BAFHSMON DIDACHE

SCRIPTURAL STUDIES ON BAPTISiMS

ESPECIALLY

CHRISTIAN BAPTISM

Bv PHILALETHES

BAPTISMON DIDACHE,

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms,

ESPECIALLY

CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

EXPLANATION OF THE DESIGN ON THE TITLE PAGE AND
COVER.

The following is the translation of the motto surrounding the medallion :
' We little fishes, after the manner of our great ' Ichthus ' [fish], are born in
water." 'Ix^vs was the early monogram of Christ, and fish were a symbol of
the Baptized (see pp. 189, Tfe*.) The cross speaks of faith, the anchor of hope,
the rising sun of love and of resurrection. The species of fish represented
(Barbus cants) is (according to Canon Tristram) peculiar to the lake of
Gennesaret and to the river Jordan, and is not found elsewhere.

The main ideas of the fish and of the anchor are taken from a fresco found in
the Catacombs of Rome, dating not later than the beginning of the Hlrcl
Century. Roma Sotieranea, Vol. II., p. 6l.

The Water Lily, on the back of the cover, is a recognized baptismal symbol.

Baptismon Didacbe,

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms,

ESPECIALLY

CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

PHILALETHES.

" The foundation .... of the doctrine of Baptisms. 15 HEB. vL 2.
( u Oe/icXw ....

" There are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the
blood." i JOHN v. 8.

~ We are like litUe fishes ; we are bom in water, and to keep alive, we must abide
in the water." TERTULLIAN, AJX aoa

LONDON:
BEMROSE & SONS, LTD., 4, SNOW HILL, E.C.; and DERBY.

1907-

DEDICATED

TO THE MEMORY OF

SAMUEL CECIL, M.A.,

WITH GRATITUDE AND AFFECTION,

BY HIS FORMER DISCIPLE:

AWAITING REUNION,

IN THE JOY OF THE

FIRST RESURRECTION.

January, 1907.

PREFACE

THERE is no need to offer an apology for inviting fellow-
Christians to meditate on such an important subject
as the " Doctrine of Baptisms." It may be asked, ' What
need is there for another treatise on Christian Baptism,
since, from the beginning of the present Era, theologians and
saints have been discussing and reflecting on this subject ?
Can anything new, or that has not been written on Baptism
during the past two thousand years, be advanced now ? '
But it is well for us to remember that " what is new is not
necessarily true, and what is true is not necessarily new."
As God is living and eternal, so also are His thoughts and
acts. Truth is ever one and the same, and yet capable of
indefinite expansion. It multiplies like the light, which,
though one, is yet seven-fold, and is refracted into myriad,
shading colours, by the analysing prism. Again, the truth
of God, as a living kaleidoscope, presents varied aspects to
different minds, according to the measure of grace which
they have received. It is to be found in the Holy Scriptures,
and in the Church Catholic.

Truth is infinite, like its Author.

This treatise is on the " Doctrine of Baptisms " (Heb.
vi. 2), and especially on that of CHRISTIAN BAPTISM, in
its catholic or universal aspect. The First Part shows

1127605

the connection of Baptism with the foundation of our
faith and hope, viz., the Incarnation of the Son of God.
Christ's work in sanctifying our flesh and offering it up as a
sacrifice to God, in His passion and death, is shown to be one
of the foundations of this great Sacrament, of which
Christ's Resurrection is the other corner-stone and its chief
glory. The death and resurrection of Christ are (to change
the figure) like the two grand columns of this Sacrament ; the
arch, which unites them, being the living Lord in heaven,
for whose return the Church should be praying and watching.
The Second Part considers the doctrine of Christian Baptism,
as distinct from the Incarnation, and treats of John's
Baptism; of Repentance and Faith; of Conversion and
Regeneration ; of the teachings of our Lord, of His Apostles,
and of the Church Catholic for the first four centuries of
the Christian era. The Third Part treats of the Figures of
Christian Baptism, as seen in the legal and historical types
of Holy Scripture ; while the Fourth Part analyses the
privileges of this Sacrament, which may be briefly summed
up in the words of the Church Catechism, " Wherein I was
made a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of
the kingdom of heaven." The Fifth Part is concerned with
the practical aspects of Baptism, in its relation to our Covenant
standing, to our calling as Saints, to the unity of the
Church, to the disastrous results of divisions concerning this
Sacrament, and to the present condition of the Baptized ;
while the Supplement treats of collateral points, such as the
efficacy of the Sacraments, Infant Baptism, the different
modes of Baptism, the Baptismal Name, Catechumens,

and concludes with a brief review of some Oriental and
Occidental Baptismal Offices.

The Author has endeavoured to state the truths, of the
great Sacrament of Christian Baptism, in an impartial manner,
regardless of parties in the Church. He has sought to uphold
TRUTH, at all costs, hoping that Christians who regard this
Sacrament from different points of view may, by the help
of the Holy Spirit, receive fresh light upon that which is
designated ' the door of entrance ' into the Christian Church.

Whoever the reader may be, the subject of this book
concerns him personally. If he be baptized, this fact must
affect him, for he has undertaken certain obligations : and
if he be not baptized, then the responsibility is brought
before him of having come short in a vital matter, affecting,
if not his actual salvation, yet his position for eternity
in the Kingdom of God,

The Author tenders his warm thanks to those friends,
who, by their criticisms or researches, have rendered him
much valuable assistance.

He humbly commends this work to the Lord Jesus Christ
the great Head of the Church for His acceptance and
blessing, ascribing to Him, with the Father, and the Holy
Ghost, ONE GOD, everlasting thanksgiving and praise.

RUSSELL SQUARE,

LONDON,
is* January, 1907.

GENERAL SUMMARY.

PAOE

PART I. THE CONNECTION OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM WITH

THE INCARNATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ... 3

PART II. THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM ... 7

PART III. FIGURES OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM 131

PART IV. THE PRIVILEGES OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM ... 223

PART V. THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM 319

PART VI SUPPLEMENT 417

APPENDIX 514

BIBLIOGRAPHY 516

INDEX 517

CONTENTS.

PART I THE CONNECTION OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM WITH

THE INCARNATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

CHAPTER I. CHRIST'S UNION WITH MAN, BY TAKING MAN'S NATURE

AS IT NOW IS SlN ONLY EXCEPTED.

CHAPTER II. CHRIST'S WORK IN FALLEN HUMAN NATURE.

CHAPTER III. CHRIST'S SACRIFICE OF FALLEN FLESH.

CHAPTER IV. CHRIST'S RESURRECTION AS THE SECOND ADAM.
CHAPTER V. BAPTISM THE ORDINANCE FOR UNION WITH CHRIST.

CHAPTER VI. OUR UNION WITH CHRIST, IN His DEATH AND iir
His BURIAL.

CHAPTER VII. OUR UNION WITH CHRIST IN His RESURRECTION.

CHAPTER VIII. OUR UNION WITH CHRIST IN His LIFE OF OBEDIENCE.
UPON EARTH.

PART II. THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER IX. THE BAPTISM OF JOHN.

CHAPTER X. THE GREATER EXCELLENCY OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XI. THE REQUISITES OF HOLY BAPTISM : REPENTANCE
AND FAITH.

CHAPTER XII. CONVERSION.
CHAPTER XIII. REGENERATION.

CHAPTER XIV. THE DOCTRINE OF OUR LORD AND OF ST. PETER, THE
APOSTLE TO THE CIRCUMCISION.

CHAPTER XV. THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM, AS TAUGHT BY
ST. PAUL, THE APOSTLE TO THE UNCIRCUMCISION.

CHAPTER XVI. THE DOCTRINE OF ' THE FATHERS ' OF THE FIRST FOUR
CENTURIES OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA; AND ALSO OF THE.
REFORMERS.

PART III. FIGURES OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.
CHAPTER XVII. FIGURES OF Uxiosr.
CHAPTER XVIII. THE FIGURE OF GRAFTING.
CHAPTER XIX. HISTORICAL TYPES OF CHRISTLAN BAPTISM.
CHAPTER XX. CIRCUMCISION.

CHAPTER XXI. BAPTISMAL PURIFICATION FORESHADOWED BY THE
LAW OF MOSES.

CHAPTER XXII. THE BAPTISM OF WATER.
CHAPTER XXIII. THE BAPTISM OF BLOOD.
CHAPTER XXIV. THE BAPTISM OF FIRE.

PART IV. THE PRIVILEGES OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM,

CHAPTER XXV. FORGIVENESS OF 5-xs.
CHAPTER XXVL JUSTIFICATION-.

CHAPTER XXVII. GRAFTING INTO THE SECOND ADAM: MEMBER? OF

CHRIST.

CHAPTER XXVIII. RELATIONSHIP TO GOD THE FATHER : SONS OF Gen.
CHAPTER XXIX. PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY GHOST.
CHAPTER XXX. HEIRS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
CHAPTER XXXI. ADMISSION TO HOLY COMMTNION.
CHAPTER XXXII. SALVATION.

PART V. THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF CHRISTIAX BAPTISM.
CHAPTER XXXIII. THE BAPTISMAL COVENANT.
CHAPTER XXXIV. Vows AND RESPONSIBILITY.

CHAPTER XXXV. EDUCATION IN rrs RELATION TO CHRISTIAN
BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XXXVI. THE STANDING OF THE BAPTIZED, AS SEPARATED

TO GOD AND "CALLED SAINTS."

CHAPTER XXXVII. THE PRACTICAL LESSONS OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.
CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE DIVISIONS OF THE CHURCH CATHOLIC, IN

CONNECTION WITH HOLY BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XXXIX. THE DISASTROUS RESULTS OF THE BROKEN UHTTT

OF THE CHURCH.
CHAPTER XL. THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE BAPTIZED.

Xll
PART VI. SUPPLEMENT.

CHAPTER XLI. ON SACRAMENTS AND ORDINANCES.

CHAPTER XLII. INFANT BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XLIII. ON THE DIFFERENT MODES OF BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XLIV. ON THE BAPTISMAL NAME.

CHAPTER XLV. ON CATECHUMENS.

CHAPTER XLVL THE CONNECTION OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM WITH
OTHER DIVINE ACTS IN THE CHURCH.

CHAPTER XLVII. BRIEF REVIEW OF SOME ORIENTAL BAPTISMAL
OFFICES.

CHAPTER XLVIII. BRIEF REVIEW OF SOME OCCIDENTAL OR WESTERN
BAPTISMAL OFFICES.

APPENDIX.

NOTE i. ON OUR LORD'S DISCOURSE WITH NICODEMUS.

NOTE 2 ON FONTS.

NOTE 3. ON THE MARK TAU.

INDEX

ANALYSIS.

PART I.

THE CONNECTION OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM WITH
THE INCARNATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

CHRIST'S UNION WITH MAN, BY TAKING MAN'S

NATURE AS IT NOW IS SIN ONLY EXCEPTED . . 3

ANALYSIS : The foundation of Christian Baptism is the Incarnation of

Jesus Christ, including His Death, Burial, and Resurrection.
The redemption of any race of beings, demands the identification of

the Redeemer with that race.
Christ did not take unfallen flesh. The Mother of Jesus was not

sinless.
Christ took flesh in its fallen condition, the same as that which

we have, " yet without sin." Proofs from Holy Scripture.

CHAPTER II.

CHRIST'S WORK IN FALLEN HUMAN NATURE . . . . 1 1

ANALYSIS : Christ's work, in human nature, was to " condemn sin in the
flesh." (Rom. viii. 3.)

He worked out righteousness in fallen flesh, by faith and self-
sacrifice.

Christ sanctifies man's whole nature of body, soul, and spirit.

The fourfold division of man's spiritual and mental nature.

Christ's holy work in fallen flesh, was the necessary preparation for
the sacrifice of the same.

CHAPTER III.

CHRIST'S SACRIFICE OF FALLEN FLESH i&

ANALYSIS : Definition of a sacrifice.

The necessity for sacrifice and for death.

Of what the sacrifice must consist of the flesh that sinned.

Christ took our fallen flesh, that He might offer it, in His own

Person, as a sacrifice : His Death and Burial.

Christ offered up Himself, as a sacrifice ; and not fallen flesh by
itself, apart from His Divine Personality.

XIV

CHAPTER IV. ,, AGE

CHRIST'S RESURRECTION AS THE SECOND ADAM . . 25

ANALYSIS : The physical and spiritual necessity of the Resurrection of

Christ.
The effect that His Resurrection has had on the nature of which He

took part.
The difference between " Christ after the flesh " (2 Cor. v. 16), and

Christ, as He now is.
The relation of Christ to the whole human race, as the second Adam

and its second federal Head.

CHAPTER V.

BAPTISM THE ORDINANCE FOR UNION WITH CHRIST 32

ANALYSIS : The difference between Unity and Union :
Their excellency, as seen in the Godhead :
In Christ becoming one with man, through His Incarnation ;
Also, in man becoming one with Christ the Second Adam.
The instrumentality for this union Faith, leading to Holy Baptism.
Union with Christ is the central truth of Christian Baptism.
The Holy Ghost, the Divine Agent for effecting this Union.

CHAPTER VI.

OUR UNION WITH CHRIST, IN HIS DEATH AND IN

HIS BURIAL 38

ANALYSIS : There are eight acts of Christ with which we are united ; but

two are prominent His Death and His Resurrection.
Scriptural proof of this statement.

Our Union with Christ in His Death : first, as an external fact ;
And, secondly, in its spiritual and internal application, through the

power of the Holy Ghost.
The same truth holds good with reference to the Burial of Christ.

CHAPTER VII.

OUR UNION WITH CHRIST, IN HIS RESURRECTION . . 43
ANALYSIS : Union with Christ, in His Death, is not sufficient ; we must be

united to Him in His Resurrection also.

Proofs from Scripture : our union with Christ, in His Resurrection,
as an external act ; also in a spiritual, internal manner, through
the Sacrament of Baptism and the action of the Holy Ghost.
Christian Baptism was not possible before the Incarnation.
The meaning of the resurrection-life of Christ.
The heavenly nature and calling which man has now received.

CHAPTER VIII.

OUR UNION WITH CHRIST, IN HIS LIFE OF OBEDIENCE

UPON EARTH 49

ANALYSIS : Union with Christ in His life of obedience upon earth. The
relation between this work of Christ, and the cleansing of
sinful human nature from original sin.

Original, or birth sin.

Christ works out a righteousness in flesh, which can be imputed
and imparted to others.

The acts of Christ on earth are vicarious and representative.

Christ, the Head of the new and eternal creation of God.

PART II.
THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER IX. PAGE

THE BAPTISM OF JOHN 57

ANALYSIS : In Hebrews vi., Baptisms are referred to in the plural.

The Baptism of John : its history, its doctrine, its relation to the Law.
Its teaching, in reference to the past, was Repentance and
Confession to the then-present, it was Reformation to the
future, it was Preparation. Three reasons for its necessity.
The grace given.

The true relation of our Lord to the Baptism of John.

CHAPTER X.

THE GREATER EXCELLENCY OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM 67

ANALYSIS : The superiority of Christian Baptism in the positive blessings
it conveys, as compared with the negations of John's Baptism.

The statements by John and by our Lord ; the case of Apollos, and
that of the twelve Ephesian converts.

Christian Baptism and the Baptism of John both convey the grace of
the remission of sins ; but there are higher privileges in Christian
Baptism, which could not have been ministered by the Baptism
of John.

CHAPTER XI.

THE REQUISITES FOR HOLY BAPTISM : REPENTANCE

AND FAITH 74

ANALYSIS : The Law of Moses, John the Baptist, the Lord Himself, and
His Apostles, all testify to the necessity of Repentance and
Faith, in the sinner's approach to God.
Repentance consists of sorrow for sin, of confession, and the forsaking

of sin.
The nature and results of Faith.

CHAPTER XII.

CONVERSION 82

ANALYSIS : Definition of the word. Scriptural references illustrating the

meaning of the term.
The symbolism of the five instruments of the Brazen Altar, bearing

on the subject of Conversion.
Its nature. The will of man a factor therein. Its connection with

the renewal of the Holy Ghost.
Popular errors on the subject.

CHAPTER XIII.

REGENERATION 94

ANALYSIS : Regeneration is distinct from Conversion. Its definition

and nature.

What our Lord and His Apostles teach on this subject. Its con-
nection with Christ personally, especially with His Resurrection.
The analogy between natural and spiritual life and birth.
Regeneration, partial now, will be perfected in the Resurrection.

CHAPTER XIV. PAGE

THE DOCTRINE OF THE LORD, AND OF ST. PETER,

THE APOSTLE TO THE CIRCUMCISION 101

ANALYSIS : The doctrine of the Lord, as seen in His discourse to Nicodemus,

and in His command after His Resurrection.

The practice and doctrine of St. Peter, the Apostle to the Circum-
cision.

CHAPTER XV.

THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM, AS TAUGHT
BY ST. PAUL, THE APOSTLE TO THE UNCIRCUM-
CISION 109

ANALYSIS : The doctrine of Christian Baptism, as taught by St. Paul to
the Churches in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, and Ephesus ; and
to Titus, an Apostolic minister.

Brief Scriptural summary of the chief points of the doctrine of
Christian Baptism.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE DOCTRINE OF 'THE FATHERS' OF THE FIRST
FOUR CENTURIES OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA ; AND
ALSO OF THE REFORMERS n;

ANALYSIS : The proper use of Patristic testimony. Quotations from the
" Teaching of the Twelve Apostles " ; quotations from St.
Barnabas, Clement of Rome, Hernias, Justin Martyr, Tertullian,
Theophilus, Irenaeus, Origen, Clement of Alexandria, Hippolytus,
Cyprian, Eusebius, Augustine, Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria ;
from the Reformers of the XVIth Century. References to
some Anglican Divines.

PART III.
FIGURES OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XVII.

FIGURES OF UNION 131

ANALYSIS : The grandeur and importance of unity, as seen in Christ's

last intercessory prayer (John xvii.).

Figures of union: (i) The Human Body; (2) Marriage; (3) The Vine
and its branches.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE FIGURE OF GRAFTING 142

ANALYSIS : Illustration from the Olive tree. The context of Rom. xi.
17-24 considered. The process of Grafting described ; explana-
tion of the expression, " contrary to nature.' 1 '' Its application
to Christian Baptism.

xvu
CHAPTER XIX.

PAGE

HISTORICAL TYPES OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM .. .. 150

ANALYSIS : The teaching of historical types : (i) the Flood ;
(2) the Baptism unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

CHAPTER XX.

CIRCUMCISION 161

ANALYSIS : The latent truth, lying at the bases of Circumcision and

Baptism, is the common witness to Death and Resurrection.

Baptism is " the Circumcision made without hands." (Col. ii. 1 1.)

The resemblances and differences between Circumcision and Christian

Baptism.

CHAPTER XXI.

BAPTISMAL PURIFICATION, FORESHADOWED BY THE

LAW OF MOSES i/3

ANALYSIS : On Purification, generally.

On cleansing by water, and its symbolic meaning.

On the legal types : (i) The Brazen Laver ; (2) The Consecration of
the High Priest ; (3) The Water of Separation ; (4) The Purifica-
tion of Women ; (5) The Cleansing of the Leper.

Relation of these to Christian Baptism.

' CHAPTER XXII.

THE BAPTISM OF WATER 183

ANALYSIS : Water an original and beautiful creation. Its associations :
life, growth, cleansing, refreshment. The Flood, earth's
baptism of water : relation of blood and water. The ancient
symbol of fish, in connection with our Lord and the Baptized.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE BAPTISM OF BLOOD 194

ANALYSIS : What is the meaning of a Baptism of Blood ?

The Church Catholic acknowledges it in the case of Martyrs.
Illustrations from the Law : the Passover ; the Consecration of the

High Priest ; Our Lord the greatest example of this Baptism.

Earth's various Baptisms of Blood, in the past and in the

future.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE BAPTISM OF FIRE 209

ANALYSIS : The prophecy of John the Baptist of a Baptism of Fire.
Fire a symbol of the Holy Ghost.
Illustrations from Scripture : the burning bush ;
Consecration of the Tabernacle and of the Temple ;
The three Children in the furnace ;

The descent of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost.
Fire, the great instrument for purification.
The Earth's final Baptism of Fire.

XV111

PART IV.
THE PRIVILEGES OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XXV.

PAGE

FORGIVENESS OF SINS ................ 223

ANALYSIS : The nature of a Privilege. Seven Scriptural terms for sin.
Definition of Forgiveness. Original and actual sin. Forgiveness
a free gift to all men, through Christ's Death and Resurrection,
assured in the Sacrament of Baptism. Confirmations from St.
Paul's Epistles. Forgiveness of sins a present reality, and
not a hope. Erroneous views concerning Forgiveness. We are
forgiven because Christ was not forgiven. He suffered for sin.
All human efforts to atone for sin are unavailing.

CHAPTER XXVI.

JUSTIFICATION .............. :7 ~~ r? ^ < ^

ANALYSIS : Justification must follow forgiveness. Its nature. St. Paul
mentions two classes of righteousness : ( i ) The righteousness of
the law ; (2) The " righteousness of God," by faith. Our Lord
wrought out both these phases, in His life on earth.

If the doctrine of Imputation be true of the first Adam, and of sin ; it
must, according to analogy, be true of the Second Adam and of
righteousness. The use of the past tense of the verb to ' justify '
in the Greek. Christ's faith imputed to us ; but a necessity
exists for individual faith.

Luther on the doctrine of 'Justification by faith.'

Faith leads up to Baptism, which includes the grace of justification.

God has covered us with the robe of His righteousness.

The symbolism of white robes in Baptism. Their ancient use.

CHAPTER XXVII.

GRAFTING INTO THE SECOND ADAM : MEMBERS OF

CHRIST 2,2

ANALYSIS : Grafting into Christ : a special privilege, belonging not to
all men, but only to the Baptized.

Our relationship to Adam, is one of death : out of this condition we
must be taken ; and grafted into the Second Adam, for
eternal life. We are thus made Members of Christ, by the act
of God ; through the spoken word of God and Holy Baptism.

St. Paul's definition of the Church. Her memberships ; their
variety, complexity, and organization.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE RELATIONSHIP TO GOD THE FATHER : SONS OF

GOD 261

ANALYSIS : The Baptized, being grafted into Christ, are made sows of God.
Ideas associated with fatherhood : begetting, life, community
of nature, heredity. Stages of growth : babes, children, youths;,
men. God, our Father, disciplines us as sons.

XIX

(1) Four ways in which the privileges of sonship are attained.

(2) Their enumeration : freedom, abiding in the house, sustenance,

confidence, heirship.

(3) The status of the Baptized is that of sons, even if they be lapsing

into apostasy. The future manifestation of our Divine sonship :
its present exhibition in our lives and characters.

CHAPTER XXIX.

PAGE

PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY GHOST 272

.\NALYSIS : The Baptized have specific relations to each Person of the
Blessed Trinity : they are " made partakers of the Holy Ghost,' 1 ''
by the instrumentality of Christian Baptism.

The gift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of Apostles' hands, is a
subsequent and higher grace, and is the crown of Christian
Baptism. On the Gifts of the Spirit : Sorrow and confession of
sin because of their non-manifestation.

CHAPTER XXX.

HEIRS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD 285

ANALYSIS : God introduced the Natural Creation, before He created Man,
as its lord ; this process is reversed in the New Creation : the
King being first prepared, then the Kingdom.

The " Kingdom of God." Meaning of the term : the great theme of
the Psalmist ; of the Prophets ; also of our Lord's preaching.

The Nature of the Kingdom. The Baptized are already heirs of
the kingdom, but are not yet possessors : they are being now
trained by means of suffering, to " walk worthy of God, who
hath called them unto his kingdom."

The Priesthood of the Baptized.

CHAPTER XXXI.

ADMISSION TO HOLY COMMUNION 296

ANALYSIS : Connection of Christian Baptism with the Holy Communion :
of which no unbaptized person can partake.

Difference between the Eucharist and the Communion.

Necessity of food for all creatures. The regenerate life needs food
the Body and Blood of the Lord.

Ancient practice of the " Communication " of children.

Grievous neglect of this Holy Sacrament.

CHAPTER XXXII.

SALVATION 305

ANALYSIS : The Baptized placed in a State of Salvation. Relation of

Salvation to the past, the present, and the future.
The crown of Baptism is seen in Salvation perfected, which includes
(i) Eternal Life; (2) Resurrection; (3) The perfecting of the
Body of Christ ; (4) The manifestation of the sons of God ;
(5) The full Baptism with the Holy Ghost ; (6) The Advent of
the Lord ; (7) The Kingdom of God.

PART V.

THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OE CHRISTIAN
BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XXXIII. PAGE

THE BAPTISMAL COVENANT 319

ANALYSIS : A Covenant : What it is, and what it implies. Its origin.
The seven chief Covenants of God with man.
The New Covenant, through Christ's Death, confirmed in Baptism.
The proper position in the Church for the Decalogue (the Old
Covenant) is not the Altar, but the Baptistery.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

VOWS AND RESPONSIBILITY 332

ANALYSIS : The nature and obligation of a Vow. Broken Vows entail

guilt.

The three Vows taken in Baptism : (i) To renounce the world, the
flesh, and the Devil ; (2) To believe the Truth of God ; (3) To
keep the Commandments of God.

CHAPTER XXXV.

EDUCATION, IN ITS RELATION TO CHRISTIAN

BAPTISM 342

ANALYSIS : Difference between Education and Instruction. Education is
the training of the faculties of the learner. Our Lord's method
of teaching : five examples. To instruct the mind, while
ignoring the spirit, is a practical error. The gifts bestowed in
Baptism, must be educed. A letter on the Education of
Christian Children.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE STANDING OF THE BAPTIZED, AS SEPARATED

TO GOD AND " CALLED SAINTS " 353

ANALYSIS : Separation is the radical idea of holiness ; seen in persons and

places, under the Mosaic Law.
Baptism : God's line of demarcation between the Church and the

World.

The Baptized are reckoned as " holy," even if, like Israel of old,
they have fallen from their standing. The Apostles always
address them as " saints." On sin after Baptism.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

THE PRACTICAL LESSONS OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM . . 364

ANALYSIS : The practical lessons of Baptism, arising from our being
grafted into Christ, are : ( i ) Brotherhood and Membership ;
(2) Unity ; (3) Sympathy ; (4) Self-crucifixion and Self-denial ;
(5) Truthfulness ; (6) Purity ; (7) Love.

XXI

CHAPTER XXXVIII. PAGE

DIVISIONS OF THE CHURCH CATHOLIC IN CONNECTION

WITH HOLY BAPTISM 375

ANALYSIS : The Sacraments, which should unite the Church Catholic, are

the sources of division.

The differences concerning the Sacrament of Baptism, in doctrine
and practice, as seen in the Greek, the Roman, the Lutheran,
and the Anglican Churches ; and among the Reformed and
Nonconformist Branches.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

THE DISASTROUS RESULTS OF THE BROKEN UNITY

OF THE CHURCH 389

ANALYSIS : The disastrous results of the broken unity of the Church, are

seen in the spiritual sins of which the Baptized are guilty.
The various ineffectual devices of man to maintain and restore unity.
The intervention of God necessary ; probably, by His sending Mes-
sengers, to gather up the truth from every section of the Church.
Confession of sin is a necessity towards this given end.

CHAPTER XL.

THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE BAPTIZED .. .. 401
ANALYSIS : The Baptismal vows are a test of the condition of Christendom.
The Baptized, in practice, have not renounced (i) the world ;
(2) the flesh ; (3) the Devil. The coming apostasy and repudia-
tion of Baptism by Christian nations. The fearful sin of
crucifying the Son of God afresh. A ray of Hope springs from
the eternal purpose of God in His Church.

PART VI.
SUPPLEMENT.

CHAPTER XLI.

ON SACRAMENTS AND ORDINANCES 417

ANALYSIS : The nature of a Sacrament : its parts ; its object. Sacraments
are rooted in the Incarnation. They are efficacious because,
(i) they are the acts of God, even of the Trinity ; (2) they are
founded on the Death and Resurrection of Christ ; (3) they are
wrought according to the will and commandment of God, in
the power of the Holy Ghost.

Insignificant things may contain a special significance,
fulfilling a Divine purpose, and tending to glorify God and to
humble man. The Ministers of the Lord represent Christ and
act in His name. The power of the spoken word.

CHAPTER XLI I.

INFANT BAPTISM 43*

ANALYSIS : No command for Infant Baptism can be found in the Bible.
I. Analogies from the Old Testament, especially that of Circumcision.
II. Inferences from the New Testament : from Our Lord's teachings, and

from those of His Apostles.
III. Testimony of the Ancient Church. On Sponsors. Clinical Baptism.

CHAPTER XLIII. PAGE

ON THE DIFFERENT MODES OF BAPTISM 448

ANALYSIS : There are three modes of Christian Baptism :

(1) Immersion, which represents death, burial, and resurrection ;

(2) Affusion, which sets forth the same truths as Immersion ;

(3) Aspersion. Some historic Fonts.

CHAPTER XLIV.

ON THE BAPTISMAL NAME 460

ANALYSIS : The importance and value of a name. The Name of God.
The names of persons given and changed by God. Name given
in Holy Baptism, as was the practice at Circumcisioji. Christian
names and surnames. Ingenious classification of plants and
animals by Linnaeus.

CHAPTER XLV.

ON CATECHUMENS .. 472

ANALYSIS : Definition of ' Catechumens.' Catechumens could not he-
present at the Eucharist. Offices for their reception, in the
Coptic and Apostolic Churches.
On Exorcism. On the sign of the Cross. Function of Witnesses.

CHAPTER XLVI.

THE CONNECTION OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM, WITH

OTHER DIVINE ACTS IN THE CHURCH 483

ANALYSIS: Truths are correlated. Baptism is connected, (i) with the
daily Absolution in the Church ; (2) with the Holy Eucharist ;
(3) with Confirmation, or the Laying on of Hands.

CHAPTER XLVII.

BRIEF REVIEW OF SOME ORIENTAL BAPTISMAL

OFFICES 493

ANALYSIS : Examples of administration of Baptism in the New Testament ;

from the Didache. The Office in the first four centuries.
Early Liturgies : Those of Jerusalem and Alexandria. The Office
as set forth in the " Testamentum Domini Nostri." The Graeco-
Russian rite. The Armenian, the Paulician, the Coptic Offices

CHAPTER XLVIII.

BRIEF REVIEW OF SOME OCCIDENTAL OR WESTERN

BAPTISMAL OFFICES 504

ANALYSIS : The order of Baptism as set forth : ( i ) in the Stowe Missal ;
(2) in the Roman Church ; (3) in the Lutheran Church ; (4) in
the Anglican Church ; (5) in the Apostolic Church ; (6) Ad-
ministration of Baptism by the Nonconformists.
Invocation of the blessing of God upon this Treatise.

APPENDIX.

NOTE i. ON OUR LORD'S DISCOURSE WITH NICODEMUS 514

NOTE 2. ON FONTS $1$

NOTE 3. ON THE MARK TAU ib.

INDEX 516

SCRIPTURAL STUDIES ON BAPTISMS,

ESPECIALLY CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

PART I. THE CONNECTION OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM WITH
THE INCARNATION OK OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

CHAPTER I. CHRIST'S UNION WITH MAN, BY TAKING MAN'S NATURE

AS IT NO\V IS SlN ONLY EXCEPTED.

CHAPTER II. CHRIST'S WORK IN FALLEN HUMAN NATURE.

CHAPTER III. CHRIST'S SACRIFICE OK FALLEN FLESH.

CHAPTER IV. CHRIST'S RESURRECTION AS THE SECOND ADAM.
CHAPTER V. BAPTISM THE ORDINANCE FOR UNION WITH CHRIST.

CHAPTER VI. OUR UNION WITH CHRIST IN His DEATH AND IN His
BURIAL.

CHAPTER VII. OUR UNION WITH CHRIST IN His RESURRECTION.

CHAPTER VIII. OUR UNION WITH CHRIST IN His LIKE OK OBEDIENCE
UPON EARTH.

SCRIPTURAL STUDIES ON BAPTISMS,

ESPECIALLY CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

PART I.

THE CONNECTION OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM

WITH THE INCARNATION OF OUR LORD

JESUS CHRIST.

CHAPTER I.

CHRIST'S UNION WITH MAN BY TAKING MAN'S NATURE AS
IT NOW IS SIN ONLY EXCEPTED.

ANALYSIS : The foundation of Christian Baptism is the Incarnation of Jesus

Christ, including His Death, Burial, and Resurrection.
The redemption of any race of beings demands the identification of the

Redeemer with that race.

Christ did not take unfallen flesh. The Mother of Jesus was not sinless.
Christ took flesh in its fallen condition, the same that we have, "yet

without sin " Proofs from Holy Scripture.

n^HE Apostle, in writing to the Hebrews, speaks of " the Heb. v. 12.
* first principles of the oracles of God," and of "the Heb. \-i. i. 2.
principles of the doctrine of Christ," and the third out of the six
principles which he enumerates is " the doctrine of baptisms."
Every baptized person is responsible for understanding- the
doctrine of Christian Baptism ; for it is among the elementary
truths which are first communicated to young disciples or
neophytes : indeed, the context teaches us that the doctrine
of baptisms is fitting instruction for " babes in Christ," being Heb. v. 12-14
" milk," and not " strong meat."

What is the great truth or fact on which Christian
Baptism is founded ? It rests on that grand omnipresent
truth, the counsel of God from all eternity, THE INCARNATION
OF THE SON OF GOD, springing from the eternal love of God.
The Apostles in the New Testament do not link Christian
Baptism so much with the Incarnation per se, as with the
two great salient events of Christ's life, viz., His Death and
His Resurrection ; but these are bound up with and flow
from Incarnation, the Incarnation of the Son of God, the

4 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. I.

great sacrament of Godliness, which is the foundation of all
revelation and doctrine ; hence Christian Baptism must have
its relations with this Divine fact, and, in a measure,
potentially and spiritually spring therefrom.

The basis of Baptism is like a three-cornered stone, for the
Incarnation, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus
Christ are so inseparably bound together that in the eternal
purpose of God they form a unity ; and when, in the following
pages, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ is dwelt upon as the
foundation of Baptism, this unity must be borne in mind.

I. It seems obvious that the redemption of any race of
beings demands, as a necessity, the identification of the
Redeemer with that race. Admitting atonement to be a
possibility, justice can accept it only from one on whom the
burden of the sin really lies, and as the creature that sinned
must pay the penalty, justice must enforce this condition.
Man incurred the penalty ; man must pay the debt. An
expiation, however meritorious, could not benefit sinners of a
different nature to that in which it was wrought out. There
would be no connection between the merit of the one and
the sins of the other. It is clear, therefore, that for atone-
ment to be made for the sin of any race of creatures, it must
be effected by one who has the same nature ; therefore, if
the Son of God would atone for human sin and redeem men,
He must lay hold of their nature as He finds it ; He must
become man, that as man He may act and suffer on behalf of
men. To interfere legally on their behalf He must be their
Ruth iii. 9. kinsman, or Goel (one that hath right to redeem margin).

" What did the Son of God come into the world to do ? "

"It was to redeem fallen humanity. When He was born
human nature was a ruin, lying under the righteous indigna-
tion of God, doomed to the grave, and exposed to the
assaults of the powers of darkness. The question was : Can
this lost nature be restored ? Can its sin be washed away ?
Can it be delivered from the grasp of death ? Can it be made

Christ's Union with Man by taking his Nature. 5

worthy to stand in the presence of God ? Only One can do
it, and He, the Son of God from everlasting. He becomes
the Virgin's Son, and thus joins Himself to our ruined
humanity that He may redeem it. He becomes one of the
fallen race, and takes upon Himself the sins, the infirmities,
and the conflicts of the race, undertaking to satisfy God, to
overthrow our enemies, and to carry our nature into the
highest glory." W. W. Andrews.

II. Christ having united Himself to man by taking
human nature, the question arises, What was that flesh which
Christ assumed^ and in what condition was it ?*

(i.) The answer which Holy Scripture furnishes is simple : Heb. if. 14.
Christ Himself took part of the same flesh and blood which we
have, yet without sin ; therefore Christ did not assume a nature
that had never sinned. The flesh of mankind has existed in
more than one condition, for Adam's flesh, as created, was
in an unfallen condition, and therefore free from disease and
death. Only Adam and Eve had flesh in this condition, and
when they sinned they lost its nnfallen purity. Flesh
as given to Adam at his creation did not require the
redemption which became necessary through his fall, and
had Adam's human nature remained sinless it might, after a
limited probation, have been greatly exalted, and, freed from
mortality and liability to fall, been changed into immortal
and incorruptible manhood. Some earnest Christians think
it is blasphemy to say that Christ took any other than unfallen
flesh, but such a view saps the truth of the redemption of our
fallen and sinful nature as it now exists. Christ did not take
the flesh which Adam had before his fall.

(2.) Christ was not born of a sinless Alothcr. The Son of
God was made Man " of the SUBSTANCE of His Mother." If
this substance were in itself, and apart from His Person,

*In these pages the term " flesh " is often used, not in its restricted sense,
but in its comprehensive Scriptural meaning, where it sets forth, not merely Mien
flesh, taken literally, but the whole of our fallen

6 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. I.

immaculate, then the flesh which He received from His
Mother would not have been in the same condition as that
of every human being both then and now ; and the work of
Christ in it could not have effected the redemption of sinful
human flesh, whereof all men have ever partaken. But the
Heb. ii. 14. Scripture declares, " Forasmuch as the children are partakers
of flesh and blood, He [Christ] also Himself likewise took
part of tJie same" According to the theory of the Immaculate
Conception, if the Virgin Mary had been conceived and born
of her mother without sin, then the flesh which slie received
was not in the same condition as that of every other human
being flesh of the common stock which we have now but
something exceptional. Our credulity, rather than our faith,
is taxed when we are required to believe that of the father
and mother of the Virgin, born of sinful parents, and in
themselves sinful, a child could be immaculately conceived
and bcrn without sin. If this unscriptural figment were true,
the enemies of the Gospel might well exclaim against the
injustice of one mortal being born immaculate, and of all the
others inheriting a sinful nature. Moreover, if one of Adam's
race could naturally be born without sin, so also could all, and
then Christ's sufferings and death were unnecessary. The
immaculate conception is true only of our Lord's conception
by the Holy Ghost in the Virgin Mary, and it is true of no
other person in creation.

(3.) Christ took flesh in the same condition as ours in every
particular yet without sin. Sin has to do with a person, with
an act of will, which is the attribute of a person. Is a new-
born babe sinful ? Yes, because its life is derived from sinful
parents, and therefore it is born in a corrupt and perverted
condition of heart. We speak of the innocence of childhood,
but it is only relative. All the germs of every sin are in the
nature that the child has inherited from his sinful parents.
Heb. \ii. 26. The Son of God, made man, was " holy, harmless, undefiled, and
separate from sinners." The PERSON of Christ is one, though

Christ's Union with Man by taking his Nature. 7

He has two natures, the divine and the human. He who was
born of the Virgin, of her substance, was the Word, the Son
of God, who thus became incarnate in man's nature. Jesus
being conceived by the Holy Ghost, the nature which He
assumed was, in His own Person, purified from that moment,
because He laid hold of it ; and by His miraculous conception
it was freed from all taint of original sin (which follows in the
course of natural generation), even as in Him it was ever kept
free from actual sin. Jesus had no earthly father. He
received natural life from Adam, but only through His Mother,
for He was " the seed of the woman," and the testimony of
the Church Catholic, as expressed in the Creeds, accords with
the declaration of Scripture : " He was conceived by the Holy
Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary "(the Apostles' Creed) ; "He
was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Man- and
WAS MADE MAX w (the Nicene Creed) ; He was " Man, of the
substance of His Mother, born in the world " (Athanasian
Creed). The substance being that of the woman, who was
of the lineage of David, Jesus was truly of the seed of David,
of Abraham, and of Adam ; therefore, this was no new
creation of flesh for the occasion, or else where would be man's
redemption ? It was an Incarnation, and that of the Person of
the Son of God. He became MAN, which is abstract, and did not ;
become an individual man, which is concrete. It is failing to
distinguish between abstract and concrete in this connection
that has led dissentients into most of their errors. If Christ
had merely become a man, it were conceivable that the pur-
pose of His Incarnation might have had no higher aim than
that He should be our example in all the relations of life. It
was not, however, a man, but '* the manhood" that was " taken
into God." It is clear that the blessed Virgin had only her
own substance to yield for effecting this miraculous con-
ception ; nevertheless that which was used was, de facfo, by
the operation of the Holy Ghost, perfectly sanctified, so that
the Angel could call the unborn Saviour " that holy thing Luke L 35.

8 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. I.

Job. xiv. 4. which shall be born of thee." " Who can bring a clean
thing out of an unclean ? Not one." But God has done
it in this one case by His own power and grace. As the
Virgin's flesh was of the common lump of human nature,
so also was that of our Lord. If not, how then could sinful
flesh be redeemed ? If the Lord did not take our flesh as it now
is, then is our flesh unredeemed. Unredeemed, it would oppose
an insuperable barrier to the gracious purposes of God for
its future exaltation. Everything that can be said of man's
flesh (save its sinfulness) is true of our Lord's flesh : in itself
it was in the fallen condition ; in itself it was corruptible ; but
the Spirit of Holiness kept Jesus in the days of His flesh, and
so it was not possible for God's Holy One to see corruption.
Hissacred human nature, though mortal, was never sinful. "Our
Saviour vouchsafed to take this [our] nature, fallen and cor-
rupted through sin [though never in Him corrupt or fallen]."*
It is expressly stated in Scripture that, not only was Christ
Rom. viii. 3. made man, but also that "God sent His own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh" The proof that He came truly in the
likeness of sinful flesh is the Purification of the blessed Virgin,
His Mother, after His birth, as also His circumcision, and His
lleb. ii. 1 8. temptation by the Devil. " He suffered, being tempted, yet
Heb. iv. 15. without sin." This is a great mystery, which, nevertheless, the
Heb. ii. 17. Word of God declares to be a fact. "In all things " (in being
encompassed with infirmities that are sinless in themselves)
"He was made like unto His brethren " ; and therefore when
He wept, when He slept from fatigue, when He thirsted and
sweated, when He bled and cried out from pain, and at last
died, all this proved that Christ had indeed assumed weak,
mortal, corruptible flesh, and that He was like us in everything,
excepting sin. It must be jealously maintained that it was
in the integrity of our human nature body, soul, and spirit
that our blessed Lord was conceived by the power of the
Holy Ghost and born of His Mother.

*" Readings on the Liturgy,' 1 vol. i., p. 551 ; vol. ii., p. 137, second paragraph.

Christ's Union with Man by taking his Nature. 9

On such a vital point it may be necessary to guard and
explain the expression, " fallen flesh." By this is meant
human nature in the condition to which it was brought by
the fall of Adam, fleshly sin or moral evil only excepted
in our Lord's case. By the fall, human nature had
become weak, subject to disease, corruption, and death, and
to infirmities which were not in themselves necessarily sinful,
although the result of sin. To all these Christ became liable.
Adam was created in the likeness of God, but after his fall we
read he begat children " in his own likeness." Now Christ Gen. v.
humbled Himself "and was made in the likeness of men " that Phil, ii
He might bring man back to the likeness of God, and conform
him to His image, by the renewing of the Holy Ghost,
which shall be manifested in the glory' of the resurrection. The
language of Scripture is bold and clear that God "sent His
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh." The likeness here (as proved
by other Scriptures) was more than mere resemblance \ the only
item of nnlikeness was (as stated above) that He was " without
sin." Christ was absolutely holy originally, constitutionally,
and actually and no spot of sin attached to Him, nor to
the nature which He sanctified on its assumption, though
its natural infirmities inhered. In taking our flesh, the Lord
began to raise it. but it could not be perfected until it had
gone through death, and attained the resurrection. This then
is the condition of flesh which is set forth by the expression
"fallen flesh," and though this actual expression is not found
in Holy Scripture, it is permissible, and according " to the
analogy of the faith."

An illustration may place the subject in a clear light. The
uncreated God is infinitely high, the only perfect and indepen-
dent Being. At an inconceivable distance below God, the
angelic nature has its level, and beneath it is that of man.
Man, when created, stood on a certain level, but he fell to a
great depth below it, and to this great depth Christ stooped to
take hold of man (i.e., to be made man), whose redemption

io Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. I.

then became possible. Had the Lord Jesus stooped only to the
condition of unfallen Adam, there would have been, as it were,
a gap between that level and our present level, and our fallen
nature could not have been lifted up from the depth to which
it fell, where it lay prostrate. Justice can concede nothing :
hence, had a gap existed between the unfallen and fallen
human natures, the satisfaction, if given in unfallen flesh, could
not have met the necessities of the case, and fallen flesh would
have remained unredeemed. Moreover, as the sin was pride,
Gen. Hi. 5. shown by the man and the woman aspiring to be "as gods,
knowing good and evil," God Himself gave the needed moral
compensation by humbling Himself to become man, and
herein the Divine attributes of mercy and truth, of wisdom
and justice, are harmonised and glorified for evermore.

III. This truth is enforced by the plain declarations of
Holy Scripture, without whose authority it might be pre-
sumptuous to maintain that Christ took the same flesh as that
which all men have now. St. Paul states that Jesus Christ,
Rom. i. ^and the g on of GQ ^ tl wag made of the geed of Dav j ( j ) according

Gal. iv. 4. to the flesh " ; that He " was made of a woman " ; and again,
Heb. ii. 11-17. "for both He that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are
all of one. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the
same. Verily, He took not on Him the nature of angels, but
He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore, in all
things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren."
We may notice that the Apostle does not say that Christ
took on Him the flesh of Adam (which might open the
door of controversy), but that He took on Him the seed of
Abraham (Adam's sinful descendant), making it clear that
He took flesh like unto His brethren (yet without sin). Of
2 Tim. iii. 16. a truth " Great is the mystery of godliness," which is
apprehended only by faith, but which cannot be comprehended
by the created understanding or by man's finite reason.

Christ's Work in Fallen Human Nature.

CHAPTER II.

CHRIST'S WORK IN FALLEN HUMAN NATURE.

ANALYSIS : Christ's work in human nature was to condemn sin in the flesh.
He worked out righteousness in fallen flesh by faith and sacrifice.
Christ sanctifies man's whole nature of body, soul, and spirit.
The fourfold division of man's spiritual and mental condition.
Christ's holy work in fallen flesh was the necessary preparation for its
necessary sacrifice.

THE nature of the flesh which Christ assumed when He
became incarnate having been considered, the work which
Christ did in human fiesh demands attention next.

It is important to grasp the truth that the work of Christ is
as much a work in human nature, as /or human nature.

The glorious work of Christ is the recovery of human
nature by His assumption of it into union with Himself;
by His doing a sanctifying work in it through the grace
and power of the Holy Ghost ; by His making a sacrifice of it
when so sanctified ; and by His renewal of it in resurrection
life. Christ has glorified God by showing to the whole
intelligent creation what God could prevail to do in the
manifestation of His holiness, even with such material as
mortal or fallen flesh. Such is the statement of St. Paul con-
cerning these three points which are under consideration, viz. :
(a) The flesh which Christ took : the flesh He came in

was " the likeness of sinful flesh."
(&) What He did in it : the work which He did therein

was " to condemn sin " by His perfect holiness.
(c) What He did with it : He offered it up in His own
person as a sacrifice for sin. " What the law could
not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God
sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,
and for sin [/"*., 4< by a sacrifice for sin" margin]
condemned sin in the flesh."

J2 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, f Part I., Chap. II.

I. What is implied in this condemning sin in the flesh ?
Two thoughts may be attached to the word "condemn."

(i.) When Christ wrought out a righteousness in fallen flesh,
He condemned the sin that all men have wrought in it, and
showed that there was no necessity for men to commit sin, if
they would walk by faith in the power of the Holy Ghost.

(2.) Christ condemned sin in that flesh which had
sinned, by offering it up as a sacrifice for sin. The stress
which is laid on the offering up of fallen flesh by Jesus
Christ must not be misinterpreted, for the great central truth,
declared in Holy Scripture, must also be remembered, viz. :
that the propitiatory offering which the Son of God made on
our behalf was, and is, Himself (set Chapters III., VI.).

II. What was the work which Christ did in our flesh ?
He wrong/it out righteousness in fallen flesh, and thereby

manifested true holiness therein. Man can be righteous even
in fallen flesh, by the power of the new life which he has
received, and after the manner in which Christ was righteous
in it ; viz., by mortifying the flesh through faith, and pre-
senting it to God as a sacrifice while so kept in death.

Christ's sanctifying work in human nature was an integral
part of God's plan of salvation, and a preparation for its sacri-
fice, and it was therefore necessary that this work should
precede its sacrifice. As Man, Christ kept His human nature
Heb. ix. 14. "without spot," in and by the Holy Ghost, so that in
His Person it was fit to be laid on the Altar, before the
Holy God, and to be accepted by Him as the true
expiation for the sins wrought in that flesh by all mankind.
This was a work of such difficulty, that it could not have been
accomplished, save by the intervention of God Himself,
through the Incarnate Son and by the power of the Eternal
Spirit. No other power, such as the law, could avail to deliver
the creature : it had been tried, and had been found wanting.

It is important to consider the component parts of the human
nature, in which Christ did this mighty work. Human nature

Christ's Work in Fallen Human Nature. 13

is threefold, and consists of body, soul, and spirit (i Thess. v.
23). The highest of these is the spirit, which was the seat of
Christ's work in the first instance. The human spirit is four-
fold, consisting of the will, the imagination, the reason or
understanding, and the heart or affections.

(l.) The chief glory of the spirit lies in the WILL the spring
of choice and action. Every created will should be in harmony
with the will of God, but through sin the human will has
become disobedient, and the simplest definition of sin is
SELF-WILL. Sin is the revolt of the will. Christ brought the
human will back into conformity to the will of God. and
destroyed the antagonism between them, and this was His
principal work in flesh, even as He spake by the mouth of
His sen-ant David : " I delight to do Thy will, O my God ; Psa. .\l. 8.
yea, Thy law is within my heart." The triumph of Christ's
work was in the citadel of man's being, for it was the
absolute surrender of the will of the creature to that of the
Creator. The lesson which Christ had to learn as a man was
that of obedience; even -'obedience unto death." "Though
He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things Heb. v. s.
which he suffered." Man. being sinful, follows his own will
rather than the will of God ; and even when to will is present
with him, how to perform that which is good he finds not. Rum. vii. iS.
Christ came to remedy this state of things ; to bring back
the human will to obedience to God, and to set it free, by
giving to it the liberty- of holiness, and the strength of
goodness. To this end, in the school of suffering* it was
ordained that the Lord Jesus should learn His lesson.

As He had come to do and to suffer the will of God, for
the release and perfecting of manhood, Jesus was tempted
with an intensity of which we can form no conception ; yet
He overcame, and remained the holy and obedient Man.
The Tempter came, and had nothing in Him. In John xiv. jo.
Gethsemane the veil is partially lifted, and with awe we behold
the mystery of the agonising conflict of the Lord in His

14 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. II.

sinless struggles, which ended in His glorious victory. This
was a baptism of blood, for His sweat was, as it were, great
drops of blood when He was pressed above measure by
the cruel assaults of the enemy ; nevertheless, He was more
than Conqueror, for in His anguish He exclaimed, "Not My
will, but Thine be done" There was no escape from making
fallen flesh a sacrifice even unto death, if resurrection and
eternal glory were to be attained. As true and perfect Man,
the Lord would shrink from pain to a greater degree than
we do with our blunted faculties, yet His love nerved His
will so that He was strong to die, and to conquer sin, death,
and the grave, and to bring in redemption and eternal life.

Thus, Jesus Christ brought the human will into obedience
to the will of God, and set it free with the liberty of
righteousness. Not that Jesus was ever imperfect, and had
to be made holy ; not that it is correct to speak of His
cleansing fallen flesh as a gradual work for in His assump-
tion of it the Son of God made it holy : but in learning
His lesson in the school of experience and suffering, and
fulfilling all that He came to do for man, He was
Heb. v. 9. made perfect as a Saviour, and "became the author of
eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him," i.e., who yield
up their wills to Him, even as He gave up His will to do the
will of His Father in Heaven. "Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven." This heavenly ideal was seen for the first
time in perfect manifestation in the life of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ.

(2.) The second faculty of the human spirit is that which

we call imagination, akin to faith, by which divine mysteries

are apprehended. In this, sin shows itself by spiritual

blindness. Man cleaves to that which is sensual and visible :

Heb. xii. 2. but Jesus "Who for the joy that was set before Him, en-

Heb. xi. 27. dured the cross, despising the shame," " endured as seeing

Him Who is invisible." He bore reproach and suffering, for

He looked not at the things which were seen and temporal,

Christ's Work in Fallen Human Nature.

but at those which were eternal. Sinful man looks at the

external and carnal, but the Lord looked at the internal and

the spiritual. The disciples, in their joy at the devils being Luke x. 17,18.

subject to them through the name of the Lord, looked only

at the earthly aspect of their mission, but while they rejoiced

in their triumph, the Lord beheld its heavenly import, for

He saw in their victory over evil spirits the earnest of the

final overthrow of the great spiritual adversary. So also Luke xiii. 16.

where men could see only a natural disease, the Lord

discerned the handiwork of Satan. By the things which

perish, the god of this world blinds the minds of them who

believe not ; but Christ, as the Man of Faith, obtains the

victory which overcomes the world and the prince thereof,

which is the Devil.

(3.) The third endowment of the spirit is the under-
standing, or reasoning faculty, by which truth or falsehood is
apprehended, and the value of propositions is perceived and
weighed. This faculty is mental and spiritual ; for the soul
and spirit, though divisible, are closely interwoven ; and St.
Paul writes of "spiritual understanding," as well as of his
speaking or praying with his understanding. Allied with
the exercise of this faculty is the conscience, which is that
perpetual witness within us which testifies to the guilt or
innocence of our acts. Christ, as Man, walked in all the
commandments and ordinances of the law blameless, and
brought light and wisdom into the human understanding, and
also purified the human conscience.

Conscience is a complex faculty, and is spiritual, intellec-
tual, emotional, approving, accusing, avenging. St. Paul
testifies that "herein he exercised himself to have always a Acts xxiv. 16.
conscience void of offence toward God and toward man."
This the Lord Jesus Christ achieved perfectly. Archbishop
Whately has pointed out that " conscience " is a compound
word, and denotes knowing " con " together with some-
body, and that somebody who knows together with us is GOD.

Heb. iv. 12.

Col. i. 9.

9 Cor. xiv. 13-20.

16 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Pan I., Chap. II.

(4.) Lastly there are the affections, or what is popularly
called the lieart, the seat of desire, with its impulses towards
good or evil, involving consequent impressions and results.
The human heart, with all its emotions, was sanctified in the
Lord Jesus ; and its affections were brought under the control
of the royal law of perfect love to God and to man.

As regards the soul viewing this as the synonym of our
mental or intellectual nature Christ illuminated it with true
light and knowledge ; He grew in wisdom, and had more
understanding than the ancients, because He kept God's
precepts. And the crown of all that He did in human flesh
was shown in His holy body, when He was raised from
the dead by the glory of the Father, in the power of an endless
life. In Jesus, as the Lamb of God, is seen the perfect
fulfilment of what was required by every offering under the
law. The sacrificial victim had to be without blemish, and
sometimes specially prepared, as in the case of the Paschal
Lamb, which was brought up on the tenth day of the
John xvii. 19. month for sacrifice on the fourteenth. The work of the Lord
as man was a preparation for sacrifice, a sanctifying of the
offering, that it might be accepted. In flesh, Christ fulfilled
the law of the burnt-offering, that in it He might also fulfil the
law of the sin-offering. Thus it was that the sinless One, in
the likeness of sinful flesh, condemned sin in the flesh. He
sanctified fallen flesh and made it fit for sacrifice. In that
flesh, which had hitherto manifested sin, Jesus manifested
righteousness, and in His resurrection brought into it the
eternal life which He had with the Father, and which shall
swallow up death in victory, when the saints are translated
at the coming of the Lord.

A few words may be added as to the nature of the righteous-
ness which Christ wrought out in fallen human nature a subject
which is frequently misunderstood. Christ was the Man of
Heb. xii. 2. Faith, the Chief Leader and Perfecter of faith, and was, as
Man y justified by His faith and not by His works. By the

Christ's Work in Fallen Human Nature. 17

works of the law shall no flesh be justified. " The just shall Gal. U. 16.
live by his faith." This has been true of every saint of God Hab. ii. 4.
since the beginning, and it was true of the " King of saints." Rev. *v. 3.
This righteousness which Christ wrought out is called "the
righteousness of God," and we learn from the Greek that it Rom. iii. 22.
was wrought out by faith not by faith in or towards Jesus
Christ, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, i.e., by the faith Rom. iii. 22.
which Jesus manifested. Its basis was the works of the law, Gal. iL 16.
and the righteousness was according to the law, but it outran
these and advanced into higher spiritual regions, and was,
therefore, more comprehensive and of more difficult attain-
ment. The essence of this new and divine righteousness is
faith and sacrifice, " for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Faith
towards God hallows and glorifies the most menial or trivial
action. Our actions are now done "as unto the Lord," and
become acceptable to God, through Jesus Christ.

Hence, Jesus as perfect man and our perfect example,
was justified by His faith ; and we are justified not by our
own faith alone, but by His faith. Such is the rendering of
Rom. iii. 21-22: "Now the righteousness of God without
the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the
prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by Jesus
Christ's faith [Gk.] unto all and upon all them that believe."
So, again : " A man is not justified by the works of the law, Gal. ii 16.
but by the faith of Jesus Christ ; even we have believed in
Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ "
i.e., by the faith which He manifested and not by the works
of the law, nor even by our own faith. In the original Greek,
Rom. v. i reads, " Therefore having been Justified [dikaiot/ientes],
by faith we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus
Christ." The position of the comma affects the sense and the
doctrine. This blessed passive past participle is full of the
very essence of the Gospel of the free grace of God, in Christ
Jesus our Lord.

1 8 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. III.

CHAPTER III.

CHRIST'S SACRIFICE OF FALLEN FLESH.

ANALYSIS : What constitutes a sacrifice.
The necessily for sacrifice and for death.
Of what the sacrifice must consist ; of the Mesh that sinned.
Christ took our fallen flesh, that He might offer it, in His own Person, as

a sacrifice His death and burial.
Christ offered up Himself "as a sacrifice, and not fallen flesh apart from His

Divine Personality.

HAVING considered what flesh Christ assumed, and the
work which He did in it, the third question is : What did He
do with it ?

He did that with it for which His work in it had been a
preparation : He offered it up as a spotless sacrifice to God,
because of the sins which men had committed therein.

I. The chief principles concerning sacrifice are three :
(i.) A sacrifice is something made sacred (sacer facio], i.e.,
devoted to God. (2.) It is offered to God, usually upon an
altar. (3.) It is consumed even unto death.

II. What necessity is there for sacrifice and for death ?
They arise from the existence of sin. This created the

necessity for an atonement, which is one of the truths that
have been written on the conscience of mankind, to which
the bloody rites of the heathen testify. Man's accusing
conscience craves an expiation, and desires relief througli
some expedient, be it self-mortification, or vicarious sacrifice,
i e.> the substitution of something else in the place of himself.
The origin of the idea of sacrifice is Divine, and it was
doubtless among the first revelations made to Adam after
his fall ; and, probably, the skins in which he was clad were
those of the victims slain in sacrifice. The principle is
Heb. i.\. 22. constantly affirmed in Scripture that " without shedding of
blood there is no remission of sins." Man having sinned,

Christ's Sacrifice of Fallen Flesh. 19

his life is forfeited, and according to justice must be offered
up in penal sacrifice by himself, or by some qualified substitute
should mercy intervene. We may remark here on the nature
of Substitution. Men would not speak of the unrighteousness
of the doctrine of substitution if it were not that they hold
wrong ideas of humanity in general. It is not taking some
person or thing, different in kind and species, and putting it in
the place of another. True substitution implies relationship,
identity', with just and legal representation. When Adam and
Eve sinned all mankind sinned, for in them were centred,
at that time, all mankind. All were created in Adam. We,
as men, are not separate incarnations, but members of the
genus homo. Nature as well as Revelation identifies mankind
with Adam by generation. Baptism into Christ regenerates
us, identifying us with Him and He with us. In each case
it is ** the manhood " that is in question, and Christ is our
legal representative.

III. Of w/iat must this sacrifice consist?

The demand of justice requires the sacrifice of that which
has sinned. There were many sacrifices prescribed by the
law, consisting of bullocks, rams, lambs, goats, kids, turtle-
doves, and pigeons, and in the routine of the yearly worship,
enjoined by the law of Moses, more than a thousand animals
were slain. Assuming .that the ritual in the Tabernacle and
in the Temple had been carried out for a thousand years,
the number of victims would have exceeded a million. What
rivers of blood ! And yet what does the Scripture say of
all these sacrifices ? That they were but types and shadows,
and could not of themselves atone for sin, " For it is not Heb. x. i-iS.
possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away
sins." No, it was not possible that they should do so ; for
the slaughter of an ox has no connection with the guilt, or
the forgiveness of the sin of a man. " The soul that sinneth, Ezek. sviii 20.
it shall die." If man has trespassed and incurred a penalty,
man must bear that penalty, or justice will be defeated, if

20 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. III.

fallen flesh be condemned, the sentence must be carried out,
on it and in it ; and, therefore, the true sacrifice that is
required must consist of that fallen flesh which is condemned,
and which would be an obstacle to any ulterior purpose of
mercy on God's part, if it be not legally brought to an end
by sacrifice ; and this must be done by one who, though a
partaker of that flesh, is himself spotless and holy, and who,
by his sacrifice in that flesh, glorifies the law of God in a
greater degree than all the sins, committed in that flesh, have
dishonoured that holy and inflexible law.

