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18 - The Desire of Ages - Ellen Gould · Sacred Texts Archive

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  He must increase. For time, the Baptist influence over the nation had been
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  greater than that of its rulers, priests or princes. If he had announced
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  himself as the Messiah and raised a revolt against Rome priest, and people would
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  have flocked to his standard. Every consideration that appeals to the ambition of the
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  world's conquerors. Satan had stood ready to urge upon John the Baptist, But
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  with the evidence before him of his power, he had steadfastly refused the splendid
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  bribe. The attention which was fixed upon him he had directed to another.
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  Now he saw the tide of popularity turning away from himself to the Savior.
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  Day by day, the crowds about him lessened. When Jesus came from Jerusalem
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  to the region about Jordan, the people flocked to hear him. The number
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  of his disciples increased daily. Many came for baptism, and while Christ himself
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  did not baptize, he sanctioned the administration of the ordinance by his disciples.
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  Thus he set his seal upon the mission his forerunner. But the disciples of
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  John looked with jealousy upon the growing popularity of Jesus. They stood ready to
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  criticize his work, and it was not long before they found occasion a question
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  arose between them and the Jews as to whether baptism availed to cleanse the soul
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  from sin. They maintained that the baptism of Jesus differed essentially from that of
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  John. Soon they were in dispute with Christ's disciples in regard to the form
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  of words proper to use at baptism, and finally as to the right of
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  the latter to baptize at all. The disciples of John came to him with
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  their grievances, saying, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan,
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  to whom thou bearest witness, behold the same baptizeth, and all men
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  come to him. Through these words, Satan brought temptation upon John. Though
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  John's mission seemed about to close, it was still possible for him to hinder
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  the work of Christ. If he had sympathized with himself and expressed grief for
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  disappointment at being superseded, he would have sown the seeds of dissension, and
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  would have encouraged envy and jealousy, and would seriously have impeded the progress of
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  the Gospel. John had by nature the faults and weaknesses common to humanity,
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  but the touch of divine love had transformed him. He dwelt in an atmosphere
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  uncontaminated with selfishness and ambition, and far above the miasma of jealousy. He
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  manifested no sympathy with the dissatisfaction of his disciples, but showed how clearly he
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  understood his relation to the Messiah, and how gladly he welcomed the one for
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  whom he had prepared the way. He said, a man can receive nothing
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  except to be given him from Heaven. Ye yourselves, bear me witness that
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  I said I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
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  He that hath the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the
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  bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.
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  John represented himself as the friend who acted as a messenger between the betrothed
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  parties, preparing the way for the marriage. When the bridegroom had received his
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  bride, the mission of the friend was fulfilled. He rejoiced in the happiness
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  of those whose union he had promoted. So John had been called to direct
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  the people to Jesus, and it was his joy to witness the success of
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  the Saviour's work. He said this, my joy therefore is fulfilled. He
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  must increase, but I must decrease. Looking in faith to the Redeemer.
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  John had risen to the height of self abnegation. He sought not to attract
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  men to himself, but to lift their thoughts higher and still higher, until
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  they should rest upon the Lamb of God. He himself had been only a
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  voice, a cry in the wilderness. Now with joy he accepted silence and
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  obscurity, that the eyes of all might be turned to the light of life.
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  Those who are true to their calling as messengers for God will not seek
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  honor for them themselves. Love for self will be swallowed up, and love
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  for Christ. No rivalry will mar the precious cause of the Gospel. They
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  will recognize that it is their work to proclaim, as did John the Baptist,
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  behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world John
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  one twenty nine. They will lift up Jesus, and with him humanity will
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  be lifted up. Thus seth the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity,
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  whose name is Holy. I dwell in the high and holy place with him
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  also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of
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  the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite Ones Isaiah fifty seven
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  fifteen. The soul of the prophet, emptied of self, was filled with
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  the light of the divine as he witnessed to the Saviour's glory. His words
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  were almost a counterpart of those that Christ himself had spoken in his interview with
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  Nicodemus. John said, he that cometh from above is above all. He
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  that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth. He
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  that cometh from heaven is above all. For he whom God hath sent speaketh
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  the words of God. For God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him,
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  Christ could say, I seek not mine own will, but the will
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  of the Father which has sent me John five thirty. To him, it
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  is declared thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Therefore God, even thy
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  God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Hebrews
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  one nine the Father giveth not the spirit by measure unto him. So with
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  the followers of Christ we can receive of Heaven's light only as we are willing
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  to be emptied of self. We cannot discern the character of God or accept
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  Christ by faith unless we consent to the bringing into captivity of every thought,
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  to the obedience of Christ. To all who do this, the Holy Spirit
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  is given without measure. In Christ, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead
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  bodily, and in Him ye are made full Clausans two nine ten r V.
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  The disciples of John had declared that all men were coming to Christ.
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  But with clear insight, John said, no man receiveth his witness, so
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  few were ready to accept him as the savior from sin. But he that
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  hath received his witness, hath set his seal to this, that God is
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  true John three thirty three r V. He that believeth on the Son hath
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  everlasting life. No need of disputation as to whether Christ's baptism or John's purified
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  from sin. It is the grace of Christ that gives life to the soul.
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  Apart from Christ. Baptism, like any other service, is a worthless
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  form. He that believeth not the sun shall not see life. The success
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  of Christ's work, which a Baptist had received with such joy, was reported
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  also to the authorities at Jerusalem. The priest and rabbis had been jealous of
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  John's influence as they saw the people leaving the synagogues and flocking to the wilderness.
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  But here was one who had still greater power to attract the multitudes.
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  Those leaders in Israel were not willing to say with John, he must increase,
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  but I must decrease. They arose with a new determination to put an
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  end to the work that was drawing the people away from them. Jesus knew
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  that they would spare no effort to create a division between his own disciples and
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  those of John. He knew that the storm was gathering which would sweep away
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  one of the greatest prophets ever given to the world. Wishing to avoid all
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  occasion from misunderstanding or dissension, he quietly ceased his labors and withdrew to Galilee.
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  We also, while loyal to the truth, should try to avoid all
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  that may lead to discord and misapprehension, for whenever these arise, they result
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  in the loss of souls. Whatever circumstances occur that threatened to cause division,
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  we should follow the example of Jesus and of John the Baptist. John had
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  been called to lead out as a reformer. Because of this, his disciples
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  were in danger of fixing their attention upon him, feeling that the success of
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  the work depended upon his labors, and losing sight of the fact that he
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  was only an instrument to which God had wrought. But the work of John
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  was not sufficient to lay the foundation of the Christian Church. When he had
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  fulfilled his mission, another work was to be done, which his testimony could
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  not accomplish. His disciples did not understand this. When they saw Christ coming
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  in to take the work, they were jealous and dissatisfied. The same danger
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  still exists. God calls a man to do a certain work, and when
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  he has carried it as far as he is qualified to take it, the
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  Lord brings in others to carry it still further. But like John's disciples,
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  many feel that the success of the work depends upon them the first laborer,
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  attention is fixed upon the human instead of the divine. Jealousy comes in and
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  the work of God is marred. The one thus unduly honored, is tempted
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  to share oh self confidence. He does not realize his dependence on God.
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  The people are taught to rely on man for guidance, and thus they fall
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  unto error and are led away from God. The work of God is not
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  to bear the image and superscription of man. From time to time the Lord
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  will bring in different agencies through whom his purpose can best be accomplished. Happy
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  are they who are willing for self to be humbled, saying with John the
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  Baptist, he must increase, but I must decrease. End of Chapter eighteen.