the most
severe penalty. The law governing the prophets was in these words: "And
that prophet which shall speak a word in my name which I commanded him
not, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet
shall die." He guarded his own infinite and spotless purity. While he was
"in the generation of the righteous, he was far from the wicked." So there
was always, from the time of Adam's offense till the present such a thing
as being "without God."

When the Jewish people became apostate in the times of Malachi, who was
the last Old Testament prophet, the Holy Spirit left the world. The proof
is in the Savior's words to his disciples: "If I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you." And one of the witnesses said, "The
Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified." During
the long night of apostacy between Malachi and Zechariah, there was a time
when "all were gone out of the way;" "when there were none that did good,
no, not one;" "when darkness covered the earth, and gross darkness the
people;" when they had not so much as "the dayspring from on high, to give
knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins." "The temple of God was a
den of thieves." The commandments of God were made void through the
traditions of men, and there was not a people upon the earth prepared for
the Lord, worthy of his introduction among them AS THE SON OF GOD. The
dignity of his person, consequent upon his being the Son of God, along
with his purity, rendered it improper for him to be manifested, in his
introduction as the Son of God, to a den of thieves. So a people must be
prepared for the occasion. Hence John the Baptist was sent from God to
prepare or make ready a people for the Lord. He was the "dayspring from on
high," sent to give knowledge of salvation unto the people by the
remission of their sins, but the ultimate of his work is expressed in
these words: "But that he, Christ, might be made manifest unto Israel,
therefore came I baptizing with water." Which was as much as to say, He
will not be made manifest to Israel unless a people in Israel is made
ready for him. Therefore John was his forerunner, to prepare the way
before him.

In doing this work he proclaimed the kingdom of God is at hand, and
"preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." And many
people were prepared for the Lord, and finally he is acknowledged, from
the eternal world, as the Son of God, while h