IV. This is tlie sacrifice wkicJi Christ has offered on
behalf of mankind. He was made Man. Having come in
the likeness of sinful flesh, which He assumed in holiness, and
having kept it holy, He offered it up by His own will and
Heb. x. 1-3, ii. act, as the necessary sacrifice to eternal justice. Christ's
sacrifice stands in marked contrast in its unity and its con-
tinuing efficacy to the typical sacrifices of the law which were
Heb. x. 14. repeated because of their inefficacy. " By one offering He
hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." He has
given us boldness to enter into the holiest by His blood, by
Heb. x. 20. a new and living way, through the veil that is to say, His
flesJi rthe typical veil of the temple being rent in twain when
the dying Saviour commended His spotless spirit into His
Father's hands. It is worthy of note that it is expressly
Matt, xxvii. 51. recorded that the veil was rent " from the top to the bottom "
(not vice versa], indicating an act of God and not of man.

This sacrifice was not an arbitrary demand of God,
who delights not in suffering, but it was a necessity, and
called for as much by the mercy as by the justice of God ;
for in this way only could fallen flesh be brought to a
judicial end in its present condition, and the barrier to its
being changed and glorified be removed. Also, it was the
only way in which fallen man could be saved from the
infliction of the judicial and abiding punishment which he
deserved for sin. Moreover, this being the necessary, just,

Christ's Sacrifice of Fallen Flesh. 21

and merciful end for fallen flesh, there is no other use for it.
Though Christ took this flesh and kept it holy, yet what was
it good for ? Even in Him, though purified and kept holy, it
was, in its fallen condition, unfit for the ulterior purpose of
God in the eternal Kingdom; & fortiori, unpurified flesh was
worse than useless. To become fit for God's use a complete
change was necessary, and there was only one way of effecting
this change by death leading on to resurrection ; so that
all that God could do with human nature, although kept
holy by His own Son, was to have it offered up in sacrifice
for its abolition in its present condition, and for its ultimate
renewal. The old sinful nature could never be improved ;
it must die. Who could bring it up to sacrifice and death
freely and unswervingly ? And who could keep it in such
condition that it migJit be even offered in sacrifice ? For
to this end flesh must be kept pure, and, though in a fallen
state, must be free from all taint of sin original and actual.
If it have the slightest trace of sin, it must be condemned
to suffer ; and in that case its sufferings could not avail as a
vicarious expiation for others who might have the same flesh,
or nature.

Now these extraordinary conditions were fulfilled in and
by our Lord Jesus Christ, who, taking the very flesh itself
in its fallen condition moral guilt excepted and keeping it
sinless, offered it up acceptably to God as a sacrifice, even
unto death. The blood of Jesus was holy, innocent blood Matt, xxvii. 24.
" the blood of a just person.'' Although God had no pleasure Psa. xi. 6-S
in those varied offerings commanded by the law, He had HeK x. 5-9.
pleasure in the work and sacrifice of His Eternal Son, made
man, by whom the Father was glorified and the law vindicated.

One remarkable element in the acceptance of the sin-
offering lay in its apparent rejection, for it was not offered on
the Brazen Altar in the court of the tabernacle, but the body
of the victim was burnt without the camp : and it was the
blood of such victims only, that was permitted to be brought

22 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. III.

Ileb. xiii. n, 12. inside the Sanctuary. " Wherefore Jesus also, that he might
sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the
gate." By accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in fallen
flesh, God did a marvellous and a righteous work ; for he
condemned sin in that flesh, and when it was sanctified and
offered up in sacrifice by His only begotten Son, He was
able to accept that very thing which had been corrupted by
sin, and to change it into the eternal and glorious condition.

Moreover, it being necessary that Christ should offer up
Himself 'of His own free will as a sacrifice for the s.ins of the
world, He did this by His own action when He instituted
the sacrament of His Body and Blood. Then did He present
Himself before His Father as the appointed Lamb ; then

Gal. ii. 20. He "gave Himself" for us, completing the burnt offering of
His holy life, and initiating the sin-offering of His precious
death ; and it only remained that the sacrifice should be
consummated by others, when He was taken by wicked hands

Acts ii. 23. and crucified and slain. DEATH was needed to set the seal
to all that had gone before ; for unless the Son of Man had
died, His Incarnation and His sufferings in Gethsemane would
have been in vain. The everlasting song of the Redeemed is

Rev. v. 12. " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain."

The Scripture speaks of the death of Christ as the special

Rom. v. 10. act by which " we were reconciled to God." Reconciliation with
God is not due to the life of Christ, but to His death, and
in this work He stands alone. Under the law, the High
Priest on the day of atonement presented the sin-offering by
himself alone ; so, likewise, no one had any part with Jesus
as the sin-offering for man. He was ALONE, forsaken of
the people, even by His disciples. His sacrifice was once
offered and it was perfect. Nothing can be added to it to
increase its sufficiency ; nothing can be taken from it to
diminish its efficacy.

The burial of Christ, however, is also an essential item in
the work of our redemption. Not only is burial the natural .

Christ's Sacrifice of Fallen Flesh. 23

sequel to death, and the simplest proof of its reality, but it
is a witness against the evil thing, for it testifies that
corruptible flesh must be put out of sight. Not only must
it die, but, when dead, it must be buried. The burial of
Christ is as integral a part of the Gospel as every other act
of Christ in human flesh, and, like His death, is witnessed to
in Holy Baptism.

V. What is the blessed result which flows from these acts ?
The result of this sacrifice of fallen flesh as regards the

flesh itself is, that it is brought to an end in its present
condition, so that it may exist in a better one. Sinful flesh was,
by sacrifice and death, brought to a legal and judicial end ;
and this gives a deep and blessed meaning to the hiding of the
Father's face from Jesus on the Cross. The turning away
from fallen flesh, though sanctified in the Person of His Son,
was a judicial, penal act on the part of God the Father ; and
thus it was that the natural life the life of the old Adam was
not only legally and judicially, but righteously and (it may be
added) mercifully brought to an end, that God might quicken
with new life Him who is now raised from the dead, and
constituted the SECOND ADAM.

Circumcision was the pledge in miniature of all this,
viz., of the fallen condition of human nature and of the
suffering, crucifixion, and death which were its due. It was
the foreshadowing of the cross. The cross is what God
deems the proper reward for fallen flesh, even when kept
sanctified by the Holy Ghost in the Person of His Son.

VI. While emphasis has been laid on the offering and
sacrifice which Christ made in and of our flesh, even as the
Scripture declares, " A body hast Thou prepared me," and Heb. x. 5.
that " God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, Rom. viii. 3.
and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh," still the shield has a

golden as well as a silver side that is, the Scripture also

declares that Christ "His own self bare our sins in His own i Pet. ii. 24.

body on the tree." Christ offered up Himself: "Through Heb. ix. 14.

24 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap.

the Eternal Spirit He offered Himself without spot to God";

Gal. i. 4. " He gave Himself for our sins " ; " He loved me, and gave

Gal. ii. 20. Himself ior me " ; " He hath loved us, and hath given Himself

Eph. v. 2. for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God " ; " Christ Jesus gave

i Tim. ii. 6. Himself, a ransom for all " ; " He needed not daily to offer up

Heb. vii. 27. sacrifice this He did once, when He offered up Himself."

The wonderful constitution of Christ, the incarnate Son of

God, must not be forgotten ; nor that He has two perfect

natures, the divine and the human, united in One Person the

Person of the Son of God. For He who was born of the

Virgin, being God the Son, was a divine Person, and therefore

Tim. iii. 16. He was " God manifest in flesh." "The blood which flowed

was the creature's blood, but it had in it the worth of Him

who had appropriated it who had made the two natures of

the Creator and the creature to be one Person for ever. The

nature which had sinned died ; the Person who suffered was

divine. This is a mystery beyond comprehension, but it is a

fact abundantly revealed. Received by our faith in a moment,

it shall exercise our reason throughout eternity."*

Had it been possible for sinful flesh to have been sanctified
and offered up by any other person, this would not have
constituted a meritorious, vicarious, and expiatory sacrifice. Or,
had it been possible to produce a specimen of human nature
freed from sin, otherwise than in the Person of the Son of
God, the offering of it would not have availed on behalf of
others. Hence, though stress has been laid on the fact that
Christ made a sacrifice of fallen flesh as that which was doomed
to die, and was the necessary sacrifice, it must be remembered
that the meritorious quality inherent in this act consists in its
having been fulfilled by the Son of God, for He, in His own
Person, perfected the offering when He offered up Himself.
Thus will homage be rendered to the truth in both its aspects,
and they will form one united whole.

* "Five Sermons," by the Rev. N. Armstrong, p. 8. See also, to the same
effect, sermons by Rev. William Dow, second series, pp. 206 ff.

Christ's Resurrection as the Second Adam. 25

CHAPTER IV.

CHRIST'S RESURRECTION AS THE SECOND ADAM.

ANALYSIS : The physical and spiritual necessity of the resurrection of Christ
The effect that His resurrection has had on the nature of which He took

part.
The difference between " Christ after the flesh " (2 Cor. v. 16) and Christ

as He is now.

The relation of Christ to the whole human race as the Second Adam, and
its second federal Head.

I. THE true relations of the old and of the new may now be
discerned. The flesh which in all men was sinful, save in
the spotless Redeemer, was offered up by Him as a spotless
sacrifice to God, that it might be condemned, and legally
and righteousjy abolished. The " old man " or nature is
destroyed, that the new may be brought in. Death is
endured, that life out of death may be brought forth. The
meaning of all that has gone before, and the triumph of
God's mercy, and of Christ's sacrifice and death, are made
manifest in a new life, and that is Resurrection.

Sin having been condemned in the flesh, a barrier between
God and man was removed, and the way was thus opened for
the bringing of human nature into the resurrection condition
undefiled, immortal, and glorious, through Christ our
forerunner.

It is not enough to glory in the cross, in the doctrine of
Jesus Christ and Him crucified, for the whole of the Gospel
is not contained therein ; mankind must glory in His resur-
rection also. If Christ had remained in the grave, and had
not been raised from the dead, then, as St. Paul wrote to the
Corinthians, '* Our preaching is vain, and your faith is also i Cor. xv. 14, 17.
vain." " If Christ be not raised, ye are yet in your sins."
Though expiation for sin was made by the death of Christ,
yet His Resurrection was necessary, in order that He might
complete the work of Atonement by entering into tlie presence

26 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [P.irt I., Chap. IV.

of God, with His own blood. Had Christ remained in the
grave under the power of death, no gospel of forgiveness and
peace, bringing light and consolation into the wretchedness of
human life, could have been carried forth to lost men ; no
strong arm could have vanquished the serpent, the seducer
and defiler of our fallen race ; no High Priest could have
interceded for us in Heaven ; no Holy Ghost could have
come down from the throne of God to implant in men the
new and heavenly life, making them members of Christ, sons
of God, and heirs of His eternal glory. But Christ could not
have remained dead, for this would have been a blot on God's
righteous government, and a loss to the whole moral and
intelligent universe. The innocent victim must rise again to
the glory of the Father. The resurrection of Chribt was God's
great act of absolution of sinful human nature, and showed
that the sacrifice of Christ was accepted as being the " full,
perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for
the sins of the whole world." Thus the resurrection of Christ
gave efficacy to His previous actings, and set the seal of per-
fection on His obedience, sufferings, and death, proving them
to be meritorious on behalf of others.

Resurrection is the proof that Christ won the victory, and
that He accomplished, not only the redemption and restoration
of human nature, but also its advancement and glorification.
The resurrection of Christ, therefore, is an essential factor in
Eph. i. 7. man's salvation. In Him " we have redemption through His
blood " ; reconciliation through His death ; and justification
by His resurrection ; in a word, full salvation (see Rom. v. 10).
The resurrection of Christ is the keystone of the arch of
the Christian temple.

There is no need here to adduce the evidences and the
arguments which prove the reality of Christ's resurrection.
There were numerous witnesses to the fact, and many of them
laid down their lives to vindicate their testimony. Jesus
showed Himself alive after His Passion to His Apostles " by

Christ's Resurrection as the Second Adam* 27

many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days," and Acts i. 3.
St. Paul says to the Corinthians, that He delivered unto them
first of all that which He also received ; " how that Christ i Cor. xv. 3, 4.
died for our sins and that He rose again the third day accord-
ing to the Scriptures."

II. The effect which Christ's Resurrection had upon the
nature, or tJic flesh, of which He took part in His Incarnation,
deserves attentive consideration.

Christ, by His sacrifice on the Cross, by His death and
burial, having brought flesh to an end in its present fallen
condition, God could righteously reward this meritorious act
by raising flesh from the dead in His Person, in a changed
condition " in the power of an endless life." That the old is lleh. vii. 16.
abolished to give place to the new is true of the flesh which Christ
assumed, for He took it in its mortal condition, and in it " He Rom. \\. 10.
died unto sin once," but He received the same flesh again,
quickened with immortal life ; neither can He die any more,
" for in that He liveth, He liveth unto God." If we would
know the fulness of the Gospel, we must hold with a firm
grasp the truth that Christ took the flesh that we have, and
that it was liable to corruption, although, by God's will, in
Him it did not see corruption ; but in resurrection it was
changed into incorntption vnfo a condition wherein it could
not decay, nor deteriorate, nor be invaded by sickness or pain.
He took it in weakness : He needed sleep, rest, and food ; He
fell under the load of His cross, and " was crucified through 2 Cor. xiii. 4.
weakness " ; but He received it again full of power of
power over nature, of power to bear an eternal weight of
glory, and as Man to sustain the government of the universe.
He took it in dishonour. He hid not His face ''from shame Isa. 1. 6.
and spitting." He took it as "a body of humiliation," but He Phil. Hi. 21
raised in it glory, resplendent with light, like the sun shining
in his strength, the sight of which struck the Apostle John Rev. i. 17.
down as one dead. The Lord's body was a natural body ; but
in resurrection His body became a spiritual body, although He Luke xxiv. 39.

28 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. IV.

remained a man and did not become a spirit ; but it was no
longer earthly, but heavenly. This contrast of flesh, natural and
spiritual, is founded on revelation, being taken from the fifteenth
chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians. Such is what
flesh was, such is what flesh is, when changed by resurrection
from the dead ; and the latter being what Christ now has, it is
important to bear this in mind in regard to what follows, and to
our relation to the present glorified human nature of the Lord.
God has worked, not merely to bring the old nature to its
fitting end, though this is a great and beneficial result,
but to bring in a better thing, causing the new to spring
Judg. xiv. 14. out of the old. "Out of the eater came forth meat, and
out of the strong came forth sweetness." The peculiarity
about the new thing consists in its being not merely a neiv
thing, nor an old thing made new, but a new thing begotten
from the old. Christ has brought human nature to death in
order that it might become new and immortal, and that we
might have life more abundantly, life out of death, even
resurrection life. Natural life has ever been a great mystery ;
how much more then resurrection life that issues from death
Psa. cxviii. 23. and the grave ! " This is the Lord's doing ; and it is mar-
vellous in our eyes."

Christ is the first saved man, and God has given to Him
first the gift and grace of salvation and everlasting life,
Psa. xxi. 1-7. according to His request. His flesh, speaking allegorically,
is not now the shittim wood of the Tabernacle, but the cedar
wood of the Temple ; still, in His glistening, immortal body
there are the memories of the past, the clue to the attainment
of that exceeding glory. The marks of the wounds in His
hands and side speak of awful memories even of death,
which, as man and for man, He endured when He bore our
sins in His own body on the tree, that old things should pass
away, and that God might righteously give the precious gift
of the new. Let all creation worship Him who sits on the
Rev. xxi. 5. throne and who says, '' Behold ! I make all things new."

Christ's Resurrection as the Second Adam. 29

III. A wonderful horizon is now opened before us in the
new relation which Christ bears to the human race THROUGH
His RESURRECTION, for by it he has been constituted the new
and federal head of mankind, their official representative, even
the Second Adam.

During his life on earth, Christ was one with man only by
created unity ; neither then, nor by His death, did he become
the Second Adam. But his resurrection introduced a new
condition of things, for Christ then became the Second Adam,
being made one with men by federal headship. It may be
well to explain the idea of federal headship. This is the
eternal recognition of the two truths, which, according to the
appointment of God, underlie the constitution of this human
nature which Christ has redeemed, viz., the unity of the
human race, and the principle of headship ; and these two
radical truths are witnessed to in the restoring work of Him
who is the Second Adam. All men were in the loins of
Adam as the source and stock of the human race, and this Heb. vii. 9.
bond is that of created unity : and being also one with him by
federal headship, he became our representative head, his acts
became our acts, and their moral results were transmitted to us.
Even as Adam was the federal head of fallen humanity, so
Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, became the federal head of the
redeemed human race, when, through His resurrection, He
came forth from the grave as the Second Adam.

The work which Christ did in mortal flesh has its relation
to all men by virtue of tbe created unity of human nature ; for
ail men have an interest in His life of meritorious and vicarious
obedience on earth, as well as in His death as a vicarious
sacrifice for all: for He "gave Himself, a ransom for all"; i Tim. ii. 6.
"The LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all"; He Isa.iifi.6L
" is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." i Tim. iv. 10.
But His resurrection widens His relation to men, and by
virtue of federal heads/up makes it inevitable that all men
should rise again with their own bodies, irrespective of faith

3 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. IV.

or obedience. Now Christ's life and righteousness are trans-
missible to those who are brought under His headship by
a process of union, viz., regeneration. One of the wonderful
results of the resurrection of Christ is the provision it makes
for the transmission to man of His resurrection life. When
Jesus was on earth, mankind was only passively associated
with Him who bare their sins in His own body on the tree ;
who was Himself with all his brethren under the federal
headship of the first Adam ; but when resurrection eman-
cipated Him, and He became the new federal head of the
human race, with power to propagate the new nature by the
Holy Ghost, He could then associate mankind with Himself
in His work, as the Christ of God.

The truth that Christ holds this relation to the whole
human race is distinctly stated in Holy Scripture ; thus St.
Paul, in that sublime vindication of Christ's Resurrection
(i Cor. xv.), says, "The first man, Adam, was made a living
soul, the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit ; the
first man is of the earth, earthy ; the second man is the Lord
from heaven." Here there is a contrast between two persons ;
one is called the first man and is Adam, the other is called the
last Adam and is Christ ; the first is called earthy, the second
heavenly. The special point here is the Lord's position as
the last or second Adam, in His representative headship and
federal relation to the whole human race ; for this truth must
have an immeasurable influence on the doctrine of Christian
baptism. The parallelism between these two federal heads,
in which humanity is summed up, is expounded by the
Apostle Paul in the fifth chapter of his Epistle to the Romans.
We learn here that Adam was " the figure [Greek " type "]
of Him that was to come " ; that as through the offence or
sin of one, many were made dead, so by the gift of grace
by one, many were made alive ; that as by the sin of one,
judgment came upon all men unto condemnation, so by the
righteousness of one, " the free gift came unto all men unto

Christ's Resurrection as the Second Adam, 31

justification of life": "for as by one man's disobedience Rom. v. 14-21.
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one
shall many be made righteous." There is a contrast in
this whole passage between Adam and Christ, between
the offence and grace, between sin and righteousness, between
disobedience and obedience, between condemnation and justi-
fication, between death and life ; and these causes and results
springing from two distinct sources (both representative and
federal heads), influence the characters and destinies of as
many as have partaken of their respective natures.

Christ, as the Son of the first Adam, received human
nature from one of Adam's line, by conception through the
Holy Ghost ; Christ, as the Second Adam, received not His
life from the first Adam in any sense whatever, but He
received the new resurrection life direct from God Himself,
and from no other source ; and so He makes those who
are baptized into Him " partakers of a divine nature." 2 Pet. i. 4
As the first Adam was the source of the polluted nature
which all men have inherited by birth, so now, according to
God's appointment, the Second Adam is the fountain
head of undefiled and immortal manhood to all those
who are born of Him, by supernatural descent, i.e., by
regeneration of water and of the Spirit. In a word, the John iii. 5.
Lord Jesus, " the last Adam," has now been " made a i Cor. \v. 45.
QUICKENING SPIRIT."

Christ took our fallen flesh, He kept it holy by " the Heb. i.\. 14.
Eternal Spirit," He offered up Himself in it as a sacrifice for
sin, He was dead and buried, He was raised from the dead by
the glory of the Father, and He now dieth no more, but lives
to God in the power of an endless life.

These are the mighty acts of the eternal Son of God, made
Man, and these acts are the groundwork of Christian baptism,
though it is the resurrection of Christ that stamps efficacy on
all that went before, and glorifies Baptism as the " SACRAMENT
OF THE RESURRECTION."

32 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. V.

CHAPTER V.

BAPTISM THE ORDINANCE FOR UNION WITH CHRIST.

ANALYSIS: The difference between Unity and Union.
Their excellency as seen in the Godhead ;
In Christ becoming one with man through His Incarnation ;
And in man becoming one with Christ, as He now is the Second Adam.
The condition and means for this union Faith, leading to Holy Baptism.
Union with Christ the central truth of Christian Baptism.
The Holy Ghost, the Divine Agent for effecting this Union.

GREAT is the mystery of Union, with its manifold results
for good, or for evil according to its basis and object. It is
the uniting of two or more persons for a common purpose ;
and this involves the reciprocal action of their natural, mental,
and spiritual powers, of their virtues, and the interchange
of their love. Such union forms a spring of energy and a
Eccles. i\. 9. fountain of strength, as it is written, "two are better than
one." Unity is greater than Union it is a spiritual reality,
and spiritual in its essence. Unity cannot be external, but
union may be its external symbol. Union may be broken,
by its joints and bands being loosened, which may end in its
dissolution. Moreover, even though there be a union which
appears to be and may be inseparable, yet it is not identical
with Unity which, per se, is indivisible ; for in Unity the
thought of one, as its essence, is contained ; whereas in Union
the paramount idea is rather that of joining together two or
more: hence Unity and Union are not necessarily identical or
co-existent. The unity of humanity embraces the diverse
races of men, among many of whom union is absent ; and yet
they are one in the unity of humanity.

Again, in nature, wherever unity and union are co-existent,
the latter may _be broken and the former remain : as in the
case of a tree with its constituent parts, which, in their

Baptism the Ordinance for Union with Christ. 33

integral union, form the tree ; but the union is impaired when

a severance arises between any of these parts, whereas the

unity of the sap that permeates the tree continues to exist.

So there is the union of all the members of the human

body, forming ONE BODY ; but they are kept in living

UNITY by the circulating blood "which is the life," and

by the inner spirit and personality. Although all the members

were created to be inseparable, yet their union may be

broken by accident or disease, and a limb once severed from

the body can never be rejoined to it as before. Again, there is

the union of body, soul, and spirit, which in death is dissolved

for a while ; but the unity of tJte life that filled the whole man

abides with the spirit when it returns to its Creator who Eccles. xii. 7.

imparted that life.

But to know the perfection of Unity indivisible and indis-
soluble we must turn our thoughts to the Godhead, and
behold the Unity of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost '* ONE GOD, not three Gods ; ONE LORD, not
three Lords " " so that in all things the Unity in Trinity and
the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped " (Athanasian
Creed). Jesus said of his relationship to God, " I and My John x. 30.
Father are one'* St. Paul taught the Corinthians: " There are i Cor. xii. 4-6
diversities of gifts, but the same spirit ; and there are differ-
ences of administration but the same Lord ; and there are
diversities of operations, but // is the same God w/tL'/i ivorketk
all in all." This concise statement by the Apostle is like a
seal with " Unity " engraved thereon.

The mystery and truth of co-existent Unity and Union
are manifested in the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ
" perfect God and perfect man," *' Who, although He be God
and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ ; One altogether,
not by confusion of substance but by unity of person "
(Athanasian Creed). One with the Father, in the uncreated,
eternal Unity of God, Jesus Christ became one with man in
the created unity of human nature, and to all eternity He

34 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. V.

remains our kinsman. Thus, in His unity and union with
man, the Son of God had a right to interfere on man's behalf,
and to redeem the forfeited inheritance.

It is necessary to grasp the difference between, and the
relation of, Unity and Union, for they have an important
bearing on the doctrine and efficacy of Christian baptism.

The application of God's great salvation to each one of us
as individuals is the extension of these same truths of Unity and
Union. As it was necessary that Christ should become united
to fallen man in order to accomplish his salvation, so also is
it necessary for the regeneration of redeemed man that he be
united to his Redeemer in the condition in which the Lord
Jesus now is, even in His spiritual and glorified condition.
By an act of God men must, through some divine ordinance,
be made one with Christ ; that being identified with Him,
His Spirit may take up His abode in them, and they may be
made partakers of His life and holiness, and keep THE UNITY
OF THE SPIRIT in the bond of peace as an earnest of its
fruition in everlasting glory. The essence of God's plan of
Eph. iv. 3. redemption was the union of the Redeemer with the
redeemed, and in its application, union is an underlying
principle. Thus it was the purpose of God in sending His
Son to take human flesh, that there should be a reciprocal
union, by man also sharing the new and resurrection life of
Jesus Christ. Christ took our nature in the natural, that we
might receive His nature in the spiritual ; " that we might be
Heb. xii. 10. partakers of His holiness " and of His eternal kingdom.

When Christ was doing His work on earth, His glory was
veiled. In the Psalm which is so prophetic of His sufferings
Psa. xxii. 6. He exclaims : " I am a worm, and no man ; a reproach of men,
and despised of the people." He had, up to His death, if it
maybe so expressed, acquired no recognised official relation-
ship to the human race. He was not yet, de facto and dejure,
their Saviour, though He had been announced by the angels
as bearing that character and title He became this when

Baptism the Ordinance for Union with Christ. 35

God raised Him from the dead and He became the Second
Adam.

When Christ had finished the work which the Father
had given Him to do on earth, and ascended up to
heaven, there to carry on His work in its next phase viz.., to
receive and send down the Holy Ghost on men, and as their
risen High Priest to intercede for them it was necessary
that those who received His word should by some means be
incorporated into Him in that new and special relation which
He had towards them as the Second Adam.

God has appointed an ordinance for effecting this spiritual
union between Christ and ourselves. He has given the
means for taking men out of the old Adam, with all his
drawbacks, dangers, and evil results, and of incorporating
them into the new Adam, with all His privileges, blessings,
promises, and hopes. Thousands of Christians say that the
only means whereby we are united to Christ is by Faith ; they
rightly hold it to be a spiritual union, effected by spiritual
means, but in so doing they often disparage external
ordinances. The necessity and the efficacy of faith is not
denied as a factor in bringing about our union with Christ, for
as the Lord said, " He that believeth and is baptized shall be Mark xvi. 16.
saved." All must acknowledge that faith is a necessary
requisite to Baptism. But is faith all, and is it of itself
sufficient? If it were so, why should the Lord have said,
" He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved " ? It must
not be forgotten that there is the obedience of faith, and that
faith leads men on to obey the commandments, and so, in this
case, living faith leads on to Baptism, which the Lord has
commanded. In the obedience shown in Baptism, faith is
glorified. Faith is inward, spiritual, invisible. Baptism is
external and visible ; but it is a sacrament, and therefore
presents an outward and visible sign as the indication of an
inward and spiritual grace. The application of water is an
act done in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and

36 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap V.

of the Holy Ghost, and its spiritual effects are, through the
power of the Holy Ghost, to take the recipient out of the
natural condition in which he was under the first Adam, and
to place him in covenant with, and under the headship of,
the Second Adam, to whom he thus becomes united.

"The Church, the Body of Christ, consists of those who
have not only believed, but have been baptized into His name,
and have thus not only made an outward profession of their
faith in Him, but have been engrafted into Him and made
members of the Risen One. Unbaptized believers are
catechumens, not Christians. The popular Evangelists who
make faith the all in all, and overlook or decry Baptism, only
bring their converts to the threshold of Christ's fold, and -leave
them there to spiritual starvation." W. W. Andrews.

As regards the mode of our Lord's union with man, and
that of man's union with Him, it is well to compare the two,
so as to discern those points in which they resemble, and in
which they differ from, each other. His union with man in an
organic manner, by the assumption of our common humanity,
has already been dwelt upon. Through the operation of the
same Holy Spirit by whom He was conceived, we are spirit-
ually united to Him by the use of water and the word ; and
this is not generation, but regeneration a being born from
above, having God for our Father by virtue of our union with,
or incorporation into Christ. In Him the process was
Incarnation ; in us it is Regeneration. Union lies at the base
of both, and the agent is the same the Spirit of God. As
sons of God we are " born, not of blood, nor of the will of the
John i. 13. flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God " born of water and
i Pet. i. 23. of the Spirit, even of incorruptible seed, " by the word of God
which liveth and abideth for ever." If there is an evident
fitness in the truth that a Redeemer should become one with
those whom He would deliver, then there is an equal fitness
that those who have been delivered by Him should be
required to enter into union with Him. The Lord, in being

Baptism the Ordinance for Union with Christ. 37

joined to man, was made one flesh ; and "he that is joined i Cor. vi. 17.
to the Lord is one spirit" Here Unity and Union are
glorified, as far as possible, even now.

The central truth embodied in Holy Baptism may be
summed up in three words, viz., Union with Christ ; for
by union was atonement effected, and by union is regeneration
imparted, which the resurrection of Christ has made possible.

To effect a spiritual union, there must be a spiritual power
and action by a spirit; and in regarding Baptism as the
means or ordinance whereby man's union with and incor-
poration into the risen Christ are effected, it must be
remembered that the Holy Spirit is the divine agent therein.
He it is who infuses life and reality into all sacramental action
in the ordinances of the Church of Christ.

The fundamental truth of Union is thus brought before us
in its two-fold aspect. Christ became one with men by the
assumption of man's nature through His Incarnation, and
men are made one with Him through baptism into Him
whereby a spiritual union is effected, and His new or risen
nature is imparted by the process of regeneration. That this
union with Christ is not only true in general, but is also true
in detail, and that men are made one with Christ in the
salient acts of His life, which is the glory or crown of
Christian baptism, will be clear to those who humbly accept
the teaching of Holy Scripture. E P h. i\. 21.

It is impossible to exaggerate the glory of Unity and
Union, and we adore the divine wisdom of God that He has
found a method of bringing the once fallen creature into
unity and union with Himself, and that this unity shall be
unbroken for ever. Union between God and man was the
Creator's forethought and purpose ; and the expedient of
uniting the divine and human natures in the Person of His
Son, and then of uniting the sinner with the Saviour, was due
to His infinite Wisdom and Love, and the gracious and
almighty fiat went forth, in each case, LET THEM BE ONE.

38 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. VI.

CHAPTER VI.

OUR UNION WITH CHRIST IN HIS DEATH, AND IN HIS
BURIAL.

ANALYSIS : There are eight acts of Christ with which we are united ; but

two are prominent His Death and His Resurrection.
Scriptural proof of this statement.

Our Union with Christ in His Death, as an external fact :
And, secondly, in a spiritual and subjective manner, through the power of

the Holy Ghost.
The same truth holds good with reference to the Burial of Christ.

IN Holy Scripture there are eight acts of Christ
mentioned, in which, according to the teaching of the Apostles,
we are said to be united with Him through Baptism.
Col. 5i. ii (i.) In His Circumcision. "In whom also ye are cir-

cumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in
putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the cir-
cumcision of Christ."

i Pet iv. 13. (2.) In His Sufferings. St. Peter writes thus: " Rejoice,

inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings " ; and St.

Phil. Hi. 10. Paul speaks of the " fellowship of His sufferings," and of

Col. i. 24. " filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ."
Rom. vi. 3, 4, 5, ?. (3.) In His Death. St. Paul teaches that, "50 many

of us as were [margin, are] baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into His death " ; " buried with Him into death " ;
"planted together in the likeness of His death " ; " dead with
Christ."

Rom. vi. 6. (4.) In His Crucifixion. '* Our old man is crucified with

Gal. ii. 20. Him " ; "I am crucified with Christ."

Rom. vi. 4. (5.) In His Burial. "Buried with Him by baptism unto

Col. ii. 12. death " ; " Buried with Him in baptism."

Eph. ii. 5. (6.) In His Resurrection. " God hath quickened us

Rom. vi. 4 . together with Christ," that " like as Christ was raised from the
Col. ii. 12. dead, so we also should walk in newness of life " ; " Wherein

Our Union with Christ in His Death and Burial. 39

also [i.e., in baptism] ye are risen with Him through the faith
of the operation of God."

(7 and 8.) In His Ascension, and in His Session at GocCs
right hand. " God hath raised us up together, and made us Eph. ii. 6.
sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

Of these acts of Christ, two are singled out as those with
which our union is most prominent, and our union
with them is effected by the same instrumentality, viz.,
by the Sacrament of Baptism. These two acts of Christ
which are specially connected with Baptism are His death
and His resurrection. When the Apostle Paul asks the
Church in Rome the question, " Know ye not that as many Rom. vi. 3.
of you as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into
His death ?" it is with a tacit upbraiding, that baptized people
ought to know this spiritual mystery, and that this simple
question ought to be superfluous. Alas, millions of the Baptized
are now ignorant of their spiritual standing, and the Apostolic
question might be reproachfully addressed to them, " Know ye
not ? " The Apostle continues, " Therefore we are buried Roni - vi - 4-
with Him by baptism into death " that is, into His
death ; and in the following verse he adheres to the
same figure : " planted together in the likeness of His death " ;
" Knowing this that our old man is [has been already] crucified
with Christ." In the eighth verse he continues his argument
in these words : " Now if we be dead with Christ ....," and
he follows it up in the next chapter, by saying, " Ye are Rom. \-ii. 4
become dead to the law by the body of Christ." In like
manner the Apostle writes to the Church at Colosse, " Where- Col. ii. 20.
fore if ye be dead with Christ." He uses the same expression
in writing to Timothy : " For if we be dead with Him." In 2 Tim. ii. i
Rom vi. 6 the Greek is literally " co-crucified " ; and in
Gal. ii. 20, the same word is used, " I am crucified with
Christ." Thus the Scripture asserts that the Sacrament of
Baptism brings man into a special relation to the death of
Christ which did not exist before, and that this is a real, though

40 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. VI.

spiritual, union. It was a truth that the converts of Rome
ought to have known, as a first principle, both in its doctrinal
aspect, and in its practical bearing in their daily mortification
of sin and unrighteousness.

We are united ivitk Christ in His death as an external fact,
of which we are made sharers. Christ gave Himself for us ;

Ileb. ii. 9. He died for us, i.e , on our behalf, and in our stead. " We

see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels

that He, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man."
Wherefore, as all men have an interest in, and a relation to, that
death, it affects them for salvation or for condemnation. St.
2 Cor. v. 14. Paul's expression, " W 7 e thus judge that, if Christ died for all,
then were all dead," is remarkable ; the Greek would be more
correctly translated, " then all died," as given in the Revised
Version. Hence, when Christ died, all mankind died in and
with Him in the sight of God ; and therefore Christ's death is
reckoned to every man as if it were his own death. Surely this
revelation is a Gospel in itself. It is glad tidings of great joy.
When our Redeemer died on Calvary, He died for us and we
died in Him, as our representative. The penalty of the
broken law that rested on man was discharged by and in Him.

Ileb. ii. 9. This truth enables us to say to " every man," " to every one of

Acts. ii. 38. you," Christ died for you ; God sees you in Him ; when He

suffered, you suffered ; when He was crucified, you were

crucified ; when He died, you died. Truly this is the essence

of the Gospel.

But the union with Christ in His death is also internal as
well as external. The death of Christ, although an external
fact, is applied to us in an inward, spiritual, and subjective
manner by the operation of the Holy Ghost. The crucifixion
of Christ, and His death, are in a mystic, sacramental, and
spiritual manner, inflicted on our corrupt and sinful nature by
the Holy Ghost. The death of Christ is the basis of all spiritual
life ; hence, for the daily crucifying of sin it must be applied
to us, internally and subjectively, by the power of the Holy

Our Union with Christ in His Death and Burial. 41

Ghost. This is a closer union than the union with Christ in
His death, as an external fact, which is common to all men ;
for only those who have been baptized are privileged to be thus
made one with Christ in His crucifixion. This spiritual appli-
cation of crucifixion and death of Christ to us, and in us, involves
our putting off the old man, for the highest form of self-denial
is to submit to crucifixion, and to keep the body of the sins of
the flesh in death, by the power of the cross of Christ working Gal. v. 24.
in us through the Holy Ghost. There are three words used Gal - vi - J 4 ! 5-
in the New Testament with reference to the putting to death
of the flesh, the first two of which are rendered in the
authorised version by the same word, " mortify." They imply Rom. viii. 13.
not only to crucify and put to death, but to keep dead, as a Co1 - "i- 5-
corpse, This result can only be attained as a spiritual
reality by our yielding ourselves to the power of the Holy
Spirit, so as to allow the death of Christ to have its crucifying
effect even now in our mortal bodies. If fallen flesh, kept
holy by the Son of God, had to die. a fortiori the unJioly flesh,
in its actually sinful state, must die, for " they that are in Rom. viii. 8.
the flesh cannot please God." There is nothing for us to do-
if we would please God but to keep the flesh in death, in the
same way in which the Lord Himself did, viz.. by absolute faith
and sacrifice. If in this way we are " bearing about in our body 2 Cor. iv. 10.
the dying of the Lord Jesus," we shall manifest to the world
that we are partakers of His sufferings, of His crucifixion, and
death : thus only shall we abide " dead with Christ." Rom. vi. 8.

Wherefore, it is not enough to say that the Baptized
are counted as dead with Christ ; for the act having been
wrought in them, they are dead with Him. What is done
sacramentally is not counted as if it were done ; it is done
it is a fact accomplished ; the death wrought in them is not
carnal, but spiritual ; it is not figurative, but real. Thus, sin is
not gradually expelled by the efforts of man, but is slain by
an act of God ; and in this act \ve are to abide by faith,
keeping the old man dead, and not quickening him again by

42 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. VI.

unbelief and self-indulgence. But the basis of the spiritual
fact is the literal fact. If Christ had not literally died for us,
His death could not be applied to us spiritually and
sacramentally ; and it is manifest that the external fact must
precede its internal application. Hence, this spiritual appli-
cation of the death of Christ to the Baptized is an advance on
its vicarious application to all men, and the inward and spiritual
grace of this union exceeds that of the literal union. It is more
restricted and dependent on a given ordinance ; for the one
is the free gift of God to mankind in created unity, whereas,
this other additional and closer union springs from Christ, as
the head of His body, the Church.

All that has been said of the death of Christ may be
applied to the cognate fact of His burial, which is a fact
external to man, and therefore vicarious, and is also
applied to us in a spiritual and sacramental manner. The
burial of Jesus Christ being the necessary sequel to His death,
St. Paul shows that both are linked together in Baptism, when

Rom. vi. 4. he writes thus : " Therefore we are buried with Him by
baptism into death." In the flesh of Christ, fallen flesh was
dead and buried when His holy body was consigned to the
tomb. In Him, all men, as in a figure, lay in the tomb of
Joseph of Arimathsea, and this is a fact full of comfort. But
the same application is made of Christ's burial, as in the case
of His death, when some are brought spiritually into relation
to that burial, and are not only united to it as an external fact,
but partake of its power through its internal and spiritual appli-
cation by the power of the Holy Ghost. It was no empty
statement that St. Paul made when he told the Corinthians

t Cor. xv. 4. that he delivered to them as part of his Gospel, that Christ
died for our sins, and that He was buried. So do we joyfully
confess before God in the Creed that Christ was crucified, dead,
and buried. This is the acknowledgment that the death and
burial of Christ are integral factors in the spiritual efficacy of
the sacrament of Christian baptism.

Our Union with Christ in His Resurrection. 43

CHAPTER VII.

OUR UNION WITH CHRIST IN HIS RESURRECTION.

ANALYSIS : Union with Christ in His Death is not sufficient ; we must be

united to Him in His Resurrection also.
Proofs from Scripture our union with Christ in his Resurrection as an

external act ; also in a spiritual internal manner, through the

sacrament of Baptism and the action of the Holy Ghost.
Christian Baptism was not possible before the Incarnation.
The meaning of the Resurrection life of Christ.
The heavenly nature and calling which man has now received.

THE union with Christ in His death has been dwelt upon,
but our union with Him in His resurrection remains to be
considered. These are the two most salient acts of Christ's
life, in which all others are summed up. The first is, as it
were, the darker half, but it serves to reflect lustre on the
second half. This latter is the more glorious, but not to the
disparagement of the former, on which it rests as on a
foundation, and from which it springs as the result and crown ;
inasmuch as there is more joy in the actual victory than in the
struggles of the battle which have issued in the victory. To
be united to Christ in His death is a blessed privilege, but
taken by itself it were of no practical value, nor could it be
operative for any spiritual end ; for the death of Christ, apart
from His resurrection, was not enough to bring in the full
redemption and salvation of God to men. As the Apostle says :
" If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain ; ye are yet in your i Cor. xv. 17.
sins." Wherefore, it is a necessity that men should be united
to Christ in His resurrection as well as in His death.

Christ is the head of redeemed humanity, and this federal
headship as the Second Adam belongs to our Lord Jesus
Christ, not through His Incarnation, but through His
Resurrection. While thus dwelling on the connection of

44 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. VII.

Christian baptism with the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus
Christ, we must clearly apprehend that we are not baptized
into Him as the Man, but into Him as the RISEN CHRIST,
Acts iii. 15. as the Second Adam, the Incarnate Son of God, "the Prince
of Life, whom God raised from the dead." Such is the
teaching of Holy Scripture. By resurrection Christ not only
brought a new life into flesh, but received the power and right
to transmit and impart the same to all who are united to Him.
The instrumentality which God has provided for effecting
this second act of union, this reciprocal union, is the Sacra-
ment of Baptism. Thus, though Baptism is based upon the
Incarnation of Jesus Christ, it derives its reality chiefly from
His resurrection ; for without His resurrection it could not
exist, since there would be no life to impart. Baptism, then,
may be regarded as the Sacrament of the Resurrection, since
in our union with Christ in His acts on earth, His resurrection
is the point from which we start. This is the cardinal point
of that union, which is retrospective in its aspect, in that it
embraces Christ's life for us on earth, and enables man to
claim a share in all His acts therein. It is also prospective
in its aspect with reference to the perfect glory of the coming
kingdom, which shall be ushered in by resurrection.

Thus, the efficacy in their application to the spirits of men
of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is due
to Him, as the Second Adam, not so much in virtue of
His federal headship over mankind, as to His being the
Eph. i. 22, 23. particular Head of His Church, " which is His body, the
fulness of Him that filleth all in all."

Oh ! the real glory that issues out of the dark tomb of
Joseph of Arimathaea ! The old fallen flesh lay therein dead
and buried, and this truth illumined the sepulchre like the two
bright angels who sat where the body of Jesus had lain. But
it did not remain there ; it was raised from the dead by the
glory of the Father. May the Baptized, who have likewise
entered that tomb in the Person of their Kinsman and

Our Union with Christ in His Resurrection. 45

Surety, be continually raised in spirit from the death of sin
unto the life of righteousness !

Of what sort of persons, then, may a Christian congregation
be said to be composed ? Wondrous paradox ! of crucified
persons crucified with Christ and crucified in the spirit to
all evil, to sin, to self, and to the world ; and not only crucified
and buried with Christ, but likewise risen with Him from the
dead. " By Thy precious death and burial, by Thy glorious
resurrection, good Lord, deliver us !" (The Litany.)

TJiat we are united to Christ in His resurrection is fre-
quently stated by St. Paul. In his Epistle to the Romans he
writes thus : " For if we have been planted together in the Rum. \i. 5.
likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His
resurrection." And he then reminds the Church in Rome
that they are '-married to another, even to Him who is raised Rom. vii. 4.
from the dead." To the Colossians he writes, " Buried with Col. ii. 12. i:
Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through
the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from
the dead " : to which he adds, " And you hath He quickened
together with Him." In this same Epistle, St. Paul makes
this truth the ground of a practical exhortation to holiness :
" If ye then be risen with Christ [or as it might be more Col. iii. r.
literally rendered, " Since ye then have been raised with
Christ "] seek those things which are above." Writing to the
Ephesians, St. Paul also asserts that "God hath quickened
us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together."

Resurrection formed an integral part of the Gospel the
Apostles preached in the beginning. They preached "Jesus Acts x\-ii. 18.
and the resurrection." Their great mission was to bear
witness to the resurrection of Christ as an incontrovertible
fact, and then to erect the superstructure of the spiritual truths
of the Gospel of the grace of God which were founded
thereon. It is by the power of the Holy Ghost, the living
Spirit that resurrection is ever kept before the Church as a
living motive power ; and if we quench the Spirit we are apt

4 6

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. VII.

Isa. Ixv. 4. to forget the hope of resurrection and to " remain among the
Isa. xxviii. 18. graves" and to make a " covenant with death."

There are many Scriptural associations of Baptism with

resurrection. The chief command which Christ gave to His

Apostles, after His resurrection, was to make disciples of

Matt, xxviii. 19. all nations. He says, " Go ye therefore and baptize all

nations." Baptism, then, is an exercise of the power which

Christ has received as the Man of God raised from the dead,

Eph. i. 18-23. and this is recognised by St. Paul in his Epistle to the

Eph. ii. 1-7. Ephesians. The scope of St. Peter's Pentecostal sermon is

Acts ii. 24-40. the resurrection of Jesus, and its practical application in

answer to the question, "What shall we do?" was "Repent

and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus

Christ." A like connection can be traced in the sermon of

Acts x. 40, 47, 48. the same Apostle to Cornelius; but St. Peter's statement is

i Pet. iii. 21. clear when he writes in his Epistle, " The like figure where-

unto baptism doth also now save us by the resurrection of

Jesus Christ" Here a direct efficacy unto salvation is

attributed to Baptism as connected with the resurrection

of Christ.

In considering our union with Christ in His resurrection
as an external fact, there is an aspect in which all men are
united to Christ therein, by virtue of created unity, which
must not be overlooked. He rose on behalf (i.e , for the
justification} of all men, but His resurrection was not like
His other acts, vicarious, for it was not instead of all men ;
i Cor. x\. 22. " for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made
alive."

But further, our union with Christ in His resurrection,
viewed as an internal, spiritual, and sacramental union, forms
Rom. vii. 4. the foundation of our spiritual life, for St. Paul writes, "that
ye are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye
should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from
the dead, that ye should bring forth fruit unto God." Here
is a short summary of four great spiritual truths our union

Our Union with Christ in His Resurrection. 47

with Christ ; our death to the law by His body, i.e., through
His death ; our marriage to Him who is raised from the dead ;
and the practical results which ensue therefrom the casting
off dead works, and bringing forth fruit unto God, the end
being everlasting life.

It is obvious that Christian baptism was not possible
before t/ie death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ,
for this Baptism derives its very life and reality from
Christ's acts through the power of the Holy Ghost. If
Christ had not become incarnate, how could He have lived
on earth, and died as Man for mankind ? If He had not
died, how could men be baptized into His death ? or
how could that death be inflicted on " the old man " in a
sacramental and spiritual manner ? Of what use then would
have been His Incarnation,, beyond manifesting true
holiness in flesh? If Christ had not been raised from the
dead, how could men be united to Him in His resurrection ?
How could that resurrection be applied to the spirits, sacra-
mentally and spiritually, as the basis of the new and regenerate
life ? These acts of Christ must have taken place as external
realities before they could be applied to man as the basis of
his spiritual life. Christ was born and made man ; He is thus
united to man. He was circumcised, and became a debtor to
fulfil the law. He did a sanctifying work in the mortal flesh
which He laid hold of; He learned obedience in it through
suffering ; He brought it up to sacrifice ; in Him its present
condition was brought to an end, through death ; He
received it again, changed, in resurrection ; and these acts
were done, not on His own behalf, but on behalf of others ,
and that men may obtain these benefits, they are united to
Him by an act of God in the Sacrament of Baptism.

The spiritual power of these acts of Christ is conveyed to
the Baptized in germ now, as an earnest of their complete
transfiguration in the glory of the resurrection.

In bringing about man's sanctification, the great instruments

48 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. VII.

which the Holy Ghost uses are the work which Christ did in
human nature, and its climax, His death and resurrection.
These are what He works with, what He applies, what He
conforms us to, what He unites us to, both externally and
subjectively.

It is clear, then, that Baptism must be looked upon
as much more than a mere recuperative act, since it has, in
effect, advanced man into a new and spiritual condition, and
into a higher sphere, which would not have been possible but
for Christ's resurrection ; for this resurrection-life makes him
part of the new creation of which Christ is the perfected
example as the risen Man. And this quickening life, infused
into the spirit of the Baptized, is an earnest of what its fulness
shall be in the resurrection, when it shall fill their body,
soul, and spirit with its boundless powers. Through the act
of God the Baptized are placed in the same position
as the Lord Himself, and, receiving His resurrection life, are
made heavenly. This is not true of those who are not baptized,
albeit they are interested in, and receive the benefits of, the
incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ, as the Second
Adam, which have placed all men on the platform of forgive-
ness and justification. These are external -acts of God towards
all men independently of their merits, and they have
conferred blessings on all, with the possibility of the attain-
ment of still higher privileges. Baptism advances a step
further, for it takes up the blessings in general, and
appropriates them to the individual and particular benefit of
its recipients, as members of Christ. Blessed be God for the
Rom. viii. 3. work which Christ did for us " in the likeness of sinful flesh,"
for His death and resurrection, and for what He is now doing
for us at the right hand of God, which, by the power of the
Holy Ghost, gives sacramental efficacy and reality to all that
is done in the Church of God in her state of pilgrimage
during her sojourn on earth.

Our Union with Christ in His holy Life on Earth. 49

CHAPTER VIII.

OUR UNION WITH CHRIST IN HIS LIFE OF OBEDIENCE
UPON EARTH.

ANALYSIS : Union with Christ in His life of obedience upon earth. The
relation between this work of Christ, and the cleansing of sinful
human nature from original sin.

Original, or birth sin. What it is.

Christ works out a righteousness in flesh which can be imputed and
imparted to others also.

The acts of Christ on earth are vicarious and representative.

Christ the head of the new and eternal creation of God.

CONNECTED with the death and resurrection of Christ
there was a retrospective action, by virtue of which all His
previous spotless life of obedience upon earth became
instinct with application and benefit to those for whom He
died. The Baptized could not be made sharers in that life
on earth, before the death and resurrection of Christ took
place : in other words, after Christ became the Second
Adam by His resurrection, Baptism could secure to them a
union with His obediential life on earth ; and it could be
imputed and imparted to men for their justification, as the
fulfilment of the law, and as a rule of practical righteousness.

If Christ has an obediential righteousness to impute and to
impart, when did He work out and acquire the same ? The
only possible answer is that He wrought it out during His life
on earth. He was then engaged in working out a vicarious
righteousness, which, by the grace of God, should be available
for others also. He is not working out this righteousness
now. He is not obeying the law now in a vicarious relation
to others. He has done nothing towards this righteousness
since His resurrection, either by obedience or by suffering.
The time for working out this righteousness was during His
life of humiliation and faith on earth, when God sent His Son

5 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [I'.irt I., Chap. VIII.

to condemn sin in the flesh, to sanctify human nature, to
reduce man's will to obedience and to set it free, to fulfil all
righteousness, in a word, to magnify the law and to make it
honourable.

The truth salient in this chapter is that our union with
Christ in His obediential life on earth may be regarded as
a retrospective act, resulting from the crowning glory of
resurrection, which imparts vitality and application to all that
went before.

It is a Scriptural truth which flows as a corollary from the
statement of the Apostle Paul, that we are united to Christ in
Col. ii. ii. His circumcision: "In whom also ye are circumcised with
the circumcision made without hands." May it not be said
that our Lord received the circumcision " made without
hands" when the Holy Ghost descended upon Him at His
baptism ? Likewise the Baptized receive this same cir-
cumcision at their baptism. Further, St. Paul states that the
evidence of such circumcision consists " in putting off the
body of the sins of the flesh [that is, in holiness] by the
circumcision of Christ." That the cutting off of Christ in
death is referred to here seems clear, for the Apostle
continues, " Buried with Him in baptism, wherein ye are also
risen with Him," just as he links the death, burial, and
resurrection of Christ with baptism in Rom. vi. 3, 4. Now if
we are united to Christ in His literal and spiritual circumcision
and in His death, we may surely claim union with Him in the
intermediate acts which lie between His circumcision and
death ; in other words, with His whole life of obedience on
earth, when He was working out the righteousness of God by
Rom. iii 22. faith, which is to be " unto all, and upon all them that
believe."

The Lord's circumcision involved more than the mere
physical operation of the eighth day ; it was in effect a
continuous act of His whole life upon earth. He was at all
times, morally and spiritually, undergoing circumcision in His

Our Union with Christ in His holy Life on Earth. 5 1

human nature, and the process culminated on the Cross,
where the natural blood derived through His mother from
Adam was poured out to the last drop ; thus effectually and for
ever, by a lively figure as well as in very deed, severing Himself
and all who are " in Him " (whether prospectively or retro-
spectively) from all connection with that tainted life of which
the " first Adam " was the fountain and source.

If the central truth of Holy Baptism be union with Christ,
then there must be a relation between the work of cleansing,
which the Lord accomplished in fallen flesh, and the cleansing
of sinful human nature, ministered in the Sacrament of
Baptism to its recipients.

When Adam sinned, his descendants inherited from him
original, or birth sin. By original sin is meant that inbred
taint of moral evil in which all mankind are conceived and born,
and which manifests itself in actual sin.

The effect of Baptism is to raise the Baptized out
of the condition of original sin ; for thereby they are
grafted into Christ, and made partakers of the nature of the
Second Adam, from whom the taint of original sin was absent
by virtue of His divine Personality, and of His immacu-
late conception by the Holy Ghost.

The more we realise what we are by nature and practice,
the more shall we perceive ourselves to be as a dark background,
throwing into relief the splendour of Christ's holiness in flesh.
Is there not a difference between fine linen, clean and white,
between the goodly raiment, pure and glistening ; and filthy Isa. Ixiv. 6.
rags, which are not only rags, torn and cast-off, but filthy and
offensive with corruption ? Such is the contrast between
sinful flesh, which in every one by nature is a hot-bed of
pollution, and the flesh, which, though taken in its fallen
condition, was kept holy by Jesus Christ.

The remission of original sin is primarily due to the
shedding of Christ's blood, which was the culmination of His
holy incarnation, of His holy nativity and circumcision, and

52 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part I., Chap. VIII.

of His holy life in flesh ; all of which contributed to the perfect
sanctification of human nature. Again, when it is pro-
Isa. Ixi. 10. phetically declared, " He hath covered me with the robe of
righteousness," this means that the righteousness which Christ
wrought out during His life in mortal flesh is imputed and
imparted to man.

That Christ has a righteousness to impute and to impart

Rom. Hi. 21. 22. is incontrovertible, for St. Paul's statement is explicit: "But

now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested

even the righteousness of God which is by faith of

Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe." The
Lord Jesus was engaged, during His life on earth, in working
out a vicarious righteousness which should hereafter be

Rom. viii. 4. available by God's grace for others, in order " that the right-
eousness of the law might be fulfilled in us." This work of
Jesus in doing the will of God in the fallen flesh which He
had assumed, and in yielding the faultless obedience of perfect
love, fulfilled the law in the letter and in the spirit, thus

Isa. xlii. 21. vindicating it, and showing its perfection and blessedness.
So, also, His fulfilment of all righteousness by works, by
keeping the whole covenant of God, even unto the sacrifice
of Himself as the Lamb of God, won for Him (and for man
through Him) the reward of the law, "This do, and thou
shalt live." " Life for evermore " was given unto Him, when
He was raised from the dead by the Holy Ghost

But, concurrently with this, He worked out another and a

Rom. iii. 22. higher righteousness, which was " of God by faith." This
righteousness did not seek to rest in the letter of obedience,
or to be justified simply by the works of the law ; it reached
higher than this, for its essence was faith and self-sacrifice.
This righteousness was wrought out by Jesus Christ on earth
that it might be imputed to others. The Lord Jesus having
completed His work of righteousness before His resurrection,
the law had no further claim on Him after He was raised from
the dead. He had satisfied all its demands, either for obedience

Our Union with Christ in His holy Life on Earth. 53

or for suffering, during His life of humiliation and faith on
earth, when, as man, He fulfilled all righteousness, and by His
death exhausted the sentence pronounced upon all. He was
raised for our justification, i.e., the seal was then set on His
finished righteousness in fallen flesh, which now became the
treasury to be resorted to for the justification of all them that
believe ; and it is clear that this holy life on earth, wherein He
rendered the obedience of which St. Paul writes to the Romans
(Rom. v.) must, as the counterpart to the disobedience of the
first Adam, enter as an essential factor into the work of our
salvation.

Whilst glorying in the fact of our being made one with
Christ, and of having His righteousness imputed to us, we
must not forget the necessity of His righteousness being
imparted, as well as imputed to us. How manifest is the
moral and spiritual reality of Christ's holy life on earth, and of
that positive righteousness which is capable of being imparted
to us by the Holy Ghost. In Him we are not only accounted
righteous before God, but we are made so. This gift of His
original righteousness is imparted to us in Holy Baptism.

The holy life of Christ on earth releases man from the
fulfilment of the works of the law as a ground of justification,
which otherwise man must, had it been possible, have fulfilled
as a personal debt for his personal justification ; and this
was an essential factor in Christ's resurrection, as it is written
again, " He was raised for our justification." Therefore, if we Rom.
are brought by Baptism into contact with Christ in His death
and in His resurrection, it is not to the exclusion of His holy
life and work in human nature which was a necessary
antecedent condition to the grace of Baptism but His
resurrection gathers into itself, as in a focus, all that went
before, and applies it to the blessing of all men, especially
of those who believe and are baptized.

What, then, is Christ's relation to the new, eternal, and
glorified creation of Godt He is its first-born, its first fruits,

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part I., Chap. \ 'III.

and its pattern. He is its ruler and its head. The resurrec-
tion of Christ is, as it were, God's receipt for the full payment
of the debt of sin ; it is the pledge of the removal of the curse
from the whole rational and material creation, and the earnest
of the everlasting Kingdom of God. It laid the foundation
of a new creation, of which it was the beginning, and over
which the Lord and His Church shall rule in the ages to
come. Thus, Christ has not only a relation to all the human
race, as their representative head raised from the dead, but
He has also a relation to the whole new physical creation of
God, which is to last for ever. Well might St. Paul write,

2 Cor. v. 16, 17. " Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now
henceforth know we Him [in such wise] no more. There-
fore, if any man be in Christ he is a new creature ; old things
are passed away ; behold all things are become new." The
new creation already exists, though as yet on a limited scale.
It exists in the Person of its raised and glorified Head, and of
His members, who already possess His life, but are waiting to
share His glorification also, being already regenerated as
regards their spirit and mind, and waiting for the adoption
to wit, the redemption of the body and their manifestation as

Rom. viii. 19-23. SONS OF GOD.

Although the guilt of Adam's sin is expiated, yet its
imparted results will not be wholly effaced in us until
the day of resurrection, but the cleansing wrought in us by
God in Baptism should be witnessed to by holiness in our daily
life, as its proper fruit and sequel. St. Paul, in writing of our
2 Cor. iv. 10. "always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord
Jesus," could not have meant to restrict this to the culminating
fact of Christ's death, but must have included the whole of
His self-denying life in fallen flesh, that self-emptying and
obedience unto death which, as it were, first came into view
at His circumcision, and was perfected on the cross.

Blessed be God for the gift of His Son Jesus Christ, who
is the foundation of our hope, both here and hereafter.

SCRIPTURAL STUDIES ON BAPTISMS,

ESPECIALLY CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

PART IL THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER IX. THE BAPTISM OF JOHN.

CHAPTER X. THE GREATER EXCELLENCY OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISE.

CHAPTER XI. THE REQUISITES FOR BAPTISM ; REPENTANCE ANT FAITH.

CHAPTER XII. CONVERSION.

CHAPTER XIII. REGENERATION.

CHAPTER XIV. THE DOCTRINE OF THE LORD, AND OF ST. PETER. THE
APOSTLE TO THE CIRCUMCISION.

CHAPTER XV. THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM AS TAUGHT BY
ST. PAUL, THE APOSTLE TO THE UNCIRCUMCISION.

CHAPTER XVI. THE DOCTRINE OF THE "FATHERS" OF THE FIRST FOUR
CENTURIES OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA, AND OF THE
REFORMERS.

PART II.
THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER IX.

THE BAPTISM OF JOHN.

ANALYSIS : In Hebrews vi. Baptisms are referred to in the//rB/.

The Baptism of John : its history, doctrine, and relation to the Law.
Its teaching in reference to the past was repentance and confession :
to the then present, reformation ; to the future, preparation. Its
three-fold necessity. The grace given. Its relation to our Lord.

