

Matt. iii. 7.

Matt. iii. 8.
Matt. iii. 9.

Before the Vulgar Æra, 26. Julian period, 4739.
The Wilderness of Judæa.

In those days came * John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa.

† John did baptize in the wilderness,

And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,

And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying,

The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord,

Make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled,

And every mountain and hill shall be brought low;
And the crooked shall be made straight,

And the rough ways shall be made smooth;

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

And there went out unto him all the land of Judæa, and they of Jerusalem,

and all the region round about Jordan,

And were

all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism —

Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him—

he said unto them, TO generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentence:

And think not to say within yourselves, ** We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

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Matt. iii. 1.

Luke iii. 10.

Luke iii. 11.

Luke iii. 12.

Luke iii. 13.

Luke iii. 14.

Luke iii. 15.

Luke iii. 16.

Matt. iii. 11.
Mark i. 7.

Before the Vulgar Æra, 26. Julian Period, 4739.

The Wilderness of Judæa.

And now also the ax 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.

And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

He answereth and saith unto them, † He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with

your wages.

And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ or not; John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you

with water

unto repentance, but

there cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose; Matt. iii. 11. whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Matt. iii. 12.

Luke iii. 18.

Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

Mr. Alcott then asked what thoughts the reading suggested?

Idea and Emblem of Purification.

JOSEPH. I should think John could baptize with the same thing as Jesus did, with the Holy Ghost, but he only baptized with

water.

Matt. vii. 19.

† James ii. 15. 1 John iii. 17.

Matt. iii. 11.

MR. ALCOTT.

mean?

What does baptize with water

JOSIAH. I don't know, but baptizing with the Holy Ghost means preaching.

MR. ALCOTT. What does the word baptize mean? JOSEPH. It means purify.

MR. ALCOTT. Why do people purify — baptize with water?

JOSEPH. To clean the body.

MR. ALCOTT. What does purify with fire mean?
JOSEPH. I don't know.

LEMUEL. To baptize with fire means to purify with love, and baptizing with the Holy Ghost means preaching with love, and baptizing with water is an emblem of these.

JOSIAH. John did not mean Jesus would use outward fire, but he wanted to express how very powerful Jesus was over every thing.

GEORGE K. Yes; John meant that Jesus had power like unquenchable fire.

EDWARD J. I think Jesus baptizing with fire meant the kind of punishment he would inflict.

FRANKLIN. Baptizing with water was an emblem, and baptizing with fire was punishment, and baptizing with the Holy Ghost was the miracles which he did.

FREDERIC. Baptizing with the Holy Ghost is the love of Jesus; baptizing with fire is the punishment of conscience.

NATHAN. Baptizing with fire means to make our spirits pure.

WELLES. Water is an emblem of spiritual purity. The fire that the tree is to be cast into, is our conscience when we have done something to repent of. Jesus, trying to make them better by talking and preaching, is baptizing them with the Holy Ghost.

JOHN D. Baptizing with fire is conscience. Baptizing with Holy Ghost is love.

MARTHA. Holy Ghost is love. Fire means the punishment of conscience. Water is an emblem, meaning to cleanse the spirits of people of their sins, so as to be ready for the love of Jesus.

ELLEN. To baptize with water is to cleanse the body; with fire is to cleanse the spirit; with the Holy Ghost includes both purifications.

EMMA. Baptism with water purifies the body, cleanses it. It is an emblem.

ALEXANDER. Baptizing with the Holy Ghost means giving them faith in himself and in God.

SAMUEL R. John cleansed the body; Jesus the spirit.

MR. ALCOTT. Will you explain what you mean ?
SAMUEL R. I do not know how to express it.

MR. ALCOTT. Is the fire, that is meant here, such fire as is in the grate ?

SAMUEL R. No; fire is the emblem of conscience. JOHN B. Fire means reproach of conscience; baptism of water, purification of body; Holy Ghost means love.

When you

CHARLES. Just as water purifies the body, love purifies the spirit. Water means innocence. Fire means conscience. Fire is stronger than water. pray to God and God hears and answers, that is purification by the Holy Ghost.

AUGUSTINE. Baptizing with water is to show how the spirit should be made clean; baptizing with fire means when we are punished to make us better.

MR. ALCOTT. Is there any baptism of fire here? CHARLES. Yes, we have a firey baptism when we punish you on your hand.

SEVERAL. Conscience is a firey baptism.

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