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3:1 l, 1 2 ). Indeed , m uch th a t Jo h n th e B ap tist h e re tells us, he could h av e le a rn ed from th e stu d y o f th e O ld T e stam en t Scriptures, o f which w e know h e w as a m o st d iligen t stu d en t. 30. “This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred (ra th e r, who is become) before me, for he was before me” (ra th e r, “first o f me” ). T hese w o rd s c a rry us b a c k to v. 15 (w h e re w e h a v e a lre a d y e x p o u n d e d th em— see F e b ru a ry num b e r ) . T h e re is a little v a ria tio n from v. 15 in th e w o rd s “ o f w hom ” — a d ifferen t p repo sitio n is used here, th e exact force o f which is, “ in b e h a lf o f w h om ,” i. e., it w as as d e claring a n d v ind ic a ting th e glorious office of th e L o rd Jesu s as com p a red w ith his own th a t Jo h n h a d u tte re d these w ords. T h e re is also a v a ria tio n in th e use of th e w o rd s “ a m a n .” T h e w o rd tra n sla ted “m an ” is em - What Growing G row ing ou t o f sin is n o t a p a rt of tru e C hristian grow th. Y et to m an y o f us, it is to b e feared , th e seeking to lay aside one sin a fte r a n o th e r seem s to b e of chief im p o rt ance in ou r grow th. But sin is a fo r eign elem ent, which h as no tru e place in th e g row th o f a C h ristian ; fo r th e C hristian ough t to b e one w ho has d ied to sin.” No m an c an grow ou t o f sin; th e re is b u t one th ing to do w ith it: let th e om n ip o ten t pow e r o f th e b lo o d o f C h rist b lo t it out, an d th en let tru e g row th comm ence an d go on, u n h in d e red b y th e disease. O u r exam p le in C h ristian grow th, as
p h a tic— it is no t th e generic w o rd fo r a hum an being w h e th e r m ale or fem ale, b u t a w o rd th a t sets fo rth a m an as d istinguished from a w o m an, an d a n a d u lt m an as d istin guished from a boy. It is also th e w o rd used w h en ev e r w e find th e w o rd h u sb a n d ” in ou r English v e r sion. It is on ly found in J o h n ’s w rit ings in one o th e r p la c e (Ch. 6 :1 0 ) , excep t in th e passages w h ere it is tra n sla te d h u sb a n d .” J o h n uses it h e re in stead o f th e usual w o rd fo r m an in o rd e r to se t fo rth th e dign ity a n d m an ly stren g th o f th e L o rd Jesus, possibly w ith a v eiled sugges tion th a t th e L o rd Jesu s C hrist is the h u sb an d o f th e C hu rch (a s Paul says, “ I h av e espou sed you to one h u sb an d th a t I m ay p re sen t you as a chaste virg in to C h rist,” 2 Cor. 11 :2. In this passage th e w o rd tra n sla ted “h u sb a n d ” is th e sam e w o rd th a t is tra n sla ted “m an ” h e re .) (T o Be C o n tin u ed .) in Grace is Not. in all else, w e find in th e L o rd Jesus. Sin h a d no p a rt in H is life. H e was th e one child th a t received all te a c h ing perfectly, tak in g th e re a l tru th ou t o f each experience, an d tu rn ing th e tru th in to life. W hile w e c an n o t h e re b e like H im in H is sinlessness, we can nevertheless b e fre ed c om p le te ly b y H im from th e pow e r of sin; an d th e g row th H e w ou ld h av e us know is g row th th a t is free from th e p ow e r o f sin. Shall w e let H im pu rg e ou t th e disease, an d give up try ing to grow ou t o f it? O n ly thu s shall w e b e re a d y to use a rig h t our privilege of grow ing in grace.
Sunday School Times.
A Man must Die.
A m an m ust live! P ra y tell m e w hy Life a t such cost y o u have to buy? In w h at religion w ere you told A m an m ust live? T h ere is a tim e w hen a m an m ust die.
Im agine fo r a b a ttle cry F o r soldiers w ith th e flag unrolled, F o r soldiers w ith a sw ord to hold, T his c ow ard ’s w hine, th is lia r's lie, A m an m ust live I
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