THE fundamental phase of the doctrine of Christian
baptism having been considered in its relation to the
Incarnation of the Son of God, there are other important
points of doctrine that must not be dissociated from this
great truth, with which they have an intimate connection.

Concerning "the principles of the doctrine of Christ," Heb. vi. i, 2.
St. Paul mentions six which ought to be taught to cate-
chumens, viz. : " repentance from dead works ; faith towards
Gcd ; the doctrine of baptisms ; the laying on of hands the
resurrection of the dead ; and of eternal judgment."

The third of these is the doctrine of baptisms. Here the
word "baptisms" is in the plural, for as we gather from the
law and from the tradition of the elders the Jews had many
baptisms or washings, both for proselytes and for ceremonial
purification. In this plurality of baptisms that of John the
Baptist must be included, for it was a divine ordinance, it
occupies a prominent place in the New Testament, and has
an intimate spiritual relation to Christian baptism, of which
it was the forerunner.

58 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. IX.

Of wliat did the baptism of John consist ?

Matt - ' When John was interrogated as to its nature, his reply was

unequivocal. It was a baptism of water, the acceptance of
which evidenced repentance on the part of the recipient ; and
the special grace which it conveyed was " the remission of sins."

John was the son of the Jewish priest Zacharias, and
was born under exceptional circumstances. His birth was
announced four hundred years before it took place, and his
character and office were described, although, unlike King
i Kings xiii. 2. Josiah, he was not mentioned by name. He was about six
months older than our Lord, so that he would be about
thirty years of age when he began to preach.

John's mission must have burst upon the Jewish nation

and upon the ecclesiastical rulers at Jerusalem as a great

surprise, and his personality filled their minds with perplexity ;

so much so, that the Jews sent priests and Levites to John

John i. 19-29 to ask him, " Who art thou ?" " What sayest thou of thyself ? "

Their difficulty was enhanced when, on the Pharisees

Matt. xxi. 23-27. sending to ask the Lord concerning Himself, "By what

authority doest thou these things, and who gave thee this

Mark xi. 27-33. authority ? " He replied with a counter question : " I will also

ask you one thing ; the baptism of John, was it from heaven

or of men? Answer me." Alas! for the irony of history!

These ecclesiastical leaders of the Jewish nation were obliged

to answer, in the unforeseen dilemma into which they had

brought themselves, " We cannot tell."

John preached so earnestly that thousands received his
baptism. This is a notable instance of what, in modern times,
is called "a mission" a mission to Jerusalem and to the Jewish
nation. John was an ascetic, brought up in the desert, and he
preached in the wilderness, in the vicinity of the river Jordan,
which afforded facilities for baptism on a large scale. The
applicants were baptized in this river, and of them there must
Matt. iii. 5, 6. have been great crowds, for " there went out to him Jerusalem,
and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were

The Baptism of John.

baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins." His
mission was a great success, according to the angel Gabriel's
prophecy, before his birth ; " many of the children of Israel Luke i. 16.
shall he turn to the Lord their God."

John had an inner circle of devoted adherents, who are
called his disciples, and it is interesting to note that he
taught them to pray, and that his piety brought forth its Luke xi. i.
fruit in the gift to the Church of God of 'the Lord's Prayer.
One of the disciples of Jesus said, " Lord, teach us to pray
as John also taught his disciples." How much do all men
owe to John and to this one other disciple !

St. Paul was brought into contact with John's disciples at Acts \\\. 17
Ephesus ; and probably, of the thousands baptized at the
Passover and at the other great feasts, by this great Missioner,
many would go forth to the ends of the Roman earth with
the tidings of this new prophet.

As the baptism of John contained a doctrine, and this was
taught by him to his disciples, and was also taught by
Apollos (which was all that he then knew on the subject of
baptism), it may be asked, what was the doctrine of John's
baptism for he claimed a Divine mission, and declared that
he had been sent to baptize for an ulterior purpose. His
doctrine was that of " REPENTANCE FROM DEAD WORKS."

John's mission having been sanctioned several times by the
Lord, and mentioned once even after His resurrection, John's
baptism would form a subject of instruction to a Christian
neophyte, even though it had been superseded by the higher
baptism commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

"The law and the prophets," says the Lord, "were Luke xvi. 16
until John ; since that time the Kingdom of God is
preached " : therefore his baptism must be regarded as
belonging to the old dispensation, and to the law of Moses.
That it was its supplement, its climax, may be gathered from the
Lord's expression that it was a fulfilling "of all righteousness," Matt. iii. 15.
i.e., the righteousness which was of the law. The preaching

60 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part II., Chap. IX.

of John, like the voice of a herald before a coming king,
fulfilled the injunction of the Lord by the prophet Malachi ;
Mai. iv. 4, 5. " Remember ye the law of Moses my servant which I com-
manded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and
judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the
Matt. xi. 14. Lord." Christ, in speaking of John, says, " If ye will
receive it, this is Elias which was for to come."

As a man cannot repent of a sin before its commission,

repentance is connected 'with \he past, with bygone thoughts,

words, acts, and conduct ; consequently, the baptism of John

had reference to the past life of the Jews, being primarily a

Mark i. iv. call to repentance. Its title was "a baptism of repentance."

Of what were the chief priests and the rulers to repent ?
Of what was the nation as a whole to repent ? Of what were
individuals to repent ? Clearly of their transgressions against
the law of Moses. Hence, " REPENT " was the keynote of
John's preaching.

The first step in the dealing of God with sinners is to
bring them back to His ways, and every "message of mercy
declares the necessity of repentance and of confession of sin
as the prelude to forgiveness and restoration. This is seen in
the great revivals mentioned in Scripture in those of Jonah,
Hezekiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, and in the experience of
the Patriarch Job ; and according to all the precedents of these
spiritual reformations John's mission was inaugurated with
the same trumpet-call to repentance, as preliminary to the
reception of his baptism. It was called for by the individual
and national sins of the Jews against their covenant-standing
as the chosen people of God. This repentance was required
by the law of God given through Moses, under which they had
received their national existence and polity, and on the
observance of which their prosperity, as a nation, depended.

The essential feature of this repentance was the confession
of sins individually. The Jews were bidden to feel sorrow for

The Baptism of John. 61

their sins, but this was not to remain hidden in their spirits ;
it was to be acknowledged by word of mouth, and the secret Psa. xxxviii. 18.
feelings of the spirit were to find expression by the lips.
Without the acknowledgment of wrong-doing, together with
godly sorrow for the same, the Scriptures declare that sin
cannot be put away ; and this remains true even now, although
the perfect sacrifice of Christ has been offered for the sins of
the whole world. Moreover, the evidence of the sincerity of a
man's repentance is \\isforsaking of the sin confessed ; else is
the sorrow feigned and the confession a mockery. Therefore,
when John exhorted his hearers and converts to repentance,
he insisted on its not being simply a sentimental sorrow for
sin, nor a mere verbal confession of sins. It was to be essen-
tially practical, as may be seen in his addresses, to the multitude,
to the inquiring people, to the publicans, and to the soldiers.
They were not only to confess their past transgressions and
shortcomings, but were also to put away all hypocrisy : to
break off their sins and to practise righteousness : to yield
that heartfelt obedience which the law of God demanded, and
thus give evidence of such true repentance as would
qualify them to receive remission of sins. John's addresses are
marked by a common-sense integrity, by an intensity and
directness of purpose which must have startled those who
were slumbering, or were " at ease in Zion." Amo>. vi. i.

When the angel foretold the birth of John the Baptist to
his father Zacharias, he said, "And he shall go before Him Luke L 16, 17.
[the Lord the Messiah] in the spirit of Elias, to turn the
hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to
the wisdom of the just ; to make ready a people prepared for
the Lord"

John preached a great reformation a moral, spiritual, and
ecclesiastical reform for he had come to recall the Jewish
nation to their covenant-standing with God ; to remind them
not only of their shortcomings, but also of their law and
of their privileges ; and to offer consolation to those mourners

62 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Pan II., Chap. IX.

who felt that they were condemned by the law. His
preaching, if received, led up to the act which embodied all
this, and that was the baptism which he ministered.

How admirable are John's discourses ! How trenchant,

how fearless, how practical ! Can anything be more full of

common sense than his advice to the soldiers which might

Luke iii. 14. form a sermon for modern policemen ? " Do violence to no

man, neither accuse any falsely ; and be content with your

wages." There was a great deal of hypocrisy among the

leading religionists in Jerusalem, but John ruthlessly laid his

axe to its root, and taught them that obedience was better

than sacrifice. It is written that he said to the Pharisees and

Matt. iii. 8. Sadducees, " Bring forth fruits meet for repentance," or

"answerable to amendment of life " (margin).

John i. 23. John himself said, " I am the voice of one crying in the

wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the

Isa. xl. 3. Prophet Esaias." John's work of preparation for the Messiah's
advent consisted in this : that he showed the people their
transgressions and need of repentance ; that he announced
the nearness of the Lord's coming ; and then, when He had
come, the fact of His presence, and at the same time exhorted
the people to maintain such an attitude of mind and spirit and
conduct as their King could approve and bless.

That there is a great spiritual meaning attached to the
baptism of John is evident from the fact that the four
Evangelists give an account of it in the beginning of
their gospels, and he is several times alluded to by our Lord
Himself. The Apostles Peter and Paul recognised the
importance of John's baptism, and that it occupied a
special place in the evolution of God's scheme of redemption.
There are at least three reasons for its necessity.

(i.) It was necessary to fulfil prophecy. The mission of

Isa. xl. 3. John had been foretold by Isaiah some seven hundred years
before Christ ; and the book of Malachi, about B.C. 400, con-
Mai. i\. 5, 6. eludes the canon of the Old Testament with the same

The Baptism of John. 63

prediction of a messenger who should be sent before the

Lord to prepare His way. And as John fulfilled his course,

he said, "Whom think ye that I am ? I am not He. But Acts xiii. 24, 25.

behold, there cometh One after me, whose shoes of His feet

I am not worthy to loose."

(2.) It was necessary to prepare the way of the Messiah, by
giving Israel a warning of their coming King, in order that
they should make ready for his advent as prophesied by
Isaiah : " The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness : Isa- *1. 3> 4-
Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert
a highway for our God."

In eastern countries, before the coming of a king, couriers
are sent to announce his arrival, and thousands of workmen
are engaged in making the roads smooth and safe, as when
the German Emperor went to Palestine in 1898.

(3.) It was necessary to minister grace to the nation,
that they might have spiritual discernment to recognise the
Messiah, and might accept Him as their Teacher, Redeemer,
and King ; for, as He was coming to His people in humility,
there was the danger lest through unbelief they might not
recognise Him : hence the necessity of a herald to announce
His coming, and to quicken their faith and spiritual appre-
hension of His mission when the Messiah actually came.

As all the acts of God have ever been sacramental,
John's baptism, which was of heaven and not of men, must
have been designed by God to be a channel of spiritual
grace, even in conferring " the remission of sins." What
better preparation could there have been for the reception of
Jesus as their Messiah than for the nation of Israel to receive
the remission of their sins ? It was the last gracious word
and act of God to the Jews by His messenger ere He closed
the dispensation of the law : as it is written, " God, according Acts xiii. 23, 24.
to His promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus : when
John had first preached before His coming the baptism of
repentance to all the people of Israel." The key of mercy,

64 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. IX.

put into the hand of John before the door of the Mosaic
dispensation was locked, was the same which in the hand of
Jesus Christ opened that of the Gospel age. The remission
of sins through the baptism of John was ministered by God
Mark. ii. 7. (for " who can forgive sins, but God only ? ") to those who were
obedient to the call to repentance, for this baptism could not
of itself have bestowed so high a gift as the forgiveness of
sins ; but it derived its spiritual power from the prospective
sacrifice of Jesus, the Son of God, the crucified Man of
which sacrifice the lamb slain at the Passover was the great
type. To this John testified in these striking words :
John i. 29. " Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the
world." There can be no more doubt that grace was
imparted by John's baptism than that grace was ministered
under the Law to a transgressor who brought his victim to the
priest for sacrifice in atonement for his sin. All were acts of
faith which entailed grace, but they received their power from
the future sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross, which in some
form or other they foreshadowed.

This view is confirmed by a passage in the Gospel
according to St. Luke. The Lord, when speaking to the
Luke vii. 27. multitude about John, said: "This is he of whom it is
written, Behold I send my messenger before Thy face, which
shall prepare Thy way before Thee"; and then He spoke of
his being a prophet, the greatest prophet up to that time. The
Luke vii. 29, 30. Evangelist proceeds, "And all the people that heard him, and
the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism
of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel
of God against themselves, being not baptized of him." They
subsequently rejected the Messiah Himself, because they had
not the necessary faith and grace to discern Him as such ;
whereas those who did not refuse the baptism of John were
given grace to advance in the ways of God, and thus were
prepared in a spirit of faith and obedience to receive the
Messiah. But the Pharisees and lawyers lost their opportunity ;

The Baptism of John. 65

they knew not the day of their visitation ; they were blind
leaders of the blind ; they would not accept the grace which
God had proffered them at that particular time and in
that particular way ; and, therefore, they could not receive the
further and richer manifestations of His grace. They rejected
John, and hence they rejected the Messiah.

Again, in the parallel passage in St Matthew's Gospel, our
Lord upbraids the chief priests and elders, saying unto them,
"John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye Matt. xxi. 32.
believed him not, but the publicans and the harlots believed
him ; and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterwards,
that ye might believe him."

The practical lesson that may be learned from these
Scriptures is that men should neglect no ordinance of God, but
use every appointed means of grace ; and that they should walk-
in God's counsels, in order to be ready to take the next step
forward in His enlarging plans of mere}-. The baptism of
John points to the grace and liberty of the Gospel, foras-
much as forgiveness ministered through the baptism of water
was a spiritual advance on the atonement effected by the
slaughter of a bullock or of a goat.

What relation had the baptism of John to onr Lord
Himself?

It is beautiful to see the Lord in His great humility, and
in His complete identification with mankind, receiving John's
baptism, as being one with man under the then federal
headship of Adam, and also as our representative and surety.
Jesus had no sins of His own to confess, and yet as He stood
in the river Jordan confessing the sins of the world, especially
the national sins of the Jews against the law of God, He
received the baptism of repentance, on behalf of the sins of
His brethren and of all mankind, which he came to bear.
" The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." But isa. liii. 6.
Christ could not, and did not, receive that Christian baptism
which He Himself instituted after His death and resurrection.

66 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. IX

To know the intensity of the confession of sin made by
the Lord, the Psalms should be studied, in order that its great
and deep spiritual reality may be apprehended ; for in these
prophecies the voice of the Messiah is heard speaking through
the Holy Ghost by the mouth of His servants.

Confession, as an antecedent to forgiveness of sin, being a
necessity, it is a solemn thought that a multitude of sins, both
of communities and of individuals, remain unconfessed by those
who commit them, whether it be from hardness of heart,
blindness of mind, or from other causes : wherefore, we are
all dependant in this respect, as in all else, upon our Lord Jesus
Christ the great and true confessor of all sin for the
covering of our undiscerned or forgotten sins, by His perfect
confession and spotless sacrifice. Throughout eternity praise
and thanksgiving will ascend unto God, that Christ, in his pure
and perfect manhood, represented the whole human race in
His vicarious confession of sin, in His holy life, in His death,
and in His resurrection.

Out of the thousands of recipients of the baptism of John,
our Lord was the only person who could fully receive the rite
in all its grace and perfection, because He knew it was of
heaven, and that He would thereby fulfil all righteousness
the righteousness that was of the law. Thus did Jesus Christ
Matt. v. 17. 18. illustrate His own teaching : "Think not that I am come to
destroy the law or the prophets ; I am not come to destroy,
but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and
earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the
law, till all be fulfilled."

It cannot be .denied that to many of the Jews the
difficulties connected with John's baptism must have been
great, and that though it was an ordinance divinely appointed,
it required faith for its discernment and acceptance.

To discern God's work there must at all times be faith and
Matt. v. 8. purity of heart, for it is " the pure in heart who shall see God."

The Greater Excellency of Christian Baptism. 67

CHAPTER X.

THE GREATER EXCELLENCY OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

ANALYSIS: The superiority of Christian baptism in the positive blessings it

conveys, as compared with the negations in John's baptism.
The statements by John and by our Lord ; the case of Apollos, and that

of the twelve Ephesian converts.

Christian baptism and the baptism of John both convey the grace of the
remission of sins, but there are higher privileges ministered in
Christian baptism which could not have been ministered by the
baptism of John.

THAT Christian baptism has a relation to the baptism of
John, and yet surpasses it in excellency and grace, may be
proved from John's own statements. As the morning star is
the harbinger of the sun, and as the herald is the forerunner
of the coming king, even so was John the forerunner of the
Lord Himself, and his baptism the precursor of Christian
baptism. John summed up his own position, when, speaking
)f Christ, he said, " He must increase, but I must decrease."
'herefore, when our Lord sought John's baptism, the latter
gently remonstrated, saying, " I have need to be baptized of Matt. iii. 14.
thee, and comest thou to me ? " In his public addresses
John drew a contrast between his baptism and that of the
Messiah, his successor, when he said, " I baptize with water, John i. 26, 27, 33.
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. The same is he which
baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." " He shall baptize you Luke iii. 16.
with the Holy Ghost and with fire." To the truth of this the
Lord set His seal, when, after His resurrection, He said to
His Apostles, " John truly baptized with water, but ye shall Acts i. 5.
be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence."
St. Peter, in his address to Cornelius, refers to John's baptism Acts x. 36. 37.
as an event, after which the word of God, preaching peace by
Jesus Christ, was published in Galilee and Judea.

Acls xvi

68 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. X.

The contrast here set forth is between John's baptism and
that of the Holy Ghost, which is the jewelled crown of Christian
baptism. Hence these two latter are related, but are not
identical, though the spiritual action of the Holy Ghost is in-
separable from both. The case of Apollos illustrates this truth.
24, 25. " And a certain Jew, named Apollos, born at Alexandria,

an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to
Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord,
and being fervent in spirit, he spake and taught diligently the
things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And
he began to speak boldly in the synagogue : whom when
Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and
expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly."
Heb. v. 12. Of the six things forming the "first principles" of the

doctrine of Christ, Apollos must have known four : to wit,
repentance from dead works, faith towards God, the resur-
rection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Therefore, two of
the subjects pertaining to the way of God, which Aquila and
Priscilla would have to explain more perfectly to him, would
be "the doctrine of baptisms'" (that is Christian baptism as
distinct from John's baptism) and the laying on of hands for
the gift of the Holy Ghost as the true sequel of Christian
baptism truths that were not brought to light until the day
of Pentecost.

Acts xviii 1-3. St. Paul had met Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth, and

because he was of the same craft he abode with them, and
they wrought together at their trade of tent making. Aquila
and Priscilla must thus have learned much truth and doctrine
from the Apostle, and would be well qualified to impart the
same to a zealous proselyte. St. Paul, in his Epistle to the
Rom. xvi. 3. Romans, calls them his " helpers in Christ Jesus."

Further light concerning the doctrine of baptisms may be

Acts xix. 1-7. gathered from the events which subsequently occurred at

Ephesus. St. Paul reached Ephesus (where Apollos had

been, and who had lately left for Corinth), and finding

The Greater Excellency of Christian Baptism. 69

certain disciples there, he proceeded to discharge the work of
an Apostle by asking a question which none but an Apostle
would ask : " Have ye received the Holy -Ghost since ye
believed ? And they said unto him, We have not so- much
as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost" (Some translate
this literally, We have not so much as heard whether the
Holy Ghost be, /".., whether He has been actually given
for they must have known of the existence of the Spirit of
God.) " And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye
baptized ? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said
Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance.
saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him
which should come after him, that i> on Christ Jesus. When
they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus, and when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy
Ghost came on them, and they spake with tongues and
prophesied."

Thus, John's baptism was declared not to be an abiding
institution, but that Christian baptism, as a spiritual advance,
must take its place and lead on to the heavenly gift of the
Holy Ghost, which, when bestowed on the Ephesian converts
by the laying on of apostolic hands, forthwith manifested
itself in their speaking with tongues and in prophesying.

In examining the reasons for the inferiority of John's
baptism, the subject may be considered from two points of
view the negative and the positive aspect by looking at the
spiritual blessings that the baptism of John did not and could
not convey (excepting that of the remission of sins, which was
a positive blessing) and at those which Christian baptism does
convey.

I. The negations of John's baptism were as follows :

In John's baptism there was no union with a Person ;

No sonship, nor adoption ;

No membership with others, nor baptism into a body j

No reference to Christ's death and resurrection ;

7 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. X.

No inwrought, nor radical effect on the spiritual life
and experience of the recipient, in so far as it
related to the death unto sin and the new birth
unto righteousness ;

No gift of new life, no regeneration ;

No reference to any completion of its grace in resur-
rection life and glory.

John's baptism could not give what did not exist. In fact,
at that date there could be no such sacrament as Christian
baptism, because the great realities on which it was founded,
and of which it was the embodiment, had not become
accomplished facts. True, Christ had taken our flesh, and
His incarnation was the first step in the fulfilment of God's
work of redemption. But the great central acts of Christ in
His life on earth His death, resurrection, and ascension,
which are the pivots of Christian baptism had not then taken
place. He had not sacrificially condemned sin in the flesh ;
He had not made an end of sin by the sacrifice of Himself;
so that the spiritual reality of Baptism, viz., the death of
Christ, which is applied to the spirits of the Baptized by the
Holy Ghost and forms the basis of our death unto sin, had
not as yet taken place. The same reasoning applies even
with greater force to the truth of Christ's resurrection. No
new life could be imparted which did not exist. How could
any man die with Christ, if Christ had not died ? How could
any man share Christ's risen life, if His resurrection had not
taken place ? Christ had to be raised from the dead as an
actual fact, and tq ascend into heaven to receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost for man, in order to give existence and reality
to the spiritual blessings which were to flow from the central
facts of the Christian faith, viz., His death and resurrection.

There must naturally be an essential difference in the
ministration of grace, before and after the Lord's incarnation,
death, and resurrection. His resurrection was the seal of the
perfection and acceptance of His sacrifice, of which the

The Greater Excellency of Christian Baptism. 71

descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost was the additional
and irrefragable proof. This precious gift was that which
changed the shadows of the old law (to which pertained the
baptism of John) into the realities of the Body of Christ.
The death and resurrection of Christ had brought in the
ministration of life, of spirit, of faith as the substance of a
better hope, whose glory superseded that of the old law.
Spiritual, antitypical realities then became possible, which
they were not before. Thus regeneration, as the wider
application of Christ's resurrection to individuals, became
possible, having previously been impossible.

II. Again, to appreciate the higher standing of the
Christian rite than that of John's baptism, the positive and
manifold blessings which it bestows must be apprehended.

The positive blessings which are sacramentally imparted
to our spirits in Baptism are :

The gift of a new life or of regeneration ;

The union with a Person ;

The baptism into Christ, and membership one with

another in a body ;
The being made partakers of Christ's death and

resurrection ;

The privilege of adoption or sonship ;
The divinely appointed sequel in the gift of the Holy
Ghost, as an earnest of the coming Kingdom,
culminating in the glory of the resurrection at
the appearing of the Lord.

Such are the privileges that are conferred upon the king
and the beggar alike, in the sacrament of Christian baptism,
and it shows a great want of spiritual apprehension to say that
there is nothing in this holy sacrament ; and yet there are many
earnest Christians who affirm this. Baptism is something, or
it is nothing ; and if something, can it be less than this can it
be more than this ? If it be not an empty form, and if these
spiritual privileges are conferred upon us therein through the

7 2 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Van II., Chap. X.

merits of Christ and by the operation of the Holy Ghost,
then every baptized person is bound to confess that the Lord
has done for us all that He can do, and that it remains for us
by faith to take up the acts of God, and thankfully to abide
in them unto eternal life. If, on the other hand, we reject
them or disbelieve them, the result must be our condemnation
and loss.

Baptism is the first step towards the kingdom of God, and
it will not be completed until it ends in the baptism of
fire, and has brought us into the actual possession of the
kingdom, of which the Baptized have now received the
earnest, being heirs of God. But when at last the glorious
reality shall have come, they shall then enter into possession
of that kingdom to which they have been called, and of which
they have been made joint-heirs with Christ, through Baptism,
which is essentially connected with His Person. It is the
wondrous thought and appointment of God the Father, that
after 1800 years men are brought by this sacrament into
direct and spiritual contact with the Person of His incarnate
Son, and with His acts wrought on their behalf in the days of
His flesh. This could not be said of John's baptism, for no
one was baptized into the name of John.

As the sacramental action in John's baptism for the
remission of sins was prospective, based on the great sacrifice
that was to be offered by the Lamb of God to whom
John testified, so, conversely, Christian baptism is
retrospective, looking back to the cross and passion and
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The essential features
of repentance, confession of sins, and their remission or
forgiveness-, which constitute the basal factors of conversion,
are present in both baptisms.

Forgiveness of sins was a precious act of grace, and made
the baptism of John a spiritual reality and blessing, and yet
some shrink from attributing such a blessing to Christian
baptism, although in the Creed we confess, " I believe in one

The Greater Excellency of Christian Baptism. 73

baptism for the remission of sins." But if Christian baptism
ministered no more than this grace, it would not surpass
John's baptism in its effects and results; and if it did not
minister even this grace, then it would be actually inferior to
his baptism, and its institution would indicate a backward and
not a forward movement in the purpose of God, which would
be an impossibility. But, as forgiveness of sins is a gracious
gift and a fundamental blessing, it must be present in
Christian baptism, in order that God may raise a super-
structure of yet greater glory upon that foundation. It
must precede the adoption of men as sons of God, but it is
not the peculiar grace of Christian baptism to which belong
the particular privileges which have been briefly summarised,
and which will be considered in detail hereafter.

Thus, John's baptism and Christian baptism arc both
sacramental, both being outward and visible signs of inward
and spiritual grace, though this is more patent in the case of
the Christian rite than it was in that of the Jewish, since the
glory of the Gospel excels that of the law.

Our Lord Himself taught the same truth when He
said, " For I say unto you, among those that are born of Luke \ii. 28.
women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist ;
but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
This would seem to show that the humblest baptized believers
in the Christian dispensation, having been born from above,
of water and of the Spirit, will be in a higher spiritual position
than John the Baptist, the solution of which mystery must be
sought for in their being made one with Christ after His
resurrection, and members of His mystical body. Hence, it
is only when we apprehend the great privileges of Christian
baptism and the spiritual position in which the Baptized have
been placed thereby, that we can understand the grievous
declension of Christendom, and the apostasy of thousands,
who, caring nothing for their baptism, deny its efficacy and
spiritual benefits.

74 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. XI.

CHAPTER XI.

THE REQUISITES FOR BAPTISM: REPENTANCE AND 1<AITII.

ANALYSIS: The Law of Moses, John the Baptist, the Lord Himself, and His
Apostles, all testify to the necessity of Repentance and Faith in the
sinner's approach to God.

Repentance consists of sorrow for sin, confession, and forsaking of sin.

The nature and results of Faith.

THE requisites to the reception of Baptism are repentance
and faith.

This is the testimony of the Scriptures, and of the Church
in her offices, in her formularies, and in her Catechism.

They are the first two of the six principles of the doctrine
of Christ to which the Apostle applies the descriptive term of
Ileb. vi. i. "foundation": "Not laying again the foundation of repen-
tance from dead works, and of faith towards God."

It is a self-evident truth that a holy God cannot come into
contact with a wilful sinner, and that anyone abiding in sin
cannot benefit by, and would not care to accept, the free
grace of God's forgiveness. There must be some preparation,
some cleansing process, before the sinner can approach a holy
God who abhors sin.

I. The teaching of holy Scripture is very clear con-
cerning the preparation required for such an approach.

i. Under the law of Moses (as was specially seen in the
rites of the day of Atonement), repentance, confession of sin
with full purpose of amendment, combined with faith in the
appointed ordinance for remission of sin, were required for
the absolution of the sinner.

That any transgressor or suppliant should seek to put
away his sin by the shedding of sacrificial blood, and that he

The Requisites for Baptism : Repentance and Faith. 75

should do so in an unrepentant and proud spirit, was a
contradiction de facto, and if the sacrifice were offered in
impenitence and unbelief the sinner was courting its rejection.

" The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination : how much Prov. xxi.
more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind ? "

2. The same requisites were necessary for the due
reception of the baptism of John. If under the Mosaic
dispensation the necessity of repentance and faith was obvious
for approaching God, how much greater must have been
their necessity in John's baptism, which was the fulfilling of
the righteousness of the law and the heralding of a new and
a better dispensation ? In preaching the baptism of repen-
tance John also demanded faith when he said, " Behold the John i. 29.
Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world " : for

the reception of John's baptism involved an exercise of faith
in what he said of himself, as " the voice of one crying in the
wilderness," and as the forerunner of the Messiah.

3. The same truth is evident from the command of our
Lord to His Apostles after His resurrection, when He said,

"Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every Mark x\i.
creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ;"
or, as the Lord says again, "Thus it behoved Christ to
suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, and that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His
name among all nations."

Hence, it is clear that the Lord after His resurrection
authorised His Apostles to preach repentance and remission
of sins, and gave the promise of salvation to those who should
believe, and whose faith should lead them on to receive
Baptism, as a proof of " the obedience of faith." Rom ' 5

4. The same truth is witnessed to by the Apostles'
preaching and practice, as recorded in the Acts of the
Apostles. In his sermon preached on the day of Pentecost,

St. Peter said, " Repent, and be baptized every one of you in Acts ii. 38.
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye

7 6 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* 11'urt II., Chap. XI.

shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." In his second
sermon, when he shortly afterwards addressed the people in
Solomon's Porch, St. Peter said, " Repent ye therefore, and
be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the
times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord :
And He shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached
unto you." Again he said, when defending himself before
Acts v. 31. the Council, " Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a
Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness
of sins."

Thus, John was sent to preacli repentance and remission of
sins ; Jesus Christ came as a Saviour " to give repentance and
forgiveness of sins," both whilst He was on earth and now
when He is seated at the right hand of God.

Acts x. 43. Again, St. Peter gave Cornelius this assurance : "To Him

(Christ) give all the prophets witness, that through His name
whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins."

St. Paul, when preaching at Antioch, in Pisidia, testified
to the same truth: "Be it known unto you therefore, men
and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the
forgiveness of sins ; and by him all that believe are justified
from all things from which ye could not be justified by the
Acts xvii. 30. law of Moses." To the Athenians he said, " And the times of
this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men
everywhere to repent." To the Ephesian elders, St. Paul
declared the summary of his preaching to the Jews and also
Acts xx. 21. to the Greeks (or Gentiles) to have been, "Repentance toward
God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." This, in a few
words, was the gospel which the great Apostle to the Gentiles
preached at all times and in all places.

The glorified Lord, when addressing the seven Churches
in Asia through His aged apostle John, warned five of them
(i.e., all, save Smyrna and Philadelphia) to " Repent."

5. These same truths are brought before us in all the
offices of the Church, but especially in those connected with

The Requisites for Baptism : Repentance and Faith 7 7

the two great sacraments of Baptism and of the Holy
Eucharist ; for the administration of both in some sections of
the Church Catholic is preceded by confession of sin, and by
the word of absolution conveying the remission of sins.

There is an immense spiritual value in the ministration of
the daily absolution in the Church of God. It is the spiritual
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ by faith and in the
Holy Ghost, for the reviving and repairing of that which is
decayed and blemished by sin. The sprinkling of the blood
under the Mosaic law prefigured the cleansing from all sin by i John i. 7.
the blood of Jesus Christ through the spoken word of absolu-
tion which word derives its virtue only from the sacrifice
and death of Christ. In both the above offices the
formal profession of faith is set forth and made in the
Apostles' Creed and in the Nicene Creed. Similarly, in the
service for the anointing of the sick in the Apostolic
Communion there is first confession of his sins by
the sick person, and then absolution is pronounced, after
which the Creed is recited, before the holy rite of anointing
for the recovery of the patient is administered : so that the
office is divided into two parts, viz., ' ; Repentance toward Acts xx. 21.
God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

In every approach to God the sinner must humble himself,
and abhor, and confess the sin which God condemns ; the
blood of Jesus, of Him who was made our sin-offering, must
be spiritually sprinkled before the man's dedication of himself Rom - xi >- *
as a living sacrifice can be acceptable to the Lord.

6. The promptings of man's natural conscience reveal
the existence of some kind of faith, and a sense of the need of
repentance. St. Paul mentions this action of the natural
conscience in the heathen as leaving them without excuse,
since there exists in them a certain feeling of the need of
repentance, or of preparation in some form, combined with an
ignorant faith in the use of any prescribed means to propitiate
their gods ; for this feeling lies at the root of the bloody

7 8 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part II., Chap. XL

sacrifices of the heathen and of all self-mortifying ways that
man has adopted to make or to earn his peace with God.

II. Wherein do true repentance and fait Ji consist ?

i. Repentance.

2 Cor. vii. 9-1 1. It is only " godly sorrow " for sin that "worketh repent-

ance" to salvation. "The sorrow of the world worketh
death." The necessary spiritual sequel of this godly sorrow
is the confession of the sins committed ; and its crown, its
essence, is that of amendment of life in accordance with the
commandments of God, which is seen in the turning away
from sin and is the prominent evidence of true conversion.
Wherefore, repentance marks a two-fold condition of spirit ; it
is not merely emotional, but practical, for the evidence of its
sincerity is seen in the forsaking of sin.

Repentance as a peremptory necessity has been the
great burden of all preaching ever since the introduction of
sin and the fall of man, and each dispensation has ended with
a distinct call to a special repentance. Repentance varies in
character with different dispensations, and with different
covenants ; and the higher the obligations and privileges, so
much the more would the sins committed under varying
conditions be intensified. The repentance required from a
heathen would be different to that exacted from those living
under the Patriarchal or the Mosaic dispensations, and the
required repentance would differ in each given case.

Again, inasmuch as the privileges and spiritual standing
of the Baptized exceed those of previous generations of
mankind, the repentance called forth by the special sins
against the Christian covenant should exceed in spiritual
depth and intensity that which was demanded under the two
former dispensations. The repentance called for in these last
days pertains to the spiritual sins of the Church as one body,
and to her corporate standing; but if repentance were
required to become more intense towards the close of each
successive dispensation, with increase of light and neglected

The Requisites for Baptism : Repentance and Faith. 79

grace, how much greater will be the depth of contrition
and the burden of sorrow and repentance required from
Christendom, for all her spiritual, not to speak of fleshly
sins, as the close of her period of grace approaches.

2. The nature of faith demands examination.

The grou'th of the spiritual life depends upon faith, but
not so the origin of that life, which is a free gift of God.

Faith is one of the first spiritual motions of the heart,
quickened by the word of the Evangelist, who leads the
unbaptized convert to desire Baptism, for which repentance
and faith are the preparation. Without their presence
Baptism would be an unreality, a mockery to men, and an
insult to God. In all candidates for Holy Baptism faith and
repentance must be of an individual character, and must refer
to that condition of sin, original and actual, in which the
candidate, whether infant or adult, is involved.

Faith is defined to be " the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen," and it is written that
" without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that
cometh to him [God] must believe that he is [that he
exists], and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek him." Faith was pithily defined by the late Rev. John
Campbell, of Row, as " taking God at His word."

Before man can repent he must hear and believe, and
having repented, he must then in faith lay hold of the
blessings for which repentance paved the way. Thus, from
one aspect, faith is a precursor of repentance, since converts*
must believe the call to repentance before it can take place,
and when it has taken place repentance leads to increased
faith, for the acceptance of the grace of God in the washing
away of sins through Baptism ; or, if a repentant Christian, to
the reception of the grace of God in the forgiveness of sins
through any other appointed channel. Unbelief has ever

* The word "convert" is not used here to describe a Christian or baptized
man when converted from evil ways.

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part II., Chap. XL

Deut. xxxii. 20.

Heb. iii. 12-19.

Mark xvi. 16.

John iii. 18.

Jude 3.

Acts ii. 41.

Acts viii. 12.

35-38.

been a prevailing sin against God since the fall of man ; it
brought many evils on Israel in the wilderness, when the Lord
said that He would hide His face from His chosen people
because they were " children in whom was no faith." These
evils are referred to as warnings to the Christian Church, and
in this present dispensation unbelief is the chief sin which will
entail condemnation.

There is no word more misapplied in these days than
faith. Any absurdity that a man gets into his mind is called
his ' faith ; " till, instead of " the faith once delivered unto the
saints," which is the gift of God, we have nearly arrived at the
condition of " So many men, so many faiths."

III. The doctrine and preaching of the Apostles on the
necessity of repentance and faith for the due reception of
Baptism was carried out in practice in the primitive days of
the Apostolic Church. This is expressly stated in the history
of the Acts of the Apostles, for after St. Peter's first sermon
it is written : " Then they that gladly received his word were
baptized." So also in the case of Philip, the Deacon-
Evangelist, when he went down to the city of Samaria and
preached Christ : " But when they believed Philip preaching
the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the
name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and
women."

In the same chapter there is an account of the beautiful
episode of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, and the same
pre-requisites to baptism are required. Philip found him
reading Esaias the prophet, but unable to understand what he
read. " Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the
same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they
went on their way they came unto a certain water : and the
eunuch said, See, here is water, what doth hinder me to be
baptized ? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine
heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the

The Requisites for Baptism: Repentance and Faith. 81

chariot to stand still : and they went down both into the
water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him."

In the case of St. Paul's sudden conversion he gave proof
of his repentance and faith, when, trembling and astonished,
he asked, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? " And he Acts Lx. 6.
immediately obeyed when the Lord bade him to go into the
city of Damascus, and it should be told him what he must
do. There the Lord sent Ananias to him, who restored his
sight and said : " And now why tarriest thou ? Arise and be Acts xxii. 16
baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the
Lord." And it is written that " he arose and was baptized." Acts ix. iS.

It is clear that in the case of an adult, repentance must
form a necessary condition to the reception of baptism, for
the candidate has sins of which he must be spiritually
conscious, and which he must acknowledge. Therefore, at
first sight it might appear as if the Baptists were right in their
contention, and that, as repentance and faith are required for
baptism, so adults only as being capable of these should be
baptized. In its proper place, when the question of Infant
baptism will be considered, reasons will be advanced for its
practice. But assuming that it is permissible, would not the
same rule hold good in the case of infants as in that of the
adult, viz., that repentance and faith would be necessary
antecedents to their baptism ? In the case of the child these
acts of repentance and faith are made in its name, when
the sponsors, as the child's proxies, humble themselves
before God, acknowledging the sin of our common nature,
and wait upon God for the word of absolution, of which the
child is a partaker, while the reciting of the Creed and the
committal of it as a holy charge to the infant, witnesses to the
necessity of faith, and thus through the intervention of
sponsors the same truths are acknowledged, since, in a
spiritual sense, the sponsors act as trustees for the child.

82 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. X II.

CHAPTER XII.

CONVERSION.

ANALYSIS : Definition of the word.

Scriptural references as to its meaning.

The symbolism of the five instruments of the Brazen Altar tearing on the

subject of Conversion.
Its nature. The will of man a factor therein. Its connection with the

renewal of the Holy Ghost. Popular errors on the subject.

IN the consideration of a controversial subject, if a clear
definition of the meaning of the technical words or terms
employed were first ascertained, it would often efface many
misapprehensions, and prevent bitter misunderstandings.

I. What is the true meaning and the derivation of the
word " Conversion "? It comes from the Latin converter e> and
is the translation of the Greek inetastreplio, both of which express
the same idea. It is that of " turning round." A simple
illustration may throw light on its meaning. A traveller in a
mountainous country pursues an unknown path, which leads
to the edge of a fatal precipice ; he perceives his danger, and
stops abruptly in his path ; he turns round and retraces his
steps ; he regains the point where he left the right way, and
now travels safely in the opposite direction. This, literally,
is an act of conversion of turning round from one direction
into an opposite one ; from a path of danger to one of safety.

In its metaphorical and spiritual application conversion is

usually applied to denote a change of principles and habits

leading to a different course of conduct, involving in a moral

sense the turning from that which is evil to that which is

good. It is descriptive of the case of a sinner who is

travelling from God to misery and destruction, full of self-will,

rebellion, and impenitence. In the language of the prophet,

Jer. ii. 27. he has turned his back to God and not his face, but he

Jer. 1. 5. is arrested, he sets his face heavenwards, he seeks God, he

loves that which he once hated, he hates that which he once

Conversion. 83

loved, he abhors sin and evil. He is a changed man ; his

spirit looks, as it were, in the opposite direction He is a

converted man ; he has turned round, even as St. Paul wrote to

the Thessalonians, " Ye turned to God from idols to serve the i Thess. L 9

living and true God."

This was a case of conversion occurring among the
heathen. They heard the word of preaching by the
Evangelists ; they believed and repented. They gave up their
idols and turned to God. Their thoughts, feelings, hopes,
fears, and manner of life were changed ; they forsook their old
sins, and in turning to God they became Christian converts.

But the Baptized who have backslidden from their
Christian standing need conversion as well as the heathen,
and of them St. James writes : " Brethren, if any of you James v. 19, -o.
do err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know that
he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall
save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."

This is the case of a blackslider, of a Christian man who has
fallen from a state of grace and needs to be restored to the
previous position which he has lost ; whereas the heathen, by
his conversion, is admitted to a new standing and to a state of
grace not hitherto known. Therefore, as the character and
nature of their conversion varies in the two cases, it cannot be
spiritually identical, though their essence ma}' be the same.

The expression " be converted " (in the authorised version)
ought not to be translated in the passive sense, for the word in
the original is in the active voice, viz., "convert ye." In proof
of this, the following passages are cited from the Hebrew :

In the Hebrew the word occurs 1,040 times.

The word " Turn " occurs in the following passages :
Isai. ix. 1 3 ; xix. 22 ; xxxi. 6. Jer. iii. 14 ; xviii. 8 ; Lam. v. 2 1 ;
xxv. 5; XXXV. 15; xliv. 5. Ezek. iii. 19, 20; xiv. 6; xviii.
30, 32 ; xxxiii. 9, u, 12, 14, 18, 19. Dan. ix. 13. Hos. v. 4;
xiv. 2. Joel ii. 12, 13. Zech. i. 3, 4. 2 Chron vi. 37.

" Turn again'' Psal Ixxx. 3, /, 19. Jer. xxxi. 19.

84 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. XII.

" Turn aivay." Num. xiv. 43. Deut. xxiii. 14. Ezek.
xiv. 6 ; xviii. 24, 26, 27.

" Turn back" I Sam. xv. 1 1.

" Turn to" Deut. iv. 30.

"Return." Deut. xxx. 2. i Kings viii. 48. Isai. xliv. 22.
Jer. iii. I, 12, 22 ; v. 3 ; viii. 5 ; xviii. 1 1 ; xxiii. 15. Ezek. xiii.
22 ; xviii. 23. Hos. vii. 10 ; xi. 5. Amos. iv. 6, 8, 9, 10, n.

"Repent." I Kings viii. 47. Ezek. xiv. 6; xviii. 30.

" Was turned" Jer. xxxiii. 19. Exod. iv. 7.

In Greek, the word translated epistrepJio occurs but
thirty-nine times. It is translated by

"Turn." Luke i. 16, 17. Acts ix. 35, 40; xi. 21 ; xvi.
18; xxvi. 18, 20. 2 Cor. iii. 16. Gal. iv. 9. I Thess. i. 9.
2 Pet. ii. 21. Rev. i. 12.

" Turn about!' Matt. ix. 22. Mark v. 30; viii. 33. John
xxi. 20.

" Turn again." Mark xiii. 16. Luke xvii. 4.

"Return." Matt. x. 13 ; xii. 44; xxiv. 18. Luke ii. 20 ;
xvii. 31.

" Come again? Luke viii. 35.

" Go again" Acts xv. 36.

" Convert" James v. 19, 20.

"Are turned" Acts xv. 19.

"Are returned" i Peter ii. 25.

"Is turned again." 2 Peter ii. 22.

"Being turned"- Rev. i. 12.

" Are converted." Matt. xiii. 15. Mark iv. 12. Luke
xxii. 32. Acts iii. 19 ; xxviii. 27.

The Greek passages are all active except : Matt, ix, 22 ;
x. 13. Mark v. 30; viii. 33; xiii. 16. Luke xvii. 31. John
xxi. 20. i Peter ii. 25.

The other word, strepho, used in Matt, xviii. 3, occurs
eighteen times : Matt. v. 39 ; vii. 6 ; xvi. 23 ; xviii. 3. Luke
vii. 9, 44 ; ix. 55 ; x. 23 ; xiv. 25 ; xxii. 61 ; xxiii. 28. John
i. 38 ; xx. 14, 1 6. Acts vii. 39, 42 ; xiii. 46. Rev. xi. 6.

Conversion* 85

These are all passive except : Matt. v. 39. Acts, vii 42.
Rev. xi. 6.

Having reviewed these passages, compiled by a competent
Hebrew and Greek scholar, who is now at his rest, we may
quote his remarks upon them.

" Enclosed is a list of passages, complete as regards the
Greek, and sufficient in the Hebrew to show you that the
passive translation has not a leg to stand upon. The only
true translation is that in Ezekiel : ' turn ye, turn ye.' The
instances I have given you are only specimens of the
simplicity of the meaning of the word however translated.
All the rest are of the same kind, the idea is always turn or
return. In spiritual things the meaning is perfectly explained
by Jeremiah, ' They have turned their back unto me and not Ter. ii. 27.
their face.' How can the Lord but require as the first and
indispensable step that they should turn round and stand in a
proper position before He can have anything to do with
them ? ' They shall ask their way to Zion with their face Ter. L 5.
thitherward! Singularly enough even our translators in the
Old Testament have said more than once, ' turn yourselves ' Ezek. xviiL 30. 52.
(which is the same word in the Hebrew)."

The noun which is equivalent to the English word " conver-
sion " does not occur in Scripture in either the Hebrew or the
Greek, but there are two other words in Greek that have an
affinity to it : metanoia, which means " change of mind," or,
perhaps more correctly, " change of heart," and this touches
nearly on conversion ; and the other, metameleia, which does
not involve a change of heart, but merely a change of intent
or purpose.

II. Further light is thrown on this subject by the types
of the law r of Moses. There were five instruments connected
with the Brazen Altar, and forasmuch as the Lord Jesus
Christ said that Moses wrote of Him, the truth that they set
forth, does not exclusively belong to the circumcised Jew *>.,
to one under the old covenant with God nor to the baptized

86 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [I'sut II., Chap. XII.

believer i.e., to one under the new covenant ; but it had its
application also to the heathen, even though he were not in
covenant with God.

The Brazen Altar, which spoke of atonement and of
cleansing by blood, was the first thing that met the eye of a
worshipper in the Court of the Tabernacle.

The five sets of instruments connected with the altar
were : the pans to receive the ashes, the shovels, the basins,
the fleshhooks, and the firepans, and these have spiritual
applications which bear on the subject of conversion.

1. The pan for asJies. These ashes were not hot or live
coals, but the accumulations which had to be removed.
They were the remains of the burnt-up wood and bones of the
slain victim. Those ashes spoke not only of a victim, and
of that which necessitated a victim i.e., sin but being the
ashes (and not live coals) from the altar of sacrifice, they
symbolized sins out of which the life had gone, and from
which the sting was taken ; in a word, they betokened sins
forgiven through the accepted sacrifice.

2. The shovel. Shovels of brass were required in the
service of the Brazen Altar to remove the ashes and refuse
which were carried away, lest they should obstruct the
approach to the altar. These are typical of a spiritual act for
removing the guilt of the conscience in order to enable a man
to present himself to God as a holy and acceptable sacrifice.

3. TJie bastn. This was for catching the blood of the
slain victim, which was sprinkled on the altar, or poured out
at its base. Blood speaks not only of sacrifice, atonement,
and forgiveness, but also of purification.

4. The flesliJiook was used for laying hold of the sacrifice
to adjust it on the altar in the midst of the consuming flames,
that it might become a whole burnt offering. This speaks
of the mutual relations of men one to another in the service
of God, and that by their affections and sympathies they
should encourage one another to dedicate themselves wholly

Conversion. 87

to God, as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable, which is their Rom. xii i.
reasonable service.

5. T lie firepans. The hot coals from off the altar were
placed in these pans when the Israelites moved from one
place to another, so that the holy fire might never go out.
This sets forth the love of God glowing in the heart, as the
result of the use of the antitypical and spiritual ash pan, shovel,
basin, and flesh hook.

The special point in the use of these instruments indicates
a spiritual action in relation to conversion which is equally
applicable to the case of a heathen, a Jew, a proselyte, a
catechumen, or a repentant Christian.

These instruments are typical of the work of the Lord
Jesus Christ and of the Holy Ghost through divinely
appointed channels.

The Lord having given Himself as a sacrifice for sin, to
obtain redemption and forgiveness for man, there must be
faith and the personal putting away of sin by the converted
man, answering to the removal of the refuse from the altar.

There must be the application of the blood of sprinkling,
of the blood of Jesus Christ through faith, for the forgiveness
of sins, symbolized by the basin holding the blood.

The fleshhooks the human relationships and affections of
life must be sanctified, so that Christians may abound in all
the graces of charity, as defined by St. Paul in I Cor. xiii. 1-7.

When the firepan of a man's heart is filled with the love of
God shed abroad by the Holy Ghost, he is prepared to dedicate
himself to God's service, of which Cornelius before his
baptism is an apt example ; and the same applies also to the
Christian after his baptism.

III. What is the nature of conversion in its spiritual essence ?

As conversion must have a definite relation to sin
whether to general or special sin every definite act of wilful
sin must entail a further act of repentance and faith, or of
conversion towards God, since during that sin the individual

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. XII.

had turned his back on God. In the case of Peter, when warned
of his coming defection, the Lord graciously said to him
Luke xxii. 32. " But I have prayed for thee .... and when thou art
converted strengthen thy brethren." The Greek epistrep&as
is " When having turned back again," which means that
when Peter returned in repentance and contrition, then
he was to be the helper and comforter of his brethren.
If the repentance and faith of a man be genuine they
receive concomitant evidence in his life and by his conduct, of
the conversion of his heart to God. Spiritually, the converted
man turns his back on what he loved and followed before ; on
the world, the flesh, and the devil ; on the delusive and
suicidal pleasures of sin and all forms of self-pleasing and
self-worship ; he seeks God, loves God, obeys God, and
endeavours to do His will ; he lives for others ; he lives
not for the present world, but for the world to come ;
he sets his affections on things above. His principles, views,
objects, interests, manner of life, are all changed.

Conversion is not a matter of theory, but of practice ; not
a matter of knowledge, but of love and of power in the Holy
Spirit, whereby the inner life transforms the outer life. Con-
version has its seat in what is popularly called the heart, or
to express it more correctly, in the spirit, the highest part of
man's being, in which lies the will.

True conversion may be defined as the ivill of man
beginning to co-operate witJi the will of God. To some it may
be startling to learn from the various Scriptures mentioned
above that the will of man is one of the greatest factors in
conversion, and that conversion consists as much in a man's
own act as in the act of God. The words used in these Scrip-
tures are nearly all in the active voice, and therefore it is to the
will of man that the Evangelist addresses himself in his preach-
ing when exhorting the sinner to conversion or return to God.

When men are called upon to repent, conversion cannot
take place in spite of their will, which thus has the awful

Conversion. 89

power of resisting the grace of God. This being the
dispensation of the grace of God, man is responsible for
accepting tlte grace proffered. But in Baptism, the Laying-on
of Hands, and the Lord's Supper, the action of God (received
in faith) is necessary to give efficacy to these ordinances.
The will of man is called upon to co-operate in all the acts of
God, for His Holy Spirit will not force that will (since to
force a free will were a contradiction in terms) ; but whilst the
will of man is prominent in conversion, it does not therefore
involve the obliteration of the action of the Spirit of God, nor
deny the action of prevenient grace.

The gracious co-operation of the Holy Ghost must not be
ignored in any spiritual efforts for turning man to God, who
will not act without man's intelligent and co-operative faith.
The error and heresy of Pelagianism consisted in supposing
that man can turn to God of his own will. The Holy Ghost
strives with man, He appeals, persuades, warns, comforts ; and
surely He fulfils these offices with every man whether baptized
or not. Before the flood the Spirit strove with man, and the See Gen. \\.
Gospel speaks of the light that lightens every man that John i. c.
cometh into the world. Yet man is not a passive machine ;
he can resist and quench the Holy Ghost. The action of
man's will determines him either to yield to the motions of
God's Holy Spirit, or to resist them. Everything shows that
man has a free will, though in his fallen and sinful condition
his heart is set on evil and he always chooses the evil, and he
needs the help of God's Spirit to choose the good. Still, as
man lias a free will, he is held responsible for the exercise of
that mighty power which differentiates him from the brutes.

It is impossible to define the limits or inter-action of
these two great truths viz., God's sovereignty and man's
responsibility which seem irreconcilable, and yet both of
them are undoubted verities. Like two mighty columns they
rise side by side into the heavens, but the arch which unites
them is invisible to our mortal sight. Great differences of

QO Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. L^i II., Chap. XII.

thought have existed on these subjects in all ages, and the
Arminian and Calvinistic controversies have well-nigh torn
the Church asunder. God is often spoken of in Scripture as
having power over the hearts of men, and it is written

I'rov. \.\i. i. that " the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, and he

turneth it whithersoever he will " ; nevertheless, the Lord

I'rov. \\iii. 26. says to each and all, " My son, give me thine heart." May

Jer. xxxi. 18. the loving response be, "Turn thou me, and I shall be

turned ; for thou art the Lord, my God."

However, this does not nullify the other passages in which
the concurrence of man's free will is sought, wherein the duty
and responsibility of turning to God is laid upon the man as
an active, intelligent, and moral being. The mutual and

Phil. ii. 12. harmonious action of these two great principles is illustrated
by St. Paul when he writes to the Philippians : " Work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that
worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure."
This is a mystery to be believed and accepted in faith, even
though it cannot be explained. Here the two elements,
distinct, yet not antagonistic, are seen working together for
Kzek. xviii. 30-32. one common end. God appeals to man, " Repent and turn
yourselves from all your transgressions, for why will ye die ? "

John v. 40. " Ye will not come to Me that ye might have life," is the
complaint which the Lord uttered to the unbelieving Jews.
St. Peter, in his second sermon, preaches both truths when he
Acts iii. 19, 26. says, " Repent ye and turn again " (R.V.) and " Unto you
first God, having raised up his son Jesus, sent him to bless
you in turning away everyone of you from his iniquities."

St. Paul's conversion, which was sudden and remarkable,
is an instance of the Divine action, whereby a conversion was
effected instantaneously, and this event is known in the
Church by the title, " The Conversion of St. Paul." This
proved to be the turning point in his life ; it produced an
absolute change of character and action, for he suddenly
and zealously began to preach the faith " which once he

destroyed." In speaking of it, he says, " When it pleased GaL i. 15, 16, 23.

God to reveal His Son in me, immediately I conferred not

with flesh and blood." " I was not disobedient to the Acts xxvi. 19.

heavenly vision." When he beheld this vision on the road to

Damascus, St. Paul immediately showed the reality of his

conversion by seeking to know the required course of action. Acts ix. 6.

IV. Looking at the practical view of the subject, we may
ask ourselves the question, " Are we converted ? " If we have
abode in the grace of our baptism we may not, in the popular
sense of the word, need conversion. Baptism and regenera-
tion are God's acts ; they are permanent ; having been
enacted once tliey cannot be repeated ; but comvrsion needs
to be repeated many times. It is allied to the renewal of
the Holy Ghost, which we all need daily and hourly ; therefore.
in this sense there should be a continual turning and returning
to God after even- lapse in thought, word, and deed, even
though we may not need conversion through any gross lap:-e
from the ways of God into open sin.

Just as he who believes and is baptized shall be saved.
only if he "endure unto the end," so also in order that faith and Man. xxiv. 13.
grace may prove permanent, must conversion be the habitual
attitude of the regenerate spirit toward God. Although the
regenerate person is indeed a new creature in Christ Jesus,
nevertheless, in this present condition, he carries about with
him the old nature that is ever ready to break forth into
action, of which the Apostle Paul warns us in his Epistle to
the Romans. Thus, the necessity for conversion as an Rom. vii.
abiding grace is manifest ; "for we are made partakers of Heb. iii. 14.
Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast
unto the end."' This attitude of habitual turning to God of
conversion is the result of faith, of hope, and of love
springing up in the breasts of God's children through the
power of the Holy Ghost.

If a baptized person has not been abiding in the grace of
his baptism, does he not need conversion of heart and of will ?

92 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. XII.

Does he not need a turning round towards God, and that in

the highest part of his being in his spirit ? Conversion, both

before and after Baptism, is identical with repentance and

faith ; but after Baptism the Baptized require the constant

renewal of the Holy Ghost, since conversion and renewal go

hand in hand. As our Lord compared the Holy Ghost to

John vii. 38. " rivers of living water," to "a well of water, springing up

John iv. 14. j ntQ ever i ast i n g ]jf e) " therefore the renewal of the Holy Ghost

should ever be in continuous action in the hearts of the

Baptized, if they grieve not, nor quench the Spirit even

2 Cor. iv. 16. as St. Paul wrote : " The inward man is renewed day by

day."

Here it may be well to consider in what manner the
evangelical section of the Church regard conversion. Do not
many faithful and earnest believers confound conversion with
regeneration, and refuse to see the distinction between the
two ? Is not this a technical misapprehension of the definition
of the two words, out of which much theological controversy
and error have sprung ? Conversion is without doubt a
turning of the heart to God, for which a man's will and
co-operation are required. Regeneration is distinct in its
nature : it is an act of God ; it implies a birth into a new and
spiritual world, which having taken place once cannot be
repeated ; even as in the natural, a man can only be born once.
Another mistake, which arises partly from the confusion of
terms, is that conversion is considered to be a definite and
indelible act, frequently sudden in its action, in which the
heart is then turned to God. Those who hold these views are
rather given to judge persons as to whether they are
converted or not, i.e., whether they lead devoted lives,
whether they are full of love to God, whether they hold a
certain set of opinions and doctrines, utter a certain shibboleth,
and walk in a particular groove. The preachers of this school
address their hearers as converted and unconverted, and
generally ignore the power and action of the Holy Spirit in

Conversion.

Baptism, wherein regeneration is given ; hence the baptismal
standing, in their opinion, is of little account.

The earnest prayer of the converted man is that of St.
Paul after his vision of the glorified Jesus : " Lord, what wilt Acts i.\. 6.
thou have me to do ? "

Such also was the cry of those who heard St. Peter preach
on the day of Pentecost when " they were pricked in their Acts iL 37, 38.
heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles,
Men and brethren, what shall we do ? Then Peter said unto
them, Repent and be baptized even- one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost."

" Here they who asked what they were to do received
an immediate answer. It was virtually summed up in the
word ' repent,' but the word used in the text means no less
than ' Change the whole tenour of your thoughts and lives.'
There is another Greek word, sometimes translated ' repent,'
which means little more than to be sorry for something that
we have done ; but the word here used (metanoesate) implies
a change almost like that of being born from above."*

If the conversion of a man be real, it must, perforce, find
expression in his life and acts. In his second epistle, St.
Peter, with apostolic foresight, goes to the root of the
Antinomian spirit when, after detailing the virtues that should
be manifested as evidences of fruitfulness in the knowledge of
our Lord Jesus, he says : " But he that lacketh these things is 2 Peter i. 9.
blind and cannot see afar off", and hath forgotten that he was
purged from his old sins."

Oh ! that we, the Baptized, might know experimentally
the true meaning of conversion, and by the renewal by the
Holy Ghost say with David, " He restoreth my soul," until Psa. xxiii. 3.
we need it no more in the kingdom of God, when we shall
be perfected in Christ Jesus, our Lord, to whom be the
glory of our conversion, regeneration, and ultimate salvation.

* "The Risen Master," p. 450. Rev. Henry Latham, M.A.

94 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. XIII.

CHAPTER XIII.

REGENERATION.

ANALYSIS : Regeneration is distinct from Conversion. Its definition and
nature. What our Lord and Ilis Apostles teach on this subject.
Its connection with Christ personally, especially with His
resurrection. The analogy between natural and spiritual life and
birth. Regeneration, partial now, will be perfected in the
resurrection.

REGENERATION is an integral part of Christian baptism.
It has its connection with conversion, with which, though
distinct in its nature, it is often confounded.

But there is an essential difference between conversion

and regeneration, both in their origin and in their nature.

Regeneration is an act of God, a creative act, even of Him who

made the earth and the heaven and formed the spirit of man

Zech. xii. i. within him ; and it is an act in which the will of man has no

part, and hence is distinct from conversion, in which the will

of man is a necessary factor, and distinct from the unceasing

Psa. civ. 30. renewal of the Holy Ghost. "Thou sendest forth thy Spirit,

they are created : and thou renewest the face of the earth."

Nevertheless, conversion and regeneration, though distinct,
are related. In unbaptized adults conversion should lead to
baptism and to the heavenly birth. No ungodly nor
unconverted person ought to be baptized. Regeneration is
an act on a higher plane than that of conversion. The fallen
creature is created anew in Christ Jesus, by the operation of
the Holy Ghost, who is the Lord and giver of life.

