some mysterious way, like Cain as to his sacrifice, that their sacrifices were no longer acceptable to God after that event, have since silently observed the will of God in this respect, perhaps unwillingly and unwittingly.

The abandonment of sacrifices by those bound to observe them under the law given directly by God to their great leader and at a time when the observance of such a rite was to cease, according to all the prophecies and signs of the times, furnishes a powerful argument in support of the contention that the Messiah was slain as a final sacrifice at the time claimed by Christianity and that he was the Christ, the Son of God, a divine Being.

CHAPTER IV

THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN THe Baptist

1. The story of the birth, life, and death of the famous precursor, John the Baptist, as set out in the record furnishes abundant testimony in corroboration of the history of Jesus Christ.

The parents of John the Baptist were good people, but they lived to be old before the birth of their famous son.

"And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years." (Luke i. 6, 7.)

His father, Zacharias, was a priest of the temple; and, “according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord." (Luke i. 9.)

One day while Zacharias was performing the functions of his office within the holy place, a multitude of the people being without, an angel appeared to him and announced the startling news to Zacharias that a son should be born to him and his aged

wife, that the name of that son should be John, and that his mission should be "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke i. 17.)

The extreme age of the priest and his wife made the news seem incredible to Zacharias, and he doubted the words of the angel and asked: "Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years." (Luke i. 18.)

Because of this unbelief on the part of Zacharias he was stricken dumb by the angel and remained so until the day the child was circumcised, when a name was to be given to him.

"And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless." (Luke i. 21, 22.)

On the eighth day after the birth of the child the neighbors came in to rejoice with the parents and to circumcise and name the child. These neighbors wanted to name him Zacharias, after his father; but his mother demurred and said he should be called John. The neighbors were a little persistent and called attention to the fact that none of the family were called John. Thereupon they appealed

to Zacharias, who called for a writing table and wrote, saying: "His name is John."

Immediately after this speech returned to Zacharias, and he prophesied in the presence of the people assembled and said:

"And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways." (Luke i. 76.)

Now, these were wonderful events that had taken place, according to the record, and the manner of their performance was well calculated to excite great wonder among the people and to cause much

comment.

The priest who entered within the sanctuary was the legal representative of the people; and for a calamity to befall him while burning incense on the sacred altar indicated that God had rejected the offering, and thus the whole people were affected thereby.

Here, then, as alleged in the record, was a priest who held the very important office of incense burner in the temple, who was well known to the people as a man who could talk, who entered within the veil of the sanctuary to perform the duties of his office and tarried there until the waiting multitude

became alarmed at his delay, and who emerged from within the veil speechless.

Did this happen? Luke says it did; and he boldly wrote the wonderful story during his own life, of course, and therefore within the lifetime of some, at least, of the multitude who waited for Zacharias to come out from within the veil and who were overwhelmed with consternation when he came out speechless. Who denies the story?

Would Luke have written such an account if it had been untrue? Would there not be a denial of the story if it were false?

It is alleged that this remarkable event happened in the temple at Jerusalem, the most conspicuous place in all the world in that day, and that a multitude of people were eyewitnesses to a part of it at least. Is it not strange that no one has ever denied this story?

The dumb-stricken priest remained speechless for some months; and a child was born to him and his aged wife, and then his speech was restored in the presence of his neighbors.

Why is there no denial of this from some of the neighbors? Is it because these things never happened? Why would Luke have invented such a story if it were untrue? If it were false, the record