I have been very much interested of late in looking at the excellent way in which John the Baptist
met the various questions which came before him, for unfortunately there were questions in his
day just as there are in ours.

It is beautiful to notice, first of all, the self-hiding, retiring spirit displayed by this servant of
Christ as he answered questions concerning himself and his work:"I am the voice of one crying
in the wilderness. … I baptize with water:but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to
unloose" (John 1:23,26,27).

Thus, as to himself, he was merely a voice. And as to his work, he baptized with water, and was
only too glad to retire behind that blessed One whose shoe’s latchet he felt himself utterly
unworthy to unloose. May each one of us long to know more and more of this self-hiding_this
losing sight of self and its doings_this retiring spirit. Truly it is much needed in this day of
egotistical boast and pretension.

In John 3 we have another kind of question:"Then there arose a question between some of John’s
disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto Him, Rabbi, He
that was with thee beyond Jordan, to Whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and
all men come to Him." (John 3:25,26). Now this was a mistake, for "Jesus himself baptized not,
but his disciples" (John 4:2). But this is not the point here. What strikes me is John’s mode of
settling all questions, right or wrong. He finds a perfect solution for all in the presence of his
Lord. "John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven"
(John 3:27).

How true! How simple! How perfectly obvious! What a complete settlement of every question!
If a man has anything at all, where did it, where could it come from? Surely only from heaven.
What a perfect cure for strife, envy, jealousy, and emulation! "Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17). What a tale this tells
of earth and of man! What a record it bears to heaven and to God! Not one atom of good on earth
but what comes from heaven. Not an atom of good in man but what comes from God. Why, then,
should any one boast, or be jealous, or envious? If all goodness is from above, let there be an end
of all strife, and let all hearts go up in praise to "the Father of lights."

Thus it was the Baptist met the questions of his day. He let all the questioners know that their
questions had but little interest for him. And more than that, he let them know where all his
interests lay. This blessed servant found all his springs in the Lamb of God, in His precious work,
and in His glorious Person. In His presence he found a divine answer to every question_a divine
solution of every difficulty. John lived far beyond the region of questions in the blessed presence
of his Lord, and there he found all his heart could ever need.

Now, it seems to me that we would do well to take a leaf out of John’s book as regards all this.
I need not remind you that in this present day there are questions agitating men’s minds. Yes, and

some of us are called to account for not expressing ourselves more decidedly on some at least of
these questions. But for my part, I believe the devil is doing his utmost to alienate our hearts from
Christ and from one another by questions. We ought not to be ignorant of his devices. He does
not come openly and say, "I am the devil and I want to divide and scatter you by questions." Yet
this is precisely what he is seeking to do.

It matters not whether the question be right or wrong in itself; the devil can make use of a right
question just as effectively as of a wrong one, provided he can succeed in raising that question into
undue prominence, and causing it to come between our souls and Christ, and between us and our
brethren. I can understand a difference in judgment on various minor questions. Christians have
differed about such for many long centuries, and they will continue to differ until the end of time.
It is human weakness. But when any question is allowed to assume undue prominence, it ceases
to be mere human weakness, and becomes a wile of Satan. I may have a very decided judgment
on any given point, and so may you. But what I long for now is a thorough sinking of all
questions, and a rejoicing together in hearing the voice of the Lord, and going on together in the
light of His blessed countenance. This will confound the enemy. It will effectually deliver us from
prejudice and partiality, from cliques and factions. We shall then measure one another, not by our
views of any particular question, but by our appreciation of the Person of Christ and our devotion
to His cause.

In a word, what I long for is that we all may be characterized by a deep-toned, thorough devotion
to the Name, and truth, and cause of Christ. I long to cultivate broad sympathies that can take in
every true lover of Christ, even though we see not eye to eye on all minor questions. At best we
know but in part, and we can never expect people to agree with us about questions. But if Christ
be our one absorbing object, all other things will assume their right place, their relative value,
their proper proportions. "Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect [as many as have Christ for
their one object], be thus minded:and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal
even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule
[Christ], let us mind the same thing [Christ]" (Phil. 3:15,16). The moment anything else but Christ
is introduced as a rule to walk by, it is simply the work of the devil. Of this I am as sure as that
I hold this pen in my hand.

May the Lord keep us all close to Himself, walking together, not in sectarianism, but in true
brotherly love, seeking the blessing and prosperity of all who belong to Christ, and promoting in
every possible way His blessed cause, until He come!