Wherefore, REGENERATION is not turning round to obey
God ; it is the receiving of tJie restirrection life of the Second
Adam. Two examples from Holy Scripture bring the point
before us in an objective form. Take the case of the disciples
of John the Baptist. If, after listening to John's preaching on

Regeneration. 95

repentance, they exercised faith and obedience, and received
his baptism for the remission of their sins, they gave proof of
conversion, but they were not regenerated; they did not
receive the grace of the new birth from above, imparted in
Christian baptism and based on Christ's death and resur-
rection ; wherefore John's baptism could not impart this
spiritual life. The same reasoning and conclusion hold good
in the case of Cornelius. He was a devout man, full of
prayers, alms-deeds, and good works, and he was evidently a
converted man ; but when he sent to Joppa for St. Peter he
was not at that period a regenerate man.

When our Lord received Nicodemus by night, He said to
him, " Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born J
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." And in meeting
the difficulties of Nicodemus, the Lord replied with a still
more emphatic assertion, " Except a man be born of iscitir
and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

The expression " of water and of the Spirit " is the
elucidation of the words used by the Lord in His first
statement, which perplexed Nicodemus, who regarded the
subject from a fleshly point of view. But our translation of
the word hardly sets forth the beauty and force of the original
Greek in both these verses, for it is not so much "Ye must
be born again " (implying a second time) as " Ye must be
born from above" ; ye must be born from Heaven and of
the Spirit, as distinct from earth and of the flesh. " That Jhn in. 6,
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of
the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto you, ye must
be born from above."

St. Paul writes to the same effect to Titus : " Not by Titus iii. 5
works of righteousness which we have done, but according to
His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration,
and renewing of the Holy Ghost." In the Greek it is
" bath [the laver] of regeneration." The word used for
regeneration is " palingenesia," where the prefix is falin,

9^ Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. XIII.

" again," and not anothen, " from above " ; but " anothen " is
the higher and more spiritual word, for it includes the idea of
repetition inherent in the word " palin " or " again," which
latter word does not necessarily embrace the higher truth of
birth from above ; for although the birth " from above " includes
the idea of another birth, yet it is not that of repetition of
the same kind of birth, but one of a different nature.

A baptized person once regenerate can never again
become unregenerate, though he may become apostate, even
as a living man can never return to an unborn state, though
he may become diseased in body and eventually die. " Every
baptized man shall be judged by the covenant as one who
hath received the life of God and can find no retreat, but only
a progress onward either to perfect salvation or to utter and
eternal apostasy." These words show the permanent and
indelible character of the act of regeneration or spiritual
birth. A Christian, i.e., one who has been baptized into
Christ, can no more become a heathen, or a Jew, than he can
become an angel or a devil. Born into the world a natural
man with a natural life, liable to natural laws and eventually to
death, he has in Baptism received a new spiritual life the life
of Christ and thereby has become the child of God. How
Jude 12. could they be " twice dead," or in danger of the " second
Rev. ii. ii. death," unless they had been born again or a second time?

Great has been the controversy over this subject of
baptismal regeneration, and it is one of the points of doctrinal
discord which divides the Church of England into two, out of
her three hostile camps.

It was decided after the Gorham Controversy in 1849-1850,
by the Law Courts, that this doctrine need not be taught
in the Church of England. It is difficult to believe that any
unprejudiced person can think that the Baptismal Office in
the Book, of Common Prayer contemplates any other view
than that of baptismal regeneration. This expression is often
misunderstood, because the truth is not apprehended, that

Regeneration. 97

union with Christ in His death and resurrection is the
marrow of Baptism ; and that as Christ's death is therein
inflicted on the " old man " by the Holy Ghost, so also
we, spiritually and sacramentally, receive therein Christ's
resurrection-life, or, in other words, the gift of regeneration.

Now, as the new birth is connected with Christ raised
from the dead, and exalted into the heavenlies to God's right
hand, there is a definite meaning attached to the word
" above." Regeneration means a new birth of a higher
nature, a supernatural and spiritual birth as contrasted with
a natural and fleshly birth. Flesh, as the Lord intimates,
begets flesh ; spirit begets spirit. Flesh cannot beget spirit ;
nor spirit beget flesh. "Ye must be born from above"

The special feature that marks regeneration, and which is
not present in conversion, is its connection with a person.
Regeneration, not being an abstraction, nor a mere doctrine,
nor a theory, is rooted in the Incarnation of the Son of God ;
therefore it is that regeneration is associated with a person,
and if with the Person of the Son of God made man, then
necessarily with the actions of that Person ; not only with what
He was, but with what He did ; not only with what He is, but
with what He does ; with His actions in the past, in the
present, and in the future. There is an act of that Person
which, springing from His Incarnation, is the essence and
basis of regeneration, and that is the Resurrection of that
incarnate Person. If Christ had not risen from the dead,
there would be no such thing as regeneration or the imparting
of a new life by the act of God in Baptism. The apprehension
of baptismal regeneration, as bound np with Christ risen from
the dead, will remove many of the difficulties which cling to
it in the minds of those who are prejudiced against it as an
abstract doctrine.

Thus, there are three points the Incarnation, Personality,
and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, with which
regeneration is vitally connected ; but though conversion

98 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. XIII.

could and did take place without these, as in the ages
before Christ's birth, the same cannot be said of regeneration.
Men were doubtless converted to God through the action of
Gen. vi. 3. the Holy Spirit striving with them before the Incarnation and
Resurrection of the Lord had taken place, inasmuch as the
Incarnation and the Atonement, even when in the future, were
and are still the basis of all God's long-suffering with the
human race.

Christ, after His death, was quickened with a new life.
Resurrection-life was God's gift to Him, and He gives it to
man. The eartJily life of the Lord Jesus in mortal flesh would
not avail for the purposes of impartation or of regeneration.
He now lives an eternal life in immortal flesh, and, as the first-
born of all creation, manifests Himself as the risen and glorified
MAN, on the pinnacle of creation, and as such He is seated at
the right hand of God, the nearest possible approach of the
creature to the glory of the uncreated Godhead. He has the
power of communicating this resurrection life, for, as " the last
Cor. xv. 45. Adam," He is now "the quickening spirit," as He said when
John v. 21. on earth, "as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth
them, even so the Son quickenctJi whom He will." Hence, to
know what regeneration is in its perfection we must beliold
the Man Christ Jesus, raised from the dead, and sitting at the
right hand of the Father. To argue over the theological
term in the abstract, and to ignore CHRIST as its only living
exponent, is sheer folly and a waste of time.

That an analogy sJionld and does exist between the natural
life and the spintiial life is not extraordinary ; for He who is
the author of the natural is also the author of the spiritual
life. In the natural there are the distinct acts of begetting,
quickening, and of birth. So is it in the spiritual, as we learn
James i. 18. from the word of God, "Of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth." This appears to refer to an act of will on
the part of God the Father, and to have a relation to Christ,
who is the Word and the Truth ; and it must also have direct

Regeneration* 99

reference to those whom the Father gives to the Son. The

Apostle uses a similar expression when he says, " For in Christ i Cor iv. 15.

Jesus I have begotten yoit tlirougli the Gospel" through his

preaching of the Gospel ; and s,o he calls himself their father ;

for to beget is the act of a father, and of none other.

The next process is that of quickening, or of giving the
sensible movements and manifestation of life to that which is
as yet unborn. Thus St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians,
" Even when we were dead in sins, God hath quickened us Eph. ii. 5.
together with Christ." To the Colossians he also wrote,
" And you, being dead in your sins .... hath he Col. ii. 13.
quickened together with him."

The third act is that of birth. A point of analogy between
natural birth and spiritual birth " from above " (anothen)
must be noted. They are each brought about by an extertial
agency ; they are not due to a man's own will or action. A
man is born into the world, not according to his own choice,
but according to certain laws and forces which exist by the
will of the Creator. It is not therefore according to analogy
that so great a change as a birth from above affecting
a man's spiritual nature should be brought about by the
action of a man's own will. He cannot say either in the letter
or in the spirit, " I will, I shall be born again ; I am being
born from above." The point now under consideration is that
this birth from above, which is called regeneration, is
essentially the act of God^ and is no more dependent on our
own will than are our natural generation and birth. It is not
subjective like conversion, in which the motions of the spirit
of man must co-operate. It is the objective gift of spiritual
life from God of which man is the recipient.

Although life is received as a gift from another, and is the
first and greatest gift, yet, even after birth, it may be
quenched, or neglected, or infected with disease ; or, on
the other hand, life may be carefully tended and brought
to maturity in health and vigour. How solemn is the thought

ioo Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. XIII.

of our responsibility ! As in our natural life, so also is this true
as regards our spiritual life, which we may either nourish by
the spiritual means provided by the Lord ; or by misuse and
neglect of the same quench the Spirit of life within us. St.
Paul warned the Baptized against this, when he wrote,
Thess. v. 19. " Quench not the Spirit."

It must be remembered that regeneration in this life is an
inchoate act i.e., it is begun, but not completed. It awaits
its fulness in the resurrection at the Lord's advent and in the
Heb. vi. 4. kingdom of God. We have but tasted of the heavenly gift.

It may tend to make the subject clearer if regeneration is
regarded as the seed of eternal life, the beginning of the new
creation, rather than its culmination, for it cannot be complete
in the three-fold being of man until the resurrection. It exists as
yet only in the spiritual part of man (consisting of spiritand soul) ;
but in the resurrection the body of man will be born anew of the
Spirit, and regeneration will be manifested in the whole man
in the fulness of eternal life. The seed is sown, the germ
imparted. But how is it with a seed ? A seed, though
sown, may not germinate at all ; or it might not germinate
for months, and yet not have lost its vitality. Again,
when it has germinated and sprung up an east wind might nip
the blade ; or it may brave storm, wind, and rain, until it
reaches the full corn in the ear, and is ripe for the harvest and
fit for the garner. Following the analogy of the seed in the
natural life, does not the incorruptible seed of God germinate
and fructify in the spirits of the faithful Baptized to His honour
and glory? The germ of the unfolding life and the power of
it having been imparted to their spirits in Baptism, their souls
partake of its benefits, whilst their bodies are not as yet
sensibly affected thereby. But in the resurrection the spirits
of just men made perfect shall resume their bodies, in beauty
and immortality, and being made like unto Christ, shall for
ever cluster around His radiant throne, the central spot of
the regenerated and glorified creation.

The Doctrine of the Lord and of St. Peter.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE LORD AND OF ST. PETER, THE
APOSTLE TO THE CIRCUMCISION.

ANALYSIS -.The doctrine of the Lord, as seen in His discourse to Nicodemus.
and in His command after His resurrection. The practice and
doctrine of St. Peter, the Apostle to the Circumcision.

SlNX'E all bodies of Christians appeal to Holy Scripture, it
is important to know what may, without prejudice, be deduced
from the sacred writings concerning the doctrine of Holy
Baptism, both in the teaching of Christ and of His Apostles ;
and also, what importance they attached to the ordinance.

I. The first witness to the fundamental truth of the John Hi. 1-12.
doctrine is Christ Himself, who is not the founder of a
mere system called "Christianity," but is the incarnate Son
of God.

The first recorded, and probably the earliest discourse of
our Lord is that which is related by St. John in his Gospel.
That its subject should be that of regeneration, and connected
with Baptism, is not without significance.* Men attach a
special interest to the first as well as to the last utterance of a
departed friend, and it is worthy of note that among our
Lord's first and last utterances the subject of baptism was
included. In His first discourse Jesus began to fulfil the
prophecy of the Psalmist, who foretold some thousand years Psa. l.xxviii. 2.
before, that Messiah would utter things which had been kept Matt. xiii. 35.
secret since the foundation of the world.

The revelation which the Lord made to Nicodemus was
absolutely new ; nothing like it had been heard before, for
He spoke of a new birth, a birth from above. Our Lord, in
His gentleness and wisdom, was wont to speak of things as John x\-i. 12.

* Some points in this chapter have been necessarily touched upon in the
consideration of the previous subject of " Regeneration."

102 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. XIV.

His disciples were able to bear them ; hence, in this teaching,
He entered into no details about the Sacrament of Baptism
but in making- a broad assertion of its supernatural character
He only gave a general outline thereof.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, a member
of the Sanhedrin, and he came to Jesus by night, secretly,
perhaps " for fear of the Jews." Subsequently he must have
greatly increased in courage, for when the Pharisees condemned
our Lord, and said, " This people who know not the law are
John vii. 45-53. cursed," Nicodemus ventured a remonstrance, " Doth our
law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he
doeth?" Then, afterwards, on our Lord's death he assisted in
taking down the body of the Lord from the cross, and brought

John xix. 39. spices for His anointing. These subsequent examples of
moral courage were considered remarkable, for St. John, in
relating the courage of Nicodemus in the Sanhedrin, makes
mention of the fact that Nicodemus first came to Jesus by

Mark xv. 43. night, and St. Mark states that he went in boldly unto Pilate

and craved the body of Jesus. He addressed our Lord as

John ill. 2. " Rabbi." " Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come

from God." The beginning of the miracles of Jesus, in Cana

of Galilee, had proved that God was with Him. The Lord

does not repudiate this ascription of Nicodemus, but takes

His stand upon it, and proceeds to impart His heavenly

John iii. 3. teaching in His reply: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom

of God." This perplexed Nicodemus, who took the words

John iii. 4. in a literal and fleshly sense, and he asked, " How can a man

be born when he is old ? Can he enter a second time into

his mother's womb and be born ? " This would appear to

him to be an impossibility and an absurdity. Our Lord

does not elucidate his difficulty, but simply repeats His first

John iii. 5-8. statement with two additional particulars. "Jesus answered,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit he cannot ENTER the kingdom of God.

The Doctrine of the Lord and of St. Peter. 103

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born
of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye
must be born again." Thus He gave Nicodemus a definition
of being born again, or from above. It was a birth of water,
and a birth of the Spirit one united birth.

What is the meaning of a birth of water ? If there were
no such thing as the sacrament of Holy Baptism it would
indeed be a difficult question to answer, but as the Lord
Himself instituted and enjoined this rite to be the mode of
initiation into the Church, a candid interpretation seems to
admit of no other meaning or application than which the
words obviously imply. The detail of water, added by the
Lord to His original statement, can, in the light of future
instruction from Him and from His Apostles, have no other
reference than to the sacrament of Baptism, for it is only in
this ordinance that water used in the Church of God is
connected with a spiritual birth. It would be dishonest to
ignore this sacrament, or to pass it by for fear of being
thought a formalist or a sacramentarian.

The first special point on which the Lord insisted in
connection with Baptism was a generation from above ; and
the second is as emphatic, for He twice stated that without
this birth from above (whatever it be, and however
received) the seeing or entering into that condition (whatever
that be) called " the kingdom of God " cannot be
attained. Our Lord bade Nicodemus not to marvel at\his :
" Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born from
above." Then the Lord enforced His teaching by employing
the figure of the wind, and by showing that as it is secret and
mysterious in its nature, but powerful in its action and effects ;
so also is the birth of " everyone that is born of the Spirit."
Our Lord then implied that Nicodemus, a master in Israel,
should have known these mysteries,* and that they should not

* St. Paul implies the same thing in writing to the Roman converts in connec-
tion with Baptism, when he asks them : " Know ye not?' ; Rom. vi. 3, 16.

104 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [PartIl.,Chq>.Xlv.

have been above his mental grasp ; for, as occurring on earth,
He classed them among the "earthly things," and adds,
" How shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things ? "

It is not recorded in the Gospels whether our Lord again
alluded to the subject of baptism until after His resurrection,
but the Lord then not only particularly mentions baptism, but,
for the first time, issues a command concerning its observance.

It is necessary to weigh what the Lord says on this
subject after His resurrection, when He conversed with His
Acts i. 3. Apostles during forty days, and spake of the things pertaining
to the kingdom of God, and to the Church which He was
about to found. Jesus Christ prefaces His injunctions to
those whom He had appointed to be rulers in His Church, by
Matt, xxviii. stating His right of authority to issue them : " And Jesus

came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me
in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost : Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you : and lo, I am with you
alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Because of
all power having been given to Him in heaven and earth
He sends his Apostles forth to teach and to baptize ; and He
enjoins a formula commanding them to do so in the thrice
Holy Name of the Godhead. Such is the Lord's commission,
Matt, xxviii. 20. to which He adds His promise of being with His Apostles
alway, even unto the end of the world or age.

His expression, " teaching them to observe all things,"
seems to point, not so much to doctrine (although that would
be included) as to acts, to rites, or sacraments ; to things to be
done, as well as to be believed, for He had not before instituted
the sacrament of Baptism as an ordinance and a rite.

Mark xvi. 15, 16. In the Gospel according to St. Mark there is also an

allusion to Baptism, when the Lord appeared to the eleven and
said to them, " Go ye into all the world, and preach the
Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized

The Doctrine of the Lord and of St. Peter. 105

shall be saved." In both these records the Lord associates
Baptism with the preaching of the Gospel, and He also joins
Baptism to faith, hereby intimating that the obedience of faith
should lead up to the observance of His command. This is
the clear teaching of the Master, as given in the Gospels on
this disputed doctrinal point which has so rent asunder the
professing members of His Church.

The wording in the two Gospels should be noted, for they
supplement one another. In St. Matthew's Gospel, the
Apostles' action is chiefly evident : "Teach all nations, baptizing
them"; "Teaching them to observe all things." In St.
Mark's Gospel the Apostles' action is again exhibited, but the
receptivity of the mind and heart, and the exercise of the free
will of the hearer is emphasized by the Lord's words, " He
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that
believeth not shall be damned," showing thereby that the
hearer has the power of accepting or of rejecting the offers of
the Gospel. Thus, in two out of the four Gospels, .stress is
laid upon the subject of Baptism.

These commands and statements of our Lord come with
peculiar force and interest after His resurrection, as being
among His final and farewell injunctions to His disciples. It
is evident that the Lord, though raised from the dead in a
spiritual and immortal body, was nevertheless unchanged in
mind, spirit, or purpose, and could take up the thread of what
He taught before His death, and say, " These are the words
which I spake unto you while I was yet with you."

In St. Luke's and St. John's Gospels there is no direct
reference to Christian baptism by our Lord after His resur-
rection, but as it is stated in the former " that repentance and Luke \.\i\.
remission of sins should be preached in His [Christ's] name
among all nations," and as St. Peter, in his first sermon at Acts ii. 38.
Pentecost, links repentance, baptism, and remission of sins
together, it may be inferred that our Lord, by implication,
referred to Christian baptism.

106 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [PartlL, Chap. XIV.

In His last words on earth before His ascension our Lord
Acts i. 5. spoke of John's baptism, and He alluded to the future baptism
with the Holy Ghost which He had promised, and which
would be the fitting sequel to the baptism with water.

The first apostle who preached the Gospel was St. Peter,
Acts ii. when he, as the spokesman of the Apostles, addressed the
multitude who were gathered together at Jerusalem ten days
after the ascension of the Lord into heaven. His discourse
was inspired by the Holy Ghost, and delivered on the day of
Pentecost, the birthday of the Christian Church. St. Peter,
standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said unto
Acts ii. 14, 36-38, them : " Ye men of Judcea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem,
4t< hearken to my words. . . . Let all the house of Israel know
assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have
crucified, both Lord and Christ. And when they heard this
they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and to
the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do ?
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. . . . Then
they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same
day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."
As the Tabernacle in the wilderness, with all its measurements,
was the type of the Christian Church on earth, may not its
cubical contents of three thousand cubits have typified the
sudden creation of the Church formed of three thousand
baptized persons, born, as it were, in one day? As regards
the baptismal doctrine taught by St. Peter in his Pentecostal
sermon, he mentions repentance as a requisite to baptism,
which was to be administered in the name of Jesus Christ,
and to impart the remission of sins ; also, that its proper
sequel was the gift of the Holy Ghost ; and he urges his
hearers to receive these two great spiritual gifts the remis-
sion of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Thus the Lord's
command on the subject of Baptism was immediately obeyed

The Doctrine of the Lord and of St. Peter. 107

by the Apostles and by their early converts. The Apostles
preached the Gospel and baptized ; their hearers believed
and were baptized. If subsequent allusions to Baptism are
not always so pronounced, this may be because it is taken
for granted that it would be administered on the earliest
occasion, and that the preaching included the practice.

It was after this that the case of Cornelius occurred.
Peter, being a Jew, was bound by his national and exclusive
prejudices, but God sought by special visions to enlarge his
views and to teach him that the Gentiles also should be
admitted into the fellowship of the Christian Church. Being
sent for by Cornelius, he went to Caesarea, and immediately
asked, "For what intent have ye sent for me?" After
Cornelius had related his experiences, Peter opened his mouth
and preached Christ and the gospel of .salvation. While he
was yet speaking the Holy Ghost fell on the hearers, and they
manifested the reality of the gift by speaking with tongue.-
and magnifying God. At this act of God " they of the
circumcision which believed were astonished, because that
on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy
Ghost," especially on those who were unbaptized. However.
St. Peter did not consider that this great gift nullified the
necessity of Baptism, for he replied, " Can any man forbid
water that these should not be baptized, which have
received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he com-
manded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord."
This shows how much St. Peter, the Apostle to the
Circumcision, valued this ordinance when he commanded its
ministration under such exceptional circumstances, for
although the Holy Ghost had fallen on Cornelius before he
was baptized, still the Apostle decided that Baptism was
necessary ; though in these days it might be thought that
the greater grace would include the lesser. This would be due
to a misapprehension ; for, according to the declaration of the
same Apostle on the day of Pentecost that Baptism conveys

io8 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. XIV.

"remission of sins," and leads on to "the gift of the Holy
Ghost," it is clear that Cornelius, having received as an
unbaptized man only one part of the two-fold gift promised

Acts xxii. 16. by the Lord, still needed the completion of the grace minis-
Col, ii. 7. tered in Baptism, viz., to be washed from his sins by his
Rom. vi. 3. reception of that divine Sacrament. Moreover, he could not

i Cor. xii. 27. be "rooted and built up in" Christ, until he was in the
Ileb. iii. i words of St. Paul " baptized into Jesus Christ," whereby he
became one of the " members in particular " of Christ, and
was made a partaker of the heavenly calling.

But the most definite teaching of St. Peter on this subject
is in his first Epistle, in a passage remarkable for its glimpse
of the unseen world, its grand revelation, its consolation, and
its clear pronouncement on Baptism.

i Pet. iii. 21. St. Peter writes to the strangers scattered throughout

Asia Minor : " The like figure whereunto even baptism doth
also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the
flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God) by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ." He shows how the flood is
a type of Baptism " the like figure " in which, he calls
Baptism the antitype of the flood (Gk. antitupoti).

He further teaches that Baptism is not a mere carnal
washing ; it is not the literal putting away of the filth of the
flesh ; but that, being spiritual, it includes the death unto
sin, and embraces a great reality i.e., life from above in
the new birth unto righteousness, and also the answer of a
good conscience towards God. And all this is connected

i Cor. xv. 17. with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is indeed declared

to be the efficient means of salvation, for " If Christ be not

Rom. iv. 25. raised, your faith is vain : ye are yet in your sins." He " was

i Pet. iii. 21. delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification,"
wherefore, " baptism doth also now save us by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ."

Such is the teaching of our Lord, and of Peter the Apostle
to the Circumcision, on the subject of Christian baptism.

Christian Baptism as taught by St. Paul. 109

CHAPTER XV.

THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM AS TAUGHT BY
ST. PAUL, THE APOSTLE TO THE UXCIRCUMCISION.

ANALYSIS : The doctrine of Christian Baptism as taught by St. Paul to the
Roman, Corinthian, Galarian, and Ephesian Churches, and to
Titus, an apostolic minister. Brief scriptural summary of the chief
points of the doctrine of Christian Baptism.

THE doctrine of Holy Baptism as taught by St. Paul,
who was the Apostle to the Gentiles, forms an important
study, for it fills up with details the general outline given by
our Lord to Nicodemus. He shows how closely linked
Baptism is to the incarnate Lord and to His acts. Although in
the first part of this book* Christian baptism has been studied
with reference to the Incarnation of our Lord, nevertheless
this truth will bear repetition, for the Incarnation is the basis
of all God's revelations of Himself, and of His dealings with
man, and it may be almost said that even-thing hangs on a
right understanding of this great mystery.

At his conversion Saul (or Paul) must have received some
teaching on Christian baptism from Ananias, who was sent to
him in Damascus by the Lord, A.D. 35, and who bade him
receive it immediately for the washing away of his sins.
When three years later he abode with St. Peter for fifteen Gal. i. iS.
days at Jerusalem, he must have listened with keen interest to
all that fell from that apostle of the Lord, and to his teaching
on this and other subjects which belonged to the principles
of the doctrine of Christ.

St Paul received his call to apostleship ten years after his
conversion, and it was during the following year, A.D. 46 (as
may be gathered from what he wrote fourteen years later to the

* Part I., Chapters I. to VIII.

i TO Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II. , Chap. XV.

2 Cor. xii. i, 2. Corinthian Church), that he "had visions and revelations of
the Lord," when he was caught up into the third heaven, and
must have learned many truths, which are doubtless embodied
in his epistles to the churches.

St. Paul describes himself as a teacher of the Gentiles in
faith and verity ; and as he came into contact with many
churches in Asia and Europe (some of which he founded
Gal. ii. 7, 8. himself), it is important to know what the great Apostle to the
Uncircumcision taught the Gentiles on this fundamental truth
of Baptism.

The history of the Acts of the Apostles affords some
glimpses of how St. Paul preached and acted. The first
Acts xvi. 14. 15. recorded notice of Baptism following on his preaching is that
of Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened that she attended
unto the things which were spoken of Paul. "And when she
was baptized, and her household, "she constrained the apostolic
company to become her guests. In the same chapter we
read of St. Paul's rough experiences at Philippi, where he and
Silas were imprisoned. At midnight, when there was a great
earthquake, their terrified jailor asked them what he must do
Acts xvi. 31. to be saved. "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And he took
them that same hour of the night, and washed their stripes ;
and was baptized, he and all his, straightway." He is sup-
posed to have been the Stephanas alluded to in i Cor. i. 16.
Actsxviii. 1,2, 18. When Aquila and Priscilla sailed with St. Paul from Corinth
into Syria, they must have learned much from him which they
would impart to Apollos when they took him unto them, and
expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

Acts xviii. 26. An incident at Ephesus is worthy of note. The Apostle
met twelve converts there, and finding that they were baptized
only with John's baptism, he pointed out its deficiencies that
it was a preparation for them to receive the fuller grace of

Acts xix. 4, 5. Christian baptism. " When they heard this they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." It is clear from

Christian Baptism as taught by St. Paul. in

St. Paul's practice and treatment of his converts, that he
considered Christian baptism essential for their advancement,
and therefore he enjoined its administration with all reasonable
speed. Thus, in the Acts of the Apostles there are eight
distinct cases in which, during the first twelve years of the
Church's history, the early converts, having believed the
Gospel, showed their repentance, faith, and obedience by
immediately submitting to the prescribed ordinance of
Baptism.

The doctrine which St Paul taught concerning Baptism is
set forth in most of his Epistles.

Taking the Epistles in their Scriptural order, the first is
that to the Romans, in which there is a full and masterly
exposition of the doctrine of Baptism in the sixth chapter. Rom. \-\. 3-
The following verses are quoted as crucial to this subject :
" Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Rr, m . vi. ; v
Christ were baptized into his death ? Therefore we are Rom. vi. 4.
buried with him by baptism into death : that like as Christ
was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even
so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have Rom. vi. 5.
been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall
be also in the likeness of his resurrection : knowing this, that
our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might
be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

The one great feature which runs through this whole
passage is our union, through Baptism, with the incarnate
Person of our Lord Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and
resurrection. These great acts, in which His work as a
Saviour culminates, can never be repeated ; in all their
simplicity and majesty they form the charter of our
redemption, the basis of our spiritual life, the stability of the
kingdom of God and of the new creation for ever and ever.
There are no other acts but these that the Apostle could
select as the basis, not only of the doctrine of Baptism, but
also of our sanctification and eternal life through the power of

H2 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap XV.

the Holy Ghost. The death and resurrection of Christ are
the two great acts which also form the basis of the Holy
Eucharist, and thus bind these two great sacraments together
in essential unity. It is a matter for thankfulness that St.
Paul was led to express himself so clearly on the doctrine of
Baptism, and that he has sounded the Gospel trumpet in no

Rom. vi. 3-5. uncertain manner. We are made one with Christ, being
baptized into His death, being crucified with Him, buried
with Him, and planted together in the likeness of His
resurrection.

This can be fully established from Holy Scripture and
from this classical passage now under consideration. In the
Greek, the words " buried," " crucified," and " planted," have
the prefix " syn," equal to the Latin " co " : thus, literally
translated, they may be rendered as co-buried, co-crucified,
and co-planted ; the sense of which is embodied in the
words " with," " together," in our authorised version.

It must not be forgotten that the Holy Ghost will not
work apart from Christ, who promised that He should take of
John x\i. 13-15. the things of Christ and show them unto us ; and that He will
only use the death and resurrection of Christ to give to the
Baptized spiritually or sacramentally the death unto sin and
the new birth unto righteousness.

i Cor. i. 13. Again, in the Epistle to the Corinthians St. Paul associates

Baptism with being crucified, and as being effected in the
name of some person ; he speaks of it as the means for
binding all the Baptized into one body, who have thus " been

i Cor. xii. 13. all made to drink into one Spirit." To the Galatian Christians

St. Paul wrote the same truth, and this was the more

necessary, as they were inclined to magnify circumcision, and

Gal. v. i, 2. thus, in seeking perfection through the ordinances of the law,

to return to its bondage. Of the law, the Apostle writes

Gal. iii. 24-27. thus, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us

unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that

faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye

Christian Baptism as taught by St. Paul. 113

are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as
many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on
Christ." In these verses there are several beautiful and salient
points, \\z., justification by faith, and the liberty of faith, as
contrasted with the bondage of the law, which was a school-
master to bring us to Christ ; sonship, whereby we are all
children of God in virtue of our union with the Son of God ;
and a reference to the baptismal raiment (white and unsullied),
for those who arc baptized have " put on Christ." The
expression to " put on," or to " put off," is a figure of
speech applicable to a garment In writing to the Ephesians Eph. \\. 22, 24.
and to the Colossians St. Paul bids them to "put off the old Col. Hi. S-io, i
man" and to "put on the new man." This is the thought
conveyed by the vision that the prophet Zachariah saw of
Joshua, the high priest, who was standing before the angel of Zcch. Hi. 1-5.
the Lord in filthy garments. These were taken off him and
cast aside ; whereupon he was clothed with change of raiment.
Fine linen garments, robes of beauty and glory, a fair mitre,
a golden crown, a riband of blue, these were the holy
garments that were put on him and belonged to the office of
High Priest, to whose mitre upon his forehead was fastened
the plate of pure gold engraved with the words, " HOLINESS
TO THE LORD." Although in Baptism we put on Christ,
when He clothed us with a garment of salvation, and covered
us with His robe of righteousness His spotless vesture of
fine linen, nevertheless, the putting on of the Lord Jesus Rev. xix. 8, 14.
Christ, of the new man, is to be a continuous act, on which
St. Paul frequently insists in his epistles. Hence, in having
put on Christ as a vesture in Baptism, it may be said that the
shining robe of innocency was then received. How carefully
then should we, the Baptized, guard our baptismal raiment
lest it become defiled and " spotted by the flesh " ! Jude 23.

The Apostle sets forth another precious privilege of Baptism,
and that is the wonderful unity in Christ Jesus growing out
of union with Him. In Him, nationality, condition, and sex

ii4 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. XV

Gal. in. 28. are all swallowed up ; " There is neither Jew nor Greek, there
is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for
ye are all one in Christ Jesus " one with the Head, and one
with the members ; one with Christ, and one with each other ;
all related to one centre, hence all mutually related to one
another. Moreover, there is a beautiful glimpse of the hidden
powers of the baptismal life in the following statement by St.
Gal. ii. 20. Paul : " I am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live ; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me,
and gave Himself for me."

Eph. iii. 17-21. The Epistle to the Ephesians is full of heavenly doctrine,

Eph. iv. 3-6. and St. Paul, after his inspired panegyric of the love of Christ,
mentions seven elements of unity by which he would have the
saints endeavour to " keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace.'' Of these seven, the sixth is " one baptism." This
is the Catholic faith, and yet (assuming that St. Paul is the
writer of the epistle to the Hebrews) it is remarkable that
- when writing of the six principles of the doctrine of Christ,
he names, as the third of these, the doctrine of baptisms.
Although some of these baptisms have been dealt with
separately in previous chapters, yet the truth remains
unshaken that to us in the Christian Church there is not a
doctrine of baptisms (plural), nor doctrines of baptism, but
ONE DOCTRINE OF ONE BAPTISM, even as to us there is but
ONE GOD, the Father, and ONE LORD JESUS CHRIST, in
whom are we the Baptized to the glory of God the Father.
Thankfully then, and from our hearts, should we repeat the

Nicene Creed, creed : " I believe in one baptism for the remission of sins."

St. Paul, in writing to the Church at Colosse, near
Laodicea in Asia Minor (both of which are now desolate
ruins), expresses himself in somewhat similar language as he
did to his converts in Rome that metropolis of the ancient

Col. ii. ii, 12. civilised world : " In whom also ye are circumcised with the
circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of

Christian Baptism as taught by St. Paul* 115

the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ : Buried
with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him
through faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him
from the dead." Here St. Paul associates burial and resur-
rection with death, as he did in his epistle to the Romans. Rom. vi. 3, 4.

Such repetition should not cause surprise, for it is only
what might be expected. The Apostle could not invent a
new doctrine on Baptism ; he could not get beyond the death
and resurrection of Christ as the great factors in our
redemption, and as the basis of the Christian Sacraments, both
in their doctrine and practical application. This repetition
should rather form a subject for rejoicing that there was no
variableness in his teaching, and that he struck the same key-
note in writing to all the various churches.

In the above passage another act of Christ is mentioned in
which the Baptized are said to share, viz., His circumcision,
and this, in its external aspect and internal application, may
be regarded in the same light as were Christ's death and
resurrection. Therefore, St. Paul's allusion to circumcision as
the instrument for putting off the body of the sins of the
flesh is in no way opposed to what he says in Romans vi.,
where this effect is attributed to the death of Christ ; for
circumcision, with its shedding of blood, was the fore-
shadowing of the cross and of the blood shed thereon by the
Saviour of mankind. A striking parallelism is also instituted
between Circumcision and Baptism in the significant expression
applied to Baptism when it is called the "circumcision made
without hands," the spiritual cutting off of the "old man." Col. ii. n, 12.

The apostle Paul also alludes to the subject of Baptism in Tit. Hi. 5.
his Epistle to Titus, when he there speaks of " the washing of
regeneration " the bath (loutron, Gk.) or laver of regeneration
"and renewing of the Holy Ghost" ; hence it is only they
who misapprehend the Word of God who can wrest this away
from its obvious reference to Baptism. In thus linking
together the gift of regeneration through water and the Spirit

n6 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [ Part 1 1. , Chap. XV.

with conversion and the daily renewing of the Holy Ghost,
Psa. i. 10. the Apostle recalls to our minds the prayer of David, " Create
in me a clean heart, O God [regeneration], and renew a right
spirit within me " [the renewal of the Holy Ghost].

Such, then, is the teaching of Christ and of His Apostles
on the Sacrament of Christian baptism as deduced from Holy
Scripture.

These truths may be summed up and tabulated as
follows :

Truths connected with Christian baptism by our Lord
Himself.

Regeneration, entrance into the kingdom of God ;

faith, obedience unto salvation. John iii. 1-12.
By St. Peter :

Remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and

salvation. Acts ii. 38. i Peter iii. 19-21.
By St. Paul:

Union with Christ in His death, burial, and resur-
rection, with its spiritual and experimental
manifestation of the new life, sonship, and the
putting on of Christ. Rom. vi. i-S. Gal. iii. 26-
28. Titus iii. 5.
By Philip, the Deacon :

The privileges consequent on faith in the things
pertaining to the kingdom of God, and to the
name of Jesus Christ. Acts viii. 12, 37.
By A nanias, the Disciple :

Washing away of sins. Acts xxii. 16.

Thus the doctrine, the blessing, and the spiritual graces of
Baptism were not ignored in the earliest, and what is admitted
to be the purest age of the Christian Church, for they are
prominent in the teaching of Christ, the Founder of our faith,
and in the teaching of the two chief Apostles, those to the
Circumcision and to the Uncircumcision.

Doctrine of the " Fathers ** of the first four Centuries. 117

CHAPTER XVI.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE "FATHERS" OF THE FIRST FOUR

CENTURIES OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA, AND OF SOME OF THE

REFORMERS.

ANALYSIS : The proper use of Patristic testimony ; quotations from the
" Teaching of the Twelve Apostles " ; quotations from St. Barnabas,
Clement of Rome, Hernias, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Theophilus,
Irenneus, Origen, Clement of Alexandria, Hippolytus, Cyprian,
Eusebius, Augustine, Chrysostom, Cyril of the Alexandria ; from
the Reformers of the XVI. century. Reference to some Anglican
Divines.

SOME of the testimonies given by the early Christian
Fathers to the grace and efficacy of Baptism may now be
quoted. They lived in the first four centuries of the Christian
era, and a great deal has been written about the right use of
the teaching of the Fathers, whose voluminous works are
extant.

A strong tendency exists in the human mind to extremes
in praise or blame : hence, some persons have exalted the
writings of the Fathers almost to the level of Holy Scripture ;
and they have been unduly exalted by the Church of Rome,
which attaches much importance to the traditions of the Elders.
As a reaction against this, Protestants have been inclined to
depreciate their testimony and to undervalue their writings,
as containing contradictions, unscriptural statements, with
Romish and sacramentarian tendencies. There must, how-
ever, be a great legacy of truth in the writings of these early
Christians, many of whom were men of intellect and position,
whilst others among them sealed their witness with their
blood : and it must be remembered that some of the points
which are matters of controversy NOW were not so at that time.
Wherefore, on some points of doctrine the Fathers were not

nS Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part II., Chap. XVI.

careful to guard against misapprehensions which they could
not have anticipated, for the simple reason that in their time
the nature of the sacraments had not become a matter of
controversy ; nevertheless, when due allowance is made for
this, their meaning is sufficiently plain.

They offer valuable testimony on the subject of Christian
baptism, and witness to the high estimation in which the
sacraments were held in primitive times. Their testimony
must have its value as to what was received or done in the first
centuries of the Christian era ; therefore the views of some of
the leading Fathers on the doctrine of Baptism are adduced.
It is incontestable that the early Christians thought highly of
Baptism, and esteemed all the ordinances of God as precious
means of grace, and it was only after the lapse of centuries
that, with the waning of faith, the power and reality of the
ordinances of God began to be denied and to be looked upon
as forms, instead of as the channels of the grace of God.

The use of the writings of the Fathers is somewhat
analogous to the use of the Apocrypha, which is profitable in
its proper place. This latter contains the genuine writings of
good men, though they have never been received as
inspired, nor regarded as of the same value as the canonical
scriptures, but as the sixth article of the Church of England
expresses it, "They may be read for example of life and
instruction in manners." Thus, though the Apocrypha is
not used to establish any doctrine, it is valuable as a link
between the Old and New Testaments. Likewise, the testi-
mony of the early Fathers in the ages immediately succeeding
Apostolic times is valuable, as confirming " the faith which
Judo 3. was once delivered unto the saints."

The first document to be noticed is the " Didache," or
" The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles," which refers to
Baptism, and from its early date has a peculiar interest.
Some years ago Philotheus Bryennius, the Metropolitan
of Serrre in Macedonia, discovered at Constantinople in the

Doctrine of the " Fathers " of the first four Centuries, 119

library of the most Holy Sepulchre, belonging to the
Patriarchate of Jerusalem, a MS. written at Jerusalem, A.D.
1056, containing among other writings, (i) Chrysostom's
synopsis of the Old Testament, (2) the Epistle of Barnabas,

(3) the First Epistle of Clement of Rome to the Corinthians,

(4) the teaching of the Apostles, and the twelve Epistles of
Ignatius. It is a small octavo parchment volume completed
(according to an inscription at the end) on June nth, A.D.
1056, by a notary named Leo.

" This is not the least important of the contents of the
MS., throwing, as it does, a light upon the life and state of
feeling of the Christian Church in the latter half of the first,
or at latest, the beginning of the second century of the
Christian era."*

" So we conclude that whilst the origin of the work before
us is uncertain as to its locality, there is absolutely nothing to
prevent our assigning as its date, possibly (if not probably), the
last quarter of the first, certainly nothing later than the earlier
quarter of the second century. It may well be the oldest
Christian writing after the books of the New Testament,
perhaps even earlier than most of them."f

The following are the critical notes appended by the
editor of this treatise on the Didache (page 96).

" The preceding chapters contain such moral instruction
as was considered necessary before Baptism. Nothing has
been said, however, as to any teaching about God and the
Christian faith ; nevertheless, we need not conclude that the
neophyte was taught nothing on such subjects, but rather that
for some reason the writer of the Didache confining himself
to practical matters alone, did not think fit to include what we
should call dogmatic teaching in the scope of his work, but
left it to be supplied orally by those who spoke the word of
God and of the ' Lordship ' of God, and by the saints whose

* Page 2 of the Edition by the Rev. H. Romestin, 1884.
t Ibid. p. 6.

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part 1 1., Chap. XVI.

Acts iv. 36, 37.

St. Barnabas,
1st century.

Clement of Rome.

words should refresh the hearer. Moreover, such a statement
as that in Ch. iv. 10, that God calls only those ' whom the
Spirit hath prepared,' would require some explanatory
teaching. Compare conversely St. Philip and the eunuch
(Acts viii.) and St. Paul and the jailor at Philippi (Acts xvi. 3 1).
There probably may, too, as Bryennius suggests, have been
special reasons for enforcing the moral law. Fasting is
ordered before the baptism for the baptizer and ' any others
who can,' the candidate himself having also to fast for the
fixed time of one or two days. This fast, as regards all but
the candidate, seems to have fallen gradually into disuse."
(Page 97.)

The following quotations are taken from the writings of
the early Fathers down to the end of the fourth century, with
a brief biographical notice of each prefixed.

The first is from the Epistle of Barnabas the Apostle, the
companion and fellow labourer of St. Paul, of whom we know
nothing for certain, except what is recorded in the Acts of the
Apostles, viz., that by the Apostles he "was surnamed
Barnabas, which is, being interpreted, the son of consolation,"
and gives a clue to his character that he was a Levite, of
the country of Cyprus, and that, having land, he sold it
and brought the money to the Apostles. His Epistle dates
from the first century, and though not enrolled in the
inspired canon of the New Testament, is genuine and
profitable.

" We go down into the water full of sins and pollutions,
but come up again bearing fruit, having in our hearts the fear
and hope which is in Jesus by the Spirit."

Clement of Rome. According to Irenrcus, he was the
third bishop of the Roman Church ; but Tertullian believed
that he was the first bishop, and that he was ordained by St.
Peter. Nothing is known of his death. Eusebius gives the
date of A.D. 93-101 as that of his episcopate. Clement writes
thus :

Doctrine of the "Fathers** of the first four Centuries. 121

" Baptism is given into the death of Jesus, oil for the
Holy Spirit, the sign of the cross for the Cross ; the chrism is
a confirmation of the confession."

" Lest haply they might suppose that on the cessation of
sacrifice there was no remission of sins for them, Christ
instituted baptism by water amongst them, in which they
might be absolved from all their sin on the invocation of His
Name."

" I showed the Jews that they could not be saved unless,
through the grace of the Holy Spirit, they be washed in the
baptism of the Triune Invocation."

One of the most interesting books of Christian antiquity i-
the "Pastor of Hermas." Irenreus, Clement of Alexandria,
and Origen speak of it, and quote it as Scripture. It wa:^
probably written between A.D. 140-155. but it is doubtful
whether the author has really given his own name.

" Before a man receives the Xame of the Son of God he is
ordained unto death, but when he receives that seal he is
freed from death and assigned unto life. Now that seal is the
water of baptism into which men go down under the obligation
unto death, but come up appointed unto life, whereas those
who were before dead went down dead, but came up alive."

Justin Martyr was an able and eloquent advocate of
Christianity in the second century. He was probably born
near the beginning of the second century, and martyred
between A.D. 148-165.

' This Laver is called Illumination, because the mind> of
those who learn these things are enlightened."

" Then they are brought by us where there is water, and
are regenerated in the same way in which we were ourselves
regenerated. For in the Name of God the Father and Lord
of the Universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the
Holy Spirit they then receive the washing of water. For
Christ also saith, ' Except ye be born again, ye shall not enter
into the kingdom of Heaven/"

t of Rome,
" Apos Cbnstiu,"
about A.D. 95.

'Recognitions of

shepherd of

militudes, is. I '

Maryr.
55-

lusiin Manyr.
~ ApoL L, v "

Terfullian.

Tcrttillian, " DC

Pudicitia,"

Cap. 6, p. 559,

A.D. 160-230.

Tertullian, ' De
Baptismo."

Theophilus, Ad.

Autol. lib. ii.,

c. 1 6, A.D. 169.

Irenceus,
died A.D. 202.

Irenams, Advers.

Ileeres ii., xxii. 4,

about A.D. 200.

Origen,
A.D. 185-254.

122 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. XVI.

Tertullian was the earliest, and, after Augustine, the
greatest of the ancient Church writers of the West. He may
be said to have created Christian Latin literature. He was
born at Carthage, and was converted to Christianity in mature
manhood. His works were chiefly written between A.D.
190-220.

" The Word was made flesh to deliver His purity to the
waters ; thenceforward whatsoever flesh in Christ undoeth its
remaining pristine uncleanness, it is now another thing ; it
now emerges new .... from pure water and a clean
spirit."

"But we little fishes, after the example of our 'ichthus'
[Gk.] Jesus Christ, are born in water, nor have we safety in
any other way than by permanently abiding in that water."

Theophilus was Bishop of Antioch, A.D. 169-177, and
wrote an important Apology for Christianity.

" Wherefore God blessed those things which were born of
water, that it might be a proof or evidence that men were
about to receive repentance and remission of sins through
water and the laver of regeneration."

Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, in the end of the second
century, was born between A.D. 120-140, and died about
A.D. 2O2. He holds the same relation to the theology of the
Greek Fathers that Tertullian holds to the Latin.

"For He came to save all by Himself; all, I say, who
through Him are regenerated unto God, infants, and little
children, and boys and youths, and those who are older."

"Christ came to save all men who are born unto God, our
bodies through the laver, our souls through the Spirit."

Origen was born of Christian parents about A.D. 185,
probably at Alexandria. His father was martyred A.D. 202.
Origen died at Tyre about A.D. 254. He was a man of
great learning, but was too fond of allegorizing the Scriptures,
and in this way he explained away many of its important
doctrines.

Doctrine of the " Fathers " of the first four Centuries.

"And because through the Sacrament of Baptism the
pollutions of our earthly origin are removed, so it is also that
infants are baptized, for ' Except a man be born of water and
of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'"

" He who is washed unto salvation receives both the water
and the Holy Spirit,"

Clement of Alexandria was born at Athens, probably
about A.D- 150, and brought up at Alexandria. He was
converted from heathenism to Christianity, and afterwards
became a presbyter in the Church of Alexandria. His works
are numerous and valuable.

" Being baptized we are enlightened, being enlightened
we are adopted, being adopted we are perfected, being
perfected we are made immortal."

" He seems to me to form man of the dust, to regenerate
him by water, to make him grow by the Spirit, to in-truct
him by His word."

Hippolytus was a Greek Christian writer, who wrote
against the Gnostics, and was ordained bishop \.r. 217.

" How shall we come? it is said. By water and the Holy
Spirit This is the water, in communion with the Holy Spirit,
by which Paradise is watered, the earth enriched, the plants
are nourished, animals are generated, and, in a word, man is
born again and quickened."

Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage in the third century, is one of
the most illustrious names in the early history of the Church,
and one of the most notable of its early martyrs ; he was born
about A.D. 200, and martyred A.D. 258, under the Emperor
Valerian.

** \Yhen cne comes to the health-giving water and to the
sanctincation of baptism, we ought to know and trust that
there the devil is crushed and the man dedicated to God is
set free by the divine forgiveness. For as scorpions and
serpents, which are strong on dry ground, cannot be strong or
retain their poisons when they are cast into water, so also

Origen, A.D. 2iOu

Owen, Ezecfa.
Horn, vi 5.

Clement of
Alexandria.

Cleaicut of Alex-
andra. I'.tdag.
l:x :..c. 6
A.L.. 21 v

Hippoiyt

A.L-. 2JG.

Cyprian.

A.U. 200

Cyprian.
EpKlola
A. i. 246.

124

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part II., Chap. XVI.

Cyprian.

Eusebius,
A.D. 265-340.

Eusebius, Life of

Constantine,

A.D. 264-340.

Augustine,
A.D. 354-43-

Augustine,
Ep., 187, 26.

Augustine,
De Moribus
Ecclesiastic,

Catholical.

Chrysostom,
A.D. 347-47.

the evil spirits, which are called scorpions and serpents, and
yet are trodden under foot by us in the power given us by the
Lord, cannot remain any longer in the body of the man in
whom, since he has been baptized and sanctified, the Holy
Spirit begins to dwell."

" Now regeneration is by water and spirit, as was all crea-
tion, for ' the Spirit of God moved on the abyss.' (Gen. i. 2.)
And for this reason the Saviour was baptized, though not
Himself needing to be so, in order that He might consecrate
the whole water for those who were being regenerated. Thus
it is not the body only, but the soul that we cleanse."

Eusebius was born probably in Palestine about A.D. 265.
He was made Bishop of Caesarea about A.D. 315, where he
remained till his death in the year A.D. 340. He wrote
" The Ecclesiastical History" and other works.

" When Constantine perceived that the end of his life
drew near, he thought this was the time of purgation of
all those sins which he had committed throughout his whole
life, firmly believing that whatever sins as a man he had fallen
into and committed would be washed from off his soul by the
efficacy of mystic words and by the salutary laver."

Augustine, one of the four great Fathers of the Latin
Church, and admittedly the greatest of the four, was born at
Tagaste in Numidia A.D. 354, and died at Hippo A.D. 430.
His best known works are " The City of God " and " The
Confessions."

" We say that the Holy Spirit dwells in little children
who have been baptized, although they know it not."

" And by the sacred laver the renewing of the new man is
begun, so that by advancing it may be perfected, in some
sooner, in others later."

Chrysostom, A.D. 347-407, named " the golden mouthed "
from his eloquence, was Archbishop of Constantinople A.D.
398-403 (cited by Bishop Forbes on the Thirty-nine Articles,
col. 2, p. 484), enumerates ten glories of Baptism.

Doctrine of the " Fathers " of the first four Centuries. 125

Cyril of Alexandria (died A.D. 444) regarded the water as Cjril,
receiving " a kind of divine inexpressible power, so as to *"**" 444 "

hallow those upon whom it may come/' and described " him
who has been baptized " as " partaker of the divine nature,"
" having the Holy Spirit within him.'

Ephraem Syrus refers to a person who had not received Ephraem Syms,
Baptism as " like unto a house made ready for a king in A ~ D " 3 6 ~ 378 '
which the king has never dwelt."

Gregory of Nyssa. Athanasius, and Cyril of Jerusalem
might also be quoted, but enough quotations from the early
Fathers have been given to prove that they attached great
importance to Baptism, and that they looked upon it as a
channel of grace and of regeneration. Xo doubt a chain of
evidence could be established from the beginning down to the
current time to prove the true doctrine of Christian baptism
and the grace conveyed thereby, but space does not permit of
many more testimonies thereto.

In turning to the writings of the Reformers of the XVI.
century, the following extract is taken from one of the
Homilies on Baptism by Martin Luther. A.D. 1483-1546 :

" Baptism cannot fail to effect that for which it was Maitin Ledwr.
appointed, namely, regeneration and spiritual renewal, as
St- Paul teaches [in his Epistle to Titus], ' For as we were born Ti-u~ uL 4-6.
into this life from Adam and Eve, so our old man, which was
before born in sins to death, must be regenerated to righteous-
ness and eternal life by the power of the Holy Ghost.' To
this regeneration and renewal there lacks the application of
no other means than water and words ; of the one whereof
our eyes take note, our ears of the others. Yet they have
such virtue and energy, that the man who was conceived and
born in sin is regenerated in the sight of God ; and that he
who was before condemned to death is now made truly God's
son. This glory and virtue of Holy Baptism who can attain
and perceive by sense, thought, and human intellect? You
should not, therefore, regard the hand or mouth of the

126 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part II., Chap. XVI.

minister who baptizes, who pours over the body a little water
which he has taken in the hollow of his hand, and pronounces
some few words (a thing slight and easy in itself, addressing
itself only to the eyes and ears ; and our blinded reason sees
no more to be accomplished by the minister), but in all this
you must behold and consider the work of God, by whose
authority and command Baptism is administered, who is its
founder and author yea, who is Himself the Baptist. And
hence has Baptism such virtue and energy (as the Holy Ghost
witnesseth by St. Paul) that it is the laver of regeneration and
of the renewal of the Holy Ghost ; by which laver the impure
and condemned nature which we derive from Adam is altered
and amended."

Cranmer, Archbishop Cranmer writes thus : " For this cause Christ

ordained Baptism in water, that as surely as we feel and touch
water with our bodies, and be washed with water, so assuredly
ought we to believe, when we be baptized, that Christ is verily
present with us, that by Him we may be newly born again
spiritually and washed from our sins and grafted in the stock
of Christ's own body, and be appareled, clothed, and harnessed
with Him in suchwise, that as the devil hath no power against
Christ, so hath he none against us so long as we remain
grafted in that stock, and be clothed in that apparel and
harnessed with that armour."

Wesley, "Treatise John Wesley (A.D. I7O3-I7QI) says in his "Treatise on

on Baptism,"

Works, vol. x., Baptism, "What are the benefits we receive by Baptism is
p ' I9 ' the next point to be considered." " And the first of these is the
washing away the guilt of original sin by the application of
the merits of Christ's death . . . " After quoting Rom. v.
1 8, he continues in these words, " And tJie virtue of t/ris fine
gift, the merits of Christ's life and death, are applied to us in
Baptism" " He gave Himself for the Church, that He might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,
namely, in Baptism."

The following divines in the Church of England have

Doctrine of the "Fathers "of the first four Centuries. 127

given a similar testimony to the doctrine of Holy Baptism :
Bishops Ridley, Jewel, .Hall, Jeremy Taylor, Pearson,
Beveridge, Archbishop Usher, the judicious Hooker, the
learned Mede, Dr. Arnold, and many others of well-known
names.

The Rev. Edward Irving, when he was a Presbyterian
minister in the Established Church of Scotland, published a
volume of ten homilies on the subject of Baptism, in which he
strongly witnesses to sacramental grace, and he quotes from
several Protestant confessions of faith, which we append.
There can be little doubt that many of these earlier divines
held higher views of the reality and efficacy of the sacraments
than the generality of their modern Nonconformist
representatives :

The following are short extracts from the confessions of"
faith of some of the Protestant Churches formulated sh '::"}"
after the era of the Reformation :

"We utterly condemn the ranitv of those who aJfnrm Saorarr.rr.-.i : ie
nothing but naked and bare signs." Confession of Soxch Reformer?.

44 Baptism ts a Sacrament of the New Testament, oria;r.-jC by j<r>-i> Chri-:.
not only for ihe solemn admission of the party baptized into the v-V':-Ir Church.
but also to be onto him a sign and seal of the covenant o grace. ::' his cngrariing
into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving -;p sr.io Goc.
through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life. Which Svacramer.; if I v
Christ's own appointment, to be continued in His Chinch unto the end of the
world." From the Westminster Confession of Faith, chap, xxvili.. A.D. 1646.

44 Baptism is not only a sign of profession and mark of difference, whereLy
Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened, but i: is alsj a
sign of Regeneration, or New Eir:h ; whereby, as by an instrument, thev thai
receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church. The promises of the
forgsveness of sin. and of our adoption to be sons of God by the Holy Ghost are
visibly signed and sealed ; faith is confirmeu ; and grace increased by virtue .f
prayer unto God." The Articles of the Church of England. Art. xxviL

The Helvetic Confession, drawn ap in the year of our Lord 1536 \*r
Bnllingeras, Myconius, Gryoxus, Capito. and Bocerus : and afterwards in its
revised and more accurate form of 1566. approved by the Reformed Churches of
England. Scotland, France, and Holland, and by many of the Churches of
Hungary and Germany, witnesses to the same effect.

The Confession of Faith of the French Churches, presented to Kirg Charles
the Ninth, in the year 1561, gives a like testimony. It was turned into Latin in

12 8 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part II., Chap. XVI.

the year of the Lord 1 566, that it might be made manifest unto all men that these
Reformed Churches held the pure doctrine of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Art. xxxiv. " For we confess these exterior signs to he of such a kind as that
God, through them, by the power of the Holy Spirit, worketh, and that
nothing is fruitlessly signified to us therein. Yet we think that all their substance
and truth is in Jesus Christ, from whom if they be separated, they are nothing bur
empty shadows and smoke."

The Belgic Confession of Faith was first written in French, in the year of the
Lord 1561 to show what was the doctrine of those who, in Flanders, Artois,
Ilainault, &c., endured the heaviest persecutions and afflictions ; as also in Gaul
from the year 1525 downwards. And being confirmed in the Synod of Belgium
in the year 1579, it was written in the Flemish language ; and in the year of the
Lord 1581 it was given forth in Latin. The following is an extract from this
Confession of faith : " For as water poured out upon us and eminent and
conspicuous above the body of the baptized, and watering it, doth wash away the
filth of the body, so also the blood of Christ washing the soul doth cleanse it from
sins, and us, the children of wrath, doth regenerate into the sons of God."

If such be the aspects of the truth of the doctrine of
Christian baptism, which, from the first century of the
Christian era, has been handed down to the Church from one
generation to another, it behoves all Christians to hold fast the
grace, privileges, and blessings conferred upon them in this
Sacrament by the pow r er of the Holy Ghost ; and not to
allow themselves to be insidiously robbed of their faith in its
efficacy : or, on the other hand, if they have not learnt to
apprehend and believe the operation of God therein, let them
beware lest in denying it they frustrate His grace towards
themselves and become crippled in their knowledge of truth,
towards which every baptized person should be zealously
affected, desiring the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but

John xiv. 6. the truth. " What is truth ?" asked Pilate. " I am the truth,"
John xvi. 13. saith the Lord Himself. May the Spirit of truth guide the
John xvii. 19. Church Catholic into all truth, that verily she may be sanctified
through the truth !

Psa. xliii. 3. " O send out Thy light and Thy truth ; let them lead

me."

Psa. xxv. 5. " Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, for Thou art the

God of my salvation."

SCRIPTURAL STUDIES ON BAPTISMS,

ESPECIALLY CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

PART III. FIGURES OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XVII. FIGURES OF UNION.

CHAPTER XVIII. THE FIGURE OK GRAFTING.

CHAPTER XIX. HISTORICAL TYPES OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XX. CIRCUMCISION.

CHAPTER XXI. BAPTISMAL PURIFICATION, FORESHADOWING THE LAW
OF MOSES.

CHAPTER XXII. THE BAPTISM OF WATER.

CHAPTER XXIII. THE BAPTISM OF BLOOD.

CHAPTER XXIV. THE BAPTISM OF FIRE.

Figures of Union.

PART III.
FIGURES OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XVII.

FIGURES OF UNION.

ANALYSIS : The grandeur and importance of union, as seen in Christ's last

intercessory prayer (John xviL).
Figures of union : I. The human Body : z. Marriage : 3. The Vine and

UNION in its perfection of unity is rooted in the Godhead,
and is one of the essential qualities of Divine excellence, and
when the grace of unity is manifested in the creature it is the
source of unspeakable blessing. How different would be the
universe moral and spiritual if it were permeated with the
beauty and strength of this Godlike attribute !

That the Lord Himself sets the greatest value on this
unity in union, may be gathered from His touching and
solemn intercessory prayer before He suffered. Four tim.es
does He pray the Father for His Apostles, and for them also
who should believe on Him through their word, that they
afl may be one. Thus we read, " Holy Father, keep through John xv~. n.
thine own name those whom thou hast given me. that they
may be one, as we are." The unity of the Apostles was to be
of the same quality, nature, and indivisibility, as that of the
Godhead itself : and for the attainment of this end. through
the intervention of the Father Himself, the Lord offered this
petition ere He went forth to suffer death.

Again the Lord prays : "' Neither pray I for these alone. J 0011 xvfi - z* 3 -
but for them also which shall believe on me through their
word ; that they all may be one ; as thou. Father, art in me,
and I in thee, that they also may be one in us : that the world
may believe that thou hast sent me." Thus the Lord includes
in this prayer for His Apostles, all believers throughout every
future generation, so that the humblest Christian may be

132 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XVII.

comforted with the knowledge that he also was included and
brought before the Father by Jesus Christ in that prayer. The
Lord sets this unity of the Godhead before the Apostles

John xvii. 21. by His prayer "that they may be one in us," as the highest
ideal to be manifested by them, that the world might believe
in the mission of the Son of God.

