538 A SHORT VIEW OF SCRIPTDRE HISTORY. told him that he should have a son, and should call his name John : Luke i. 9-17. 8. Q. What sign did the angel give of the truth of his mes- sage ? A. That Zacharias should be dumb, and not able to speak till John was born ; Verse 20. 9. Q. What honour was clone to Elizabeth, while she was with child with her son ? A. The virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, made a visit to her, and they both rejoiced and praised God together in a divine rapture ; Luke i. 39-55. 10. Q. Whenwas Zacharias released from his dumbness, and lead his voice restored to him ? A. When his wife brought forth a son, and they were going to circumcise the child, he wrote his name John on a table, and then his tongue was loosed, and he spake the praises of God ; Verses 59-64. 11. Q. Where wasJohn brought up? A. In the desert coun- try, or wilderness of Judea, and there also he began his public ministry, when he was about thirty years of age; Verse 80. and Luke iii. 2. 12. Q. What was his c::ief commission fromGod ? A. He was sent to preach the doctrine ofrepentance and forgiveness of sins ; to baptize or wash with water those who professed their repentance, and to direct the people to Christ as the Saviour ; Mark i. 4, 5. John i. 26, 31. 13. Q. What further instructions did he give to the people ? A. He bid them not trust in their being the children of Abraham, he taught them lessons of love and liberality, to give food and cloathing to those who wanted, and he gave special directions to the Pharisees and Sadducees, to the publicans and the soldiers who came to be baptized ; Mat. iii. 7 -8. Luke iii. 7-14. 14. Q. What directions did he give to the pharisees and sadducees ? A. He bid them bring forth fruits in their lives, to make their repentance appear, as well as profess it with their lips ; Mat. iii. 7, 8. 15. Q. What advicedid he give the publicans or tax-gather- ers ? A. To exact or demand no more money of the people than what was appointed ; Luke iii. 13. 16. Q. And what was his counsel to the soldiers ? A. Todo violenoenr injury to none, to accuse no person falsely, and to be content with their pay ; Luke iii. 14. 17. Q. What didhe say concerning himself ? A. That he was not the Christ, nor the very prophet Elias risen from the dead, but that he was only come as a voice in the wilderness, to prepare the wayof the Lord, according to theprophecy of' Isaiah ; Luke i. 20-23. Is. xl. 3. 18. Q. But does not Jesus Christ himself say thatJohn was Elias or Elijah? A. Yes, because he came in the spirit and power of Elias, to prepare the way for Christ, according to the
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