A WALK WITH JESUS. CHAPTER I. JESUS, AND SOME THOUGHTS OF HIM BEFORE AND IN HIS DAY. TH HE work we attempt in this offering, "A Walk with Jesus," must present some preliminary thoughts of the interesting Character before entering upon our journey with him. These thoughts, being secular and sacred in character, will point out our inducement to walk with him through his brief ministry, to hear him speak and see him perform the most wonderful works of any man in the history of time. And we are especially charmed when we consider the fact that all the life-work, words, and sufferings of Jesus were altruistic. Jesus was, in sympathy, labor, and love, so unlike man. He was such a remarkable character that the world, in all ages before and since his coming, has been forced to set him apart as supremely great. We shall pause, therefore, a while, to consider the world's estimate of and testimony to him. HIS COMING. The fact of his coming was the burden of prophecy, and this prophecy was the preparation of his way. Such a character was not to come unexpected or unprepared for. His coming was to affect man too essentially and indispensably to be overlooked. Hence, that man might know of him and be prepared to meet him, all the prophets, from Moses down to Malachi, portrayed his coming, and mostly his character. They outlined his work and set up his redemptive scheme. Marvelous fact! that away back in Gen. iii, 15, he is the Seed of the woman and the Bruiser of the head of the serpent of sin, since, through the natural serpent, sin entered into the world. In Deut. xviii, 15, he is the Prophet whom Jehovah would raise up in the stead of Moses, and he would become the perfect Prophet and Lawgiver, as in him the law and the prophets were to be fulfilled. In Psalm lxxxix, 20, he is the David of Israel, who was to come as the Eternal, and always sit upon the throne of his royalty till all his enemies become his footstool. In Isaiah ix, 6, he is the Kingly Child, the given Son who was to shoulder the responsible government of heaven, and this he would do so well that he would get unto himself the name of Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace, In Zech. iii, 8, he is the Branch of Jehovah. This Branch was to afford the beauty of the Lord God and give fruit unto a ruined world, which had perished from God. It is Jesus to-day who is giving us the fruit of joy and the oil of gladness. But the prophets did not only furnish us these facts of his coming and thus cheered the world's sad heart, but they even mentioned the time of his coming. For, going again to our first book, Gen. xlix, 10, and we have the very emphatic language of Moses, saying, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." This verse plainly shows us that |