John xvii. 22. A third time Jesus utters the same prayer, " And the glory

which thou gavest me I have given them ; that they may be
one, even as we are one." Here the Lord states the reason,
or object, for which He gave them the glory which He had
Himself received from the Father : " That they may be one"

John xvii. 23. Again, for the fourth time, the Lord prays, " That they

may be made perfect in one " not now that the world may
believe, but "that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me."
Moreover, in this all embracing prayer, and perhaps
nowhere else in any single passage of Scripture, are to be
found the marks of the fourfold character of the Church. Our
Lord emphasizes each mark distinctly, " One" (ver. 1 1, 21, 22,
and 23); "Holy" (ver. 14, 16, 77, and ig) ; "Catholic" (ver.
20); and "Apostolic" (ver. 18).

There are three figures given in Holy Scripture, which are
peculiarly applicable to the Sacrament of Baptism, for they all
symbolize the most intimate union that exists on earth, viz. :
that based upon, and maintained by the unity of life. They
are :

1 . The figure of the human body ;

2. That of marriage ;

3. That of the vine and its branches.

i. It would be impossible to find a more apt figure of
union, i.e., unity, than the human body, and especially in its
sinless state before the fall of Adam. Its members, organs,
and functions were created to work together, each and all in
unison as an harmonious whole, which was designed by the
Creator to form a perfect and indivisible unity, after the
Gen. i. 26. likeness of God, as it is written: " And God said, Let us make

Figures of Union. 133

man in our image, after our likeness." Thus the human body

was formed by God's creative union of the particles of the

earth ; nevertheless, it was inert until the Lord God breathed

into it the quickening unity of life from Himself. But sin and

disease came in to mar this union of the constituent parts

of the body, causing gradual disintegration, until its final

dissolution in death, when the " living soul " returns to God,

its Creator. The unity of the life, which pervades the body

and forms the basis of energy is so marvellous, that it needs

reflection to appreciate the perfection of its constant action.

"For the body is not one member, but many" and "God i Cor. xii. 12,

hath set the members every one of them in the body, as it

hath pleased him." "God hath tempered the body," i.e., He i Cor. xii. 25.

has knit every member together in living sympathy " that

there should be no schism \di-rision, margin] in the body."

The unity of life therein is such that if " one member suffer, l Cor - vii - ~6-

all the members suffer with it." The nervous system extends

over the whole body and is affected by every pain, even in the

least and most distant member, which it instantly telegraphs

to the brain, the central sensorium. That pain should exist in

any part of the body shows that there is an affection or

disaffection in that particular part ; that there is a break

there in the union, which causes pain and is felt by all the

rest of the body. Hence, pain of whatever kind, is the

evidence and result of a lesion in union, be it physical,

mental, moral, or spiritual.

That the union of the different parts of the body is subject
to change since the fall of man is daily manifest, for joints are
dislocated, limbs are broken, blood-vessels are ruptured :
this is physical schism. On the other hand, a limb, or one
side of the body while retaining its form may become helpless
as a log as in paralysis when that part becomes powerless
to perform its natural functions, and in its passive condition
can no longer serve the body, but becomes comparatively
useless. Mysterious is the working in unity of the hidden

134 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Partlll.,Cha P .xviI

life of the body in the circulation of the blood through the
smallest vein, in the unfelt beating of the heart, in the breathing
of the lungs, naturally, unconsciously, and apart from the
exercise of the WILL which controls the voluntary motions
of the members of the body, and impels them to action in
obedience to its behest. But when disease attacks any portion
of the system, then the schism that it causes in the corporeal
functions occasionally affects even the sovereignty of the
will.

This beautiful figure of the union of the natural body
and its members is used by St. Paul to express the spiritual
relationship of the Baptized to Christ and to one another, with
the results that should ensue therefrom ; and he works out the

Eph. i. 22, 23. comparison in detail : Christ is called the Head, the Head of
His body the Church, and the Church is repeatedly called His

i Cor. xii. 27. Body. Further, to carry out this figure he writes : " Now
Eph. v. 30. ye are the body of Christ and members in particular "; " We are
members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones," and
then comes the last, but necessary corollary of it all that if
we are members of one common Head, we are also members
i Cor. xii. one of another. The simile which represents the Church as
the Body of Christ is a special feature in St. Paul's Epistles,
and he dwells on it and on the union with Christ and with one
another with much frequency, alluding to it altogether some
fourteen times, (i Cor. xii. is full of the truth of unity.) He
is the only Apostle to whom this great truth and mystery
seem to have been revealed, though it may be said that St.
John refers to it in a veiled manner in his first Epistle, for he
frequently urges the need of love one to another, which is the
bond of all union, and of that unity which David in prophetic

Psa. cxxxiii. i, vision in one of his Psalms so aptly describes : " Behold how
good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in
unity ! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that
ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard : that went
down to the skirts of his garments."

Figures of Union. 135

St. Paul showed the Ephesian saints and all who are
baptized how they were to maintain this dwelling together in Eph. iv. 1-6.
seven-fold unity, and after detailing the requisite qualities they
were to exercise in " endeavouring to keep the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace," he proceeds : " There is one
body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your
calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and
Father of all, who is above all, and through all and in you all."
Then he tells them of the " precious ointment upon the head "
even on our Lord Jesus Christ that has run down to the
skirts of His garments in the gift and gifts of the Holy Ghost

to the Church ; " For the perfecting of the saints E P h - iv - I2

Till we all come in the unity of tJie faith" and " grow up into, margin.
into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ, from
whom the whole body, fitly joined together and compacted

by that which every joint supplieth, maketh increase

of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

What more intimate union can be conceived, than that the
Church should be the body of Christ. Thus in unity with her
Head, she forms " The Christ of God." Christ loves the
Church, and cherisheth it even as His own flesh; for, following
out the figure, the Apostle adds, " No man ever yet hated his Eph- v - 2 9-
own flesh." Scripture declares the means whereby this union
is effected to be Holy Baptism, by the operation of the Holy
Ghost ; for " by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." i Cor. xii. 13.
To regenerate any of the human race, to incorporate them into
the mystical, spiritual Body of Christ is an absolutely Divine
thought and act, and therefore none other than the apostolic
definition of the Church as "the body of Christ" is satisfactory
or adequate. Moreover it follows as a corollary that the
body of Christ is the reality, of which the human body is a
type or model.

God's wondrous plan to enable mankind to share the
benefits of the work which Christ wrought in human flesh,
pertains to those things that would never have entered the

i3 6 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XVII.

heart of man. " Make them one " : such is the expression of
the divine Will to which Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost have
given effect and will carry out into full completion. On what
a pinnacle of glory does the character of this union with the
beloved Son place the Baptized, in that it is so corporate, so
Psa. xl. 5. organic, so living, so personal ! " Many, O Lord my God, are
thy wonderful works and thy thoughts which are to

Psa. cxxxix. 6. us-ward." "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is
high, I cannot attain to it." Being made one with Christ, and
members of His body, should we not prove by our love and
sympathy for each other that we are verily members of Him
and of one another ?

Rom. vii. 4. 2. Another symbol of union is that of marriage. St. Paul

uses this figure in writing to the Romans, and reminds them
of their calling and privilege in being united to Christ, to
whom, he tells them, they were " married." This figure is
very striking, and in its reality is as spiritual, and almost as
suggestive as that of a body. For union is the radical idea of
Gen. ii. 24. marriage, and unity should be its glory. It is written : "There-
fore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall
cleave unto his wife : and they shall be one flesh." When
our Lord quoted this Scripture, He made this comment upon

Matt.xix. 5,6. it : " Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh."

Again, when writing to the Corinthians, St. Paul used this

i Cor. vi. 16, figure as a symbol of the spiritual union with Christ : " Know
ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body ? for
two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But Jie tliat is joined unto tlie
Lord is one spirit" The time shall come when the Church,
the bride, the Lamb's wife, shall have made herself ready and
when her marriage shall be celebrated. Into that Church we
have been baptized, so that while glorying in the beauty of
such an expression as " married to another," the figure must
not be pressed too far, so as to induce the idea of a number of
individual marriages with Christ, to the neglect of the one
spiritual Body, and to the dimming of that one corporate act

Figures of Union. 137

of marriage between Christ and His Church as a whole. It

may reasonably be inferred that St. Paul uses this figure of

marriage (Rom. vii.) in relation to Baptism, which, though not

alluded to by him in the immediate context, is the subject of the

first half of the preceding chapter, containing a clear statement see Rom. vi.

of our union with Christ in His death and resurrection. And

it is after this, that he writes : " Wherefore, ye also are become Rom. vii. 4.

dead to the law by the body of Christ ; that ye should be

married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead,

that we should bring forth fruit unto God."

One special point in St. Paul's argument is this : that the
Baptized being married to Christ, are married, not to a dead
person (which were a monstrosity), but to a living person ; and
not merely to a living person, but to one who has been "raised
from the dead," thus showing the connection of Baptism with
the Lord's resurrection. And the purpose of this intimate
union is " that we should bring forth fruit unto God," even
" the fruit of the Spirit," thereby giving evidence of the new Gal. v. 22.
birth unto righteousness, even as being " dead to the law "
expresses the freedom bestowed on us by the Spirit of life in Rom. viii. 2.
Christ Jesus.

Hence, the figure of marriage discloses a spiritual union, as
beautiful as the physical union of one member with another in
the natural body, for Unity of spirit in its fulness is no mere
figure it is a reality. It sets forth not merely the idea of an
agreement, but the identity of spirit with spirit, w r here the
perfection of union is seen in two free wills acting in harmony
or unity as one will, in liberty and love, even as every bone and
every member of the body is knit together in the most perfect
unison, and yet each has its special function to perform.

In marriage two beings, though distinct, are transfused, and,
without losing their own personality, they not only become
one flesh, but in addition to this, when there is a true and
perfect concord between them, the union is such that they
become one spirit: they are two persons, but their wills

138 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part III., Chap.XVII.

coalesce until they work together as a unity. What a beautiful
conception this gives us of the government of Christ's heavenly
kingdom, when there will be no need of commands, threats, or
penalties, for the law of love will reign in the heart of each
person, as a member of the Body of which Christ is the Head.
As one spirit will pervade the whole, the slightest (even
unspoken) wish of the Head will be felt by all, and will be
immediately responded to in prompt action and co-operation,
by each particular member whom it would influence in the most
remote part of the body corporate. Who can conceive a more
exquisite idea of a free, loving rule than this, springing out of
such absolute union and perfect unity ?

As regards literal marriage, the elements which enter into
it are verbal promises ; an external token a ring ; an act the
joining of hands ; with the result a union, wherein two are
made one flesh.

In the spiritual marriage, i.e., in Baptism, there are also the

verbal promises ; the external token water ; the act the sign

of the Cross ; and the result is union, two being made one spirit.

Other results flow from this union : the husband endows

his wife with all his worldly goods ; so also does Christ endow

Eph. i. 23. His Church with precious gifts " the fulness of him that

filleth all in all " : the husband raises his wife to his own rank,

and if he be ennobled, she becomes so likewise ; so is it with

Eph. ii. 5, 6. the Church, for it is written that God " hath quickened us

together with Christ and hath raised us up together,

and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
i John Hi. 2. " When he shall appear, we shall be like him." How great a
privilege is thus conferred upon us, that we are spiritually
married to Christ in Holy Baptism, for which we should
humbly and heartily thank our Heavenly Father.

3. Another figure of intimate union, hallowed by the

John xv. 5 Lord's appropriation of it to Himself, is that of the Vine. " I
am the vine, ye are the branches." This contains the same
essential idea of unity of a union which is organic and living,

Figures of Union. 139

since the branch is so truly part of the stem that it derives its
sap from the root through the stem, and by abiding in the
stem and partaking of the fatness of the root, the branch is
able to bud, and blossom, and to bear fruit.

Many are the allusions in Scripture to the vine, and though
the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of its wood as being worthless, yet Ezek. xv. 1-6.
the vine has ever been cherished for its clusters of grapes which
produce the " wine that maketh glad the heart of man." In Psa - civ - I 5-
the first known parable (that of Jotham), the vine is asked to
reign over the trees : " Then said the trees to the vine, Come Judges i.\. 12
thou and reign over us. But the vine said unto them, Should
I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to
be promoted over the trees ? " It is the glory of the vine
that the Redeemer gave it a high symbolic meaning by His
choice of it as an emblem of Himself. He said of Himself
"I am the true vine": and forasmuch as the vine bears the John xv. i.
branches, with all their fruit, He designates His members as
"the branches"; of which those who bring forth fruit are
purged (or pruned) by the Father, "the husbandman," that they J ohn xv - 2 > 5.
" may bring forth more fruit," even " much fruit," like the
clusters of the grapes of Eshcol.

The Lord has left us in no doubt as to the effect or result
of such fruit-bearing, for He further said : " Herein is my
Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit ; so shall ye be my
disciples." But at the same time the Lord added this warning:
" Without me severed from me ye can do nothing." The
juice of the vine, as in the sacramental wine, is significant of
the oneness of the Baptized in Christ's life, and of their being
partakers of His joy : even as the eucharistic wine sets forth
the joy of the Kingdom.

Now the simple, practical question arises as to liow those
who are not so by nature become branches of this heavenly
Vine? It must necessarily occur through some instrumentality.
There seems to be no Scriptural way for our being made
branches of the true Vine but by Baptism, which is the

i4 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XVIf.

instrument for union, for incorporation, and for membership.
If this be disallowed by those who, through unbelief or
blindness, would rob the Sacrament of its spiritual grace and
efficacy, what other means can they substitute for that which
they reject ? Those who lay stress on the action of subjective
faith, and say that the faith which lays hold on Christ effects a
spiritual union between men and their Saviour, ignore the fact
that though faith is a necessary preliminary, still it does not
meet all the requirements of the case.

Faith cannot originate the new birth into the kingdom of
God, any more than a child can compass its birth, or than a
branch can graft itself into a stem.

In a kingdom of this world, those who are born citizens
participate in all the rights of citizenship of that kingdom ;
but a foreigner (as, for instance, in this country), though
enjoying social and commercial freedom, is still a foreigner,
and by the law of the land has no electoral rights until he
becomes a naturalized subject. Likewise, to " enter the
kingdom of God," to ''enjoy its peculiar privileges, a special act
must be performed.

Faith is the hand, as it were, that accepts and grasps the
forgiveness, cleansing, and blessing given by a living Saviour ;
but to enter the kingdom of God, something more than this is
required, for the Lord told Nicodemus, " Except a man be
born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into tJie kingdom
of God." Therefore to become citizens of the kingdom of
God, men must conform to the law of God as laid down by
His Son, Jesus Christ. Further, St. Paul writes to the
Gal. iii. 26, 27. Galatians, " Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus : For [or because] as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ, have put on Christ" This is the sequel to
faith. They became children of God in virtue of their faith
leading them on to be baptized into Christ, without which
they could not have put on Christ. Wherefore, faith alone
cannot of itself create this close bond of unity, which though

Figures of Union. I4 1

in its nature spiritual, nevertheless must be brought about
and ratified by the external act of Baptism, which embodies a
spiritual act. In conforming- to this ordinance of the Lord,
the gift therein bestowed through (not froni) a servant of the
Lord is sent down from above, from God the Father.

Faith is the recipient, not the DONOR of the new life from
above. The action of two hands is here requisite, viz. : the
hand of God stretched out to give in Baptism, that which the
hand of faith receives in Baptism, for this is the Sacrament
whereby we are taken out of the first Adam and engrafted
into the " last Adam." i Cor. xv. 45

To constitute true unity, there must be a living, personal, and
organic identification in union. Trust and love are not enough
to realise the marriage bond ; they are blessed precursors
and accompaniments of the rite, but an external ceremonial
is necessary to testify to the same, and to ratify the contract.

All these figures speak of union through life, a circulating,
yet hidden life, conveyed through a channel ordained by God,
which has a prescribed form. The forms of the human body,
of marriage, and of baptism are needed as well as the inner
secret life ; " what therefore God hath joined together, let not Mark x. 9.
man put asunder."

O, that while meditating on these truths and mysteries of
which we are partakers, we may become deeply imbued with the
consciousness of their great reality and power ! Thus shall we
know that Christ is indeed in us, the " hope of glory," and that Col. i. 27.
we are in Him in the unity of the Holy Ghost ; and we shall
rejoice in Him " with joy unspeakable and full of glory," waiting i Pet. i. 8.
for His appearing, when we shall be changed into His likeness. i John iii. 2.

In considering the Sacrament of Baptism in relation to the
incarnation, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ,
it was shown that the central truth of Christian baptism was
Union with Christ, and these three Scriptural figures illustrate
this truth in detail, viz. : the human Body, Marriage, and the
Vine and its branches.

142 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XVIII.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE FIGURE OF GRAFTING

ANALYSIS : Illustration from the Olive tree. The context of Rom. xi. 17-24
considered. The process of Grafting described ; explanation of the
expression "contrary to nature." Its application to Christian
baptism.

THE figure of grafting is peculiarly relevant to Holy Baptism.
St. Paul makes use of this figure in connection with the Gen-
tile and the Jew, in his Epistle to the Romans, as follows :

Rom. xi. 17- "And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being
a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them
partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree ; boast not
against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not
the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches

Rom. xi. 23, were broken off, that I might be graffed in And

24> they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in ;
for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out
of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed
contrary to nature into a good olive tree ; how much more shall
these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own
olive tree ? "

This tree, as well as the vine and the fig tree, is used in
the Old Testament as symbols of the Jewish nation. The vine
is mentioned as a figure of Israel in Psa. Ixxx. 8, Isaiah v.,
Jer. ii. 21, Hos. x. I. The fig is referred to as a type of the
Jewish nation in Jer. xxiv., in Matt. xxi. 20, in Luke
xiii. 7. The Lord God Himself compares Israel to an
Jer. xi. 16. olive tree : " The Lord called thy name a green olive tree,

Exod. xxvii. fair, and of goodly fruit " ; and from this tree the beaten oil
was prepared for the golden candlestick in the Sanctuary.
Every traveller in Italy, Greece, and Palestine knows the

The Figure of Grafting. 143

glories of the vine and of the olive. What a joy it is, after
crossing the Alps and entering the sunny plains of Lombardy,
to see the vine wedded to the poplar (of which Virgil sang
2,000 years ago) and to behold the glorious vintage of autumn ;
as also the lustre of the pale green, shining foliage of the olive
tree, as a feature of the southern landscape. Both these
trees are hallowed to the Jew and to the Christian, by being
used in Holy Scripture as emblems of spiritual mysteries.

The passage of Scripture quoted above should be studied
in the letter, and in its original associations. St. Paul, the
apostle to the Gentiles, is writing to the Church of Rome, of
which some members had perhaps been characters akin to
those whom he describes in the first chapter of that Epistle,
who were once given up to idolatry and lusts, and "wor- Rom. i. 18-25.
shipped and served the creature more than the Creator."

That Church was composed of Jews and Gentiles, both
of whom he addresses in his Epistle. As the Gentile converts
were evidently inclined to taunt the Jewish Christians on their
being, nationally, cut off from the blessings of the Gospel,
which had been first preached to Israel and had been rejected
by them, the Apostle uses the figure of the wild olive branch
being grafted into the good parent stock, and sharing the
fatness of the root, in order to accentuate the fact that it was
only by the grace and goodness of God that they (the Gentiles)
had been made partakers of Christ through the Gospel ; and
that they had thus inherited the Christian privileges and
blessings which belonged to the Jews by promise. St. Paul,
in his apostolic wisdom, had discerned signs of spiritual self-
exaltation in the Gentile converts ; therefore he urges them to
humility, warns them against their pride and boastfulness, and
bids them not to exult over the Jews, as if they were better
than the Jews. In illustrating his point with the figure of
grafting, he reminds them that a great mystery had been
wrought out when they, as shoots from a bad tree, had been
grafted into a good stock ; with the result that, though it was

144 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XVIIl.

contrary to nature, yet the fatness and goodness of the
original stock had manifested itself in them, by their bringing
forth fruit unto God. This is the meaning of the passage in its
primary application ; but whilst applying this figure to Christian
baptism, it must be acknowledged that St. Paul is not referring
to it in the first instance. He is speaking of the Jewish nation
and of the Gentiles, and of the latter receiving the spiritual
blessings of which Baptism was one which had been offered
first to the Jews, but had been rejected by them.

Acts xiii. 46. When St. Paul was preaching at Antioch, he said : " It was

necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken
to you [the Jews] : but seeing ye put it from you, and judge
yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the
Gentiles."

Grafting is a very ancient process for increasing the fertility
of a tree, or for improving the quality of its fruit, and it is
alluded to by Virgil : " And yet another way, full wonderful
to tell, is when a slit being made in the trunk, the olive shoot
is extruded from the dry wood. And we often see the
branches of one, change without harm into branches of another ;
and the pear altering its kind, to bear the grafted apple, and
the stony Cornell cherry to grow red on the plum tree." (Virgil,
Georgics II. 30-34.)

It is probable that grafting was first suggested to man by
some process of nature which took place spontaneously before
his eyes. For example : the branches of two forest-trees in
juxtaposition might, as they spread, cross each other, and
in their growth press so rigidly one upon the other, that
eventually they would grow together, and thus be grafted
into each other by a natural process. This symbol taken from
the vegetable kingdom illustrates the mystery, and the good
results of union.

What is the method in the natural process of grafting ? A
husbandman has a number of wild apple trees, which have
been taken out of the hedgerows ; their fruit is sour and poor,

The Figtu-e of Grafting. 145

and they are contumeliously called "crab-apples." There is
one principal and usual process by which the sour nature of
these crab-apples can be changed, that their fruit may become
sweet and profitable like that of the best cultivated apple trees.
The secrets of Nature are great and marvellous and she can
effect this transformation, which, like most of her processes, is
simple in its external mechanism, but secret and mysterious in
the effectual energy by which the result is attained.

The gardener, having selected the tree from which he
would take a graft, cuts off a healthy shoot or twig with one
or more buds or eyes on it, which is called a scion. With this
he ingrafts one of the wild stocks in his orchard. The first
process is a severe one, for the old stock must be thoroughly
pruned and cut down ; its branches and suckers with all their
buds or eyes must be cut off; then with the aid of the knife an
incision is made in the parent stock wherein the scion is intro-
duced. This may be done in several ways : the most ordinary
custom is called Cleft-grafting, .i.e, a downward split is made
in the stock, wherein to insert a wedge-shaped scion in direct
contact with the cambium layers : or, the grafting may be
effected by giving sloping edges, both to the incision in the
stem and to the scion, so that they will coalesce : this is called
"whip" or "tongue-grafting." There are also kindred processes
of budding and of inarching, which lead to the same results.

But the object is the same in every process ; viz. : to effect
a true union, and it is only when the living junction is complete,
that the term " graft " is applicable. The stock and scion are
firmly bound together and covered with clay, which must be
kept moist. But all this might be done, and yet no results
might follow, for the scion might wither and die. This would
show that it was not in real or living union with the stock.
The scion, though having a germ of life in itself, is not self-
supporting but draws its nourishment from the stock, which
has its roots in the ground, and sucks up moisture and
nutriment from the soil, elaborating the sap that ascends and

146 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XVIIl.

supplies life to the branches, and produces leaves, flowers, and
fruit. What then is the secret of success ? It is essential that
the inner bark of both the scion and the stock should be
vitally united, in order that the set of sap-vessels in each case
may meet and fit closely one upon the other, that the sap from
the stock may be propelled into the scion. Hence, the secret
and the essence of success in grafting consists in producing a
vital union, a union of life between the stock and the scion.
The flow of the life-giving sap to the shoot depends upon their
perfect union, without which the scion withers, and to secure
this end the several methods of grafting are adapted. Moreover,
the object of the device is that the budding shoot may grow
into a branch and bear good fruit, and thus reward labour and
cultivation. But the respective characters of the stock and the
scion must be borne in mind. Though the stock is wild and
bad, yet the graft is good, and therefore the result attained is
the production of good fruit. This is the ordinary process, and
it being according to nature, no gardener would expect any
other than the above result. The natural law is that the fruit
will be according to the graft. It is not the stock, but the
graft, that determines the character of the fruit.

The same law would hold good, even if the process were
reversed. Let the stock be good and the scion bad ; the scion
according to experience would triumph and the fruit be bad ;
and this process, though it would be unprofitable in its results,
and one that no husbandman would put into practice, yet would
be as much according to nature and to the law of grafting,
as the normal case considered above.

Now there is another result which is described in Scripture
Rom xi, 24. as "contrary to nature"; for so far as our knowledge and
experience go it does not occur in nature. Let the stock be
good, and the scion bad, and let a result, different to that which
has been theoretically described, ensue, viz., that instead of the
fruit being bad, which would be natural, the fruit borne out of
this bad graft should be good what then? It would be the

The Figure of Grafting. 14?

power of the good stock triumphing over the bad scion in
opposition to the law of grafting, viz. : that the graft decides the
character of the ultimate fruit. Such a result would be termed
in the words of Scripture, as " contrary to nature."

The greatest possible stress must be laid on this remarkable
and bold expression of the apostle, " contrary to nature."
Strange it is that there should be an operation that can be
illustrated from the vegetable world but which is contrary to
nature, and yet admits of a spiritual application. Its abnormal
character will not be seen less in the spiritual, than in the natural
world, for the Baptized are taken out from the natural, earthly,
and bad stock, and transferred into the spiritual and heavenly
vine, and then " contrary to nature " but not to grace they
bring forth fruit unto God and to life everlasting.

When St. James wrote to the twelve tribes to ''receive James i. 21.
with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save their
souls," it does not appear that any operation contrary to
nature was contemplated. The word of God is the good scion,
but if it is to shoot and bring forth good fruit, to the praise
and glory of God. it must be engrafted in the spirits of men.

This metaphor of an ordinary process in husbandry is
capable of a spiritual interpretation and application.

The meaning is plain in St. Paul's simile of the respective
characters of the good olive tree and the branch from a wild
olive tree, which were united by grafting, though the result
was " contrary to nature." Through partaking of " the root
and fatness " of the good tree, the evil nature of the branch
was overcome and changed, and it brought forth good fruit. " If Rom. si. 16.

the root be holy, so are the branches, Thou bearest

not the root, but the root thee," are words that bear significantly
on the sacrament of Holy Baptism.

To whom then does the symbol of the good olive tree
apply ? Who is the holy root ? It is none other than the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made man, who, by His
resurrection from the dead, has, as the " last Adam," become i Cor. x\. 45.

148 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XVIIl.

the living root of mankind, and the good stock into which the
foreign branches are grafted. He is the good olive tree. The
Baptized are slips of the wild olive tree, born in sin, of the
seed of Adam ; they are naturally bad shoots, yet they are grafted
into Him, that they should not continue in sin, nor bring
forth the old fruit, but on the contrary should bring forth new
and good fruit, by the power of His life filling them, even as
the sap of the stock ascends into the scion.

The expression concerning "the fatness of the olive tree"

should not be overlooked, for its fatness is manifest in the oil

that is prepared for giving light. This makes the figure of the

olive tree doubly pertinent to our Lord, who declared Himself

John viii. 12. to be " the light of the world," and of whom it is written that

John i. 9. He is " the true light, that lighteth every man that cometh into

the world." The " partaking " of this fatness, is significant of

those who are His branches, sharing in His illumination

Matt. v. 14, through the Holy Ghost, and who themselves are called to be

15 "the light of the world."

Being born in sin, man cannot of himself bring forth the
fruits of faith and righteousness which are acceptable to God ;
but being baptized into Christ, he can bring forth the fruits of
the Spirit, those "contrary to nature," i.e., not according to the
flesh, but according to the grace of God, even as St. Paul
Rom. vi. 22. writes in his baptismal chapter, " Ye have your fruit unto
holiness, and the end everlasting life."

Some of the above important analogies may be summed up

as follows : The knife is used for excision ; the sprout must be

cut off, and the stock must be pruned ; they must be united, so

that the life may flow into the prescribed channel. In grafting,

there is the outward and visible act ; but it is the inward action

of the flow of the permeating sap that makes the grafting

effectual ; and this, which effects the union of the scion with

PhiUi. 7, 8. the stock, -is an invisible operation. The Lord humbled Him-

isa.tiii. 8. self to take our nature ; He emptied Himself; "He was cut

off out of the land of the living," but in His resurrection,

The Figure of Grafting^ 149

He became truly the root and the offspring of David, and the
new progenitor of redeemed humanity.

As for each scion the act of grafting is done once, and once
only, so likewise in Baptism the outward sign and act takes
place once, and may not be repeated ; but the invisible
impartation of the life and grace of Christ by the operation of
the Holy Ghost, must continue for ever, if the union with
Christ is to abide, and to manifest itself in good fruit.

Further, as in Nature the graft cannot flourish without light,
so also is this true of the Baptized in spiritual things. " God is i John i. 5
light" ; light is one, yet threefold in its primary colours, and the
yellow and the red rays (respectively emblematic of the work
of the Father and of the Son) will produce growth and foliage,
and blossom, but the active power of the blue rays (symbol of
the Holy Ghost) is indispensable if the blossom is to ripen into
fruit : nevertheless, all three rays work together in such Divine
unity, that there would be neither life, growth, nor fruit
without their combined action.

Again, as bind-weeds climbing round a tender sapling will
impede the sap, or check its course altogether, causing the
tree to become fruitless and to wither, so likewise, if the cares
and pleasures of this life be permitted to choke the life of
Christ in the soul, so that it brings no fruit to perfection, it
must wither, and may eventually perish.

How simple, and yet how deeply solemn is the teaching of
the Lord in respect of this : "Abide in me and I in you. As John x\-. 4-
the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the
vine ; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine,
ye are the branches ; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the
same bringeth forth much fruit : for without me ye can do
nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch,
and is withered ; and men gather them and cast them into the
fire, and they are burned. Herein is my Father glorified,
that ye bear much fruit ; so shall ye be my disciples." Oh, that
we may abide in Him into whom we have been grafted !

150 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part III. .Chap.xix

CHAPTER XIX.

HISTORICAL TYPES OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

ANALYSIS: The teaching of historical types. I. The Flood. 2. The
Baptism unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

BESIDES the figures taken from the realm of natural things,
which manifest the truth of union, there are historical types
which set forth the two leading baptismal doctrines of death
and resurrection. These are symbolized by types interwoven
with events which have occurred in the history of the world,
of a nation, or of an individual. These types are principally
taken from the Patriarchal and Mosaic dispensations.

Types of spiritual truths and doctrines exist, not only in
the vegetable and animal kingdoms, but are decipherable in
the entangled maze of human history. Hence, events which
happened centuries ago, may be full of spiritual mysteries, of
prophetic secrets, and even of Christian doctrine. This must
be due to the over-ruling providence of God, who ordains and
shapes events according to His divine foreknowledge and
Acts xv. 18. who "knows the end from the beginning"; "Known unto
God are all his works from the beginning of the world."

I. The first historical type of Christian baptism is that of
the Flood, which occurred in the Patriarchal dispensation.

St. Peter refers to this as a type of Holy Baptism, as

i Pet. Hi., 20, follows: "When once the longsuffering of God waited in

21 ' the days of Noah, while the ark was a-preparing, wherein few,

that is, eight souls, were saved by water. The like figure

whereunto even baptism doth also now save us by the

resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Thus the Church has apostolic authority for her teaching
that the flood is a type of the sacrament of Baptism ; and
from Apostles she has derived her doctrine on this subject.

Historical Types of Christian Baptism. 15*

The flood was an appalling calamity which was brought on
the human race by their sins; and whether it were universal
or partial does not affect its figurative and practical application.
It is safe to adhere to the letter of Scripture, knowing that
there are no difficulties with Omnipotence. The traditions of a
flood having overwhelmed the earth are found among the
heathen races, all over the world ; but even if it were only
partial, all the centres of civilization were submerged, and
certainly all of the race of Adam, except eight persons, were
destroyed. Some terrible convulsions must have occasioned
the flood, for it is stated that "all the fountains of the great Gen. vii. n.
deep were broken up," and the waters that were under the earth
were let loose; ''the windows of heaven were opened," and see F?a. xxiv.
for forty days nearly six weeks there was an incessant
downpour of tropical rain. Even now disastrous results may
ensue from three days' hard and consecutive rain.

The waters rose, they encroached on the land ; they
overwhelmed the villages and the towns ; they swept up the
sides of the hills until the earth was submerged, and "the Ger. vii. 19.
waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth ; and all the
high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail ; and the
mountains were covered."

\Yhat a dreadful and desolate picture must this wide lonely
waste of waters have been ! Some have guessed the population
then existing at about two millions of millions.* What became
of them ? They perished by drowning. It is easy to imagine
their terror and despair as they fled from place to place,
taking refuge on higher ground until the encroaching waters
relentlessly engulfed them all ! Desolation and destruction
prevailed, and the earth received through the iniquities of men, a

NOTE. The present population of the earth is estimated at 1,500,000,000.

* A billion, which is a million times a million, would take us over 10,000
years even to count.

i5 2 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part III., Chap.XIX.

terrible baptism of water, of which death was the keynote, in
the destruction of the old earth.

St. Peter says that "the world that then was, perished,"
with all its disobedient inhabitants, to whom the Lord preached,
after His death on the cross, and before His resurrection.

St. Peter could only have known this from our Lord's

own lips during the intercourse of His forty days' sojourn on

Lukexxiv. 45 earth after His resurrection, when He "opened their [the

Apostles'] understanding, that they might understand the

Scriptures."

But was all destroyed and desolate without one ray of hope
or deliverance ? Not so ; there was a gleam even at the darkest
moment. A special vessel, or Ark, had been constructed by
the command and after the design of God, and this Ark which
floated on the stormy waters of destruction, was the means of
salvation to Noah and his family. The events of the flood,
therefore, present the double aspect of death, and of life, of
which the two-fold antitype is found in Baptism, viz. : death
unto sin, and life unto God.

Noah's deliverance was attained by his yielding himself in
faith to enter the Ark, as the means devised by God to save

i Pet. iii. 20 him from inevitable death ; as it is written : " the

longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the
ark was a-preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were
saved through water : which also after a true likeness* doth
now save us, even baptism, not the putting away the filth of

the flesh, but a good conscience toward God." St.

Peter seems to emphasize " the water" "saved through water,
which also after a true likeness, doth now save us, even baptism."

It is a significant fact that in God's judgments deliverance
is also present: thus, the Ark as the means of salvation to the
few saved, floated upon the waters which were the means of

* The word in the original Greek is antitupon, which means antitype ;
showing that St. Peter considered the Flood to be a type of Christian baptism,
which is the antitype.

Historical Types of Christian Baptism. 153

destruction to the unsaved. The judgments of God are like a
two-edged sword, bringing destruction to His enemies, but
salvation to His people.

The Ark has been universally recognized as a type of the
Church of Christ, and as such it is alluded to in the first
prayer of the Anglican Baptismal Office, in these words ; " we

beseech thee that thou wilt mercifully look upon this

child, wash him and sanctify him with the Holy Ghost ; that
he, being delivered from Thy wrath, may be received into the
Ark of Christ's Church," for salvation.

In the midst of judgment God remembered mercy, and a
renewed earth emerged from that fearful baptism by water !
It became in effect a new earth, with a new life, for the old
earth had perished. The first recorded evidence of vegetable
life is that of the olive leaf plucked by the dove, a symbol
of peace and of the Holy Spirit, as well as of the ultimate new
earth in which righteousness shall dwell. The first action of
man on the new earth was sacrifice. " Noah builded an altar Gen. \iii. 20,

unto the LORD and offered burnt offerings on the

altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour : and the
LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any
more for man's sake."

The whole of the renewed creation stood in that accepted
sacrifice, for it typified the sacrifice of Christ ; and after the
burnt-offerings God made a new covenant with man and the Gen. ix. 9-17.
earth "for perpetual generations." Seven times, in the most
emphatic manner, God reiterated the assurance that He made
this " everlasting covenant " with man and " every living
creature of all flesh, and the earth," that they should never
again be destroyed by a flood. God's token thereof the
rainbow spanning the heavens has been seen by every
succeeding generation for thousands of years as the pledge of
that covenant, and of the stability of the rescued earth.

In this type of the flood with its results, resurrection is
prefigured, not only in the renewed earth, but in the Ark

154 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [PartlII.,Chap.XTX.

and in the number of persons saved in the Ark. Only eight
persons were saved : how very few in contrast to the millions
that then existed ! And yet deliverance had been preached
to them all for one hundred and twenty years, and if many
had sought the proffered refuge can it be doubted that other
means for safety would have been provided by a merciful
God, or possibly, had they repented, as in the case of Nineveh,
the world might have been spared that baptism of death ?

2. A second historical illustration is to be found in the
Mosaic dispensation.

St. Paul calls attention to the typical history of Israel in
his Epistle to the Corinthians. The passage is prefaced by an
expression which he uses four times, when introducing great
i Cor. x. 1,2. and forgotten mysteries : "Moreover, brethren, I would not
that ye should be ignorant" ; and then he sets forth the spiritual
application of Israel's history in the wilderness to the Christian
Church, " How that all our fathers were under the cloud and
all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses
in the cloud and in the sea." He speaks here of a baptism
unto Moses, and this is the point now under consideration.
There is a difference between the expressions " unto " and
" into"; not into Moses, but " unto" Moses ; not unto Christ,
but into Christ. Thus they were baptized, or initiated into
the Mosaic economy, baptized unto Moses by two means, in
the cloud and in the sea.

How were the Israelites baptized in the cloud ? St. Paul
uses the two expressions " under the cloud " and " in the
cloud." What meaning is attached to these expressions ?
For, to afford an accurate type of Baptism, the Israelites must,
as it were, have been immersed in the cloud.

Exod. xiv. 19, In their exodus from Egypt, and before they reached the

2a Red Sea, the Israelites beheld a special cloud over them,

overshadowing them in their toilsome march. It was the sign

of God's presence among His people, and of His protecting

care and guidance. It was one, yet twofold ; for it was a

Historical Types of Christian Baptism. 155

pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, and, going
before the people, it became the guiding cloud to Israel. It
proceeded in the first instance at the head of the march, but
when the Israelites were being overtaken by the Egyptians,
the cloud left the van of the host and moved to the rear, so
as to separate the two armies. "And it came between the Exod. xiv. 20.
camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel ; and it was a
cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these :
so that the one came not near the other all the night." In
this case it must have passed over the heads of the hosts of
Israel, and the relation of this moving, overshadowing cloud
is not an inappropriate representation of Baptism. It probably
remained in this position during their passage through the
Red Sea, and therefore it may not have been high up in the
heavens, but perhaps low down near earth, and overhanging
the sea, forming a sort of covering, which would be called in
modern language, a tremendous mist. What a solemn thin:.;
is a densely thick fog ! When immersed in it, and saturated
with it, and unable to see one step in front, what a feeling
of helplessness and isolation do we experience ! Such a
comparison is not made with any intention of explaining
away the miracle, nor of eliminating the supernatural, by
supposing it to have been a mere natural phenomenon, for
this cloud was like a moving pillar, bright by night and dark by
day, but merely to elucidate the expression "under the cloud"
and " in the cloud," in which Israel was baptized unto Moses.
There is a great deal of precious teaching connected with
this cloud, as the subsequent history of Israel discloses. The
Mercy-seat consisted of a lid of gold with its overshadowing
Cherubim. This was the place of meeting between God and
man, where the Lord spake out of the cloud which rested on
the Mercy-seat. This bright cloud (called by the Jews,
The Shekinah) indicated the presence of God in the Holy
of Holies, and extended from within outwards and was visible
to the whole congregation : it formed the pillar of cloud by

156 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part III., Chap.Xix.

day and the pillar of fire by night, whose movements regulated
those of the hosts of Israel in their marching, or encamping.

The expression occurs in Psalm cv., " He spread a cloud
Tsa. cv. 39. for a covering," (see also the margin of Isa. iv. 5), indicating
that it was probably spread out over the camp, as a protection
against the heat of the sun. In this sense Israel was under the
cloud, but their being baptized unto Moses "/;/ the cloud" must
have taken place at the time of their passage through the Red
Sea, as denoted by St. Paul's words.

This mystic, twofold cloud suggests the same two ideas of
death and life which are frequently symbolized by darkness
and light in Holy Scripture : the dark or death side, being
turned towards Egypt, whereas the light, or life side, was turned
towards the Israelites, who, having been redeemed and delivered
by the Paschal blood, were hastening to the Promised Land.
The radical idea of Baptism, viz. : that of immersion, and also
the twofold truth of death and life are brought before us
vividly and dramatically in this supernatural pillar of cloud.

But it is also recorded that Israel was baptized unto Moses
in the sea, that is in the Red Sea.

In their flight to escape out of Egypt the Israelites reached
the borders of the Red Sea, and it seemed as if they were
hemmed in, and at the mercy of their enemies. The people
murmured; they showed a spirit of unbelief, whereupon the
Exod. xiv. 15. Lord bade Moses to "speak unto the children of Israel, that
they go forward" and commanded him to lift his rod over the
sea, and the Lord caused a "strong east wind" to blow
which divided the sea, so that the way of escape was made plain.
Thus the Lord rewarded the obedience of faith which He had
exacted.

Into the midst of the sea, of which "the waters were a wall
unto them on the right hand and on the left " the whole army
of Israel, consisting of 603,550 fighting men, besides women

and children, entered at the command of God. Israel marched
Exod. xiii. 18.

(Margin.) over in due order, "five in a rank, and entering the depths of

Historical Types of Christian Baptism. 157

the sea were hidden amid the waters, whereupon the Egyptians
pursued them, and rushed into the narrow passage through the
bed of the sea. But they were soon troubled, the cloud
became more dense, the darkness thickened, their chariots
drave heavily, increasingly so over the quicksands, and having
apprehension of coming disaster, they endeavoured to retrace
their steps. But, it was too late ! At the command of God,
"Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea
returned to his strength when the morning appeared "; the
pathway became obliterated, and the hosts of Pharaoh were
drowned in the Red Sea. Where there had lately been a
glittering army, now nothing but a wide waste of tossing waters
could be seen. Thus, by the same roadway which the Lord
made through the sea, He gave salvation to Israel, and brought
destruction upon Pharaoh and his hosts, for " the Lord over-
threw the Egyptians in the midst of the sea."

On the morrow all that was seen of the Egyptians were
their corpses floating on the sea, or thrown up upon the eastern
shore ; but Israel, having reached the east bank, advanced and
shortly afterwards reached Elim, with its twelve wells of water
and its seventy palm trees. The very waters that were the means
of Israel's deliverance, destroyed the Egyptian army. The
salvation of Israel and figuratively speaking their resurrection,
were associated with the fast, for they were travelling towards
the sun-rising ; whereas the destruction of their enemies
is associated with the west, for they had turned their backs
upon the east, in their westward flight.

Here the same two cardinal truths destruction and deliver-
ance are again brought before us : death by water, and salvation
by water. How different were the results issuing from one
and the same cause and element !

The Scriptures intimate in several places that Egypt is a
type of the flesh in its present mortal, sinful condition, even
as the prophet Isaiah says, "Now the Egyptians are men and
not God, and their horses flesh, and not spirit" The Egyptians

i5 8 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap. XIX.

were enemies of God and held the Israelites in slavery: hence
their fate was death. Their mighty buildings and triumphs in
sculptured stone and basalt indicate man's power in things
i Cor. ii. 14. natural, but this is of no avail in the things of God, for "the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,"
and the doom of the flesh is death. Israel arose out of the
depths of the sea as a nation of free men, with the reproach of
the bondage of Egypt rolled away from them.

What a grand event was this baptism of a people who had
been for centuries in a condition of slavery, from which they
are suddenly delivered, and became a nation "born in a day."

The Jews themselves date the commencement of their
existence as a nation from this event.

Both these figures of the Flood and of the passage of the
Red Sea are alluded to in the Baptismal Office of the Church
of England: "Almighty and everlasting God, who of Thy
great mercy didst save Noah and his family in the ark from
perishing by water: and also didst safely lead the children
of Israel Thy people through the Red Sea, figuring thereby

Thy Holy Baptism " In other sections of the

Christian Church the symbolism of the passage of Israel through
the Red Sea is also generally acknowledged.

Notwithstanding that the two great truths of death and
resurrection the death of the old and the resurrection of the
new are symbolized with dramatic power by the figures of the
Flood and of the Red Sea, yet these figures especially in their
awful aspect perhaps impress us at first sight most forcibly
with the thoughts of death and destruction. The flood brought
to an end the first great epoch of the Antediluvian dispensation,
while the passage of the children of Israel through the Red Sea
terminated what is generally reckoned as the conclusion of the
Patriarchal dispensation, and commenced the next great chrono-
logical era which is known as the " Dispensation of the Law."

Furthermore, there is a great mystery in burial, which
being the inalienable sequel to death, is present in the

Historical Types of Christian Baptism.

types of the Flood and of the Red Sea. Burial is also a great
truth witnessed to in Christian baptism. In all the Gospels
\ve read of the burial of Jesus Christ after his death, and St.
Paul not only preached " Jesus Christ and Him crucified," but
also f " that he was buried," as showing the reality of Christ's
death, and symbolizing the death and hiding away of fallen
flesh, which, in all mankind (except in Jesus Christ) is corrupt
and subject to decay. Burial then is not a mere natural fact
but it sets forth a spiritual truth ; therefore, when death
and resurrection are spoken of, burial is implied and forms a
connecting link between the two ; for, as after death the body
is consigned to the grave in burial, so in resurrection the body
is raised up from the grave in a new life. Although death is
the result of sin, yet, by the grace, wisdom, and power of God,
death is the harbinger of life in the triumph of resurrection.

The spiritual application of the passage of Israel through
the Red Sea must not be forgotten, for from a twofold aspect
Redemption lies at the foundation of that great deliverance.
The Passover and the passage of the Red Sea were both
necessary as types, for " without studding of blwd is no
remission," hence, the redemption in Egypt was first wrought
out by the blood of the Paschal Lamb, as a type of Him who
came to redeem man with His own most precious blood.
After the Passover comes the baptism unto Moses in the Sea.
This passage of "the ransomed" is alluded to by Isaiah, as
prefiguring the time when " the redeemed of the Lord shall
return, and come with singing unto Zion ; and everlasting joy
shall be upon their head : they shall obtain gladness and joy,"
even as Israel did when they came safely through the Red
Sea. Thus, without redemption there could be no baptism
and without baptism redemption would not be complete : for
as the deliverance of Israel included the destruction of the
fleshly power of Egypt in the Red Sea, so also does the
redemption by Christ through His atonement, include
deliverance through Baptism, from the bondage and power of

i Cor. iL 2.

I Cor. xv. 4.

Heb.

Isa.li 10, II;

160 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap. XIX.

Rom. vi. i, 2. sin. "What shall we say then ? Shall we continue in sin that

Rom.vi. 12-14. grace may abound ? God forbid . . . ." " Let not sin therefore

reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts

thereof but yield yourselves unto God For

sin shall not have dominion over you."

" That the above figures of the Flood and of the Red Sea are
typical, is evident from the personal and practical application
to the Baptized that St. Paul gives to all the various points of
i Cor. x. it. the history of Israel. "Now all these things happened unto
them for ensamples {types, margin] : and they are written for
our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
It is remarkable that for this second historical type of the
passage of the Red Sea and the baptism in the cloud and in
the sea (as well as for that of the Flood), there is direct
apostolic authority for its spiritual application to the Christian
Church, and as the above double baptisms may be regarded
as the initiation of Israel into the Mosaic Covenant or
dispensation, more than mere analogy justifies their application
to Christian baptism, which is the initiation into the Covenant
of the Gospel in Christ Jesus our Lord. What was literally and
symbolically wrought towards a nation is now spiritually
wrought towards individuals, but the Church as a whole must
have its interest in the typical history of Israel, of which the
antitypes may be found in her own experiences. If this
parallelism exists in minute particulars (of which St. Paul
adduces five examples), it fills the history of Israel with a living,
spiritual meaning; but its detailed and full application cannot
be fully disclosed, until all mysteries and truths are revealed in
the Kingdom of God.

Nevertheless it is marvellous that such great Christian truths
and doctrines should have been foreshadowed centuries ago, by
the great events of the history of the world B.C. 2349, and of the
Jewish nation (B.C. 1491). We can only worship and praise God
our Redeemer, whose wisdom is past finding out, and whose
ways and revelations form one glorious and connected whole.

Circumcision, 161

CHAPTER XX.

CIRCUMCISION.

ANALYSIS : The essential truth which lies at the base of Circumcision and of
Christian baptism is the witness to Death and Resurrection.
Baptism is the Circumcision made without hands.

The resemblances and differences batween Circumcision and Christian
baptism.

THE act of circumcision was a rite instituted by God, and its
observance was enjoined on Abraham by His commandment ;
it was a pledge and token of the covenant that God had made
with Abraham and his seed after him, for by this mark Israel
was separated to be the chosan people of God, "to be a kingdom E.\ J. xix. 6.
of priests and an holy nation " ; and thus to be distinguished
from the surrounding heathen, who were scornfully called G - :1 - xvll- *6,
"the Uncircumcised." The outward sign of this covenant
marked in the flesh of man involved suffering and the shedding iSam. x\ -11.26.
of blood ; it was the cutting off of the foreskin from the male
"vessel," the instrument of the natural desires of the flesh, i Thess. h-. 4.
which in themselves, as originally ordained by God, are not
unholy ; but sin having marred God's work, these motions
become sinful lusts when the flesh lends itself to execute the
evil desires of the heart. Hence, the rite of circumcision
became the symbol of chastity and purity. It touches the
great mysteries which lie at the foundation of the human race
and of society the propagation of the race, the sanctity of the
family life, and the purity of home. The Lord Jesus was
circumcised on the eighth day, according to the law of God,
and He was in truth the only circumcised person in whom the
rite was glorified in its perfection.

There is a mystery in Circumcision of greater import than
appears to those who only give it a casual thought ; for, in the
former dispensation, circumcision on the body of man was

162 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap. XX.

symbolic of spiritual circumcision of the heart. That in the
Lord's sight there is uncircumcision of heart as well as of flesh
is apparent from various passages in Holy Scripture. Thus,
when the Lord spake unto Moses in Mount Sinai, and made
known His statutes to the Israelites, He forewarned them of
the punishment and exile that they would incur if they walked

Lev. xxvi. 4T, "contrary " to the Lord, but added the promise, " If then their
42< uncircumcised hearts be humbled, .... then will I remember
my covenant with Jacob." When, forty years later, Moses
recapitulated the doings of the Lord towards Israel, he said to
Deut. x. 16. them : " Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and
be no more stiffnecked." Therefore the term of " uncircum-
cision" as applied to the heathen who worshipped idols,
referred not only to their flesh, but likewise to their heart and
spirit. Uncircumcision of heart and spirit was the Lord's
complaint against Israel when He sent His prophets to them ;
and through Jeremiah warned them of its punishment :

Jer. ix. 25, 26. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all
them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised ; Egypt,
and Judah, and Edom, .... for all these nations are uncircum-
cised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the
heart." Again, the Lord made a pathetic appeal to Israel :

Ezek. xliv. 6, " O ye house of Israel, let it suffice of all your abominations,
in that ye have brought strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and

uncircumcised in flesh to be in my sanctuary to pollute it

Thus saith the Lord God ; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart,
nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary." If
Israel had yielded their hearts as well as their flesh to circum-
cision they would not have thus profaned the Lord's house,
nor would they have so perpetually rebelled against Him and
persecuted His prophets, until finally they blindly rejected and
crucified their promised Messiah. When arraigned before the
high priest and council Stephen spoke plainly to them : " Ye
Acts vii. 51, stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always
52 ' resist the Holy Ghost : as your fathers did, so do ye "

Circumcision* 163

The Lord Jesus in His discourses referred to the uncircum- Mark vii. 14-
cised condition of the natural heart when He spoke of the evil Matt. xv. 10-
thoughts, and acts that come from within and defile the man.

St. Paul's teaching concerning circumcision is clear. In
his Epistle to the Romans he writes as follows : " For circum- Rom. iL 25,
cision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law ; but if thou be a 2 2 > 2 9-
breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the
law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision ?

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly ; neitJier is

tliat circumcision whicJt is outward in tJie flesh: . . . .circumcision
is that of tJie Jieart, in the spirit, and not in the letter." In the
two following chapters St. Paul shows wherein the circumcision
of the heart and spirit consists, viz., in FAITH ; and that it is an
abiding truth that " without faith it is impossible to please Heb. xi. 6.
God," whether in circumcision or uncircumcision, and after
proving that the righteousness of God is by faith, he clinches
his argument with these words: ''It is one God which shall Rom. iii. 30.
justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through
faith." The Apostle further explains this when he points out
that "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for Rom. iv. 3,11
righteousness. And he received the sign of circumcision, a
seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being
uncircumcised ; that he might be the father of all them that
believe, though they be not circumcised ; that righteousness
might be imputed unto them also : And the father of circum-
cision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who
also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which
he had being yet uncircumcised."

It was expedient for St. Paul to impress this upon the
Jewish Christians who still clung to the rite of circumcision as
a necessary ceremony, because when he and Barnabas were at
Antioch some years previously they " had no small dissension Acts xV. 2.
and disputation" with certain men who came down from Judea
and troubled the brethren, saying : "Except ye be circumcised

164 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XX.

after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved." This
was the first doctrinal controversy in the Christian Church.
Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem " unto the apostles
and elders about this question." In the ensuing council St.
Peter stated in regard to God giving the Holy Ghost to the
Gentile Cornelius and his household that God " put no
difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith."
If FAITH be the root of the circumcision of heart, then LOVE,
as the outcome of faith and the fulfilling of the law, is the
evidence of a circumcised heart. Moses, when detailing the
promised blessings to those Israelites who in captivity returned
unto the Lord, then told them of a spiritual act to be wrought

Deut. xxx. 6 by the Lord : " And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine
heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with
all thine heart and with all tJiy soul, that thou mayest live."
To this circumcision the Lord Jesus evidently pointed when
He answered the lawyer's question as to which is the great

Matt. xxii. 36, commandment of the law: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy

37> God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy

mind." The truly circumcised heart of Jesus Christ contained

Psa. xl. 8. this love to the full : "Yea, thy law is within my heart" ; and the

evidence of His circumcision was contained in the motive power

of His life, viz. : "I delight to do thy will, O my God," leading

up to the agony in the garden when in the spirit of His words,

"not my will, but thine be done," He yielded Himself up

even unto death to be "cut off" for the sins of men.

There is a spiritual link which binds together Circumcision
and Baptism. Though their outward forms vary, if they be
one in their spiritual purpose, it will not be difficult to prove
their relationship, and to recognize in Circumcision the legal
type of Baptism. As death forms the underlying basis of both,
they must necessarily be related, for, in effect, they meet in
the cross of Christ. The sacrifice and death of Christ is the
root of the spiritual efficacy in both these ordinances ; in
Circumcision, prospectively ; in Baptism, retrospectively. They

Circumcision. 1 65

each testify emphatically to death unto sin, the death of the

old, sinful man. But whereas in Circumcision there was chiefly

the ministration of condemnation, even a foreshadowed death ;

in Baptism there is an advance on that, for in it there is

the ministration of life out of death, whereby the new creature

rises up from the grave of the " old man," being baptized into

the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus, there is a great contrast

between the two covenants, for the law was "the ministration 2 Cor. Hi. 7, 8

of death," but the gospel of Jesus Christ is "the ministration

of the Spirit," and of life.

In Circumcision, the Cross, a's the just penalty for sinful
humanity, is symbolically foreshadowed, for on the cross the
Messiah was "cut off, but not for himself." Dan - ix - 26 -

Though the witness to resurrection is scarcely apparent in
Circumcision, it is not altogether absent. God commanded
the rite to take place on the eigJith day, which is typical of
prophetic events. There is a great mystery connected with
numbers, all of which have their special spiritual symbolism
and meanings, and therefore it may be easily inferred that
there is some truth bound up with the number eight. Eight
is a peculiar number, as the last of an octave and the first of
another hebdomad or week. The meaning and the sanctity
attached to the number seven as the symbol of rest and per-
fection is well known ; for the Lord God created the heavens
and the earth in six days, and rested on the seventh. Therefore
the week, consisting of seven days, is a divine institution and
gift to man. The number eight not only embraces the seven,
but surpasses it, and, while summing up one week it begins
another ; thus, the eighth day includes the first of a new period,
and, being both a last and a first day, it has been accepted as
the symbol of the new condition to be ushered in by the day
of the resurrection.

Though the cloud be black in Circumcision, comprising
suffering and death as its chief constituents, yet it has the
silver lining, as set forth in the type of the eighth day.

1 66 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XX.

There is an ancient tradition that the period of the world's
toil and suffering shall last for about six thousand years,
and shall be succeeded by the seventh period, the millennium,
the day of rest to the groaning creation. After this, the final
and perfect state shall commence, which will be represented
by the eighth period ; hence the symbolism of the number
eight presents the thought of the new creation made perfect
at the final resurrection. The fact that circumcision was
performed on the eighth day is a veiled prefiguration of the
2 Pet. iii. 13. time when the promise of the "new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness," shall be fulfilled, and when
love, which is the true circumcision of the heart, will have been
perfected.

Although in circumcision the idea of death by cutting
off was symbolized, yet circumcision per se went no farther,
for it could not inflict death ; whereas in Baptism a spiritual
death unto sin is inflicted, and a new life unto resurrection
is imparted.

There is a passage in St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians
which bears upon this subject and deserves careful considera-
Col. ii. 10, ii, tion. " Ye are complete in him, which is the head of all
principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised
with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the
body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ :
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with
him, through the faith of the operation of God."

This passage sets forth a truth already touched upon, viz. :
that the Baptized have their part in the mystery of the
circumcision of Christ, and that in Him they are spiritually
circumcised. This springs from their union and identification
with Christ by which they share the various acts of Christ,
or are made partakers with Him in these acts.

But St. Paul emphasizes an important point, when, after
saying "ye are circumcised" in Him, he adds that this is
effected "with the circumcision made without hands," This

Circumcision. 167

cannot mean the literal circumcision, which is made with

hands : therefore, this being " made without hands," if it be not

literal or fleshly, must be spiritual, but yet real, for the word

" spiritual " must not be regarded as it too often is, as the

synonym of unreality. Nevertheless, there must be an agent

to effect this spiritual act, and the Apostle leaves no room for

doubt on so important a point, since he adds that it is "through

the faith of t/ie operation of God" These words follow imme- CoL iL 12.

diately after his declaration that "we are buried with him

[Christ] in baptism, wherein ye are also risen with him."

It is the Holy Ghost who purifies the heart by faith, and Acts rv. 9.
who sheds abroad the love of God in the heart thus purified ;
therefore, if resisting the Holy Ghost was the evidence of an
uncircumcised heart, then, per contra, faith and love, the fruit
of the Spirit, are the essence and evidence of the circumcision
made without hands, through baptism into Christ, for '' they Ga!. v. 24.
that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections
and lusts." If St. Paul alludes to the sacrament of Christian
baptism in the expression, "the circumcision made without
hands," he does so, not merely to establish the minor point
of there being a relation between circumcision and baptism,
but also the major one of baptism being in some respects,
the antitype of circumcision.

In writing to the Philippians he uses somewhat similar lan-
guage, " Beware of the concision [Jewish circumcised teachers] Pliil - ^2
for we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit,
and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."
These definitions apply to the Baptized, and lead to the
inference that by the action of the Holy Spirit, Baptism is the
true circumcision effected in the spirit, and not in the letter.

A certain interest is attached to Gilgal, where by the
express command of the Lord to Joshua, all the males of the
hosts of Israel who had entered the promised land were
circumcised, and were thus required to solemnise their national
recognition of the covenant which the Lord had made with

1 68 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XX.

their fathers. The passage is too long to quote in extenso,
but the following is a short summary of its purport.

Josh. v. 2-9. "The Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives and

circumcise again the children of Israel the second time,"
because all " the people that came out of Egypt, that were
males, even the men of war, died in the wilderness." These
had been circumcised before the exodus from Egypt, but,
except Joshua and Caleb, all the men over twenty years of age
who had been numbered in the first census were consumed
during the forty years' wandering in the wilderness, because
they obeyed not the voice of the Lord. As they had not
circumcised their children by the way, it was necessary that
the people should be reminded of the terms of God's.covenant
with them, and that the rite of circumcision should be renewed
on their taking possession "of the lands of the heathen." The
result of this act should not be ignored: "And the Lord
said to Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of
Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of this place is
called Gilgal."

If therefore the reproach of their bondage in Egypt was
rolled away from the children of Israel by their obedience to
God in His ordinance of circumcision, how much greater is
the gain effected in Baptism through which the bondage

Rom. vi. 3. of sin is removed from those who are "baptized into Jesus
Christ." As a sequence to this St. Paul added this assurance,

Rom. \i. 18. "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants to
righteousness." Forasmuch as by the sacrifice of Himself the
Lord Jesus Christ purchased the right of redemption, it is
His prerogative to make free, as he intimated to the Jews:.

John viii. 36. " If the Son shall therefore make you free ye shall be free
indeed," free from the bondage of the world, the flesh, and
the devil. Furthermore, as Israel the circumcised people of
God was expressly forbidden to return to Egypt, so in like
Gal. v, i. manner are the Baptized exhorted by St. Paul to "Stand fast in
the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not

Circumcision. 169

entangled again with the yoke of bondage." This was the

Apostle's contention with the Galatians, that they who had

been baptized were inclined to turn again to " the weak and Gal - iv - 9

beggarly elements" by which they had been held in bondage,

and from which they had been set free by the grace of God.

Circumcision may, in the first instance, appear to many as a
repulsive act, which seems to be the light in which Zipporah, Exod. iv. 24-
the wife of Moses regarded it; but as demonstrated above, it 26-

was a rite that enfolded much spiritual truth, enshrined the
beauty of chastity and purity, and clearly foreshadowed the
better covenant of life-giving, and life-sustaining ordinances
which superseded the old covenant, when, in the fulness of
time, "God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under Gal. iv. 4. 5.
the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."

The resemblances and differences between Circumcision and
Christian baptism form an interesting study. The following
are some of the resemblances which exist between the two rites :

1. They were both appointed by God that they should be
the sign and seal of a covenant, which was made, not with the
whole of mankind, but with an election out of the nations.

2. Circumcision was a covenant transaction and bore a
distinct relation to the evolution of God's great purpose; for
it was given to Abraham in connection with the promised seed,
i.e. Isaac, and with the multitude of nations which should issue
from his loins. Baptism is also a covenant, and has far more
than an individual application, through its introducing members

from "every kindred, and people, and nation " into the fellow- Rev. \. 9.
ship of the Body of Christ, and into the kingdom of God.

3. They are both acts of initiation. By being circumcised
a Jewish child entered into covenant with God, and took his
place in the chosen nation as heir of the premises made to
Abraham and his seed, and if this step were neglected the Lord

said that "that soul should be cut off" from the congregation of Gen. xvii. 14.
the Lord. Holy Baptism is the initiation into the Church, and
those who receive it become partakers of the heavenly calling.

170 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part 1 1 1., Chap. XX.

4. Circumcision, like Baptism, witnessed to the death of
sinful flesh.

5. Both must be regarded according to their measure, as
means of grace.

6. Circumcision having held as important a place under
the old covenant as Baptism does under the new, it has its

Heb. x. i. part in the "shadow of good things to come," of which Baptism
is a substance of the thing hoped for.

7. Circumcision as well as Baptism was administered to
children, and the former was compulsory on Infants.

Lukei. 59-63. g_ j t was a pp aren tly the custom of the Jews (as may be

gathered from the narrative of the circumcision of John the
Baptist) to name their children on this occasion, and the same
practice holds good to this day in Christian baptism.

9. If circumcision of the flesh betokened pain, then,
according to analogy, the spiritual circumcision of the heart
through baptism, must also involve pain in crucifying the flesh
with its affections and lusts, in self-denial, and in being willing
to suffer all things for Christ's sake.

Both these ordinances, Circumcision and Baptism, em-
phatically testify to the necessity of Holiness, and this is a
Lev. xi. 44. vital and essential bond between the two. " I am the LORD
your God : ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall
be holy ; for I am holy : neither shall ye defile yourselves with

any manner of creeping thing upon the earth," i.e.,

the desires of the mind, the lusts of the flesh, or the pleasures

of the world, which have the effect of making the souls of men to

Col. iil. i. creep upon earth, instead of rising up to "seek those things

which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God."

No matter what the temptation or fascination of earthly
things may be, which would drag our hearts to cleave to the
dust of the earth, like creeping things, St. Paul rings out the
Col. iii. 2, 3. true circumcision of spirit in these words : " Set your affection
on things above, not on things of the earth. For ye are dead,
and your life is hid with Christ in God."

Circumcision. 171

Such are some of the points in which a resemblance exists
between the rite of Circumcision and the sacrament of
Baptism.

There are several differences between Circumcision and
Baptism, which may be summarized as follows :

1. Circumcision was an act wrought in the flesh of man,
and it left its mark upon the body; but in Baptism though water
is poured upon the flesh, yet the efficacy of its action is not on
the body, but leaves its impress 'upon the conscience and

spirit of a man which it reaches through the resurrection of i Pet. Hi. 21.
Jesus Christ, which Circumcision did not embrace.

2. In Circumcision there was the effusion of blood, which
is the life of the flesh, and therefore it witnesses to God's fiat

that "the soul that sinneth it shall die," and that "without E/.ek. xviii. 4 .
shedding of blood there is no remission of sin." The Heb. i.\. 22.
instrument of Circumcision is the knife, which causes the
shedding of blood ; that of Baptism is water, though the bap-
tismal water is efficacious only by virtue of the blood of Jesus
Christ shed both in His circumcision and at His crucifixion.

3. The rite of Circumcision was painful, and, though
instituted before the law was given to Moses, it formed part
of that law in its ministration of condemnation and of
death. But in Baptism, whether through immersion, or by
affusion of water, the outward act of the rite is not painful,
and it forms the channel for the ministration of the Holy

Spirit, the Spirit of liberty, whose law is written "not in tables Cor. iii 3.
of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."

4. Circumcision was administered to males and not to
females, and therefore was restricted in its operation ; but

Baptism is administered to male and female alike, and all are Gal iii 27,28.
one in Christ Jesus in whom " there is neither bond nor free,
there is neither male nor female," for " by one Spirit are we all i Cor. xii. 13.
baptized into one body."

5. In Circumcision a man became "a debtor to do the Gal. %-. 3.
whole law." It was an obligation to duty, but the law gave

1 72 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III. ,Chap.XX.

no help nor grace whereby its obligations could be discharged,
Acts. xv. 10. which is well described by St. Peter as "a yoke upon the neck

which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear " ;

whereas in Baptism there is not only the undertaking of
obligations to do the will of God, but there is the impartation
of life, through the operation of the Holy Ghost, by whose
power and grace the Baptized are enabled to perform the
duties of their calling.

6. But the greatest difference that exists between
Circumcision and Baptism is this : that whereas Circumcision
points chiefly to deatJi, Baptism, though it speaks of death, is
the channel for life arising out of death, and thus testifies to
the integral truth of resurrection.

The following is an apt quotation from one who has written
profoundly on spiritual subjects :

"Regarding the Tabernacle in itself as the symbol of the
Christian Church during this Dispensation, there is none of
the symbols witltin the sacred precincts which can properly
be considered types of Christian Baptism.

"The initiatory rite of Circumcision (without which no one
had any lot or inheritance in Israel, nor could take part in any
sacred rite ordained by the law) is the true type of Baptism.
As none might enter into the Court, except those who were
circumcised, so none but the baptized can be admitted to
the solemn offices of worship in the Church. Circumcision,
however, is symbolized or referred to in all the bloody rites of
the Court, that is to say, its results and the obligations and
benefits involved in it. And in like manner the several
Christian offices of which the bloody rites of the Court were
types, are symbolical of the obligations and benefits involved
in Baptism : they are all means by which we renew
our baptismal confession and vows, and God confirms to us
the spiritual benefits conferred in that Sacrament. They
all symbolize the death unto sin and the new birth unto
righteousness." *

* " Readings on the Liturgy," Vol. I., page 261.

Baptismal Purification, foreshadowed by the kw of Moses. 1/3

CHAPTER XXI.

BAPTISMAL PURIFICATION, FORESHADOWED BY THE LAW
OF MOSES.

ANALYSIS : On Purification generally.

On cleansing by water and its symbolic meaning.

On the legal types :

I. The brazen Laver : 2. The Consecration of the High Priest :
3. The Water of Separation : 4. The Purification of Women :
5. The Cleansing of the Leper.

Their relation to Christian Baptism.

THERE is another practical aspect of Baptism which is
worthy cf consideration, viz. : that of purification or cleansing,
as the culmination of all its types and shadows.

" There is no doubt that washing with water was enjoined
upon Israel as a preliminary to their admission into covenant
with God on Sinai. It is contained in the command to Moses
that he should sanctify the people before he brought them
forth out of the camp ' to meet with God.' If, even their Ex>J - ^- |
clothes were to be washed, much more their bodies." * Numb. viii. 7

Thus they were to "be ready" for the Lord, when He would
"come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai."
Jacob had a feeling of the necessary fitness of personal cleanliness
in approaching unto God, when, before going to Bethel to erect
an altar unto God, he commanded his household and all Gen.xxxv.2.3.
that were with him not only to put away the strange gods
which they had brought with them, but also, to be clean and
change their garments.

The law of the Lord holy, just, good, and full of wisdom Psa - ** " s -
is a mine of wealth from which many figures may be gleaned
in illustration of this subject of cleansing; and as Christ came
to fulfil the Law in every jot and tittle, therefore even the
smallest detail of it, if rightly interpreted, must have an
application not only to himself personally, but also to His
ordinances in the Church, which is His mystical Body.
* " Readings on the Liturgy/' VoL II., page 283.

174 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Tart III., Chap.XXI.

i. The Laver of the Tabernacle of Moses.

The Laver was fashioned at the command of God, and after
the pattern shown to Moses in the Mount. It was made from
the free-will offerings of the women of the congregation, which
indicated personal self-sacrifice on their part, consisting as they
did, of their brazen mirrors. These were melted and beaten
into shape and formed the large copper or brazen vessel
designated the Laver, which stood between the brazen Altar
and the door of the Tabernacle. This was filled with
fresh water, and was used exclusively for the ceremonial
cleansing of the priests, previous to their daily ministering
before the Lord.

This ceremonial cleansing bore a continual, though silent
protest against the natural defilement contracted in the daily
walk and avocations of man ; it was a witness to the holiness
of God, and it contained a warning that to approach a
see Lev. xix. holy God in a natural, or in an illegally unclean condition
which would defile His tabernacle, involved the penalty of
death.

Hence, the principal teaching to be drawn from the Laver
is PURIFICATION, and although it cannot be affirmed that the
Laver is a type of the sacrament of Christian baptism, yet it
has its affinities with it, in its lesson of cleansing, and from
its position outside the door of the Tabernacle.

As bearing on this subject, a short passage may be quoted
from a valuable book of theology, in which there is a dissertation
on the "Types of the Law."

"In the Court was also the brazen Laver, in which the
priests were to wash before they approached the Altar, or went
into the Holy Place ; this, in strict analogy with the general
typical signification of the Court and of the brazen Altar,
symbolizes the Ministry of Word ; which, whether prophetical
or evangelical, cleanses the inward thoughts, and is the fit
preparation for our acts of service."*

* " Readings on the Liturgy," page 248.

Baptismal Purification, foreshadowed by the law of Moses. 175

It must be borne in mind that the Laver of the Tabernacle
was only for the personal use of Aaron and his sons, and their
successors, before entering on their priestly duties; but the
large laver which Solomon made for the priests of the Temple
was called a "molten sea." In addition to this he made ten
lavers " to wash in them such things as they offered for the 2 Chr. iv. 2-6.
burnt-offering." The children of Israel were not left in
ignorance as to what parts of the burnt-offering were to be
washed, for the Lord's command to Moses concerning the
offering was explicit, viz. : " But his inwards and his legs shall Lev ^ 9
he [i.e. the man who brought it] wash in water." David gave
spiritual expression to this symbolic action when he prayed
thus: " Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me p^ j; 2 , 6.
from my sin .... Behold thou desireth truth in the inward
parts : and in the hidden part thou shall make me to know
wisdom .... Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices r*a. :L 19.
of righteousness, with burnt-offering and whole burnt-offering.''

The ten lavers in the court of Solomon's temple, five on one i Kings \ii.
side, and five on the other, were of elaborate work; as was
also the molten sea of brass standing on twelve oxen in the
south-east corner of the court.

Thus, in the court of the Temple, as well as in that of the
Tabernacle, there are these prominent objects, pointing to
purification and cleansing, as an essential preparation required
of every worshipper ere he presumed or was permitted to
approach God in holy worship. That David was conscious of
this, may be seen from his resolve : " I will wash my hands in Psa. xxvi. 6.
innocency, so will I compass thine altar, O Lord."

2. The consecration of the High Priest and of the priests
supplies another illustration.

As the first act in this solemn office, Moses was bidden by Ex<xL *L 12.
the Lord to bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the
Tabernacle, and to wash them with water at the brazen Laver.
The command of God as to its use by the priests was Exod. m. 19-
peremptory : " For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands

176 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XXI.

and their feet thereat : When they go into the Tabernacle of
the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not ;
or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn
offering made by fire unto the Lord : So they shall wash
their hands and their feet, that they die not." Did not this
foreshadow the act of the Lord on the night before He suffered,
when He washed the feet of His disciples, and pronounced them
clean, with one exception ? After putting the priestly robes
upon Aaron, Moses poured the anointing oil upon his head,
and having brought a bullock before the tabernacle, and, after

Lev. viii. 1-30. Aaron and his sons had put their hands upon its head, Moses
slew it for a sin-offering. After this a ram was offered
for the burnt-offering ; A second ram, " the ram of
consecration," was now offered : and Moses took of its blood and
put it " upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb
of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot "
(symbolic of the cleansing of the whole man] ; and he treated
Aaron's sons after the same manner. Thus the ear was
consecrated to hear the word of the Lord ; the feet quick
to run in the way of God's commandments ; and the hand
ready to distribute the blessings of love, "open as day to
melting charity " ; and, in each case it was the right side
which was always held to be of better omen and more useful
than the left organs. Thus Moses took of the anointing
oil and of the blood which was upon the altar and sprinkled
it upon Aaron, and upon his sons. There are three points
to be noted here ; the preliminary washing of the body with
water, the subsequent use of the oil, and the final action of the
blood for the symbolic purification of soul and spirit.

3. The water of separation, which God ordained for
specific use, contains symbolic teaching of an important truth.

Numb. xix. 2- A red heifer without spot or blemish, upon which a yoke had
never come, was to be brought to the priest. In the first recorded
instance she was taken to Eleazer the priest without the camp,
where she was to be slain before his face. He was to " take

Baptismal Purification, foreshadowed by the law of Moses. 177

of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly
before the Tabernacle seven times," whereupon the heifer was
to be wholly burnt up in his sight. And the priest was to
" take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into
the midst of the burning of the heifer " ; then he was to wash
his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and the man who
burnt her was to do the same ; but, nevertheless, though this
was done, they were both regarded as unclean until the
evening. A man ceremonially clean was then to gather
up the ashes of the heifer, and to lay them up without
the camp in a clean place, ready for use as "a purification
for sin." And he that gathered up the ashes was to wash
his clothes, and to be unclean until the evening. This
water was used for purification from defilement, especially
that contracted in touching a dead body, or anything
unclean. A clean person was to take the ashes of the
heifer, put them into a vessel, and add running water
thereto ; then he was to take hyssop, and dip it in the
water, and sprinkle the water on the unclean person, and
on everything belonging to him. This was to be done on
the third day after contact with any defilement, and had
to be repeated on the seventh day. But the clean person
who was deputed to execute the cleansing, himself became
unclean and had to wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in
water. Moreover, the Lord said that whosoever after touching
a dead body " purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of
the Lord ; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel : because
the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall

be unclean " This complex ceremony is full of truth

and of spiritual suggestions. The writer to the Hebrews
by his cogent reasoning leaves no doubt as to its symbolical
meaning. He says : " For if the blood of bulls and of goats,
and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth
to the purifying of the flesli : How much more shall the
blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered

Numb. xix. 11

Numb. xix. 13.

Heb. ix. 13,
14.

i 7 8

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XXI.

Himself without spot' to God, purge your conscience from
dead works, to serve the living God ? " The stringency
attached to the use of the water of purification brings out the
force of the Lord's words to Peter, in their spiritual bearing

John xiii. 8. on His act of washing His disciples' feet, " If I wash thee
not, thou hast no part with me." How solemn is the thought
that if he who neglected or refused to use the prescribed
means for cleansing or purification from sin and uncleanness,
Heb. x. 28, 29. if " he that despised Moses' law" was cut off from Israel i.e.,
from all the privileges and worship of Israel" of how much
sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who
hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the
blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy
thing, and hath done despite to the Spirit of Grace ?" In this
Heb. ii. 3. dispensation of grace " How shall we escape if we neglect so

great salvation ? "

Lev. xii. 4. The rite for the Purification of women after childbirth

next claims attention.

The same idea of the necessity of purification is present in
this case also. Eight days after birth the male child was to
be circumcised, and for thirty-three days after that the woman
was to touch no hallowed thing. Then she had to " bring a
lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon
or a turtle dove for a sin-offering, and she was to be cleansed
from her issue of blood." The special interest attaching to
this rite, is that the Blessed Virgin Mother of our Lord had,
according to the law, to be purified after even His birth, and
that, as, because of her poverty, she could not bring a lamb, she

Luke ii. 24. brought " a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons."

As the types of the law are shadows of things to come, and
as a woman is one of the typical figures of the Church of Christ,
there is every reason to believe that this rite for the purification
of women after childbirth will be fulfilled antitypically on a
catholic scale, when the Church brings forth the man-child,
Rev. xii. 1-5. her firstborn, which is caught up to the throne of God.

Baptismal Purification, foreshadowed by the law of Moses. 179

5. The rites for the Cleansing of the leper.

In this case there is the purification by water, and by blood,
and by oil. The leper had to wash himself with water on the
first day when his purification began, and likewise on the
seventh day. " But it shall be on the seventh day, that he Lev. ^- 9-
shall shave all his hair off his head, and his beard, and his eye-
brows, even all his hair he shall shave off; and he shall wash
his clothes ; also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall
be clean." The disease of leprosy was held to be incurable by
the art of man, nevertheless in the law special provision was
made for the cleansing of the leper, in prophetic anticipation
of the miracles of Messiah. When the leper came to Jesus.
and kneeling down, said unto Him. " If thou wilt thou canst Mark :. 4045.
make me clean," it was a tacit recognition of His Messiahship :
and Jesus, the fount of holiness and of cleansing, being filled
with compassion shrank not from touching him. thus braving
the risk of contamination and of uncleanness. and said.
"I will; be thou clean"; but He " straightly charged him.
saying : See thou say nothing to any man : but go thy
way, show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing
those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto
them."

Here, two ideas are embodied in this miracle, that of the
appointed and necessary offerings, and that of the witness
that was to be borne by them to the Jews of the power to
heal this fell disease, which had never been seen in exercise
before, and which should therefore have convinced the Jews
that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ of God. These five
symbolic rites, setting forth the absolute necessity of purifica-
tion in approaching unto God are specified in detail in the
law of Moses. There are two features to be noted in
connection with nearly all these water baptisms, viz. : that
sacrifice in one form or another was their groundwork, but that
the first cleansing was generally effected by a bath, or a
complete washing of the whole body. This typifies Christian

i8o Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part III., Chap.XXI.

see i Pet. ill baptism of the whole man, body, soul, and spirit, as founded

see i Thess. v. on tne sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are some historical types which enforce the same
lesson. The miraculous cure of Naaman when healed of his
leprosy affords an apt illustration. Leprosy being an incurable
disease, the king of Israel exclaimed that the king of Syria,
by sending Naaman to him to be healed of his leprosy, was, in

2 Kings v. 7. effect, seeking a quarrel against him. " And it came to pass
when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his
clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that
this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy.
Wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a

2 Kings v. io- quarrel against me." Elisha, the prophet, on hearing of this,
sent word to the king to let Naaman come to him ; but when
the Syrian warrior came to Elisha's door, the prophet simply
sent him a message to go and dip seven times in Jordan, when
his flesh would be restored clean as that of a little child. The
pride of Naaman was offended at Elisha's sending him this
message ; for, being a great man, he thought he would "surely
come out," call upon his God, and lay his hand over the place ;
and secondly, the extreme simplicity of the cure angered
Naaman. He argued that if it were to be effected merely by
washing with water, he could have done that in Syria without
the fatiguing journey to Samaria, since, to his mind, the rivers of
Damascus the Abana and Pharpar were far superior in
scenery, in volume, and in limpid clearness to the muddy and
somewhat insignificant river Jordan. He had shown faith in
seeking the prophet in Israel, but now he stumbled at the
simplicity of the means, and he went away in a rage, on his
return journey. He listened, however, to the expostulations

2 Kings v. 13. of his faithful servants, who "came near and spake unto him
and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some
great thing, wouldst thou not have done it ? How much
rather then when he said unto thee, Wash, and be clean?"
Naaman acknowledging the force of their arguments, and

Baptismal Purification, foreshadowed by the law of Moses, 181

overcame his pride and self-will. " Then went he down
and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the
saying of the man of God, and his flesh came again like unto
the flesh of a little child, and he was clean." Naaman in
complying with the Prophet's simple injunctions, received
in his seven-fold baptism what kings and the riches of the
East could not have given, viz. : the precious gift of restored
health.

To those who have seen the awful sight of the lepers
crowding outside the eastern gate at Jerusalem, overlooking
the valley of Jehosaphat, and heard their entreaties for alms,
the narrative is full of wonder and interest. In the East there
is no more terrible malady than that of leprosy, in its
malignant and incurable character, in its corroding and
putrefying flesh, which makes the sufferer an outcast from his
fellows. Hence, leprosy may well be regarded by all schools
of theological thought, as a type of sin, and of its chief
embodiment, unbelief.

The necessity for purification under the law may be illus-
trated by another historical type, viz. : the way in which the
spoil of the Midianites was treated. " Every thing that may
abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall
be clean : nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of
separation : and all that abideth not the fire, ye shall make go
through the water. And ye shall wash your clothes on the
seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall
come into the camp."

There are various prophetic allusions to the cleansing by
water in the books of the Prophets, all of which have a
spiritual application. Thus, Isaiah says to the rebellious Jews :
"The Lord hath spoken .... Wash you, make you clean ;
cease to do evil ; learn to do well."

So again Jeremiah cries out, " O Jerusalem wash thine
heart from wickedness, that thou mayst be saved." And the
Lord's promise by Ezekiel is this: "Then will I sprinkle

2 Kings v. 14.

Numb. xxxi.
23; 24.

Isa. i. 2, 16,17.

Jer. iv. 14.

Ezek.xxxvi.25.

i8z Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap. XXI.

clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean : from all your
filthiness and from all your idols, will I cleanse you."

All this is true, in the letter, and in the spirit, of Christian
Mali. ii. baptism, even as the prophecy by Malachi of incense and a
pure offering to be universally offered, has its application to
the Holy Eucharist in the Christian Church.

John's baptism was the final ordinance of the Law for
purification, and by personally receiving it our Lord testified
to it as being the fulfilment of the law.

The golden truth that pervades the whole Law and is
manifested in all its ceremonials, is the superlative holiness
of God. It is visible throughout the whole of Scripture,
in which the scheme of salvation is made plain, through
the means whereby God would deliver man from sin, from
evil, and from corruption, and bring him back to Himself,
in purity and holiness. A holy God cannot endure sin, for
the glory of His character is holiness, and this is the attribute
which is especially adored and celebrated by the Angels and
Archangels, by the Cherubim and Seraphim, when they con-
tinually address Him, as "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God."
Since the old law was full of ordinances for ceremonial
purification, and for the renewal of purity, the new dispensa-
tion might well open with a new rite for spiritual cleansing as
contained in the sacrament of Christian baptism.

It is almost superfluous to say that all these lessons and
means of purification were only typical ; but surely a type is not
meaningless ; it does not stand alone, inasmuch as it points to
some great reality ; and every form of purification by water is
symbolic of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

All ordinances of the Law, and their variations, were
expedients to atone for sin, and to cleanse the sinner ; and they
prefigured the one great offering of Himself for sin, which the
Lord Jesus Christ completed upon the Cross, for the
redemption and sanctification of mankind, which glorious
antitype gives validity to all previous types and shadows.

The Baptism of Water. 183

CHAPTER XXII.

THE BAPTISM OF WATER.

ANALYSIS : Water an original and beautiful creation. Its associations : life,
growth, cleansing, refreshment. The Flood, earth's baptism of water.
Relation of blood and water. The ancient symbol of fish in con-
nection with our Lord and the Baptized.

WHAT a marvellous work of God is water! It is the
conception and act of the creative mind ; it is a thing of
loveliness, a drop from the fountain of uncreated beauty, and
it is the oldest of material things. It shall last for ever, for
though in the new earth, there shall be no more sea, vet shall
there be a river, "the streams whereof shall make glad the Psa. xl\i. 4.
city of God."

Water is the gift of God, and whenever it becomes ? matter
for barter, it argues a time of drought and a condition of
suffering. Have we ever thanked God for His precious gift
of water, and praised Him for His workmanship therein ?
It is a joy in the natural world, to be thankfully hailed as a
symbolic and sacramental instrument in the spiritual world, a
channel of grace according to the mind of Him who is both
Creator and Redeemer. Water is truly a bountiful creation,
and in it we are enabled to represent the spiritual truths of
Christ's death, burial, and resurrection in a dramatic form.
Precious indeed must be this element, seeing that it is John vii. 38,
honoured frequently in Holy Scripture as an appropriate type R CV xx jj , 39 "
of the Holy Spirit !

There are four simple thoughts associated with water ; they
are those of Life, Growth, Cleansing, and Refreshment.

i. The first is that of Life. Without water there would
be no life. So precious do the Arabs in Egypt regard water
that their word for it is "the gift of God." Without it man
could not exist, and life in the animal and vegetable kingdoms

184 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap. XXII.

would be extinguished. The marvellous aqueducts of the
ancients as they stretch in picturesque fragments across the
plains of Italy and Asia Minor testify how the very existence
of their great cities depended upon water. The great dam or
barrage at Assouan, will, it is believed, be the agricultural
salvation of Egypt, and is a work comparable in its magnitude
and perfection with any known work of the ancient world.

When a traveller has been journeying for days in the desert,
and is wearied with the hot sand, he rejoices to see in the
distance the crown of the palm trees, for he knows that tJiere
rest and shade will be found. Why? Because a well of water
is there, and to this, that oasis the green island in a sea of
burning sand owes its life and beauty.

Sahara is a desert of sand ; but it only needs water to
convert it into a prairie of verdure and beauty ; and travellers
have found that, by digging deep enough, springs may be
tapped even in that great and arid waste. May there not be a
moral cause for the enormous extent of sand and barrenness in
the Sahara, and in other deserts of the earth ? The writer of
the cvii. Psalm, in epitomising the works of the Lord, says
Psa. cvii. 33- " He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the water springs
into a dry ground ; a fruitful land into barrenness, for the
ivickeduess of them that dwell therein." In the next verse the
reverse side of the picture is given : " He turneth the wilder-
ness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings."
All through the Scriptures the gift of water and rain, or the
withholding of them is regarded by the Lord as His prerogative.
Besides the natural water as the support of physical life, there
are many references to water, either as a well, a fountain, or a
Jer. ii. 13. river, as symbolical of salvation, of everlasting life, and of the
Jer. xvii. 13. Holy Spirit. The Lord God is "the fountain of living waters,"
Psa. xxxvi. 9. and the Psalmist's words, " with thee is the fountain of life,"
explains what our Lord said to the woman of Samaria :
John iv. 14. " Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall
never thirst ; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him

The Baptism of Water. 185

a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Again, on

the great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried, " If any man John vii.

thirst let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on

me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

This spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him
should receive."

Metaphorically speaking, water flows like a river throughout
the whole Bible, beginning in the first chapter with the words,
" And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Gen. i. 2.
And in the very last chapter of Holy Scripture, the invitation
to drink without stint of the living water is given : " Whoso- Rev. .\.\ii. i
ever will, let him take of the water of life freely."

It would seem as if heaven itself could not exist without the
water of life, for in the revelation given to St. John, he was
shown " a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceed- Rev. .\\ii. i
ing out of the throne of God and of the Lamb."

"The sea of glass like unto crystal " abides before the throne Rev. iv. 6.
of God for ever, and its symbolism will be truly realized here-
after, for the time shall come when the tumult of the nations
shall be hushed, and they shall be no more like the sea which
casts up mire and dirt, but the nations of the saved shall be like
that tranquil crystal sea in Heaven, which represents them in
the condition of eternal quietude.

2. A second thought akin to that of life, is that of Growth.
To this the vegetable world witnesses. The seed may germin-
ate, the green blade sprout ; but if the stalk, the ear, and the
full corn in the ear are to be developed there must be the
periodic supply of water. How parched are the fields in a
drought ; and yet a few hours of rain will effect a magic change
in the colour of the landscape ! There is an illustration of this
in the vision of waters as seen by Ezekiel. In this vision there
is a vivid representation of the life-giving power of the waters
that issued from the sanctuary and came down from the right
side of the altar, forming a river, that, increasing in depth,
reached first to the ankles, then to the knees, then to the loins,

186 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap. XXII.

and finally was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not
Is. xxxv i. be passed over. Such waters cause the trees to grow, "the desert
to rejoice and blossom as the rose," and in their course bring
with them healing and fertility, beauty and life to the vegetable,
animal, and physical world.

3. The third thought connected with water is that of
Cleansing. Cleansing or washing with water is a necessity in
the natural life. In the law of Moses most minute directions
were given for personal and ceremonial cleanliness, and an old
proverb reminds us that "Cleanliness is next to Godliness." A
daily use of water would diminish the death rate in our towns ;
for the reeking dens of unwashed people are the hot-beds of
Heb. x. 22. sickness. The apostolic precept to have our " bodies washed
with pure water," occurs in the midst of most sublime doctrine.
If this were carried out by all those who, on the first day of the
week attend the House of God much more by those who
i Tim. iv. 8. come up to the Holy Table, the truth that godliness has the
promise of the life that now is, would be experienced, for there
would be an increase of health, and consequently of happiness.

Water has ever been used in acts of religious ceremonial
cleansings, and it is remarkable how washings and purifications
by water have always figured, in every religion, from the earliest
ages, and still form a part in the religious ceremonies of all
nations. This is referred to in the poems of Horace.

"The temples themselves were no doubt kept pure from
defilement in the same manner, by water, as were the worship-
pers ; for we find the Vestal Virgins daily sprinkled the
Temple of Vesta with some kind of mop (which is represented
on coins) and with water brought from the holy springs of
Egeria, or the Camnae." *

Even though instances of purification and healing by the
use of water, under the former dispensation have been quoted
in a previous chapter, yet, another case may be cited wherein
healing was effected miraculously by our Lord Himself. It is

* Smith's " Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities," page 101.

The Baptism of Water. 187

the case of the man who was born blind. Jesus, after anointing

his eyes with clay, said unto him, "Go wash in the pool of Siloam John ix. 7.

(which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his w r ay therefore,

and washed, and came seeing." When the man was asked to

give an account of his cure he replied, " A man that is called

Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go

to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, John ix. 11.

and I received sight." The making whole of the impotent man,

in the pool of Bethesda, is another example of a signal cure of John \. 2-9.

a case of infirmity of thirty-eight years standing, by the

instrumentality of water and through the obedience of faith, at

the command of the Lord. That the man's disease had its

origin in sin is evident from our Lord's last words of warning

to him : " Behold, thou art made whole : sin no more, lest a J ohn v - *4-

worse thing come unto thee."

The Jews in our Lord's time had many washings ; as, for -^ Iark v - 4-
instance the washing of cups and other vessels, which in the
Greek is called the "baptism of cups." The Lord upbraided Matt, xxiii. 25.
the Pharisees with making their cup clean on the outside, and
neglecting it within, i.e., their own spiritual cleansing.

4. A fourth thought associated with water is Refreshment
It was an ancient custom and a mark of respect to offer a
traveller, or a guest, water to wash his feet, which must have
been refreshing after a hot, dusty walk. Thus, Abraham Gen. xviii. 1-4.
offered it to the three men who came to his tent door in the
heat of the day, saying : " Let a little water I pray you be
fetched and wash your feet." Lot made the same offer to the Gen. xliii. 24.
two who came to him ; and the ruler of Joseph's house gave his

brethren water and "they washed their feet." When Simon Luke vii. 36-

44-
the Pharisee invited the Lord to eat with him in his house, he

omitted this customary mark of respect, and took exception to
the Lord's permitting the woman to wash His feet with her
tears. What infinite condescension it was for the Lord, as the
host of His disciples at the last supper, to do the work of a
servant or slave, when He washed their feet and dried them with John xiii. 3-16

i88 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap. XXII.

the towel ! After this symbolic act He said to them, " If I, your
Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash
one another's feet. For I have given you an example that ye

should do as I have done to you." The disciples then

received their baptism of water at the Lord's hands, and that
they should understand that it was not a simple washing of feet,
He put the question, " Know ye what I have done to you ? "
adding the remark, " He that is washed needeth not save to
wash his feet, but is clean every whit "; and again, "Now ye are
clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."

Another ancient Eastern custom was that of offering a
wayfarer the refreshment of water to drink. This " in hot

countries is, now as of old, one of the most binding

duties of hospitality ; so the traveller is often met with the
friendly offer of 'a cup of cold water,' accompanied by a
salutation or benediction." * To this courteous custom, the
Mark ix. 41. Lord gave His approval, when he said to His disciples, "Who-
soever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name,
because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall
not lose his reward."

These, then, are the four thoughts associated with the
element of water, Life, Growth, Cleansing, and Refreshment,
and their true application in the spiritual sphere will be
instinctively recognized.

An allusion may here be again made to the Flood as being
an example of a world-wide baptism of this earth. No doubt
in previous geologic periods there may have been universal
deluges of the earth, for the sedimentary rocks forming the
greater part of the crust of the earth, have been formed through
the agency of water, and therefore water has been one of the
great factors in the preparation of the earth. Even the giant
mountains have been carved out by ice (which is frozen water),
by the droppings of rain, by storm and mist, whilst weary
nature herself in the hot season, and especially in Southern

* " Helps to the Study of the Bible," page 102. Oxford.

The Baptism of Water. 189

climes after the heat of the tropical day, rejoices to receive her
daily evening bath of dew, which is the equivalent of the
gentle rain upon the mown grass in temperate latitudes.

Although blood and water have their separate symbolism,
yet they have ever been closely it may even be said, in-
separably linked together in the human and animal bodies,
in the sacrifices and ceremonies of the Mosaic Law, and in
Christian doctrine, for they form the basis of salvation and
baptism.

Thus, when Jesus was alive He was baptized with water at
the beginning of His ministry on earth, and with His own blood
during its closing hours, and again, when His lifeless body hung
upon the Cross ; for it also received a baptism of blood and
water as it flowed from His pierced side. As St. John is the only
one of the Evangelists who has recorded this fact in his Gospel.
it is lawful to conclude that he refers to it in his first Epistle, when
he writes as follows : " This is He that came by water and i John \. 5. S
blood, even Jesus Christ ; not by water only, but by water and

blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness

And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit,
and the water, and the blood : and these three agree in one."

Moreover the sacred blood and water that issued from His
side point plainly to the two-fold character of the Saviour's
work, viz. : that of making atonement for the sin of the world. Matt. i. 21.
by opening a fountain for sin and uncleanness, and of cleansing z.-ch. xiii. i.
His people from their sins by the power of His life-giving
Spirit.

The two-fold symbolism of the conjunction of blood
and water was the joint witness of the brazen Altar and of the
Laver ; the one testifying to cleansing by blood or atonement,
the other to cleansing by water or sanctification , to which
expression is given in the Psalms, " I will wash my hands in Psa. xxvi. 6.
innocency ; so will I compass thine altar, O Lord " ; and,
" Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean : wash me and I Psa- li. 7-
shall be whiter than snow." St. Paul joins the two together

190 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap. XXII.

Heb. x. 22. when he writes, " Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience [the action of the blood], and our bodies washed
with pure water," thus showing the truth of what has been
intimated in these chapters, that spiritually, the baptism of
'tvater is founded on the baptism of blood.

Many are the spiritual and symbolic teachings of blood
and water, as setting forth the two natures of our Lord. The
blood witnesses to the human nature of our Lord, whilst the
pure water (which would be an inappropriate symbol of flesh
or of manhood), forms an appropriate symbol of His spirit, and
thus symbolizes His Divine and human natures, united to each
other in the mystery of one Person. As already shown, blood
and water are the two pre-eminent symbols of the great
mysteries of death and life, on which the doctrine and efficacy
of Baptism rest. They also set forth the two covenants :
the older and sterner one witnessing in circumcision, and
through blood, to the Law ; whereas the new covenant, in
Baptism through water, testifies to the dispensation of the Spirit.
Moses turned water into blood, but in the Gospel the blood is,
as it were, turned into water. This is the contrast which exists
between blood and water, for blood is generally the symbol of
death (though it speaks of life also) ; and water, of life ; blood
is a type of the Law, water is that of the Gospel ; blood is a
symbol of the flesh, water is that of the Spirit.

After all that has been already said on the subject of purifi-
cations or lustrations by water, it should never be forgotten
that the water in Christian baptism owes its efficacy solely to
the sacrifice of Christ. It is not the water itself that cleanses,
but that which the w r ater symbolises, i.e., the blood of Christ,
which by the spiritual action and power of the Holy Ghost
is applied sacramentally to the heart and spirit of the baptized
person. Water has in itself no power to cleanse our spirits ;
this can only be done by something spiritual. The spoken
word is a spiritual thing ; and this through the action of the -
Holy Ghost can reach our spirits, and ^plyyto them those

The Baptism of "Water. 191

spiritual realities on which Baptism rests. The blood of Christ
is the basis of Absolution : but the spoken word of absolution
has spiritual power in the Holy Ghost. And so with reference
to the words used in Holy Baptism, to which the Apostle seems
to refer when he says, Christ gave Himself for the Church "that
he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water, by
the word."

How great cause has man to thank God for so easy and
simple a way of being engrafted into the Church, which is the
body of Christ : and that water, which is always available, is a
type of the Spirit. " Can any man forbid water, that these Acts x. 47.
should not be baptized ? " was St. Peter's question in regard to
Cornelius and his household. " See, here is water," cried
the Eunuch to Philip, as they travelled along the road, which
showed that he, in receiving the teaching of the Evangelist,
longed for immediate baptism.

The next symbol to be considered as used by the early
Church, and connected with baptism and with water, is that of
the Fish. That this is a Scriptural figure is evident from
several references to fishes in the Bible ; as, for example,
when the LORD, speaking by the mouth of the prophet
Jeremiah, concerning the rebellious Jews, says : " Behold, I j e r. x\i. 16.
will send for many fishers, and they shall fish them." Else- Hab. i. 14. i;
where, men are compared to the fishes of the sea which are
either taken with the angle, or caught in the net.

The fisVtsPalso a symbol of our Lord himself, which
deserves more particular attention, f-fbrn the various ways in
which it is applied. " It so happens that the Greek word for
fish (ichtJnis) was composed of five letters, which, separated,
stood as the initials of the words, Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
the Saviour, and became a monogram."

" Hence the fish became early an acknowledged symbol of
the Lord. /But its connection with water, the waters of baptism,
the allusion to the Apostles as " fishers of men," the
miraculous draught of fishes, always understood as significative

192 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap. XXII.

of the -success of the missionary labours of the Apostles,
rendered the fish not less the symbol of the Christian than of
his Redeemer " ; * since the Christian is saved by Christ.

Many representations of the fish are to be found in the
Catacombs at Rome, for of all early Christian symbols the fish
was the favourite and most frequent ; and moreover, a fish
was a token, or secret sign of recognition among the early
Christians, by whom it was regarded as the emblem of Chris-
tianity, and containing a special reference to Baptism.

In the Cathedral of St. Sauveur at Dinan, in Brittany, there
are two mullets sculptured on the font, of which the Abbe B.
gave the following exposition : "These fishes are intended to
convey the religious truth that, as a fish comes into the world
in water and cannot live out of that element, so the Christian is
born again of the water of baptism, and cannot otherwise live in
the new life." The date of the font is A. P. 1040.

The figure of the fish is found on gravestones more often
than on fonts, where one would have expected to find it very
frequently depicted ; but this is not the case. The ancient
baptistery of the Church of St. John at Poitiers, was excavated
in 1804. This Church was formerly the baptistery for the
entire city of Poitiers, and one of the Corinthian columns
which support its open arcade is decorated with fishes. On
the font at North Guinsten, Yorkshire, the Lord's Supper is
represented, and there are seven fishes placed on vessels, as
well as loaves of bread, with crosses marked on them. The font
at Castle Froome, Herefordshire, represents the baptism of
our Lord, and there are four fishes swimming in the water.
The angles at the top of the font of St. German's Church,
Cornwall, are ornamented with Christian emblems ; on two of
these angles, the vesica piscis is depicted.

In 1901, a small fragment of glass was found at Silchester
with a fish and a palm branch carved upon it.f

* "Symbolism," page 12. (Joseph Masters, 1856.)
t These facts were kindly supplied to the author by Pr. Alfred C. Fryer.

The Baptism of Water. 193

The earliest passage relating to Christian symbolism is from
St. Clement of Alexandria, who died about A.D. 211. Speak-
ing of Christian signet rings he says, " Let the engraving upon
your ring be a dove or a fish, and if the device represent a man
fishing, it will remind us of an Apostle and of boys saved from
water." St. Gregory of Xazianzus speaks of Martyrs as being
baptized in their blood, and of other Christians as fish, for
whom the data of baptism suffices.* ' The bronze and glass
fishes which have been found in the Catacombs, of which one
bears on its side the word svsazs [Gk. " mayst thou save ! "] are
believed to have been baptismal tesseroe."

In the Gospel narrative of the calling of two of the apostles,
it is written that the Lord, "' walking by the sea of Galilee, saw Mar. i v - i$.
Simon and Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were
fishers, and he saith unto them. Follow me, and I will make
you fishers of men." And when, after toiling all night arc L-kr . in.
taking nothing, they let down the net at the Lord's word ar.c
inclosed a great multitude of fishes, so that their net brake.
and their ships began to sink, this power manifested by :he
Lord opened the eyes of Simon Peter to his own sinfuir.ess,
for he and all that were with him were astonished at the
miraculous draught of fishes which they had taken ; but the
Lord said unto him, "Fear not from henceforth thou shalt
catch men." The Lord has also spoken of the Church under Matt, ml 47,
the figure of the draw net full of fish, both good and bad. In 4&

the earliest Christian hymn known to us, that given by Clement
of Alexandria, Christ is addressed thus :

Fisher of men, the Blest,
Out of this troubled sea,
With choicest fish good store,
Draw the net to shore.

NOTE. Some of the above references are gleaned from the late Dean Fanar's
" Christian Art," Chapter L

T94 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part III., Chap.xxill.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE BAPTISM OF BLOOD.

ANALYSIS : What is the meaning of a Baptism of Blood ?

The Church Catholic acknowledges it in the case of Martyrs. Illustrations
from the Law ; the Passover ; the Consecration of the High Priest.
Our Lord the greatest example of this Baptism. Earth's various
baptisms of Blood, in the past and in the future.

IT is so customary to associate Baptism with water, that
to mention a baptism of blood may cause surprise to some
readers; but the expression is deduced from our Lord's own
words, which will be quoted hereafter. That there are more
baptisms than that with water, is evident from the Apostle's
Heb. vi. 2. expression, "the doctrine of baptisms," which is in the
plural. Although some of the baptisms have already been
dwelt upon in detail, such as that unto Moses in the cloud and
in the sea, and the baptism of John, there are other baptisms
with the elements of water, oil, blood, and fire which demand
consideration. Still, the truth expressed in the Nicene
Creed is invariable, and must be held with tenacious faith : "I
believe in ONE BAPTISM for the remission of sins." While
Christian baptism stands alone on its pedestal, distinct from
all others, and can be administered only once, there are other
baptisms, or washings, for purifying, which may reflect light
on this central truth and cause it to shine more brightly.

The Church Catholic, and especially the Roman Branch,
has recognised two exceptional baptisms (but without
invalidating the recognition of the ONE Baptism for the
remission of sins), and these are the baptism of desire, and the
baptism of blood or of martyrdom. The baptism of desire takes
place in the case of those who, possessed of contrition, faith,
and love, desire to be baptized, and yet are unable to receive
the rite; and it has been believed that God Himself bestows
on such persons that which they cannot obtain ecclesiastically.

The Baptism of Blood. 195

In St Augustine's words, "Invisibly is that which is necessary
fulfilled, when it is not contempt for religion, but some case of
necessity which prevents baptism."*

St. Thomas Aquinas about A.D. 1258 wrote thus :

"In another way Baptism can be lacking to anyone in fact,
but not in wish, as, when one desires to be baptized, but
through some accident is cut off by death before he receives
baptism, and such an one can obtain salvation without actual
baptism because of his desire for baptism, which springs from
faith working by love, through which God sanctifies the man
within ; for His power is not tied down to visible Sacraments.''

The current belief then is that the baptism of desire is
accepted by Almighty God when the baptism of water cannot
be obtained and that faith is in this case "counted for
righteousness."

Before dwelling on the subject of the baptism of blood
or of martyrdom, it will not be inappropriate to refer to the
substance known as blood. There has from the beginning been
a peculiar sanctity about blood. One of the earliest commands
of God after the flood was one to insure the respect for human
life: "Whoso sheddeth man's blood [said the Lord], by Gen. ix. 6.
man shall his blood be shed : for in the image of God made
he man." The Lord has declared that the shedding of
innocent blood polluted a land, that He would make
inquisition for it, and that one day "the earth also shall disclose isa. xxvi. 21.
her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." " He will avenge Deut.xxxii.43
the blood of his servants," is a recurrent declaration by the Lord
God in Scripture ; and of the poor and needy it is written that
" precious shall their blood be in his sight." Blood, the shedding Psa. bum. 14.
of which is symbolical of death, is also a symbol of life\ for the
Scripture says, "The life of all flesh is the blood thereof; all the Lev. xvii. 10-
blood of it is for the life thereof." For this reason the Jews were
forbidden by the Lord to eat the blood ; and when they caught
any animal or fowl out hunting, they were to pour its blood Deut. rii. 23,
* " Holy Baptism." Darwefl Stone, page 112.

i9 6 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap. XXIII.

Lev. xvii. 13. upon the ground, and to "cover it with dust." But they were
not to deal thus with the blood of the sacrificial offerings, for

Lev. xvii. u. of this the Lord said: "I have given it to you upon the altar
to make an atonement for your souls : for it is the blood that
maketh an atonement for the soul."

Among the savage tribes of Africa there is no greater bond
of union than that which is effected by mixing one another's
blood, forming what is called "a brotherhood of blood."

As regards the baptism of blood, or martyrdom, Mr. Darwell
Stone writes thus : "The writers of the Church have commonly
recognised two classes of exceptions to the necessity of
receiving the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. The first class
of exceptions is in the case of those who suffer martyrdom for
Christ. They, it has been thought, are baptized in their own
blood; and the general sense of Christendom, has been well
expressed by Richard Hooker's words: 'To think that a man,
whose baptism the crown of martyrdom preventeth, doth lose
in that case the happiness which so many thousands enjoy, that
only have had the grace to believe, and not the honour to seal
the testimony thereof with death, were almost barbarous.' " 5

In the case of a heathen man, or of a proselyte, who, like
Cornelius, was in heart and soul converted and a believer in
Jesus Christ, but who, from circumstances had not been
baptized, if he were called upon to testify to his faith and to
suffer death for the same, might not this be rightly called a
baptism of blood ? The following note on this subject is taken
from Mr. Stone's book on " Holy Baptism " (page 259).

"A Catechumen who had been taken prisoner and brought
to martyrdom and put to death before he had received baptism,
is to be buried with the other martyrs, for he has been baptized
in his own blood. "f

*" Holy Baptism." Darwell Stone, page 112.

t Hooker, "Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity," V. Ix. 5. Cf. e.g. Canons of
Hippolytus, canon xix. IOL; Tertullian, De Bapt. 16 ; St. Cyprian,
Ep. Ixxiii. 21 ; St. Thomas Aquinas, S.T. III., Ixvi. II-I2, Ixviii. 2.

The Baptism of Blood. 197

St. Cyril of Jerusalem said, "If any one receiveth not
baptism, he has not salvation ; Martyrs only excepted, who even
without the water attain to the Kingdom."

Who can gauge how much the Church owes to those who
in faith and patience have endured this terrible baptism of
blood! In praising God in the Te Deum we sing: "The
noble army of martyrs praise Thee " ; though probably we
cannot form the slightest conception of the magnitude of that
army, nor of the sufferings which they endured.

Alas ! how soon did the earth receive the first droppings
of her baptism of blood, when Adam's firstborn murdered his
brother. Righteous Abel is honoured as the protomartyr of
all the saints of God on earth, for he was the first to receive a
baptism of blood ; and the Lord meted out His punishment
to Cain in these words : "What hast thou done ? The voice Gen.iv. 10. u.
of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground ; and
now art thou cursed from the earth, w r hich hath opened her
mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand." From
the time of Abel, unto that of Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, 2 Chr. xxiv.
even among God's covenanted people, thousands perished in
like manner, as martyrs to the truth. In short, Jerusalem
was filled with innocent blood by King Manasseh, and it is 2Kingsxxi.i6
called by the prophets " the bloody city " ; and when up- Ezek. xxii. 2.
braiding the Scribes and Pharisees, our Lord said to them on
this very subject: "Wherefore, behold, I send unto you Matt, xxiii. 34-
prophets, and wise men, and scribes : and some of them ye 36 '

shall kill and crucify ; and some of them shall ye scourge in
your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city :
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon
the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of
Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple
and the altar."

In every age men have laid down their lives for their faith,
or have met their death at the hands of wicked persecutors.
The Mosaic dispensation closed with the martyrdom of John

i9 8 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XXIll.

the Baptist, and also with the crucifixion of the Messiah by
unbelieving Jews ; and this dispensation has been ennobled by
saints who have endured the most cruel tortures and the most
lingering, horrible deaths rather than deny the faith. Universal
honour has ever been paid to Stephen, who is the proto-
martyr of the Christian Church. Since his martyrdom,
millions have perished under this terrible baptism of blood,
not only at the hands of the heathen, but within the fold of
the Church herself slain like Abel, by the hands of brethren,
and many under the aegis of the so-called " Holy Inquisition."
Besides the Christian martyrs of the first three centuries, those
of the middle ages and of the Reformation era, and those
Protestant martyrs of the XVII. and XVIII. centuries in France,
there are also some who have perished even in the enlightened
XIX. century. All these having received their baptism of
blood, form part of that noble army which at the resurrection
shall wave their palms of victory before the throne of the
Lamb, by whose blood they overcame the accuser ; and who,
see Acts xx. 24. like St. Paul, counted not their lives dear unto themselves,
that they might finish their course with joy, and glorify their
Saviour.

The baptism of blood was not unknown among the types
and shadows of the law of Moses. The first in point of time
was the Feast of the Passover, connected with the death of
the firstborn of Egypt.

The inauguration of the Passover is an example of what may
be called a baptism of blood. In the evening preceding the
day on which Israel left Egypt, the lamb was slain inside each
particular house. The blood was caught in a basin ; and then
saturating the bunch of hyssop which was dipped into it, it was
sprinkled on the lintel and two side posts of the door, but not
on the threshold, where it would have been trodden under foot.
The family was, as it were, covered with sacrificial blood, upon
seeing which the destroying angel passed over the house, and
Exod. xii. i-,. the firstborn was not slain. The Lord said, "When I see the

The Baptism of Blood.

199

blood, I will pass over you." There was a double baptism of
blood in Egypt that night : the one, of Israel, unto life ; the
other, of the Egyptians, unto death.

The consecration of the Jewish High Priest is also
suggestive. Therein is represented in a symbolic manner,
what may be termed a baptism of blood, for after the High
Priest had received a bath of water, he received symbolically a
bath of blood. The ram of consecration was slain; and Moses
took its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron's right ear, and
upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of
his right foot, and the same was done when the priests,
Aaron's sons, were consecrated to their office. This figurative
bath of blood set forth the doctrine that the li'/wle man
body, soul, and spirit must be cleansed by blood, although
only three organs of the body had been selected to represent
the man from head to foot.

This w r as in effect a symbolic bath of blood ; a bath which
could not with facility or propriety be literally administered
to any living man.*

The children of Israel were eye-witnesses of a daily baptism
of blood under the Mosaic law, for the brazen Altar in the court
of the Tabernacle as the medium for sacrifice whether of sin-
offering for atonement, of burnt offering, or other voluntary-
offerings was bathed in blood at least twice daily, when its
surface and its horns were covered with that of the morning
and evening lambs, which Israel was commanded by the Lord
to offer "day by day" continually. And many other times in
the year did the Altar receive in addition to the daily sprinkling,
a baptism of blood when a special sin-offering was brought, and
most of the blood was poured out at the bottom of the Altar.

* It might well be thought that a bath of blood was not only revolting
and impracticable, but also a thing unknown. Dr. Bright, however, in his
" History of the Church, from the Edict of Milan A.D. 313 to the Council of
Chalcedon A.D. 451," page no, mentions the blasphemous fact that Julian the
apostate sought to efface his Christian Baptism in this manner : ' ' Then it was
that he ' washed off the laver ' of Baptism by a hideous immersion in bull's blood."
The Ritual of the Taurobolia, Prudent Peristeph, 10. See Trench Hulsean
Lectures, page 224.

Lev. viii. 22,
24.

Exod. xxix. 38-
42.

Numb, xxviii
3-8.

Lev. iv. 4-7,
Lev. v. 9.

200 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IlI.,Chap.XXIII.

Thus the earth also, incidentally, received a baptism of the

blood of atonement, and not the earth only, but also

representatively its vegetable and mineral products, for the

Lev. xvi. 14, brazen Altar was made of Shittim wood covered with brass. The

mercy-seat itself was sprinkled, or baptized with blood once a

year when the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies.

Heb. ix 22. "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood ; and

without shedding of blood is no remission." This is the first

step by which God permits man to draw near to Himself.

But the most awe-inspiring example of a baptism of blood
is afforded to us by the Lord Himself; though His is not a
parallel case to that of the Martyrs. They died, rather than
renounce their faith in Him, as their divine Redeemer; and
they, as it appeared to the world, benefited few persons by
their sufferings for Christ's sake. He, on the contrary, came
down from heaven, of His own free will, to redeem mankind
and to shed His precious blood for the sins of the whole world.
Luke xii. 50. His own words are, " But I have a baptism to be baptized
with; and how am I straitened [pained, margin] till it be
accomplished ! " From this it may be gathered that there was
something special about this baptism of our Lord which at
that date He evidently had not received; nor would it be a
baptism of water like that of John, which He had received,
but it would be one most difficult to be borne, being that of
suffering, and of self-sacrifice. As this had not yet taken place,
and w r as still in the future, and as in the context of the kindred
passages in Matt. xx. and Mark x., He speaks plainly of His
forthcoming sufferings and death, this term can be applied only
to His agony and bloody sweat, and to His crucifixion : where-
fore, for this figure of baptism to be verified, it could be none
other than a baptism of blood. The expression denoted the
Lord's foreknowledge of His awful and overwhelming sufferings
in which He would be, as it were, baptismally immersed,
and which out of perfect love, He set His face steadfastly
to endure.

The Baptism of Blood, 201

The question may be asked, How and when did our Lord
receive what might be called His baptism of blood ? His
whole life was a life of suffering, and His footsteps were traced
by blood from His cradle to the Cross. Being circumcised on
the eighth day His spotless blood was shed at the commence-
ment of His life, according to the law which He came to
fulfil on behalf of man, and this was prevenient to His atoning
and sacrificial work upon the Cross. After this rite there is no
mention of any shedding of blood until His agony in the
garden of Gethsemane, of which the account is so solemn, that
in holy awe, it can only be narrated in the words of the
Evangelist : " And He was withdrawn from them about a Luke xxii. 41-
stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father,
if thou be willing, remove this cup from me ; nevertheless not
my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel
unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an
agony he prayed more earnestly ; and his sweat was as it
were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."*

May it not be said that somewhat of this agony was laid
prophetically upon the spirit of the Psalmist, and is portrayed
by him when he gives expression to overwhelming conflict and
sorrow in some of the Psalms ? For instance : " Reproach p^. \ x :^ ra
hath broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness : I looked for
some to take pity, but there was none ; and for comforters, but
I found none." St. Matthew records that on reaching Geth-
semane Jesus " began to be sorrowful and very heavy," and Matt sxvi. 37
said to His disciples " My soul is exceeding sorrowful even
unto death : tarry ye here and watch with me." But when He
came to His disciples for pity and comfort, He found them
asleep ! How plaintive is His question, " What, could ye not
watch with me one hour?" A second time during His great
conflict the Lord went to His three chosen Apostles, with the
same result, so that Jesus was forced to drink His bitter cup

* There are said to be two historic cases on record of a bloody sweat, one of
which was a King of France.

202 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XXIH.

down to the dregs, in utter loneliness, and without a drop
of human sympathy or comfort. Again, the Psalmist says,

Psa. xxxviii. 4. " Mine iniquities are gone over mine head : as an heavy burden

they are too heavy for me." Jesus Christ had given Himself

i John ii. 2. to be the propitiation for "the sins of the whole world," and the

Isa. liii. 5, 6. Lord "laid on Him the iniquity of us all," or as in the margin,
"made the iniquity of us all to meet on Him." "He was
tormented [margin] for our transgressions : He was bruised
for our iniquities" bruised in spirit and body. Well might
Heb. v. 7. that holy Son of God and man offer up " prayers and supplica-
tions with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to

Psa. Ixix. 1,2. save him from death," in such words as these : "Save me, O
God ; for the waters are come in unto my soul ; I sink in deep
mire where there is no standing : I am come into deep waters,

Psa. Ixix. 15, where the floods overflow me. Let not the waterflood over-
flow me and let not the pit shut her mouth upon

17,21. me." "I am ready to halt." "Forsake me not, O

PSa ' 53?i43.' Lord: " " M y sou l melteth for heaviness." "Horror

hath taken hold upon me." "Trouble and anguish

Psa. cxliii. 3, have taken hold upon me." "The enemy hath per-

7 ' secuted my soul ; he hath smitten my life down to the ground.
Hear me speedily, O Lord : my spirit faileth : hide not
thy face from me." In that dark hour the soul of Jesus
must have encountered the fierce assaults of man's arch-
enemy, who would again seek to turn the Lord aside from
laying down His life for the redemption of sinful man.

What a picture these few out of many passages from the
Psalms give of the mental and spiritual agony that our Lord
underwent, when, as yet untouched by the hand of man, or by
the scourge, or nails, He was bathed in blood, which actually
dropped on to the ground, so that the earth itself which
had been cursed because of man's sin received a baptism of
water and blood in the precious hallowing by the tears and
blood of Jesus, the Son of God incarnate! Jesus was bearing

see Heb. xii. 4. the whole weight of the sins of the world; He was "resisting

The Baptism of Blood* 203

unto blood." Truly the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane

was a baptism of blood ! It was "the blood of sprinkling that Heb. xii. 24.

speaketh better things than the blood of Abel" : for Abel's blood

cried to God from the ground for avengement ; but the blood

of Christ, as it dropped from His wounds pleaded for forgiveness.

His cry, uttered upon the cross, is still the same on the

throne: "Father, forgive them."

After this came the cruel scourging which He received at
the hands of the Roman soldiers with the permission of the
governor Pontius Pilate. What the ancient authors have
written concerning this lash, loaded with iron, fills the mind
with horror, even as when we read of the infliction of the
knout in Russia.

Then there was the mockery of the crown of thorns, driven
into His sacred forehead by the reed or the rod.

And finally the Lord was nailed to the Cross, probably in
His case by His feet, as well as by His hands. The feet were
notalways nailed, but in the Psalms David exclaims prophetically,
"They pierced my hands and my feet." Hence, for the six hours Psa. xxii. 16.
during which the Lord hung upon the cross, blood would be
dripping or oozing from His forehead and His back, from His
hands, and from His feet.

This formed His real baptism a baptism unto death a
death by crucifixion that great antitype of which Christian
baptism is the symbol and the sacrament.

The incident of the request of the sons of Zebedee is
interesting in connection with the Lord's baptism unto
death. James and John asked to sit on the Lord's right
hand and oh His left in His glory, "But Jesus said unto Mark x. 38,
them, Ye know not what ye ask : can ye drink of the cup that
I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am
baptized with? And they said unto Him, we can. And Jesus
said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink
of; and w r ith the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye
be baptized."

204 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.xxm

The Lord knew that His baptism would involve their
martyrdom, but they did not know it, and so He gently asks
them, " Have ye the courage, the patience, to undergo the
baptism that I am baptized with ? But ye are not in the
position in which I am, as the Son of God incarnate to make
an atonement for the sins of the world by my death." The
Lord might well say "Ye know not what ye ask," for this
special glory for which they asked was the reward of special
suffering. They, in their ignorance and self-seeking did not
understand all this when they rashly said, " We can " ; but the
Lord replied to them that they should be made partakers of
His sufferings, and should in their martyrdom share, in a
measure, His baptism of blood, and receive at the hands of
His Father their reward in His kingdom. On another
Luke vi. 40. occasion He had said to them : "The disciple is not above His
Master : but everyone shall be perfected as his Master" (margin).
Heb. ii. 10. The Master was made "perfect through sufferings" ; and after
Acts v. 41. His ascension it is written that His Apostles rejoiced "that they
were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name," which
i Peter iv. 13. adds force to St. Peter's injunction : " Rejoice, inasmuch as ye
are partakers of Christ's sufferings." At the close of his

1 Peter v. 10. first epistle St. Peter prays thus : "The God of all grace, who

hath called us unto his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after that

ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect " Suffering

prepares for glory ; and the baptism of blood, for the eternal

2 Tim. ii. 12. diadem of beauty, even as St. Paul says: "If we suffer, we

shall also reign with him."

This subject has a further application also to the earth.
Owing to the sins of the inhabitants it received its great
baptism of water at the time of the flood ; but as the trans-
gression of its inhabitants lies increasingly heavy upon the
earth, and as the Lord has sworn He would no more destroy
the earth by water, the next world-wide baptism which it must
undergo will be one of blood, to which there are many allusions
in the prophetic books of Holy Scripture. This great shedding

The Baptism of Blood. 205

of blood, though expressed in figurative language, and though
true in a modified sense of what has often taken place, will be
fulfilled on a much larger scale at the end of this dispensation.

The Psalmist mourns because of the slaughter of the saints :
" Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem." Psa. Ixxix. 3.
It is written that " the Lord cometh out of His place to punish isa. xxvi. 21.
the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity : the earth also
shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain."
Likewise the Lord has said to Egypt (the prophetic type of
the flesh) : " I will also water with thy blood the land wherein Ezek. xxxii. t>.
thou swimmest, even to the mountains." In the book of the
Revelation we are told that "Babylon the Great, the Mother Rev xvii. 5,6.
of Harlots " will be " drunken with the blood of the saints, and
with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." These passages are
quoted to show that the prospect of the earth receiving a
baptism of blood is revealed in Scripture as a warning to her
inhabitants. When speaking of the latter days, and of " men's
hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things
which are coming on the earth," the Lord ends up His Luke xxi - 25-
prophecy as follows : " Watch ye therefore, and pray always
that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things
that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man."

But it will be said, Do not these prophecies refer to what
has already oftentimes occurred ? Has not the earth been
frequently reddened with man's blood ? Thousands of acres in
Europe have been dyed red ; many rivers like the Tiber, the
Seine, or the Loire have been deeply tinged with human
blood. After the twenty-seven sieges which Jerusalem has
undergone may not every stone of that city have its crimson
stain ? It is said that the Crusaders, at the capture of
Jerusalem by Godfrey de Bouillon, waded to the Holy
Sepulchre knee deep in the blood of the slain ; also that the
gutters of Paris literally ran with blood in the days of the great

Revolution. True: but nevertheless it is prophesied in the Isa. xxxiv. 1-8

Ezek. xxxvin.
Word of God that in the days of Antichrist and in the times of 22.

206 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IlI.,Chap.XXIII.

Gog and Magog-, the baptism of the earth with blood will be
on a most extended and colossal scale. When the inhabitants
of the earth shall have received their baptism of blood, they
will then be purified for the millennial reign of the Prince of
Peace.

There is a final and terrible Baptism of Blood that the
earth shall receive, which will not be for purification, but for
judgment without mercy, and for the perdition of ungodly men,

Rev. xiv. 18- when the angel with the sharp sickle will gather " the clusters

20 - of the vine of the earth ; and cast it into the great

winepress of the wrath of God, and the winepress was trodden
without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even
unto the horses' bridles by the space of a thousand and six
hundred furlongs." The prophet Isaiah foretold this day of

Isa.xxxiv. 1-8. vengeance: "Let the earth hear and all that is therein

For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations

Their slain shall be cast out and the mountains shall be

melted with their blood .... The sword of the Lord is filled
with blood .... for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and
a great slaughter in the land of Idumea .... and their land
shall be soaked with blood. For it is the day of the Lord's
vengeance." Fifteen years later, Isaiah apparently sees this

Isa. Ixiii. 1-5. again in vision, when he puts the question : " Who is this that
cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?" He is
answered by the Lord: "I that speak in righteousness, mighty
to save." The prophet further asks: "Wherefore art thou red
in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in
the winefat?" And he receives this reply, " I have trodden the
winepress alone ; and of the people there was none with me :
for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my
fury ; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments,
and I will stain all my raiments. For the day of vengeance is
in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I
will tread down the people in mine anger." On this occasion
the Lord's apparel will not be stained with His own blood as

The Baptism of Blood. 207

when He suffered for man, but with that of His enemies, and

of every one M who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, Heb. x. 29.

and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith He

was sanctified an unholy thing." The people who have

despised the baptism of the holy blood of atonement of Him

who is " mighty to save " will then be baptized with their own

blood in the day of the Lord's vengeance.

It is foretold that "the righteous shall rejoice when he p^ j^ 1<x
seeth the vengeance ; he shall wash his feet in the blood of
the wicked." At first sight this seems to depict a cruelty of
feeling incompatible with the character of the righteous : but
just because they are righteous, they rejoice in the manifestation
of God's righteous and infallible justice. It is written in the
book of the Revelation that when one of the seven angels, to
whom it was given to "pour out the vials of the wrath of Ri ,. x ,_- l
God upon the earth," "poured out his vial upon the rivers and
fountains of waters, and they became blood," the angel of the

waters said : "Thou art righteous, O Lord because

thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of
saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink."
After the judgments poured out on Christendom, St. John
" heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying Rev ^ , 2

Alleluia ; salvation and glory unto the Lord our God :

for true and righteous are his judgments : for he hath

avenged the blood of his sen-ants." St. John then saw heaven R C V. xa. n-

opened, and the Lord in His glory, sitting upon a white horse

and leading forth the armies of heaven, also upon white horses ;

and He " was called Faithful and True," for " in righteousness

he doth judge and make war. And he was clothed in a vesture

dipped in blood : and his name is called The Word of God

and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and

wrath of Almighty God." It may appear strange that with
Him, even then, there should be an association of a baptism of
blood, and that His royal vesture should be described as
" dipped in blood " : but this speaks of His triumph and

208 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XXlll.

Rev.xiv.i4-2o. vengeance, and not of His suffering and death. There will be
the vintage of the earth whtn God pours out His wrath on the
incorrigibly impenitent, even as there will be a harvest to gather
the righteous into the Lord's garner.

Before the earth is finally purified by fire it will have had a
fourfold baptism of blood : first, through the unrighteous
shedding of blood by the wicked ; secondly, with the sanctifying
blood of atonement of the various sacrificial offerings during
the Mosaic dispensation, which culminated in the precious
bloodshed of the Lamb of God ; thirdly, by the blood of the
saints and martyrs for the faith of Christ ; fourthly, in the
righteous judgment of God upon the ungodly who have cor-
rupted the earth.

When, in metaphorical language, the word of God speaks of

the saints as being washed in the blood of the Lamb, this is

none other than a baptism of blood unto life for purification ;

Rev. vii. 14. which the great multitude will receive when they come out of

the great tribulation, and wash their robes, and make them

"white in the blood of the Lamb." With what thankful hearts

should we not praise God, that the prophecy of Zechariah has

Zech. xiii. i. been fulfilled, and that there is "a fountain opened for sin and

for uncleanness" in which all may be washed by faith, and come

i John i. 7. forth clean, through the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanseth

us from all sin.

Lev. viii. 12, There is a baptism of oil which is connected in the Law

with a baptism of blood ; but to this reference will be made

later in considering the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

There is a fountain fill'd with 1 blood,
Drawn from Emmanuel's veins ;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood

Shall never lose its power,
Till all the ransom'd Church of God

Be saved to sin no more.

Camper,

The Baptism of Fire. 209

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE BAPTISM OF FIRE.

ANALYSIS : The prophecy of John the Baptist of a Baptism of Fire.
Fire, a symbol of the Holy Ghost.
Illustrations from Scripture : the burning bush ;
Consecration of the Tabernacle and of the Temple ;
The three Children in the furnace.
The descent of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost. Fire the great

instrument of purification. The earth shall receive its fina'

baptism of fire.

SELDOM do we pause to apprehend n hat fire is, and iL'/tai
is its origin, except in its superficial or scientific aspect--.
though even a child can tell us what it is. in its concrete form.
But fully to understand what the Baptism of Fire means, the
subject of fire and its origin must be considered.

Combustion, or the burning up of substances, is the essential
fact which lies at the basis of the visible phenomenon tha: we
designate as " fire." But heat is not its only element, for fire
is always attended with light, which may be red in its appear-
ance, with, or without white, yellow, and blue flames.
Fire and light are therefore linked together. Then what is
light? Shortly defined, light is "the form of radiant energy
thai acts on the retina of the eye, and renders visible the
objects from which it comes." A powerful light may even
have the appearance of fire, and may be made so intensely
brilliant that it cannot be gazed upon. The natural qualities
and effects of fire, besides light, are heat, purification, whole-
some, as also terrible, destruction.

Bearing in mind these characteristics of fire and light, with
what force do they illumine the revelation which God has
given of Himself in Holy Scripture " Our God is a con- Heb. *ii 29.
surning fire " ; *' God is light." When the Lord Jesus was , j^ ^ 5
transfigured before His Apostles, " His face did shine as the Matt. *vii. 2.

210 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap. XXIV.

sun, and his raiment was white as the light" ; and when in his
vision at Patmos St John saw the glorified Person of the
Rev. i. 13-17. Lord, whose eyes were as a flame of fire : whose feet were
like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace ; and whose
countenance was as the sun shining in his strength, he was so
overwhelmed with the Lord's glory that he " fell at his feet,
as one dead."

Is it therefore surprising that there should be a baptism of
fire to be poured upon all flesh, and also upon the earth,
in due time? No man of himself could have imagined such
a thing. It is a purpose proceeding from the mind and will
of God. It was mentioned in Scripture as a matter of
revelation before it became a distinct prophecy by John the
Luke iii. 16. Baptist concerning the Messiah. " I indeed baptize you with
water, but .... he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost
and with fire." Though our Lord when on earth, never
promised His apostles a baptism of fire, yet after His resur-
Acts i. 5. rection He said, "Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost
not many days hence " ; and this took place shortly afterwards
on the day of Pentecost, with the symbol of cloven tongues as
of fire. These showed that the baptism of fire was linked with
the gift of the Holy Ghost. The recognized emblems of the
Spirit are water, oil, fire, and wind. From all ages fire has
always been held to be a suitable emblem of divinity, and was
regarded as such by the heathen.

There is a perfect analogy between the natural and spiritual
effects of fire, which in its spiritual quality, in its beauty, in its
purifying power, in its devouring and consuming character, is an
apt emblem of the nature of God. Fire in its spiritual aspect,
also represents that burning love which destroys the dross
of SELF in the soul, and leads the worshipper to offer himself
freely to God as the whole burnt-offering upon the altar of
dedication and sacrifice.

The baptism of fire is related to the baptisms of blood and
of water, as seen in the symbolism of the Mosaic Tabernacle,

The Baptism of Fire. 211

or the brazen Altar testified to a baptism of blood and of fire ;
the Laver to a baptism of water ; and the Holy of Holies to a
baptism of fire, when the bright effulgence of the Shekinah,
which dwelt between the Cherubim, filled the Sanctuary with
unapproachable glory. These three baptisms are parts of one
whole ; they are a unity in Christ Jesus, and the baptism of
water, based on that of His precious blood, when rightly
received, leads on to the baptism of the fire of the Holy Ghost.
Each dispensation the Patriarchal, the Mosaic, and the
Christian has been characterised by a baptism of water. The
dispensation of the Law began and closed with a baptism of
water ; whereas the Christian era which began with a baptism Acts iL 1-4.
of fire in love and mercy, when at Pentecost the Apostles
were filled with the Holy Ghost, will also close with a baptism of
fire in flaming judgment. (See 2 Pet iii. 5-7. 2 Thess. i. 7-9.)

There are many examples in Holy Scripture which illustrate
the baptism of fire. The first is the miracle of the burning
bush, " The angel of the Lord appeared unto him [Moses' out ExcxL iii. 2. 3,
of the midst of the bush ; and he looked, and, behold, the bush
burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And
Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why
the bush is not burned." It was a visible token of the presence
of God, and Moses was bidden to put off his shoes from off
his feet in token of the sanctity of the spot and of reverence for
that Holy Presence. The bush was in a blaze through this
baptism of fire, yet was it unconsumed. Further, in the
blessing which Moses gives to Joseph he blesses him in the
name of Him " that dwelt in the bush." D**- *-

The brazen Altar witnessed to a baptism of fire, for the fire Le V . LL 24.
which came down from heaven to consume the first sacrifice of
burnt-offering that was laid upon the Altar was a token of its
acceptance. Once given, the fire was never to be allowed to
expire, but when the camp was moved during the journeyings Lev. vi 12, 13.
of the Israelites, the hot coals from off the altar were carefully
removed and kept alight in the fire-pan. On the brazen Altar

2i2 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [PartIII.,Chap.XXIV.

the burnt-offerings were daily sacrificed and consumed by the
fire which had been thus lighted from heaven in token of God's
acceptance of Israel and of their sacrifices. (See also I Kings
xviii. 24, 38 ; I Chron. xxi. 26, for examples of the divine
acceptance of sacrifice by fire.) When Israel was baptized
unto Moses in the cloud the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by
night their camp at night was illuminated by its effulgence ;
thus Israel was continually reminded of the guiding, protecting
presence of their God by this baptism of fiery light.

A beautiful idea of the baptism of fire is suggested by
the consecration of God's sanctuaries the Tabernacle in the
wilderness, and the Temple at Jerusalem as described in Holy
Scripture. They were the dwelling-places of God, and by this
fire from heaven God took visible possession of His house.
The account of the first of these and of its consecration is
given in Exodus xl. The furniture had been made according

Exod. xl. 34, to the divine pattern and set in order in its place. " Then a
cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of
the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to
enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode
thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." In
this case, had Moses been able to enter he would have been
baptized with fire. After his communion with God during his
sojourn on the mount for forty days, the skin of Moses' face
shone so brightly that the children of Israel could not behold
the glory of his countenance, and in speaking to them he was

Exod. xxxiv. obliged to put a vail over his face. Perhaps this was simply a

reflected light from the glory of God, and not that inner light

from God dwelling in him, such as would shine forth out of the

spirit, soul, and body of a glorified man, raised from the dead.

The dazzling glory of the Lord was seen at the dedication

2 Chr. v. 13, of Solomon's Temple. When the trumpeters and singers

I4> praised the Lord for His goodness and mercy, the house of

the Lord was filled with a cloud, " so that the priests could

not stand to minister by reason of the cloud ; for the glory of

The Baptism of Fire. 213

the Lord had filled the house of God." Then Soloman, stand-
ing before the Altar, offered up his prayer of dedication to God.
" When Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came 2 Chr. vii. i
down from heaven, and consumed the burnt-offering and the
sacrifices ; and the glory of the Lord filled the house."

Thus, when the Lord entered His house, and filled it with
His glory, the temple was hallowed with its baptism of fire.

This Shekinah was one of the five glories of this temple
which were lacking in the second temple, that of Zerubbabel,
and still more so in the third, re-built by Herod, which did
not receive their baptism of fire, for the glory of the Lord did
not enter them manifestly to consecrate them as in the case of the
Tabernacle, and of Solomon's temple. There could be no Sheki-
nah, for the ark with its mercy-seat, and the Cherubim between
which the Lord had promised to dwell, were no longer there.

Most interesting is the account of the return of the glory
of the Lord to the temple, as shown in vision to the prophet
Ezekiel when "the glory of the God of Israel came from the Ezek. xliii. 2-4.
way of the east," from the Mount of Olives. The prophet had
beheld its departure, driven away in stages by the sins of the
covenanted people ; it had lingered on the threshold, it had
hovered in the midst of the city, it had crossed the valley, and,
as a stranger, tarried awhile on the Mount of Olives. But on
the day of restoration, it retraced its steps and entered the
court of the temple by the east gate, when the visible glory
filled the house, in token of the return of the merciful Lord,
and of His Presence in the inner shrine, wherein were the
living embodiments of the ancient Cherubim.

The description of the vision of the divine glory, as
recorded by Ezekiel in the first chapter of his prophecy, is full
of spiritual symbolism. The action of fire is prominent
throughout this exquisite representation of the beauty, glory,
and majesty of the Lord. The four living creatures are seen
in the midst of the fire, the brightness of which is as the colour
of amber ; " the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth Ezek i. 4> 13.

214 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XXIV.

lightning, in which the cherubim shone, having the appearance
of burning coals of fire."

Conspicuous is the appearance of the man, sitting on the
sapphire throne above the firmament, and who is thus described

Ezek. i. 26-27. by the prophet : " Upon the likeness of the throne was the
likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw
as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about
within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and
from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it
were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about."
It is to no purpose to say that this is a vision, and not a
substantial reality. The visions that God gives are representa-
tions of realities as yet unknown to men ; but the reality in the
kingdom of God will exceed any previous vision which He has
granted of His coming glory.

The translation of Elijah affords another illustration of the

2 Kings ii. ii, action of fire. Whilst Elijah was talking with Elisha "there
appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them
both asunder ; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven."
He was then probably changed from mortal to immortal flesh,
for, being baptized with fire be would be transfigured in the
" chariot of Israel," as it was called by Elisha.

Dan. Hi. 19-28. The instance of the three children, Shadrach, Meshach,

and Abednego, furnishes a beautiful illustration of a baptism
of fire, wherein, even in this present mortal condition, they
remained unscathed, through the triumph of their faith in the
power of God. They were bound and cast alive into the
burning fiery furnace, which was heated seven times more
than it was wont to be heated ; they were seen by the king,
loose, and walking in the midst of the fire, accompanied by a
fourth, whose form was like the Son of God. Although
literally bathed in fire, it had had no power over their bodies,
neither was a hair of their head singed when they came forth,
because they believed in their God.
Dan. x. 5, 6. Daniel also records a vision in which he saw a man, whose

The Baptism of Fire. 215

" body was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of
lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his
feet like in colour to polished brass " ; in short, who exhibited
all the glorious marks of a baptism of fire.

Referring again to the phenomenon manifested on the day
of Pentecost, when according to the Lord's promise, the Holy
Ghost descended from heaven, it is probable that the Apostles
had not expected the accompaniment of fire, for they knew
that John had seen " the Spirit of God descending like a dove. Matt. UL 16.
and lighting upon " Jesus at His baptism. When the Apostles
were gathered together, " suddenly there came a sound from Acts ii. 2, 3. 4
heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house
where they were sitting." In this they were, so to speak, im-
mersed bodily, but in addition " there appeared to them cloven
tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they
were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with
other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." This is a
literal fulfilment of John's prediction concerning the baptism
which the Lord would bestow, for when thus baptized with
the Holy Ghost, the twelve Apostles were also baptized with
fire ; and it rested on their heads, as on their best member,
and as the crown or equivalent of their whole bodies. In their
case this plenary baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire
embraced all the spiritual grace that was subsequently present,
in all other ordinances of the Church as her down-. The
sound of the rushing mighty wind on this occasion should
not be overlooked, for wind is one of the well-known symbols
of the Holy Ghost. If such glory could be seen in mortal
men, what shall it be when the saints shall be changed to be
like the Lord at His appearing, full of His spirit and glory,
mortality being then swallowed up of life ?

The Lord Jesus Christ is the brightness of the Father's
glory : and the glimpse of eternal glory burst forth from Him
even through the veil of mortal flesh on the mount of trans-
figuration. " He was transfigured [metamorp/iosed, Gk.] before Matt.

216 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XXIV.

them : and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was

Mark ix. 3. white as the light." " His raiment became shining, exceeding

Luke ix. 29. white as snow " ; " white and glistering." But this was a

short transient phase. A description of Him after His

ascension into heaven, in which this element of beauty and

Rev. i. 14-16. sublimity is not lacking, is given by the Apostle John. " His

eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass,

as if they burned in a furnace ; and his countenance was as

the sun shineth in his strength." Thus, when He revealed

Himself in His immortal, glorified manhood, the Lord Jesus

Christ manifested that he had indeed been baptized with the

Holy Ghost and with fire.

The important question that personally concerns us the

Baptized is this : May we hope to receive this baptism of fire ?

And if so, when, and how ? It will doubtless be either at, or

after our resurrection, or at our change without death at the

appearing of the Lord. It will then be no more a figure of

speech. Having now been baptized into Christ Jesus with the

Holy Ghost, we shall then be baptized with fire, and the

inner glory will be manifested with the outer glory. The

promise of God has been the great heritage of the Christian

2 Cor. vi. 16. dispensation, viz.: "Ye are the temple of the living God;

as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them."

When the Holy Ghost literally fills the Redeemed at their

resurrection, then will the glory burst out and shine forth from

Matt. xiii. 43. the shrine of their spirits. " Then shall the righteous shine

Dan. xii. 3. forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." " They

that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and

they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and

i John Hi. 2. ever." The sons of God will be like the Lord in that day of

glory, even as He, when on earth, was like unto man in the

weak and mortal form of a servant. By His exceeding grace

Heb. H. 1 1. they, whom He is " not ashamed " to call " His brethren," shall be

like Him, in the fulness of His kingly glory. Most ennobling

is the hope that our bodies shall be filled with the light of the

The Baptism of Fire. 217

holy God, and that we, if we are among the " wise " and
"righteous," shall be as suns or stars, casting light where-
ever we go. Then will the antitype of the bush burning with
fire, yet not consumed, be consummated, for the Redeemed
will be full of the Holy Ghost, yet continuing to be men still.
Their faces, like that of their Redeemer, will be as the sun ; their
bodies will be, as it were, on fire. Here the idea of a baptism
of fire is not so much that of fire descending upon them, like
on the Apostles at Pentecost, as of its bursting out from within
them, and enveloping their whole bodies. Somewhat of the
power of this baptism of fire would be manifested by them
even now, in love and purity, through the anointing of the
Holy Ghost, if the Baptised would yield themselves to His
effectual working within them, and did not resist His consuming
the flesh, with its affections and lusts.

One of the greatest effects produced by fire is that of
purification, even as gold, silver, and other metals are purified
thereby. For the preservation of that which is good and
precious, purification by the Holy Spirit is necessary so that
we may abide the fire of God's holiness. But there is also a
consuming by fire, which is terrible ; for it means nothing less
than destruction and rejection, and that there is nothing good,
or worthy of preservation in that which is subjected to the fire :
of this class was the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, in
the fertile plain of Jordan, for the wickedness of the inhabitants
thereof. The last great baptism of fire shall be for the puri-
fication of the whole earth, and for the destruction of ungodly
men in the day of the Lord's appearing. " But who may abide MaL fiL 2,
the day of his coming ? and who shall stand when he

appeareth ? for he is like a refiner's fire He shall

purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver,
that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness,"
This refining fire is very different to the judgment by fire
concerning which St. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. (See
2 Thess. ii. 7-9.) This salient point of purification in the

2i8 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part III., Chap.XXIV.

baptism of fire is brought out in the treatment of the spoil of
Numb. xxxi. the Midianites : " Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the

22, 23.

iron, the tin, and the lead, everything that may abide the fire,
ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean ;
nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation ;
and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the
water." To this testing and purifying by fire and water the
Psalmist refers, when he says : " Thou, O God, hast proved us,

Psa. Ixvi. 10, thou hast tried us as silver is tried We went through

fire and through water." Is not this two-fold baptism of water
and fire contained in the Lord's promise to Israel, through the
prophet Isaiah ? " When thou passest through the waters, I

Isa. xliii. 2. will be with thee ; When thou walkest through the

fire, thou shalt not be burned " ; i.e., thou shalt not be destroyed

either by the waters or by the fire, whilst being purified by them.

That suffering is connected with being tried and purified

i Pet. i. 6, 7. by fire is manifest from St. Peter's references to it. " Ye are
in heaviness through manifold temptations ; that the trial of
your faith, being much more precious than of gold that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire might be found unto
praise at the appearing of Jesus Christ." Again :

i Pet. iv. 12, " Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which
I3 ' is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto
you : But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's
sufferings."

The same truth of testing and purifying by fire is taught by
the Apostle Paul with reference to the different materials which

i Cor. iii. 11- Christians build on the One foundation. "Other foundation
can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now
if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious
stones, wood, hay, stubble ; every man's work shall be made
manifest ; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be
revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of
what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built
thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall

The Baptism of Fire, a 19

be burned, he shall suffer loss ; but he himself shall be saved ;
yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you ? "

The Spirit of God is like unto a fire in the temple, and all
is burned up save that which is precious and imperishable.
What a warning is this to Christendom, and to Christians
individually, lest they become so entangled with the pleasures
and corrupting influences of the world, the flesh, and the devil,
that they cannot be purified even by fire, as when the Prophet
Jeremiah used the strongest figure of a smelting furnace, to
indicate the corruption of the Jews. <; The bellows are Jer. vi. 29.
burned, the lead is consumed of the fire ; the founder melteth
in vain : for the wicked are not plucked away."

The Prophet Isaiah asks the question " Who among us i>a, xxxiii. if.
shall dwell with the destroying fire ? Who among us shall
dwell with everlasting burnings?*' To whom do these words
" the destroying fire " refer ? To Him of whom it is written,
" Our God is a consuming fire." Isaiah then gives the answer, Heb. xii. 29.
" He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly ; he isa- s**'"- 5
that despiseth the gains of oppressions . . . ." and he who
does not lend his hands, his ears, or his eyes to evil. But
before he could soeak thus he had been constrained to cry out,
" Woe is me ! for I am undone : because I am a man of Isa. vi. 5.
unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips ; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts."
It was a vision of the Lord upon His throne, that revealed
to the Prophet his own condition. But quickly was he purified
from his iniquity by one of the seraphim flying to take a live
(a hot or burning) coal from off the altar, to lay upon his
mouth. God will purify all those who will consent to His
doing so, but He will perform it in His own way.

Of the three baptisms of water, blood, and fire, in the
earth's destiny, she has already received that of water, never to
be repeated ; also a partial one of blood at different periods, to
be consummated at the battle of Armageddon in the day of the

zzo Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part in., Chap. XXIV,

great battle of Almighty God, when He will avenge the blood
of His saints, beginning with that of righteous Abel, and when
the deeply stained earth will disclose the long-hidden blood of
her slain. Finally she will receive her baptism of fire Of the
same three-fold baptism foreordained to the Church, the stream
of her baptismal water still flows : the partial baptism of blood
Rev. vii. 14. that she has received from time to time will culminate in the
great tribulation,, for the purification of every individual who
passes through it ; and the baptism of fire vouchsafed to her on
her birthday in the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost,
will receive its full manifestation at the resurrection, when
Rev. xxi. 2, 23. she will ba transformed into the holy city, the " new Jerusalem,'
and the glory of God will lighten it, and the Lamb will be the
light thereof. Previous to this, the earth, upon which a fiery
baptism has occasionally fallen (as on Sodom and Gomorrah),
will have received her final baptism of fire, according to St.
2 Pet. iii. 10. Peter's prophecy. In the day of the Lord's appearing "the
elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth also, and
Nah. i. 5. the works that are therein shall be burned up." "The earth
is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell
therein." When dirt is superficial and soluble, water will
cleanse it, but if it be ingrained in any metal, then it must be
burnt out ; and no purification is so thorough as that effected
by fire. The waters of the flood purified the earth sufficiently
for it to become again the temporary abode of man, but that
the earth may serve for eternity it must be cleansed by fire,
becoming the new earth, which together with the new heavens
shall be perfected and last for ever.

In both of them righteousness shall dwell for ever.

That we may be made meet for Thy heavenly and ever-
lasting kingdom, "O Lord, send down Thy Holy Spirit upon
us, and let the flesh and all its affections and lusts be destroyed
in us, as by a consuming fire ; that we may henceforth yield
ourselves to Thee a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable which
is our reasonable service."

SCRIPTURAL STUDIES ON BAPTISMS,
ESPECIALLY CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

PART IV. THE PRIVILEGES OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XXV. FORGIVENESS OF SINS.

CHAPTER XXVI. JUSTIFICATION-.

CHAPTER XXVII. GRAFTING INTO THE SECOND ADAM ; MEMBERS OF
CHRIST.

CHAPTER XXVI 1 1. RELATIONSHIP TO GOD THE FATHER ; SONS OF GOD.

CHAPTER XXIX. PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY GHOST.

CHAPTER XXX. HEIRS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

CHAPTER XXXI. ADMISSION TO HOLY COMMUNION.

CHAPTER XXXII. SALVATION.

22J

PART IV.
THE PRIVILEGES OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XXV.

FORGIVENESS OF SIXS.

ANALYSIS : The nature of a Privilege. Seven Scriptural terms for sin.

Definition of Forgiveness : remission of a debt.

Original and actual sin. Forgiveness a free gift to all men,
through Christ's death and resurrection : confirmed in the
Sacrament of Baptism. Testimonies from St. Paul's Epistles.
Forgiveness of sins a present reality, and not a hop*.
Erroneous views concerning Forgiveness. Its practical application.
We are forgiven because Christ was not forgiven. He
suffered for sin. All human efforts to atone for sin are
unavailing.

THAT there are great spiritual privileges pertaining
to Christian Baptism, must be apparent to all who, even
in a limited measure, apprehend the nature of this Sacra-
ment.

The first question to be considered is the nature and
meaning of a Privilege.

This word conveys the idea of some good thing which
is conceded either to one person, or to a certain number
of persons in their corporate capacity. It is derived from
the Latin (privus, one's own ; lex, law), which gives the idea
of exceptional immunities to special individuals. A Privilege
may be illustrated by the type of the second veil, which
divided the " Holiest of all " from the Holy Place, in the Heb. ix. 3.
Mosaic Tabernacle. It was lawful for only one man in
Israel the High Priest, once a year, on the Day of Atone-
ment to pass beyond this curtain ; but even he was to be

224 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part IV., Chap. XXV.

shielded by the prescribed sacrificial blood, under pain of
death. The veil spoke of prohibition, of secrecy, of mystery,
and of a privilege that was conceded only to the High
Priest in his official capacity. This inner veil typified the
separation which Christian Baptism implies ; for this Sacra-
ment gives its recipients certain privileges or rights, of which,
according to St. Paul's teaching, the unbaptized cannot
partake.

Although the FORGIVENESS OF SINS, through Jesus Christ,
is the Gift of God to all men, whether baptized or not ; yet,
it is peculiarly the first Baptismal Privilege. What is Sin ?
In the New Testament, there are several Greek words which
are used as the equivalents of the word Sin, of which we
adduce seven examples.

(i.) 'Afjiapria (amartia), means missing the mark. This
word is used over one hundred and seventy times in
the New Testament. The idea is so generic, that it is
difficult to adduce specific illustrations.

(2.) Hapafiao-io- (parobasis] means transgression, or the

going beyond a boundary or marked line. (Rom. ii. 23 ;

iv. 15 ; v. 14. Gal. iii. 19. i Tim. ii. 14. Heb. ii. 2 ;

John iii. 4. i x . 15.) " Sin," says St. John, " is the transgression of the

law."

(3.) Uapanorj (parakoe] means disobedience to a voice.
(Rom. v. 19. 2 Cor. x. 6. Heb. ii. 2.) The latter part
of this word is derived from the verb akouo, " I hear"
and the whole word means to ' hear amiss, to half hear,
unwillingness to hear ' ; hence disobedience. No doubt God's
command respecting the abstaining from the tree of know-
ledge of good and evil, was delivered in an audible voice ;
so that from this point of view, Adam's sin assumed the
character of disobedience to the voice of God. He did not,
PS. ciii. 20. like the angels, hearken unto the voice of the Lord. How
often does God upbraid Israel, with disobedience to those
commandments which the LORD spake out of the midst

Forgiveness of Sins* 225

of the fire, with an audible voice, in the hearing of all Israel !
We sin, if we hearken not to the voice of God, whether
heard in our conscience, in the Holy Scriptures, or in the
Church of God.

(4.) napdTTTUfia (paraptoma) means a fall from an
upright position a false step, hence a stumbling. This
word is used twenty-three times in the New Testament,
and is rendered offence six times, in Rom. v. 14-21. God
made man upright, and it is a current expression to speak
of the fall of man. He must, as it were, have fallen to the
ground ; and, therefore, is no longer standing upright,
according to his Creator's appointment. To set man again
in an upright position, was the blessed purpose for which
Christ came, so that those who had once fallen, might " stand Luke xxi. 36.
before the Son of man," in the day of His appearing.

Uprightness is a synonym for righteousness.

The idea is akin to that of straight ; for whereas,
between two given points, there can be only one straight
line ; there may be an infinite number of crooked lines.

(5.) 'Ayvorj/jM (agnoema) means sin, through ignorance of
what should have been known. In Heb. ix. 7, it is trans-
lated "errors." The Law assumes knowledge on the part
of its subjects. Even human law does this, and does not
admit ignorance as a valid excuse for transgression. That
sins of ignorance are blameworthy and entail punishment,
is evident from the special offerings prescribed for their ex-
piation, under the Law : and indeed, there was no sacrifice,
under the Law, provided for deliberate and wilful sin.

(6.) 'O<ctX W a (opheilema) means a debt. The idea of Matt. vi. 12.
a debt lies at the root of duty, or what we ought to do in
keeping the law of God. The basis of ought is owe, and of
duty that which is due ; therefore the idea of debt sets forth
wha" :'s due from those who have broken the law and in-
curred its penalties.

(7.) 'Avo/xta (anomia). This means the absence of law, 2 Thess. ii. 7.

226 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXV.

which is lawlessness, and the word applied to the last Anti-
2 Thess. ii. 7, 8. christ is (6 avo/xos,) " the lawless one," while the " mystery
of iniquity " is rendered in the original Greek, the " mystery
of lawlessness."

We should weigh the definitions of these various Greek
words, if we would learn the comprehensive nature of SIN.

The root of all sin is self-love and self-will the creature's
will acting apart from, and in antagonism to, the will of its
Creator. This self-will is set in motion by unbelief, or want
of faith, and manifests itself in a variety of sins against
God and against man.

What is FORGIVENESS ? The word forgive is of Saxon
origin, from " for, away, and gifan, give." The German
word vergeben (derived from the old Saxon) bears the same
primary meaning of ' to give away, give up, resign, or
cede.' At first sight, the above definition may not appear
relevant to the forgiveness of sins. Our Saviour throws
Matt, \viii. light upon this in His answer to St. Peter's question (as to

how often he should forgive a brother's sin), by His parable
of the King who, when he " would take account of his
servants," found one who owed him ten thousand talents.
The man begged his lord to have patience with him, saying
" / will pay thee all." Then his Lord " moved with com-
passion, loosed him and forgave him the debt." But when
this same man mercilessly cast a fellow-servant into prison
for a small debt, the Lord emphasizes the punishment
Matt, xviii. 35. meted out to him, by telling His disciples, " So likewise
shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your
hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."*
Hence, the thought underlying " Forgiveness," is the re-
mission of a debt, which the debtor is unable to pay. The

* From this parable, we learn that our heavenly Father's forgiveness
of our trespasses, is conditional upon our individually forgiving any wrong
done to us by a brother. The forgiveness of sins, preached to all men in
the name of Jesus Christ, may be revoked in the case of those who refuse
to forgive their brethren.

Forgiveness of Sins. 227

bill of items is in the creditor's hands, and so long as he
holds it, the debtor is liable for every farthing. The
creditor has the right to claim payment in full ; but he
may give up his claim and remit (from the Latin " remittere,"
to send back) the debt ; he may return the bill receipted
in full ; and the debtor is thus absolved and set free.

This is FORGIVENESS ; this is REMISSION. The great
debt that man owes to God is faultless obedience, springing
from perfect love. Every breach of obedience and love to
God or man, is a debt incurred ; and the above parable bears
on the rendering of the Lord's Prayer, in the two Gospels in
which it is recorded. In St. Matthew's Gospel, it is written :
" And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors " : Ma - *i.
in St. Luke's Gospel, it runs. " And forgive us our sins ; Luke xi. V 4>
for we also forgive even,' one that is indebted to us.'' Thus
the Lord teaches us that " sins " and " trespasses " are
debts, and that these debts may not be repudiated ; but if
they are to be forgiven, or remitted, the} 7 must be con-
fessed, as it is written : " If we confess our sins, he [God] is Jofcn ;. 9
FAITHFUL and JUST to forgive us our sins.'" Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, paid the penalty in full, for the original sin or
debt of Adam, and for the accumulated debts or sins of
all men ; hence, Divine justice will not claim payment, a
second time, from any who accept the discharge which our
Surety has obtained on man's behalf.

From Adam, all men have received their human nature
tainted, in its essence, with what is theologically termed
Original Sin, which speedily manifests itself in actual sins ;
but it differs from the sins which we commit, with the consent
of our weak and sinful will ; for this hereditary taint of
original sin, is independent of our will or actions, and is
referred to in Scripture, apart from actual sins com-
mitted by men.

In presenting the Messiah to the Jews, John the Baptist's
expression is remarkable : " Behold the Lamb of God, John L 29.

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part IV., Chap. XXV.

Isa. I'm. 5, 6.

Isa. liii. 10-12.

Luke xxiv. 47.

Matt, xxviii. 19.

Acts ii. 38.

which taketh away the sin of the world." Here the word
sin is in the singular ('a/to/ma), whereas in the Epistles,
in other references to the atoning work of the Lord Jesus,
the word is in the plural, sins. Isaiah makes a similar
distinction in his prophecy, concerning the Messiah : " He was
bruised for our iniquities." Here, the word for iniquities is
in the plural, but in the next verse it is in the singular :
" The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Again,
in the loth and I2th verses, sin is in the singular : " Thou

shalt make his soul an offering for sin and he

bare the sin of many"; but in the intervening verse the word
is in the plural : " He shall bear their iniquities." Hence, as
every word of God has its distinctive meaning, it may be
concluded that when the LORD laid on Jesus Christ the
iniquity of us all, in order that He might take away the sin
of the world, this refers to the inherited original sin of
every child of Adam ; and that when it is said that the Lord
was bruised for our iniquities, and " suffered for our sins,"
this applies to the actual sins committed by every person
individually.

In the outset, it may be asked, Does the Sacrament
of Christian Baptism ignore Original Sin, and leave it
where it was ; or are its recipients cleansed therein from
their inherited guilt, so that its effects are done away ?
Previous to His ascension, the Lord gave a command to His
Apostles, " that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in his name among all nations," whom they were
to baptize " in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost." Accordingly, on the first opportunity (on
the day of Pentecost) St. Peter exhorted his hearers " to
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins." If, therefore, all actual sins, consciously com-
mitted, were to receive remission or forgiveness ; surely, it is
not straining Scripture to conclude that the original sin, with
which all men are tainted, must be necessarily included

Forgiveness of Sins. 229

in that remission of sins, for which the Lord provided
a means of cleansing in Christian Baptism ; and that
therein all sin is washed away by Him ; so that no person,
baptized or unbaptized, shall be condemned for the original
sin of Adam, since its guilt has been put away, by the perfect
sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross, once for all.

This cleansing grace of " Forgiveness of sins," is essential
to sinners, in their approach to a holy God. In view
of the future great sin-offering of the Lamb of God,
forgiveness was ministered both before and under the Law, Heb. x. i, 2.
through the sprinkling of the sacrificial blood ; but now, it
is within the reach of all men, without their personally
offering up a sin-offering ; for the precious gift has been
obtained for all, by the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ.

Forgiveness is what is preached to all men, as a grace,
as a gift, and as a fact plainly declared in the Holy
Scriptures.

The LORD proclaimed His name to Moses, as " The LORD, E\od. .\.\xiv. 6, 7.
the LORD God, merciful and gracious, long suffering. . . .
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. In the
Psalms, there are constant references to the Lord's
forgiveness : " Thou wast a God that forgavest them" ; Psa. xcix. 8.
"For thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive"; "There Psa. ixxxvi. 5.
is forgiveness with thee." In the books of the Prophets, Psa. c\xx. 4.
there are repeated promises of forgiveness : as in the books
of Isaiah (xliv. 22), Jeremiah (xxxi. 34), and Micah (vii. 18-19).

St. Paul addresses the unbaptized Jews and Gentiles in
a similar manner : " Be it known unto you therefore, Act? \iii. 38.
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto
you the forgiveness of sins."

If forgiveness of sins exists for all men, independent of,
and antecedent to, Christian Baptism ; it certainly cannot
be excluded from this Sacrament. To this truth, there is
the express testimony given by St. Peter, in his sermon Acts H. 38.

230 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXV.

Acts xxii. 16. on the day of Pentecost, and in the words of Ananias to
St. Paul, after his conversion.

There is also the testimony of the Church Catholic, in
the Nicene Creed, " I believe in one baptism for the re-
mission of sins." To the Baptized, the truth of the "For-
giveness of sins " is not a mere doctrine ; it is no longer a
general, but a specific gift, conferred on them as individual
persons. How else could we presume to bring a child born
in sin, to be made a child of God by adoption, unless for-
giveness existed as a reality, and had been ministered to it,
by some general act of the Redeemer ? Why should it be
doubted that this blessing is confirmed in that Sacrament,
which is the rite of initiation into the New Covenant ?
There could be no such privilege as that of being grafted
into the Body of Christ, or of adoption as sons of God,
unless " Forgiveness of sins " the free gift of God to all
men had been first ministered in some way, both general
and particular. The Church of Christ, with her high
privileges, could not have been built without the foundation
of this essential and primary grace, which is the basis of all
the higher privileges of Baptism into Jesus Christ. Manasseh
may be forgiven ; but that does not make him a member of
Christ, a son of God, and an heir of the Kingdom. To be
saved by Christ, and to be in Christ are not identical ; and

Rom. viii. 15. those who receive " the Spirit of adoption, whereby [they]
cry, Abba, Father," have a higher standing than those who,
even in their unbaptized state, receive forgiveness of sins.

Rom. viii. 14. The latter may be faithful servants, but the former are " the
sons of God."

If " Forgiveness of sins " be ministered in the Church,
it is according to the Divine purpose that it should be linked
with a definite ordinance or sacrament ; and both the
Apostles, Paul and Peter, have declared plainly that it is
associated with Christian Baptism, even as it was with John's
Baptism, which was the official termination of the Mosaic

Forgiveness of Sins. 2^T

dispensation, for " the law and the prophets were until Luke xvi. 16.
John." It would be a terrible blank, if Forgiveness of sins were
absent from Christian Baptism, which is the introduction to
a better covenant than that which God made with Israel.

Baptism is a proof that the sinner accepts the salvation
of God ; and it is a means whereby the blessing of forgiveness
is ministered to men, by a specific and personal act. Although
the blessing is there ; yet it must be individually accepted
and appropriated.

For the daily ministration of forgiveness, there must be
individual relations with Jesus, the High Priest in heaven :
who continually applies His blood, forgives our sins, and
accounts us righteous in Himself. The Lord exercised His
" power on earth to forgive sins," on several occasions, saying,
" Thy sins be forgiven thee " ; but when the Scribes murmured
at His assuming this prerogative of God, that they might
" know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive
sins," the Lord healed the palsied man ; thus vindicating
His spiritual authority by an external miracle.

But, inasmuch as the Son of Man is now in heaven, and
has still power on earth to forgive sins, how does He
exercise, or manifest that power ? There seem to be only
three possible ways : by an audible voice from heaven ;
by a spiritual assurance in the heart, by the power of the
Holy Ghost (using, it may be, the Holy Scriptures) ; or by
His Church, on earth, through her Ministries and Ordinances.

Is it not according to the analogy of the old dispensation,
that our High Priest, after the order of Melchisedec, should
exercise this power in His Church ; when, by an initiatory
ordinance, or by a Sacrament, those for whom He died and
rose again, are baptized into Him ?

St. Paul wrote to several of the Churches, concerning the
great privilege of forgiveness of sins :

To the Romans, he wrote as to those who were " dead Kom. vi. u, 18.
to sin, and made free from sin " ;

232 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. xxv.

i Cor. vi. ii. To the Corinthians, " Ye are washed, ye are sanctified " ;

(the tense in the original Greek is in the past, " Ye have
been washed, ye have been sanctified " ; rendered " were " in
R.V.). (See Chap. xxvi. p. 246).

To the Galatians, the Apostle wrote that Christ " gave

Gal. i. 4, 6. himself for [their] sins," into whose grace they were called ;

E P h. i. 7. To the Ephesians : " In whom [Jesus Christ] we have

the forgiveness of sins " ;

Col. i. 14. j the Colossians, " In whom we have redemption

Col. ii. 13. through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins " : " Having
forgiven you all trespasses."

In speaking of remission of sins, by the grace ministered
in Holy Baptism, what has been already stated cannot be
repeated too often, to avoid false judgments and mis-
conceptions, viz., that the only reality that can take away
Rev. i. 5. sins, or cleanse the defiled conscience, is THE BLOOD OF JESUS
CHRIST ; and His blood is applied to men, through faith,
and by the Holy Ghost in the waters of Baptism, not because
there is any efficacy in the water intrinsically, but because
of what it represents, and the efficacy imparted to it by the
appointment of God, and by the operation of the Holy Ghost.

If the question, " Are }/ou forgiven ? " were put to
many Christians, it would startle them ; for, alas ! multi-
tudes look upon the forgiveness of sins as an unsettled
point.

Some think it presumptuous to suppose that their sins
are forgiven ; others say, " We cannot know whether we
are forgiven " ; others, again, doubt about it in despondency
or fearfulness. Some say that none can know whether their
sins are forgiven, until the Day of Judgment ; and that
then, God will strike the balance of their acts, and tell them
whether they are forgiven or not ; and that to believe in
forgiveness beforehand, is a forestalling of the prerogative
of God. Each state of mind evinces pride, ignorance, or an
evil heart of unbelief.

Forgiveness of Sins* 233

Others entertain a vague feeling which they have never
dared to analyse ; and while longing for the assurance of
forgiveness, yet can only reply with faltering lips, " I hope
so ' J ; being afraid to accept confidently the declaration of
the Gospel that it is the GIFT of God through Jesus Christ,
and that therefore, they should believe God's declaration that
they are forgiven, and not merely hope for the promised blessing.

The New Testament is full of the blessing and necessity
of Hope, but it propounds a class of subjects for hope which
men have practically forgotten such as the Coming of the
Lord, the Change without death at His appearing, the First
Resurrection, and the Kingdom of God ; but among these
topics, the forgiveness of sins, as a future benefit, is never
mentioned. It is a clear deduction from the Apostolic
Epistles, which are addressed to the Baptized, that forgive-
ness of sins is never held out as an object of hope; but as a
certain and blessed FACT. Men do not hope for that which
they have received, but rather for some good thing which they
have not received ; wherefore, if the forgiveness of sins be
a blessing from God already given to man, it is a matter of
faith, but not an object of hope ; it is connected with the
past and the present, rather than with the future. When
Christ comes, it will not be to give what He has already
given ; it will not be to forgii-e men. but to judge men for
their acceptance or rejection of His message of grace, in
which the forgiveness of sins formed the most prominent
part.*

Why should any think this grace of God such a mighty
boon, that they shrink from its acceptance ? It is

*" I have said to yon, that God's mercy is come, and that it is only judg-
ment we have to look for. It has been the grand mistake of people to
confound together the objects of faith and of hope, and to think of God
with the expectation and the hope that He will yet do what He has done
already ; and by putting, in this way, the objects of faith in the place of
the objects of hope, putting the objects of hope altogether out of sight."
Sermons by Rev. J. M. Campbell, of Row. VoL i, Sermon xii., p. 279.

^34 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXV.

not a greater gift than the gift of the beloved Son Him-
self, and of the Holy Spirit. How can any man enter
into God's courts to worship, as an unforgiven sinner ?
But, surely, if we are sows by adoption, we must have been
forgiven ; we have no standing in the Church of Christ
save as those in covenant with God, as baptized persons,
and as those whose sins have been and are forgiven. If
this were not so, how could we offer the fulness of loving
worship that is acceptable to God ? Unforgiven sinners
could not be adopted, nor could they be grafted into the
holy Body of Christ ; for unrighteous persons could not be
brought up to worship the Lord : hence, the Gospel brings
the glad news of forgiveness to all men, whereby this con-
dition of things may be altered, and men may be united to,
or baptized into Christ.

How can sinners remain at ease, if the question of their
forgiveness be not settled ? But it has been settled by God
Himself. It is for them to accept the settlement, and to be
at peace. The forgiveness of sins was granted, when Christ
died on the Cross ; and it was sealed to mankind, when
He rose from the dead.

In so important a matter, God would not leave anxious,
sinful men without assurance, for it is the first point on
which the sinner needs assurance ; and without it, every
thoughtful person would, and ought, to feel miserable, if
such a tremendous stake were left in the balance of un-
certainty. God meets him at once, with the message :
Matt. ix. 2. " Son, be of good cheer ; thy sins be forgiven thee."
2 Cor. vii. 10. This grace is calculated to awake, in sinners, the " godly

sorrow that worketh repentance," which causes them to
confess and to forsake their sins. The good news to every
man, whoever, whatever, and wherever he may be, is this :
2 Cor. v. 18-21. ' You are redeemed, you are forgiven.' This is God's
message to him, and his future depends on his reception or
rejection of the message. His faith will not make it true ;

Forgiveness of Sins. 235

his unbelief will not make it false : " If we believe not, yet 2 Tim. ii. 13.
he [God] abideth faithful ; he cannot deny himself." God
is true, and does not require men to believe anything but the
truth ; and when He sends Evangelists to preach to men ' the
Forgiveness of sins ' and ' the Kingdom of heaven,' it is not
conditional on their repentance and faith ; but their for-
giveness is declared to be an accomplished fact, and faith
in this fact ought to move them to repentance.

The Gospel is not " Repent, and do this or that, and God
will forgive you"; but, "God has forgiven you; believe in this
forgiveness, and repent, and obey the Gospel. ' When God
acts, He calls upon men to believe in His acts, to co-operate
with Him, and to receive the blessing which He is ready to
bestow. It is the goodness of God which leads men to R->m. ii- 4-
repentance. Redemption is a fact which nothing can
undo. So is it with " Forgiveness of sins." The sun
shines : it may be hidden by clouds ; or its brightness may
be shut out from a room, by closing the shutters ; but
this does not nullify the fact of its shining ; so likewise,
God's spiritual blessings may be refused, to the peril of the
sinner ; but this does not make them to be non-existent,
or unrealities.

If we were asked when we were forgiven, we might reply :

(i.) When Christ rose from the dead ;

(2.) WTien we were baptized into Christ ;

(3.) \Vhen, in faith, we hear the daily word of absolution
in the Christian Church, pronounced in the name of the Lord. See Chap. xivi.

The promises and acts of God, and not the subjective,
varying feelings or sentiments of our fluctuating hearts, are
the basis of our faith and joy.

It may seem a paradox to state that even in the moral
and spiritual world in the abstract there is no such thing
as Forgiveness of sin. At first sight this appears to be a
startling assertion, which requires proof. But through what
means does forgiveness come to man ? Solely because Christ
took our nature, and " the LORD laid on him the iniquity isa. mi. 6.

236 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXV.

1 Pet. H. 24. of us all " ; and when Christ "his own self bare our sins in his

own body on the tree" the Father hid His face from Him,
causing Him to utter that bitter cry, " My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me ? " Christ incurred the debt as man's
surety, and He paid the "ten thousand talents," to the utter-
most farthing. We are forgiven, because Christ was not

2 Cor. v. 21. forgiven. He was made sin for us ; He was our substitute,
i Pet. ii. 24. our atonement, our ransom ; by His stripes we are
Rom. vi. 10. healed. " He died unto sin once." Let everyone, while

rejoicing in the great privilege of the forgiveness of sins,
know that this grace was not extended to Christ ; for He
was not forgiven ; and He, THE SINLESS ONE, suffered, that
for His sake, and for His merits, every sinful child of Adam
might be forgiven. No efforts of man, no sacrifices, and
no self-imposed sufferings of our own, can possibly efface
the least of our sins, much less the mighty aggregate.

In every human being, there has ever been a sense of
sin or of something wrong (though he may not be able to
define it), and a desire for the forgiveness of sins ; while
many have been the human expedients for the attainment
of this great boon. Such efforts are all rooted in pride, in
self -righteousness, and in self-justification ; for we are all
anxious to do something meritorious to win pardon. If it
were possible that walking on hot iron, for one thousand
miles, would ensure forgiveness of sins ; many would gladly
do it to secure everlasting bliss. This is the explanation
of the terrible, self-inflicted tortures of the Indian Fakirs
and others. Forgiveness of sins being a FREE GIFT of God,
it cannot be earned, nor bought. Let us thankfully
Mark ii. 5. accept the gift of Him who says : " Son, thy sins be forgiven
thee." The case of Naaman who, at first, scorned the
simplicity of the mode of healing, has its application to
2 Kings v. 13. ourselves. " If the prophet had bid thee do some great
thing, wouldest thou not have done it ? How much rather
then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean ? "
Psa. n. 7. O Lord, "wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

Justification. 237

CHAPTER XXVI.

JUSTIFICATION.

ANALYSIS : Justification follows Forgiveness. Its Nature.

St. Paul mentions two classes of righteousness : ( i ) that of
the law ; (2) " the righteousness which is of God by faith."
Our Lord wrought out both these phases, in His life on earth.

If the doctrine of Imputation be true of the first Adam
and of sin ; it must, according to analogy, be true of the second
Adam and of righteousness. The use of the past tense of the
verb 'justify' in the Greek. Christ's faith imputed to us for
righteousness ; nevertheless, a necessity exists for individual
faith. Luther on the doctrine of Justification by faith. Faith
leads up to Baptism, which includes the grace of Justification.
God has covered us with the robe of His righteousness.

The symbolism of white robes, in Baptism, and their ancient
use.

" FORGIVENESS of Sins," springing from the eternal
love of God and from our redemption by the death of Christ,
is the initial blessing provided in the scheme of God's
salvation for ruined man ; but it cannot stand alone.

The gift of JUSTIFICATION is a glorious sequel to free
pardon, and an advance in the display of the grace of God.
Although the forgiveness of the sinner is an inestimable
benefit, it would be incomplete, if it remained alone ; and it
would be barren of spiritual results, if the imputation (and
impartation) of righteousness did not follow in its train.

What is the meaning of Justification ? *

It sets forth the action by which a sinful person is accounted

* The difference between Justification and Sanctification, is not always
apprehended: justification is instantaneous; sanctification is gradual:
justification is perfect ; sanctification is imperfect, until the day of its
consummation : justification is the work of Christ for us ; sanctification is
the work of the Holy Ghost in us, through the daily ministration of the
Spirit from our High Priest in heaven. See Discoursed/ Justification, by the
' Judicious Hooker ' : Works, arranged by Rev. John Keble, M. A. * Vol. III.

238 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part IV., chap. XXVL

righteous. To justify is to declare a man to be just, by
a judicial decision ; and to free a man from guilt and its
consequences. In its theological application, Justification
is an act of God, whereby the sinner is accounted righteous
before God, as if he had kept every item of the law. The
imputation of righteousness is preliminary to its impartation,
which is the grand end in view.

Job. ix. 2. The question was asked, thousands of years ago, " How

should man be just with God ? " (before God, margin) ; and
a more important problem cannot be propounded.

Only God can answer this question. Scripture mentions
six methods of man's justification before God ; but lays
special emphasis on three, which are connected with the
Person and work of Jesus Christ :

(1) The blood of Jesus Christ : Rom. v. 9 ; Eph. i. 7 ;
Col. i. 14.

(2) The righteousness of Christ : Rom. v. 17-19 ;
Eph. i. 6.

(3) The resurrection of Christ : Rom. iv. 25.

Rom. iv. 25. It is written, that Christ " was delivered for our offences,

and was raised again for our justification." The resur-
rection of Christ proved that His sacrifice was perfect and
sufficient for the sins of the whole world ; and that in Him,
man was redeemed, forgiven, justified, and liberated.

St. Paul is the great expounder of the doctrine of
" Justification by faith," as it is theologically termed, and
he discusses it in his Epistle to the Romans, in extenso.
In the first five chapters, he dilates upon the sin of Adam,
inherited by all, and upon the actual sins of all men ; and
he also dwells upon Forgiveness of sins, and upon Justification
by faith, as the free gifts of God to all, irrespective of
Gal. ii. 1 6. nationality. To the Galatians and Philippians, he writes

Phil. iii. 8-9. to the same effect>

It seems clear, from the writings of the Apostle Paul,
that he distinguishes between two kinds of righteousness.

Justification. 239

He speaks of " the righteousness of the law " (Rom. viii. 4),
" the righteousness which is of the law " (Rom. x. 5), of his
" own righteousness which [was] of the law " (Phil. iii. 6, 9) ;
and he also speaks of " a righteousness of God" of " a
righteousness of faith" of " a righteousness without the
law" of " a righteousness which is of God by faith." (See
Rom. i. 17 ; Rom. iii. 21, 22 ; iv. 13 ; v. 17 ; ix. 30 ; Gal. v. 5.)

Thus, a contrast is drawn between the righteousness
which is of the law, and the righteousness which is of God
by faith.

Let us consider the source from whence this two-fold
righteousness must be derived.

It is obvious, that this must be connected with the work
of God (i manifest in the flesh," i.e., with the life of Jesus
Christ our Lord, when He was upon earth. This is the only i Tim. iii.
treasury of justification for sinful man. In studying
the life of Christ on earth, it is easy to discern the tn-o
distinct phases of righteousness to which St. Paul alludes
viz., the one, seen in the Lord's quiet life at Nazareth ; and
the other, in His public ministry, closed by His death upon
the Cross. In each of these periods, the Lord was working
out one righteousness ; and its phases and spiritual charac-
teristics although two-fold, were yet ONE.

During the first period, He was working out a righteous-
ness by works, according to the law ; and during the second,
He was working out a righteousness of God a righteousness
by faith.

The wisdom of God has cast a veil over the early life
of our Lord, at Nazareth ; and, with the exception of
two brief glimpses, when He was twelve years of age,
we learn no further details of His life, until He began
His public ministry. But these glimpses give us a
clue to the Lord's early life ; the first, that of devotion to
His Father, " Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's Luke ii. 49
business ? " and the second, that of obedience to His earthly

240 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXVI.

Luke ii. 51. parents, for "He went down with them, and came to
Nazareth, and was subject unto them." We may presume
that our Lord followed the trade of His father ; for He is
Mark vi. 3. called fhe car p enter " . an d tradition says that He made
yokes of wood. But the point we are considering is that,
in this quiet life of Nazareth, the Lord, by His piety, by
His obedience and by His labour, was working out the
righteousness of the law ; for He was fulfilling the original
Is. xiii. 21. covenant of works ; He was winning back the forfeited
prize of life for man ; in a word, the Lord was magnifying
the law and making it honourable. Thus, these spiritual
achievements stamped a glory and a beauty on the Lord's
retired life in Nazareth. The law must be absolutely kept
in all its integrity, otherwise, with claims unfulfilled, and
penalties undischarged, it could never be pacified. In no
other way could the wisdom and righteousness of God be
vindicated, and the proof given to the universe, that the

Rom. vii. 12. law of God was holy, just, and good. Hence, in the first
instance, a righteousness not " without the law " (not ^wplo-
vofiov), but of or by the law, must be wrought out and per-
fected. This gives honour to every stroke of the hammer,
Gen. iii. 10. when that Carpenter, in His daily toil, was earning His bread
in the sweat of His face ; for each stroke, because of its
moral glory, reverberated throughout the universe.

Throughout His hidden and secret life, Christ fulfilled a
righteousness of works, according to the law, in order that
Rom. x. 4. He might be " the end of the law for righteousness to every
one that believeth " ; so that, as Man, He earned and could
righteously claim the reward of the law, which Was LIFE ;
for, being personally holy and without sin, He needed not
to die. John's Baptism was the last official, dispensational

Luke xvi. 16. act, under the law ; " for the law and the prophets were
until John"; and our Lord's reply, when John, in diffidence,

Matt. iii. 15. seemed unwilling to baptize Him, was " surfer it to be so now:
for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."

Justification. 241

Let us next consider a righteousness of a higher quality ;
which expression may be justified by Holy Scripture. The
righteousness of the Law, as wrought out by Jesus Christ,
was perfect ; but it was not enough for the purpose of God,
in the salvation of man. It had no element of atonement ; Heb. ix. 9-14.
for no righteousness or sacrifice under the Law, could take Heb. x. 1-12.
away sins. To effect God's gracious purpose, another
righteousness must be brought in ; and so we read of " the Rom. Ui. 22.
righteousness of God " and of " the righteousness of faith/' Rom - 1V- I3-

This righteousness of God contained moral excellencies
which were comparatively unknown, under the Law ; and
to which, legal righteousness never could have attained.
Its essence was faith and self-sacrifice. The brightest of
God's excellencies, viz., Mercy, was briefly yet graciously
proclaimed, in the Decalogue given on Sinai ; but there is no E.\od. xx. 6.
declaration therein of atonement, or of the means of putting
away sin. The Law was holy, just and good ; but by it, was
"the knowledge of sin," ' and the law is not of faith." GaMi!"*!?*'

Love, being divine, was now manifested under a higher
character than that required by the Law which said, " Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" ; and which was immeas-
urably superior to the tradition or gloss of the Rabbis, which
said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy." Matt - v - 43. 44-
This new love could love its enemies ; could overcome evil
with good ; and could sacrifice itself to the uttermost. " God Rom - v - 8 -
commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us." Christ's new commandment
was to love, even as He loved : " As I have loved you [to John xiii. 34.
self-sacrifice and death], that ye also love one another."
Humility was another special moral excellency of this Divine
righteousness, wrought out by the Son of God, " who, Phil. " 6-8.
being in the form of God . . . equal with God . . . took
upon him the form of a servant . . . and humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death." His obedience to His
Father's will was carried out, even unto " the death of the

242 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXVI.

cross." His faith was perfect ; He trusted even while
bearing the curse for us ; He wrought out an atonement
Dan. ix. 24. for us ; He brought in an " everlasting righteousness."

These were virtues not contemplated or commanded
by the old moral Law, i.e., the Decalogue. Truly, this is
the ' righteousness OF GOD ' : a new righteousness, incon-
ceivable, inestimable, and passing all understanding ; which
is not now obedience to the mere rule or canon, " thou
shalt not do this " ; but is the victory of aggressive love :
and this obviously involves greater difficulty, and has a
higher moral glory, than the external fulfilling of the Law.*
Now, the essence of this righteousness, was faith and
self-sacrifice ; and the Scripture lays special emphasis on
Faith. This is linked with the righteousness of God ; as
we gather from St. Paul's Epistles to the Romans, Galatians,
Rom. iii. 22. and Philippians, where it is written : " Even the righteous-
Gal, ii. 16. ness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ " ; " Knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by
the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus
Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and
not by the works of the law : for by the works of the law
Phil. iii. 9. shall no flesh be justified." St. Paul desired to " be found
in him [Christ], not having [his] own righteousness, which
is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith."

The true meaning of this phrase does not appear so
clearly in the English Versions (A.V. and R.v.), as in the
original Greek ; for in each of the above passages, it runs Sia
rjo-ov Xpio-roC ; which, literally translated, is by Jesus

* " And now having perfected holiness according to the law, he was
made the depository of the Holy Ghost for mightier uses, even for the
uses of witnessing God's almighty power over, and in the midst of His
creation."

"From the time of his baptism with water and the Holy Ghost, he
became the man of the Spirit, and was the man of the law no longer."
Christ's Holiness in Flesh, pp. 18, 24. Rev. Edward Irving, M.A. (1831).

Justification. 243

Christ's faith ; by which, we mean the faith which Jesus
Christ Himself manifested ; and not the faith which we
exercise towards or in Christ.*

Christ's perfect faith was meritorious (which ours is
not) ; it was the great factor in this ' righteousness of God,'
and could be accepted of God, on behalf of all men.
Twice does St. Paul connect the faith of Christ with the Rom. iii. 22.
righteousness of God. Faith formed the very essence the phil - ! " 9
sub-structure of this Divine or new righteousness, which
Christ wrought out to the glory of God, and upon which
His death set the seal of perfectness.

The Scriptures teach that faith was counted to Abraham Rom. iv. 3-5.
for righteousness ; and the same truth applies to Christ also, Rom - 1V - ^'
for this new and difficult righteousness, which exhibited

* " It is a subject, as important as it is interesting, to study where St. Paul
speaks clearly of the faith of Jesus Christ, which is quite another thing
from faith in Jesus Christ. Commentators, generally, and often even
translators, have neglected this distinction, which the Apostle makes
in his Epistle to the Galatians (ii. 20, and iii. 22), who were going hack
again to the merit of the works of the law. In our days, the temptation
is to make a merit of faith. Against such errors there is no weapon more
powerful than the profound apprehension of the fact that righteousness
is by faith of Jesus Christ, who alone has merited everything on our
behalf. (Compare i Tim. i. 14; 2 Tim. i. 13 ; iii. 15.) " Translated from
BetractungcnubirdasErldsungyaKrk. Dr.Isaac Capadose. J.Hoffmann, Berlin.

In the Greek, the genitive, i.e., the possessive case, is used. (See
Rom. iii. 22, Gal. ii. 16, and Phil. iii. 9, quoted on page 242.)

In Rom. in. 22, the Apostle first speaks of Chrisf s faith^ and then refers
to them that believe : if the first expression simply meant our faith in Christ,
then the latter phrase would be a mere repetition. For the same point
see also Gal. ii. 16 ; iii. 22.

In Rom. v. i,we are not said, as in Rom. iii. 22, to be justified by
Christ's faith ; nor by our own faith in Christ (though the A.V. seems to
countenance this reading) : but fy Chrisfs acts, by His death and resurrection,
as may be deduced from the last verse of the preceding chapter (Rom. iv. 25 ).
So also, in Rom v. 9, we are said to have been " justified by his blood," i.e. t
by Christ's death ; thus, in both these passages, justification is attributed to
two acts of Christ, viz., to His death (the climax of His life of faith),
and to His resurrection ; but this does not militate against the truth,
proved by the Scriptures already adduced, that we are justified by Christ's
faith and not by our own ; though an intelligent co-operative receptive faith
on oar part is a necessary factor (see Chap. ii. p. 17), as we learn from
Rom. iii. 22-26; iv. 23, 24; Gal. ii. 16 ; iii. 22 ; Phil. iii. 9-12.

244

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXVI.

Rom. iii. 21.

Phil.

Rom. iii. 21.

Ixxi. 2, 15,
16, 19, 24.

Rev. xix. 8, 14.
Isa. Ixiv. 6.

i Thess. iv. i.

Heb. xi. 5, 6, 39,

40.

See Chap. iv.

all these Divine qualities, was the offspring of faith, and by
this faith our Lord Himself, as man, was justified ; and it was
accounted to Him for righteousness.

We are thus enabled to understand the Apostle's
expression, " but now the righteousness of God without the
law [x^pis vofjiov] is manifested." This preposition, x w P ts >
means " separately, apart, without, without the help of, aloof
from, independent of." Hence, the righteousness of God was
apart from independent of, aloof from the righteousness
of the law, and this explains what St. Paul writes to the
Philippians. The righteousness of God, though manifested
without the law, is, nevertheless, " witnessed by the law and
the prophets."

What we have advanced, may help to explain other
expressions, in the Psalms and in the Prophets, when this
Divine righteousness is spoken of as " THY righteousness."

The Psalmist, in Psalm Ixxi., speaks five times of
" Thy righteousness " ; and therefore, we are irresistibly
led to the conclusion, that there was something special and
exceptional about this ' righteousness of God,' which had to
be manifested in practice. There was but one person in the
universe who could do this, the Only -begotten Son of God,
Incarnate. This Divine righteousness shone out in His life
and during His public ministry, with peculiar glory, until it
reached its climax in His sacrifice and death on the Cross;
and upon this righteousness, God set His seal of perfection
and acceptance of which Christ's resurrection was the token.

Such is the righteousness of God by Jesus Christ's faith
like " fine linen, white and clean." " All our righteousnesses
[not our sins only] are as filthy rags " ; and therefore, are not fit
to be presented to God for acceptance ; nor could we, by them,
justify ourselves or others in the slightest degree. They
are like stinking rags such as Lazarus may have lain in, at
the gate of Dives. And yet (gracious and divine paradox !),
*/ we walk by faith, it is possible to PLEASE Go^,in CHRIST JESUS.

Justification. 245

Let us briefly consider the grand truth of imputation.
Having no righteousness of our own, we need the righteous-
ness of God ; and this is imputed to us, in the first instance,
with a view to its subsequent impartation. To be justified by
Christ's righteousness, it must be imputed or made over to
us ; it must be set down to our account, just as if it were
our own ; and, besides being imputed, it must be imparted
to us also.

That there should be an analogy, in the imputation of
the acts of the two Adams, seems reasonable ; and it is
according to the express revelation of Scripture. St. Paul
argues the case, in the fifth chapter of his Epistle to the
Romans ; and shows that if Adam's sin and its consequences
were imputed to the human race, it is only according to
analogy, that the imputation of Christ's righteousness,
unto eternal life, should extend unto all men likewise ;
and " much more," seeing that " where sin abounded,, grace R 0m . v. 20.
did much more abound/*

St. Paul's doctrinal statement, that " The righteousness Rom. iii. 22, 24.
of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ [or by Jesus Christ's
faith] unto all and upon all them that believe/' contains
a great breadth of application. In the first instance, these
words, " the righteousness of God, which is ... unto
all" embrace the whole human race, which has " sinned
and come short of the glory of God." This is the outer
circle. But, in the second place, this circle comprises an
inner circle ; to which the Apostle refers, when he says that
this righteousness is " upon all them that believe " : and Rom. iii. 22.
with this view, his words to Timothy agree ; that " the living i Tim. iv. 10.
God is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe."

St. Paul, in his sermon to the heathen at Antioch, in
Pisidia, addressed them thus : " Be it known unto you Acts xiii. 38, 39.
therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is
preached unto you the forgiveness of sins : and by him,
all that believe are justified from ah 1 things, from which

246 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXVI.

ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." This then,
in a certain aspect, is the present standing of all men, through
See 2 Cor. v. 19, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

21.

An interesting point may be gathered from the original
Greek of St. Paul's Epistles ; for the Apostle uses the past
tense in his statement of forgiveness, of justification, and
of other Christian privileges. This indicates a finished act,
on the part of God, at some particular time.

In Rom. v. i, the meaning is not brought out correctly
in the Authorized Version, where it is rendered, " There-
fore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ " ; for literally, the Greek runs :
" Therefore having been justified " (8iKatw#<f..Ts). This past
tense refers to the acts of our Lord, mentioned in the
Rom. iv. 25. previous chapter : viz., that He " was delivered for our

offences, and was raised again for our justification."
Rom. v. 9. Again, the ninth verse should read : " Much more

then, having been now justified by his blood, we shall be
saved from wrath through him." * In Rom. viii. 30, the
word " justified " is used twice in the past tense.

In this Epistle, the verb " justify " in its several tenses,
occurs fourteen times. In Chapter iii.. the verb occurs six
times ; of these, three are in the passive voice.

In i Cor. vi. n, the words should run : " But ye have
been [were R.v.] washed, ye have been [were R.v.] sanctified,
ye have been [were R.v.] justified " ; for in the Greek., the past
tense of the passive voice is used in each case. (See p. 232.)

In Tit. iii. 7, the Greek should be rendered thus : " That
having been justified by his grace, we should be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life." To sum up : we find
that St. Paul uses this word in the past tense and the passive
voice eleven times in his Epistles to the various Churches.

* The above passages (Rom. v. 1.9) afford two clear instances of the
use of the past tense (SiKatu9(VTfs), and we regret to say that they are both
overlooked 'in the recent Revised Version. (See also Col. iii. i, in the Greek.}

Justification. 247

In laying stress on Chrisfs faith, we dare not ignore
the absolute necessity for personal faith on the part of all
men, in its appropriate sphere. Our faith consists primarily
in believing *"n or on God, and in accepting His message ; and
its subsequent action is to receive the gift, that is freely offered
to us by God. Our faith is different, in quality, from Christ's
faith ; for it has no meritorious element in it ; and consists
principally in receiving the blessing which God would convey.

Our faith, if living and genuine, " worketh by love " and is G* 1 - v - 6 -
the spring of good works ; therefore, so far from this doctrine
of ' justification by faith ? being, as infidels assert, immoral
or leading to Antinomianism : it has been the source of the
noblest actions in the world, the spring of the sanctification of
the purest and most benevolent characters, and the parent of
the most world-wide and historic events witness the great
Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, which has affected
200 millions of baptized persons.* (Rom. vi. 13, 18, 19.)

In an account of Luthers life, the following passage
occurs : " He [Luther] tells us that at Wittenberg [in the Hab. if. 4.
University] he had pondered over the text, * The just shall
live by his faith ' : and that whilst in Rome, these words
came back to him ; and on his return journey to German}',
the evangelical meaning of the phrase worked in his mind." +

* It was this grand doctrine of " Justification by Faith,"' that was the
cause of the great Reformation of the Sixteenth Century. It is wonderful to
think of the influence of one individual mind, strengthened by the Spirit of
God, in exhuming these words of the Apostle Paul, written some fifteen
hundred years before, and making them efficacious to the enlightenment of
millions : albeit this doctrine has created a wall of separation between the
Roman and the Protestant Churches.

t " Whilst ascending on his knees the sacred stairs (the Scala Santa)
in Rome, which were said to have led to the Judgment Hall of Pilate, and
whither to this day worshippers are invited by the promise of Papal absolu-
tion, Luther thought of the words of St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans :
1 The just shall hve by faith.' Rom - u 1 7-

" After Luther's "return from Rome to Wittenberg, he lectured on this
Epistle and stated . . . how he was no longer terrified by the avenging
justice of God ; but recognized the meaning of that righteousness declared
in the Gospel, by which the merciful God justifies the ungodly/ Then Rom. 1V - 5-
Luther, in teaching that justification proceeds from faith, rejected the notion
that man, by any outward acts of his own, can ever atone for his sins, and
merit the favour" of God." Life of Lutktr, bv Julius Kostfcn. (Translated
from the German.)

248 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part iv., Chap. xxvi.

Acts xiii. 39. When St. Paul said, at Antioch, that " all that believe

[in Christ] are justified from all things," he did not refer to
a mere abstract or historic faith ; but to a faith which was
practical and led to obedience : and one way of manifest-
ing that obedience, was submission to the Sacrament of
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

In applying the subject of Justification to Holy
Baptism, it does not need any argument to prove that
Justification (though in some aspects prior to Baptism),
must be a privilege, and a grace included in Baptism, for
the Baptized are pre-eminently those who believe, and who
have proved their faith and obedience, by receiving this rite.
They do not stand now on the outer platform, of general
forgiveness and justification, by the death and resurrection
of Christ ; but they form an inner election of those who have
had these blessings formally imparted to them, personally ;
by a definite and gracious act of God.

Justification, like forgiveness, is not an independent
truth ; for it forms a link in the golden chain of Divine
See Chaps, xxv. privileges. If Forgiveness of sins be a grace ministered
in Baptism, and if Grafting into the Body of Christ be also
a specific baptismal grace, how could the blessing of
Justification (which seems to be intermediate to these two
privileges), be absent from that Holy Sacrament ?

As St. Paul shows how closely related Justification is
to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ ; and likewise,
that Baptism hinges on these two grand facts ; it is evident
that Baptism must be linked with Justification ; and
consequently that the grace is ministered in this Holy
Sacrament.

Even as the Forgiveness of sins has its relation to all
men, so also has the grace of Justification ; and forasmuch
as both, existed before the institution of Holy Baptism by
our Lord, these preliminary and necessary graces cannot but
be present in Baptism, for they must needs be confirmed

Justification. 249

and made personal in and by this Holy Sacrament.
Moreover, though forgiveness and justification are not such
characteristically Christian gifts as the grafting into Christ
(which privilege they precede), nevertheless they are the
unseen foundations of Christian Baptism ; for if they were
absent, if we were not both forgiven and justified through
Christ Jesus our Lord, we should not be fitted to receive the
higher privileges and blessings bestowed by God in this Holy
Ordinance, of which only the Baptized can become partakers.

But we would by no means restrict the grace of the two
blessings of Forgiveness and Justification to those who are
baptized (considering the case of the saints of old, before
the Christian dispensation, and of those who from con-
scientious motives remain unbaptized) ; but we insist that
these two preliminary graces or privileges must be essentially
present in this initiatory Sacrament of the Christian Church.

St. Paul, after showing (in the earlier chapters of the
Epistle to the Romans), that men have broken the law.
proves that "by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be
justified." The dishonoured law speaks of condemnation,
and not of justification. The solemn question arises. Are
there any possible means of Justification ? If Justification
cannot now be attained by WORKS on the part of the sinner,
it must be attained by FAITH, by the faith of God Incarnate,
and by our faith in Him. The Apostle dwells on the parallel-
ism between the two Adams, the first and the last (or second
Adam), Rom. vi. 14-21, Cor. xv. 45-49. As man's unbelief
caused the breach, so Christ's faith has repaired the breach,
and put all men on a certain platform of forgiveness and
justification. But there is a means a Sacrament, for
bringing these blessings into more immediate contact with
an esoteric circle ; and this means is the Sacrament of Holy
Baptism.

The Prophet Isaiah, speaking of the salvation of God,
says : " I will greatly rejoice in the LORD ... for he hath Isa. ixi.

250 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXVI.

clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath
covered me with the robe of righteousness."

Now, no time or ordinance could be named, as so con-
gruous for the putting on in symbol, in spirit, or in reality,
this robe of righteousness, as the Sacrament of Baptism.

The King's palace is open ; the wedding garments are
prepared for every possible applicant : but each guest must
accept the wedding garment of the King's providing, and
must put it on, in order that he may be fit to appear in
the presence of the King. No man has deserved this gift,
no man can earn it or buy it ; we can but ACCEPT that which
is freely given to us of God.

The practice of the early Christians witnessed to this
spiritual truth of the imputation of the righteousness of
God, of which it was a beautiful symbol. The Neophytes
wore their white baptismal robes from Easter Eve until
the Sunday after Easter, which was hence called Dominica
in Albis, i.e., the Sunday in White.

After Infant Baptism became prevalent, this custom was,
in effect, retained ; the baptized infant being covered with
a white linen cloth, called o-u/Javos in the Greek, and
sabanus in the Latin.

" From the fourth century downwards, we find frequent
mention of the practice of clothing the newly baptized in
white garments. These garments, as emblems of purity,
were delivered to them with a solemn charge, to keep their
robes of innocence unspotted until the day of Christ.

" In the Latin rite, the priest puts on the infant a robe of
white linen, called the Chrisom, which replaces the previous
white robe, and he says : ' Receive the white robe ; mayest
thou carry it immaculate before the tribunal of our Lord
Jesus Christ for life eternal.' "*

* Histoire Dogmatique, Liturgique et Archlologiqite du Sacrament de
Bafteme, par 1'Abbe Jules Corblet, Paris 1881, Vol. II., p. 413.

This elaborate work consists of 2 Vols. in 19 Parts, of over noo pp.

Justification. 251

Dean Stanley alludes to the scenes which may still be
witnessed in Palestine, at the Festival of Easter. The
pilgrims, seeking Baptism in the River Jordan, bring with
them white robes, in which they are baptized, and then
religiously keep them to form their winding sheets.*

As we have seen, man can do nothing to efface, take
away, or atone for his sins, neither can he do anything to
work out a righteousness, in which (as a wedding garment
capable of bearing the scrutiny of Infinite Purity and
Holiness), he can appear before God.

Adam and Eve sewed leaves of the fig tree into
aprons, to cover their nakedness ; but they could not have
devised the coats, made from the skins of the animals slain
in sacrifice, which formed warm and durable clothing for
the whole .man ; these were provided by the LORD God Gen. m. 21.
Himself. So, likewise, must we be clothed by our Creator
and by our Redeemer, that the shame of our spiritual naked-
ness may not appear. We are washed from our sins in the
blood of Christ, and covered with His Divine righteousness.

" The scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the Gal. Hi. 22.
promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them
that believe."

A truth, cognate to that of Justification is seen in
the Apostle's expression : " for as many of [us] as have Gal. Hi. 27.
been baptized into Christ have put on Christ " ; and this
refers to the robe of Christ's righteousness, in which we stand
faultless before the throne of God.

Hence, since we are IN CHRIST, it is not we ourselves, but
only the Incarnate Lord who is seen in our approach to God ;
and since we are justified in His righteousness, and clothed
in His garments of salvation, we need not tremble, even
if we draw near to the Shechinah, the very presence of God,
in the Holiest of all.

* Christian Institutions, p. 3. Sinai and Palestine, pp. 309, 310. Dean
Stanley.

252 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXVII.

CHAPTER XXVII.

GRAFTING INTO THE SECOND ADAM: MEMBERS OF CHRIST.

ANALYSIS : The grafting into Christ is a special privilege, belonging not to
all men, but only to the Baptized.

Man's relationship to the first Adam is one of death. Out
of this condition he must be taken, and grafted into the Second
Adam, our new federal Head, for eternal life. We are thus
made members o/ Christ by the act of God, through the wor;l
of God and by Holy Baptism. St. Paul's definition of the
Church, as the Body of Christ : her memberships ; their
variety, complexity, and organization.

LITERAL grafting has been dwelt upon as a figure of
Union ; but the grafting into Christ one of the privileges of
Christian Baptism is the spiritual and antitypical reality,
and requires further consideration. (See Chapter xvm.)

There is a difference between the privilege of being
grafted into Christ, and the first two privileges which have
been considered. Forgiveness of sins and Justification are
blessings which could be conveyed, without the personal
relationship that results from the grafting into Christ.
But, since the beginning of this dispensation, the privilege
which has been given unto men of being grafted into Christ,
and thus becoming members of His Body, belongs not to
the whole human race, but only to those who believe
in Him, and who are initiated into the New Covenant ;
and, without doubt, this is a great advance on the two
previous and necessary privileges, referred to above. Thus,
in the wide outer circle of humanity, there is an inner
circle ; and its members are recipients of an esoteric act,
restricted to a limited number.

Although the Forgiveness of sins and Justification, through
the death and resurrection of Christ, are ever actively omni-
present, as blessings which could be conveyed without

Grafting into the Second Adam : Members of Christ. 253

engrafting, yet the Baptized should not rest content with
these initial privileges, but must progress in their heavenly
calling ; holding fast their special privileges, which are
conferred upon them by a definite and sacramental act of
God. The first of these special baptismal privileges is the
taking out, from the stock of the old Adam, those who
believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, Incarnate ; and
grafting them into Him who is the Second Adam, whereby
they are made members of Christ.

As every man has a natural relationship to the first Adam,
so every human being has a definite spiritual relationship to
the Saviour of men, as the Second Adam ; but this is intensi-
fied in the case of those who are baptized, by their being
grafted into Christ ; and who, by being made one with Him,
become members of His Body.

This operation, as it involves life, has an affinity with
regeneration which flows from the same Divine source.
Nevertheless, engrafting is not identical with regeneration ;
even if the latter be regarded as the subjective, and the
former as the objective aspect of the truth.

Adam the natural, moral, and federal head of the human
race was made " in the image of God " ; but when, by Gen. is. 6.
disobedience, he lost his original righteousness, he begat
children not in the likeness of God, but in his own likeness, Gen. v. 3.
i.e., in sin. Being therefore fatally connected with the first
Adam, every man has inherited from him, the qualities and
results which St. Paul enumerates, viz., disobedience, sin, Rom. v. 12-18.
judgment, condemnation, and death.

But, thank God ! man is not irrevocably shut up to this
evil condition ; for the Lord has provided a means of escape,
through the Second Adam, whose attributes are grace,
obedience, righteousness, justification, life and eternal
salvation. Hence arises the great difference to the human
race, between the results which spring from their capitation
relationship to the first, or to the Second Adam. The

254 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXVII.

existence of creative and federal unity, is one of the mysteries
which lies at the foundation of the human race, and is at the
root of God's plan of redemption. (See Chapter iv.)

That men should be taken out of the evil condition
inherited from the first Adam, and be grafted into the
Second Adam, is an act of grace and omnipotence, which is
beyond the power of any creature to effect. It is a direct,
spiritual act of God so gentle, so secret, so mysterious, and
yet so omnipotent, that it can be wrought by none but by
God Himself. It is analogous to the power which God
exerted when He made the world ; nay, it may be an exhibi-
tion of greater power ; for the first action dealt with
the material world, while the latter deals with the moral and
spiritual world. It is this Almighty power, manifested
Eph. i. 18-20. when God raised Christ from the dead, which is exerted in
the case of every baptized person. The Apostle asserts this
Eph. ii. 4-6. when he writes : " God, who is rich in mercy . . . even
when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with
Christ . . . and hath raised us up together, and made us
to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

The teaching of Holy Scripture, on which the traditions
and doctrine of the Church Catholic are based (concerning
the symbolic act of grafting into a new stock from an old
stock), may be thus stated : that this union with Christ,
is not due to subjective faith, however strong it may be ; but
takes place once, and only once, in Holy Baptism, as the
channel expressly appointed by the Lord, for this purpose.

While we lay such stress on the action of God, through

the appointed Sacrament of Holy Baptism, in regeneration

and engrafting ; we would not ignore those Scriptures which

speak of the Word of God, as an instrument in regeneration

Jas. i. 1 8. and spiritual begetting. " Of his own will begat he us with

the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits

i Peter i. 23. of his creatures " : " Being born again, not of corruptible

seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth

Grafting into the Second Adam : Members of Christ. 255

and abideth for ever " : " That he might sanctify and cleanse Epfc- - 26-
it [the Church] with the washing of water, by the word."

On these passages, our Evangelical brethren, who shrink
from the doctrine of sacramental grace or efficacy, lay
great stress ; but there cannot be any real contradiction
between the two views ; for the Sacrament of Baptism is
not operative per se, but derives its efficacy its reality
from the operation of the Father ; from the Son, the Word C L "- '*
of God, Head of His Body the Church ; and from the
efficient action of the Holy Ghost, using both the spoken
and the written Word, for this end.

The direct result of this action, is that the Baptized are
made members of Christ. They are not only related to
Christ personal, but also to Christ mystical the Church,
which is the mystical Body of Christ ; and by their being
grafted into Christ and thus becoming His members, they
also become members one of another.

"This point is of special importance in view of the
tendency (nowadays evinced in so many forms), to ignore
the Divine basis of unity supplied in Baptism, and to fall
back on some narrower basis arising out of covenants of our
own making. It is of importance also, as delivering us from
that individualism. . . which forgets that the baptismal
grace, which binds us to Christ, binds us equally to our
fellow Christians in Him ; and that we cannot be in Baptism
one with Christ Himself, without being at the same time
united with His Church. Further, it is a safeguard against
the sectarianism, so common in our land, which habitually
forgets, and sometimes openly denies, that the glorious
heritage of the whole Catholic Church, is one to which
Baptism confers an equal title on each of the Baptized."*

The nature of the Body of Christ may now be considered.

* The Divine Life in the Church, Section II., p. 48 (Rev. J. Macleod.
D.D.). VoL I. Gardner Hitt, Edinburgh, 1895.

256 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXVII.

The Church, which is Christ's spiritual Body (described
as mystical because as yet undeveloped), embraces a mystery
which is beyond human comprehension.

The Body of Christ is the creation of God ; and is a
mystery which results from, and ranks next to, the
Incarnation, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ ;
and the mystery of the Incarnation comes next to the
mystery of God Himself. The Church is the Body of Christ,
not as a figure of speech, but as a Divine, spiritual creation
E P h. i. 22, 23. and reality, in the Holy Ghost ; and it is " the fulness of
him that filleth all in all."

The Church, as the Body of Christ, was the secret of
God from eternity ; and was not revealed to man, until
after the ascension of the risen Christ to the Father's
right hand. St. Paul, as the Apostle to the Gentiles, after
forming the various congregations of Christians into churches,
found it necessary to instruct them, not only in doctrine, but
also concerning the privileges and duties, that belonged to
them in their corporate capacity. As he had not " companied
with the Lord " on earth, nor received His personal teaching,
like the other Apostles ; the Lord graciously gave him this
revelation of the constitution of the Church, as the mystery
Rom. xvi. 25-26. " which was kept secret since the world began, but now [was]
made manifest." This mystery may have been one of those
revelations, which St. Paul received during his rapture into
the heavenlies (related in 2 Cor. xii.), and which form the
special truths designated by him as " my gospel," and
expounded in a practical manner, in his Epistle to the
i Cor. xii. Corinthians, where he describes the Church, as the Body
of Christ, with its varied ministries, its memberships, and
its analogy to the human body.

May it not be more correct to say, that the human body
is a shadow of the great archetype, the Church ; rather than
that the, human body is the prototype of the Church ?

The Apostle draws a parallelism between the Ministries

Grafting into the Second Adam : Members of Christ. 257

of Christ, in His Body, the Church; and the members of the i Cor. xu. 12-28.
human body, such as the hands, eyes, feet and ears ; and he
emphasizes the subject, by saying : " Now ye are the body of i Cor. xii. 27.
Christ, and members in particular."

In his Epistle to the Romans, St. Paul writes : " For Rom. xii. 4, 5.
as we have many members in one body, and all members have
not the same office : So we, being many, are one body in
Christ, and every one members one of another." Here the
standing of the Baptized, as members of Christ, is clearly
denned. Further, the Apostle appeals to the Corinthians
to keep their bodies pure, because of their high and holy
standing : " Know ye not that your bodies are the members i Cor. vi. 15.
of Christ ? " Again, when treating of the spiritual gifts
which should be manifested in the Church, St. Paul writes
thus : " For as the body is one, and hath many members, i Cor. xii. 12-14.
and all the members of that one body, being many are one
body : so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body . . . For the body is not one
member, but many."

In his Epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle alludes eight
times to the Church, as the Body of Christ ; and he lays
special emphasis on the truth, that " we are members of his Eph. v. 30.
body, of his flesh, and of his bones " ; and in his Epistle to
the Colossians, he refers to this unique privilege five times.

Another marvellous feature, in connection with the
Church as the Body of Christ, is the number of units which
make up that body ; the sum total being gathered out of
every nation and from every age, during the Christian dis-
pensation. Each faithful member will be ultimately set in
his own place, with his own functions which none other
can fulfil ; inasmuch as they have all been made members of
Christ, with a particular place assigned to them in that
mystical Body, designated " the Church of the living God." i Tim. iii. 15
Our place in the Body of Christ is allotted to us by God it
is His gift ; and all who abide faithfully therein, contribute

258 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXVII.

to the integrity of the whole Body ; for " the hand cannot
say to the foot, I have no need of thee."

The unity and incorporation of these members with the
Head and with each other, and the complexity of the whole
structure, is beyond all human conception. Well may we
Rom. xi. 33. exclaim with St. Paul : " O the depth of the riches both of
the wisdom and knowledge of God ! " It is well known that
in Nature, there is a continuous advance from the simple,
amorphous jelly of the Amceba to the highly differentiated
structure of man ; and that the more complex the organism,
the more difficult it is to reconstitute the same, if anything
goes wrong. Herein, may be seen the perfection of organiza-
tion in unity, exhibiting extreme simplicity with the
utmost complexity !

The Church, even now, is not a polity of man's creation ;
she is not earthly in her constitution, aims and principles ;
she is heavenly, and therefore supernatural ; and, as she
is a body, she is organic and living. Her members having
been grafted into Christ, thus forming His body, the action
is so real, so spiritual, that it can be reversed by none but by
God the Father ; as may be inferred from our Lord's state-
ment, that fruitless branches shall be taken away but only
John. xv. 1-6. by the action of the Father, the Husbandman. Withered,
they are cast forth, as branches, and are burned.

Let us seriously reflect on our individual and corporate
privileges, responsibility, and glory ; and apprehend how
they are mutually enhanced. By this process of being
grafted into a Body, the Baptized not only cease to be mere
units ; but each one has entered into a relationship to
others, for the manifestation of a higher and more complex
life ; and it is easy to see what a much greater glory must
spring from combination and organization, than from
isolation. Of this truth, Nature furnishes a thousand illustra-
tions ; as for example, in the human body, a finger, a hand,
i Cor. xii. 14-27. or a foot could not subsist by itself, apart from the body.

Grafting into the Second Adam : Members of Christ. 259

We have an example of corporate life of a multitude
of individuals forming one body in many of the marine
corals and polyps (e.g., in the Sea Pen or Pennatuld). The
same fact of organization holds good of everything in the
natural Creation. Could one colour form the rainbow ?
Could one drop form the river ? Could one petal form the
rose ? Could one element form the strata and soil of the
earth ? Could one member make the body ? Could one
man form a family, an army, or a State ? There is no lack
of instances, to be gathered from the natural world, of the
helplessness of units to achieve those results which can only
be attained by the glory of organization. What is one atom
of carbon, of oxygen, of iron, or of lime, in its separate
condition ? But, when mysteriously united, these atoms
form the exquisite colouring and fragrance of a flower (such
as the " rose of Sharon," or the " lily of the valleys "), whose
organization is full of the forces and secrets of Nature ; and
whose beauty appeals to our hearts and spirits. Every-
where, there is diversity of organization and of function,
but unity, in life. There is unity in diversity, and diversity
in unity, that the glory of God may be displayed thereby.
This is one of God's laws in the natural and spiritual world ;
for. in the creation of man, God did not leave him as a
solitary unit ; so, also, in the spiritual creation, God has shown
forth His wisdom by binding the Baptized together, as a
united whole and as a Body, into the closest structural
relations with the Head and with each other, through
their specialized functions, that their fruit should be
differentiated. They form a living Body, bound together
by a common life, by common sensation, and by mutual
sympathy.

But another marvel reveals itself, viz., that Christ, the
Head, is imperfect without His Body ; that He needs His
members ; that He cannot act without them. Perhaps
this truth may explain why the Church's entrance into the

260 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. xxvn.

Kingdom has been so long delayed ; for great has been the
backwardness of the Baptized, who have not progressed unto
Eph. iv. 13. perfection, even to the " measure of the stature of the fulness
of Christ." Even Christ Himself is dependent on His members,
for we must not forget that the Head and members together
Col. ii. 2 (Greek), form "the Christ of God." The Head may will, the Head
may rule, but He needs living, active, responsive members
for the carrying out of that will ; which will should, and
eventually shall, pervade the whole Body, and be felt instan-
taneously in the most distant and feeble member. Even
now, on earth, the most absolute unity should prevail ;
and Christ's will should transfuse His whole spiritual Body,
and be responded to, by the most insignificant member
John xv. 4, 5. thereof, who abides in the Lord, and in whom He abides.
If the unity, which pervades the human body, be so striking ;
what shall be said of the unity of the spiritual Body of
Christ ; when the Lord shall " present it to Himself a glorious
Church," complete and perfect in every member ?

Such are the glories of this masterpiece of the New
Creation, the Body of Christ ; and into this Body, we are
grafted by the power of God. None can make themselves
members of this mystical Body, by their own will or by their
own act ; no one, but God, can make us members of this
heavenly body by a spiritual and creative act which is due
to His Omnipotent Spirit. And the only instrumentality,
which the Holy Spirit deigns to use, to accomplish this
wonderful end, is that appointed by Christ Himself,
according to the will of God, viz., the Sacrament of
Christian Baptism, the birth of water and of the Spirit.
Truly, the power of God is glorified in weakness ; and He
i Cor. i. 27-31. hath chosen the weak things of the world, to effect His
glorious and eternal purposes, " that no flesh should glory
in his presence " : but " that, 'according as it is written, He
Isa. liv. 17. that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." " Their righteous-
ness is of me, saith the Lord."

Relationship to God the Father : Sons of God. 261

CHAPTER XXVIII.

RELATIONSHIP TO GOD THE FATHER : SONS OF GOD.

ANALYSIS : The Baptized, being grafted into Christ, are made sons of God.
Ideas associated with fatherhood : begetting, life, community
of nature, heredity. Stages of growth : babes, children,
youths, men. God, our Father, disciplines us as sons : i. Four
ways in which the privileges of sonship are attained, n.
Enumeration of these privileges : freedom, abiding in the house,
sustenance, confidence, heirship. in. The status of the Baptized
is that of sons, even if they are lapsing into apostasy. The
future manifestation of our Divine sonship, and its present exhibi-
tion in our lives and characters.

" BEHOLD, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed i John iii. i, 2.
upon us, that we should be called the children of God. . . .
Beloved, now are we the children of God." " Children "
(R.V.) is a more accurate rendering of the Greek TeVcm
than " sons." as given in the Authorized Version.

Before proceeding further, that there may be no confusion
of thought concerning the standing of the Baptized, as the
sons of God, it must be clearly stated that they are
members of CHRIST and sans of GOD ; and it would not
be true to say that they are members of God, or sons of
Christ ; nor is either term applicable to their relationship to
the Holy Ghost ; of whom, the} 7 are termed " partakers"

The privilege of a new relationship to God the Father
that of sonship is conferred upon the Baptized ; and it
arises from their being grafted into Christ, the second Adam.
Christ is a Son, and we are made one with Him ; and hence,
in Him, we are made sons of God.

Our Lord laid great emphasis on this truth of the Father-
hood of God, when He taught His disciples to call upon
God, as " Father," and to say, " Our Father which art in Matt. vi. 9.
heaven " ; and in His sermon on the Mount, the Lord

262 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXVIII.

alludes to God, under the character of " heavenly Father "
or " your Father," no less than sixteen times.

The first idea, which is associated with a father, is that of
begetting; and this act of begetting is attributed to God,
in Holy Scripture ; but after a spiritual and heavenly manner.
Jas. i. 18. Thus, St. James says : " The Father of lights ... by his
own will begat he us with the word of truth" ; and St. John
John i. 12, 13. savS) that " as many as received him [Jesus Christ], to them
gave he power [or the right or privilege, margin] to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name :
which were born, not of blood [i.e., not in carnal
generation], nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of God."

Connected with " sonship," is the gift of Life. From a
human father, the gift of natural life is received ; and from
our heavenly Father, we receive the^gift of spiritual life
even the impartation of that life, by which Christ was raised
from the dead, and by which He lives for ever. It is the
eternal life of God the Father, which has been manifested by
the Son, in human flesh ; and which flows into the Baptized,
through the Incarnate Son. It is not merely everlasting
life, but life of a special nature ; its essence being not mere
duration, but quality, viz., that Divine life of love and
holiness, which has, in itself, the seed of immortality.

Another privilege of sonship, akin to that of the gift
of life, is the reception of the same nature which the father
himself possesses. Those whom God begets, partake of a
nature like His ; and though it is impossible for man to
share the incommunicable essence of the Divine Nature, yet,
in another sense, it may be possible for man to receive a
nature, as a gift from God, that may be termed divine.
The passage in St. Peter's Epistle, is often quoted, viz.,
2 Pet. i. 4. that we are " partakers of the divine nature " ; but in the
Greek, the article is omitted; so that it does not mean
" of the divine nature," but of a divine nature.

Relationship to God the Father : Sons of God. 263

Now, what is the character of this divine nature ? It
is spiritual, for " God is a Spirit " ; and He is called " the
God of the spirits of all flesh," and " the Father of spirits " ;
for, as the Creator of all things, God is the Creator of the
spirit of man. Hence, the nature derived from God must
be a spiritual nature. " That which is born of the flesh is
flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

Akin to this, is the mystery of heredity, or the receiving
certain features or characteristics, which belong to a
father.

Children, i.e., sons and daughters of a common father,
constitute the wonderful Divine conception and creation
that of a family ; wherein many persons are linked together,
by their relationship to one father and to each other. This
is true of the natural life, and of the spiritual life also.
We may further note the great extent of the family relation-
ship, to which St. Paul alludes when he writes to the
Ephesians : " For this cause I bow my knees to the Father
of the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in
heaven and earth is named.''

According to the analogies of natural birth, and of the
different stages which are found in vegetable, animal and
human life ; there are various stages of development in
the spiritual life of the children of God. St. Peter exhorts
those to whom he writes : " As new born babes, [to] desire
the sincere milk of the word, that [they] may grow thereby."
The writer to the Hebrew Christians reproaches them for
being " such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of
righteousness : for he is a babe."' When St. Paul first wrote
to the Corinthians, he told them what was hindering not
only their growth, but his work among them ; viz., their
envyings, strifes, and divisions (factions, margin) : and he adds,
" I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual,
but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have

John iv. 24.
Num. xvi. 22.
Heb. xii. 9.

John iii. 6.

Eph. iii. 14, 15.

I Pet. ii. 2, 3.

Heb. v. 12-14.

I Cor.

264 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part IV., Chap. XXVIII.

fed you with milk, and not with meat : for hitherto ye were
not able to bear it."

The next stage after infancy, is childhood ; which is

i Cor. xiii. n. referred to by St. Paul, as follows : " When I was a child,

I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a

child : but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

i Cor. xiv. 20. And he further warns the Corinthians thus : " Brethren,

be not children in understanding : howbeit in malice be ye

children, but in understanding be men." (Gk. TC'ACUH,

perfect, or of a ripe age, margin.)

The third stage of growth is that of youth ; even as St. John
i John ii. 14. writes : " I have written unto you, young men, because ye

are strong, and the word of God abideth in you."

Eph. iv. 13, 14. Youth leads on to the full stature of manhood, even "unto

a perfect man. . . . that we henceforth be no more children."

Again, St. Paul seems to mark the different status,

between the children of God and the sons of God, by using

two separate words in the eighth chapter of his Epistle to

Rom. viii. 16, 17. the Romans : " The Spirit itself beareth witness with our

spirit, that we are the children of God : And if children,

then heirs." Here the Greek word for " children " is

Rom. viii. 14. reKva, but in verse 14, it is written : " For as many as are

led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God " ; and

here, the Greek word for " sons " is viol, the same as that

used, in verses 3, 29, 32, of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.*

* In the R.V., rtKva. is always translated ' children,' and viol 'sons.' In
the A.V., both terms are used indiscriminately for sons or children. The
word fiitvov is never applied to the ' Son of God,' with one exception,
when His human mother, the Virgin Mary, calls Him T(KVOV (Luke ii. 48).
But God the Father always speaks of Him as vi6s. The idea of TSKVOV
as presented by St. John, includes the two notions of the presence of the
Divine principle and the definite action of human growth. "St. John
never uses the title vl6s, the name of definite dignity and privilege, to
describe the relation of Christians to God. He regards their position
not as the result of an adoption (vioQtffia), but as the result of a new
life which advances from the vital germ to full maturity." The Epistlts of
St. John, Greek Text, with Notes, by the late Bishop Westcott.

"rtitvov being from TJ'KTOI, to bring forth, has reference to the nursery
rather than the school ; while vi6s has reference to the legitimate son, with
all the rights and privileges, pertaining to the fact of sonship." Rev.
E. W. Bullinger, D.D.

Relationship to God the Father : Sons of God. 265

Moreover, as young children must be trained in the
way they should go, and as sons must be educated, another
aspect of God's Fatherly character is presented to us, by the
chastening, which He is constrained to inflict upon His
children, from time to time ; and to which there are many
references in Holy Scripture. But in all Divine correction,
the tenderness of the Father's heart is apparent ; and it is
written, that " He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the Lam. UL 32, 33.
children of men." Another element of consolation is added,
and that is, the blessedness of the Divine correction :
" Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD." Psa. dv. 12.

Since holiness and righteousness are the aim and end of
God's chastening ; how could a holy, righteous, and loving
Father fail to correct His children ? Wherefore, instead of
bemoaning or resisting the chastening of the Lord ; we
ought to be thankful that, in His love, He should think us
worthy of it; and that He should take the trouble to correct
us, patiently bearing with the waywardness of His children.
To recoil from suffering, is the instinct of human nature ;
but to incite men to rebel against it, is the work of the Devil.
When the Lord told His disciples that He should suffer
at Jerusalem, and Peter, in his love for Him, replied,
" Be it far from thee, Lord": the Lord "turned, and said Matt. xvi. 21-23
unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan : . . . for thou
savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be
of men." These words show that Peter was incited, by
the Devil, to turn Jesus Christ away from suffering, through
the natural .shrinking of man from pain.

God first uses the appellation " My son," when He applies
this endearing term to Israel, in His message through Moses
to Pharaoh : " Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, EX. iv. 22, 23.
even my firstborn : And I say unto thee, let my son go,
that he may serve me." This passage is alluded to by the
prophet Hosea : " When Israel was a child, then I loved Has. xL i.
him, and called my son out of Egypt."

266 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXVIII.

i. How do men now attain unto the peculiar privilege
of being made " sons of God " ?

(i) Such a relationship is only possible first, through
Christ having voluntarily united Himself to man, in His
assumption of human nature ; and secondly, through a
special act of God, whereby men are united to Christ, and,
as His members, are made one with Him. Thus, by Christ's
relationship to us and our reciprocal relationship to Christ,
we may now call God " our Father " ; not merely by a
general, creative right, but by the special sacramental act
of God, in uniting us with, and grafting us into Christ, in
Holy Baptism.

Rom. i. 4. (2) As the Lord Jesus Christ has " been declared to be

the Son of God with power ... by the resurrection from
the dead," our standing in Him as "the sons of God"
has its basis in His Resurrection.

Through Christ, and only through Him, can those who
are baptized into Him, share His resurrection -life, as the
sons of God. Thus it is that, as the partakers of the risen
life of Christ, through faith, and in Baptism, we receive this
blessed sonship. Hence, there is an immortal, as well as a
spiritual essence in this imparted nature ; the fulness of
which will be manifested in the three-fold being of man, in
the day of the resurrection, or in the change without
death, at the appearing of the Lord.

(3) Sonship is a result of Regeneration, whereby we
Jas. i. i s. become the sons of God by spiritual creation ; for God, " of

His own will begat ... us with the word of truth," in Holy
Baptism.

(4) Men are made sons, by adoption and grace. This
act of adoption does not depend on a mere subjective
feeling on faith, on hope, or on love, in the recipient.
In this world, it is the external act of another person, who
transacts certain legal formalities, whereby the child is
adopted and received into the family. This is a voluntary

Relationship to God the Father : Sons of God. 267

action on the part of the person who adopts a child. The
practice was familiar to the Romans, and a subject of
legislation. The adopted children shared the family life
and estate, with the home-born children. This obtains
also in modern times, in all civilized countries. Hence,
when adoption is referred to in Scripture, analogous ideas
and principles (connected with the figure of adoption) are
fulfilled in their spiritual counterpart. It is clear that the
adoption of sons, by God, 4s not based simply on acquiescent
faith (however necessary this may be from a subjective
point of view), but that it rests on the overt act of God,
of which Holy Baptism is the outward expression.

This element of adoption marks off the divine sonship of
the Baptized, as distinct from that of the elect angels, and
from that of unfallen Adam. It belongs not to the old, but
to the new creational standing ; whereby we inherit our
Father's nature, through Jesus Christ, and by the quickening
power of the Holy Ghost.

Angels are called " the sons of God." They are sons Job. xxxvij. 7.
by creation, and by their spiritual and moral natures.

Every moral and intelligent creature whom God creates,
must, from that very fact, have a relationship to God as
his Father, which may be termed natural sonship.

Adam is called, in St. Luke's Gospel, " the son of God " ; Luke ill. 38.
for Adam, as the first man, was a direct creation of God ;
and was made " in the image of God." This expression Gen. ix. 6.
speaks of the creative generation of man by God ; when both
natural and spiritual life were imparted, by inbreathing or Gen. u. 7.
inspiration from the Source of all life : but not solely from
God the Father ; for the words " Let us make man in
our image, and in our likeness," show that the Holy Trinity
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost worked together for the
perfecting of man, which was the crowning act of the sixth
day of Creation. When, however, through sin, the image
of God was defaced in man, so that the Divine likeness was

268 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXVIII.

lost ; then regeneration became necessary, that the lost
likeness might be regained. Through the baptismal act
of regeneration, the spiritual relationship of man to God,
in Jesus Christ, is of a more intimate nature than that
conferred by God upon Adam, in his first estate.

There are many who regard Baptism as a mere ceremony
for admission into the visible Church ; and who say that men
are only born again of the Holy Ghost, when they believe
in Jesus Christ as their Saviour ; thus denying the will of
God and the energy of the Holy Spirit, to make effectual the
act of Baptism in the Name of the Father, of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost, as commanded by the Lord Jesus Himself.
If the Lord had instituted a mere empty form, would He
have bidden His Apostles to invoke the solemn and holy
name of the Triune God, which, in this case, would have
bordered on blasphemy ? What other act of God is suitable
for conferring the spiritual adoption of sons, on those whom
Jesus Christ redeemed ? We cannot make ourselves the sons
of God, any more than we can, of our own will, create,
beget, or quicken ourselves in natural or spiritual life.

Christian parents take their child to the font, as their own
child, with an unregenerate nature ; but also, as one for
whom Christ has died : and they receive it again into their
arms, as a child of God by adoption and grace.

" Drawn out " of the water like Moses the child is
given back to the natural mother, to nurse for the King's
daughter, even for the Church. This is the teaching of Holy
Gal. iii. 26, 27. Scripture : "Ye are all the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized
into Christ have put on Christ."

Since Christian Baptism is associated with resurrection,

regeneration, and sonship ; it may be logically concluded, that

these three truths or conditions cannot be dissociated.

Rom. vi. Wherefore, if according to Apostolic teaching, the divine

ordinance of Baptism, into Christ, be that by which men are

Relationship to God the Father : Sons of God, 269

adopted, as sons, into the family of God ; let them beware E P h. UL 15.
of despising their birthright ; lest, like Esau, they suffer Heb - - l6 * 1 7-
grievous loss hereafter.

ii. What are the special privileges which the Baptized
derive from this relationship with God, as His adopted sons ?

(1) The freedom of sons : that there is a difference
between a servant and a son, has been universally recog-
nized. " Moses was faithful ... as a servant ; . . . but Heb. ill. 5. 6.
Christ as a Son over his own house ; whose house are we."

Jesus said : " If the Son therefore shall make you free, John viii. 36.
ye shall be free indeed."

The Lord illustrated the position of a son, when, in the
episode of the tribute money, he asked Peter, " Of whom Mat; xvi ; 25 2 5.
do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute ? of their
own children, or of strangers ? " On Peter's reply. "Of
strangers"; the Lord rejoined, "Then are the children
free."

(2) The abiding of the son in his Father's house : this
privilege belongs to him, not as a stranger, nor as a sen-ant
(who can be dismissed at will) ; but in his undoubted right
as a son, who is assured of his position.

(3) The right of sustenance at the Father's table : this
nourishment is designated, by our Lord, the " children's Matt. x\. 26.
bread." How touching is the soliloquy of the starving

prodigal ! " How many hired servants of my father's have Luke \v. 17-19.

bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger ! I

will arise and go to my father, and say unto him, Father,

I have sinned." " Bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it " ; Luke \\. 24.

exclaims the father, " for this my son was dead, and is alive

again ; he was lost, and is found."

As the children of a family draw round their father's
table; so, also, does our heavenly Father give to us, His
children (His sons and daughters), the right to come to His
Holy Table ; to which privilege, none but the Baptized
have the right of admission.

270 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXVIII.

(4) Communion and confidence between father and son :
John xv 15. as the Lord said to His disciples, " The servant knoweth not

what his lord doeth : but I have called you friends ;
for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made
known unto you."

(5) Heir ship : The Apostle emphasizes his statement,
Rom. viii. 16, 17. " that we are the children of God," by adding : " And if

children, then heirs ; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
Christ." This is the position of legitimate children ; and
it testifies to the fulness of the adoption, when an adopted
son is recognized as heir to the person who adopted
Gal. iv. 7. him and whose name he has assumed. " Wherefore thou art
no more a servant, but a son ; and if a son, then an heir
of God through Christ."

The privilege of sonship is not bestowed upon the
Baptized, simply as individuals ; but in the unity of the
whole Church ; for Baptism is the means, which God has
provided, for the continued existence of the Church on earth,
and for increasing the family circle, by bringing many sons
and daughters into the covenant of adoption.

Christ is ever present to act in His Church ; and His
resurrection-life (first received by mortal men at Pentecost)
has descended, through the instrumentality of men, to every
baptized person, by the operation of the Holy Ghost ; who
will continue to act, until the last unit is brought in to
complete the Body of Christ, according to the eternal
counsel of God the Father.

in. What is the present status of the Baptized ?

It is not declared that we shall be the sons of God,
at some future period ; but the Spirit, through the Apostle
i John iii. 2. John, declares that " Now are we the sons of God."

That so many of the Baptized ignore their sonship or
give it the lie, by their unbelief or unholy lives, does not
nullify the fact of their adoption. Having, by the grace
of God, been taken into His covenant as sons ; they will be

Relationship to God the Father : Sons of God. 271

judged, not as servants, but as SONS. The guilt of a dis-
obedient son, is more intense than that of a servant. A son
who is rebellious, forfeits his privileges, is cut off from his
inheritance, and thus becomes inferior to a servant.

But there is a picture of hope connected with the future ;
for we are promised the full revelation of our sonship in the
Kingdom of God. The manifestation of sonship, in the
regeneration of the souls and spirits of men, will not be
complete until their bodies are also regenerated raised from
the dead, or changed without death at the appearing of
the Lord, and glorified in the perfect image and likeness of
Christ.

Filial obedience, springing from loving devotion, is the
key-note of the spirit that should actuate the sons of God ;
and this was manifested by Jesus Christ, the Son of God ;
and is expressed by Him in the Lord's Prayer.

The Lord Jesus delineates the qualities that the
children of God should exhibit, when He says : " Love M -"- v - 44 45-
your enemies . . . That ve may be the children of your
Father which is in heaven : for he maketh his sun to rise
on the evil and on the good." St. Paul also exhorts the
Ephesians : " Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear E P 3. v i. 2
children ; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us."

A divine sonship involves a moral likeness to God our
Father; for the new nature, received by the sons of a
righteous and holy God, must correspond to that of God,
and be manifested in holiness of spirit, as well as in
righteousness of life.

As God has the heart of a Father towards us, let us seek
from Him the inestimable spiritual gift the filial heart of
a son or daughter, that we ma}' respond to His gracious
command when He says : " My son, give me thine heart." PK>V. jii. 26.
In this spirit only, can we hold secret communion with our
Father in heaven, and intercede for the deliverance of the
creature " from the bondage of corruption." Rom, viii. 21

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXIX.

CHAPTER XXIX.

PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY GHOST.

ANALYSIS : The Baptized have specific relations to each Person of the
Blessed Trinity; they are " made partakers of the Holy Ghost,''
by the instrumentality of Christian Baptism.

The gift of the Holy Ghost, through the laying on of
Apostles' hands, is a subsequent and higher grace, and is the
crown of Christian Baptism.

On the Gifts of the Spirit. Sorrow and confession of sin
because of their non-manifestation.

THE privileges of the Baptized, resulting from their
relationship to God the Father, and to the Incarnate Son,
Heb. vi. 4. culminate in that of being " made partakers of the Holy
Ghost," the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.

The separate term, assigned to our relationship with
each Divine Person, is distinct and appropriate; and is
neither synonymous nor interchangeable. We are members
of Christ, sons of God, and partakers of the Holy Ghost.
Each term conveys a clear idea of a definite grace and
privilege; and brings before us the truth, that the
Baptized have specific relations with each Person of the
Godhead.

It were unprofitable to institute comparisons, between
our three-fold privileges, in relation to the Holy Trinity ; for
the three Persons of the Godhead being ONE, they work
together as an indivisible Unity, for the act of One, is the
act of All; therefore though their spheres of action may
appear to be different, yet one holy purpose unifies their acts.
The divine privileges, which have been dwelt upon in the
preceding chapters, cannot be graduated according to any
human scale ; for by one and the same act in Holy Bap-
tism, are we made members of Christ, children of God, and
partakers of the Holy Ghost.

Partakers of the Holy Ghost. 273

The work of the Holy Spirit is as essential, in its place,
as that of the Son of God ; for without the Spirit, the work
of the Son would be ineffectual, and Christ would have GaLfi.ai.
died in vain.

In considering this expression, Partakers of the Holy
Ghost, we must not fall into tike error of supposing that the
Holy Spirit Himself, can be divided. He is One and
indivisible, for His essence His substance is Divine.

With whom do the Baptized, as " partakers of the Holy
Ghost," share this precious gift ? First and foremost, with
the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, of whom it is written, that
"God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him "; secondly. John iiL 34.
they partake of this gift with one another and with the
whole household of faith.

The expression " partakers of the Holy Ghost." betokens
that the Baptized do not possess His fulness, as isolated
individuals ; but that they partake of the Holy Ghos:
of His grace, and of His power in unison with others : so
that many are partakers of the one common gift of the
Spirit.

The Divine charismata (\apurpaTa. gifts. A.VJ and graces
are divisible, and. as such, are spoken of in Scripture ; but i Or. xii. 4-"-
the Spirit, though He distributes His gifts and graces
to the Church, cannot be divided in His Personality.
This distribution of gifts by the Spirit, is a great mystery.
But St. Paul's teaching on this subject is clear : " Now
there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." And
after enumerating the gifts, he adds. " But all these worketh
that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man
severally as he will." The expression used by the writer
of the Epistle to the_ Hebrews, " made partakers of the Holy
Ghost," seems to point to some external ordinance, as well
as to an internal Divine action, for the conveyance of this
privilege. Men did not naturally inherit this Gift of the
Spirit, but they were made partakers of Him ; and this

274 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. xxix.

implies a relation to the Holy Ghost, which did not exist
Heb. vi. i- 4 . before. The context, in which this expression occurs,
follows on "the doctrine of baptisms" ; so that this truth
may be considered, as the necessary corollary of the
Sacrament of Baptism, which was one of " the principles of
the doctrine of Christ."

The connection of the Holy Spirit with Christian
Baptism, must first be proved from Holy Scripture.

The relation of the Spirit to water (i.e., to the Sacrament
of Baptism), is set forth, by our Lord, in His first discourse
to Nicodemus, and has been already considered in detail.
(see Chap, xiv.) The words to be " born of water and
of the Spirit " describe the grace of Regeneration. St. Paul
i Cor. xii. 13. reminds the Church at Corinth, that " by one Spirit are we
all baptized into one Body." This grafting into the Body
of Christ (see Chap, xxvu.), and the relationship of sons to the
Divine Father (see Chap, xxvin.) are effected through the
instrumentality of the same Spirit. St. Peter links Baptism
with the reception of the Gift of the Holy Ghost ; when, in
Acts ii. 38. his first sermon, on the day of Pentecost, he says : " Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost."

Hence, Holy Baptism is the only instrumentality that
effects this result, through the operation of God which
makes us members of Christ and sons of God, and admits us
into the fellowship of the Spirit ; thus making us " partakers
of the Holy Ghost."

Acts. i. 5. The recipients of Baptism are, in a sense, " baptized with

the Holy Ghost" ; for it is He who gives inward and spiritual
reality to the outward and visible sign ; and this is a correct
doctrinal statement with reference to Christian Baptism.
Although it may be concluded, that the Apostles, with other
devout Jews, received John's Baptism we do not read of their
John xiii. 8-u. receiving Christian Baptism; yet the deep significance of

Partakers of the Holy Ghost. 275

the act of our Lord, in washing their feet, must not be

ignored ; for when Peter remonstrated against his Master

thus humbling Himself, the Lord replied : " // / wash thee

not, thou hast no part with me" Hence, it must be inferred

that this personal act of the Lor^J, in washing His disciples'

feet, was symbolic of a spiritual washing or baptism, which

they received from Him at the same time ; for when He had

finished, He declared " ye are clean, but not all" Moreover,

after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus " breathed on them, John xx. 2:.

and [said] unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost " : thus,

they were washed and made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

before the day of Pentecost, when the great Gift was

manifestly conveyed.

In the case of Cornelius, the illapse of the Spirit did not
supersede the necessity of Christian Baptism ; for Peter
expressly enjoined, that the recipients should be baptized,
as the necessary sequel to having received the Gift of the Holy Acts x. 47, 4
Ghost.

All the Patriarchs and Saints of old (whose names are
mentioned in Hebrews xi.), down to John the Baptist, may
have received a continuous impartation of the Holy Ghost ;
and all who " obtained a good report," were the subjects of Heb. xi. 39.
His Divine influence ; but they could not be correctly
described as partakers of the Holy Ghost ; nor did the Holy
Ghost dwell in them, as He does in the Baptized, who form
the members of the Body of Christ.

The gift of the Spirit puts the recipients of Christian
Baptism, in this Dispensation, into a different position from
that of saints, in former Dispensations ; and this explains
our Lord's allusion to John the Baptist : " Verily I say unto
you, among them that are born of women there hath not
risen a greater than John the Baptist : notwithstanding he
that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
The humblest member of the Church of Christ through no
worthiness or works of his own has received more spiritual

276 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXIX.

grace, by the partaking of the Holy Ghost, than John, or
any member of the former dispensations ; for this gift of
the Holy Ghost, could only be bestowed, by the Father,
through the merits and intercession of the risen Saviour, who,
when He " ascended up on high, led captivity captive and
gave gifts unto men " ; or, as the Psalmist renders it,
Psa. ixviii. 18. " received gifts for men ; yea, for the rebellious also, that
the LORD God might dwell among them."

If all these operations have taken place in Holy Baptism,
through the Holy Ghost, it is only a natural inference that
we have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost ; not merely
of His operations, but also of the Spirit Himself.

If we are made partakers of the Holy Ghost, may it not
also be said, that the Baptized receive the grace of His
indwelling ?

This high privilege marks the distinctive glory of the
Christian standing, which is so often forgotten. It is nothing
Epb. ii. 22. less, than that the Baptized should be " builded together
for an habitation of God through the Spirit " ; and only
as the Baptized take this standing, can they know
how Holy Baptism excels Circumcision, the initiatory rite of
covenant with God, under the old Dispensation.

The Spirit of God does not now merely rest upon saints,
as of old ; but dwells in Christians, according to our Lord's
John xiv. 17. promise, " He [the Spirit] dwelleth with you and shall be
in you."

Surely, if the Baptized be grafted into Christ, they must
(if they abide in Him) have the Holy Ghost dwelling in them ;

2 Cor. i. 22. though, without the Seal of the Spirit, they are not endowed
E P h. i. 13. ^^ His ninefold gift^

E P h. ii. 19. The Church is described in Holy Scripture, as " the

\ Cor*\l. 19! household of God " ; " the body of Christ " ; and " the temple

of the Holy Ghost," into which the Holy Ghost has entered,

to dwell for ever, to show forth the glory of the Lord

God, to the joy and praise of all creation.

Partakers of the Holy Ghost. 277

The grand truth, which takes precedence here, is that the
Church, as a whole, is the Temple of the Holy Ghost;
and the subordinate question which arises is, How far
can we consider our individual bodies to be temples of the
Holy Ghost, seeing that this egression (in the plural) is not
found in the New Testament ?

St. Paul, in addressing the Church at Corinth, as a whole,
writes thus : " Ye are the temple of God/' and though he i Car. Si. 16, 17.
employs the plural pronoun, yet he uses the word " temple "
in the singular: from this we learn that this term has its
application to individuals in their corporate standing.
Nevertheless, St. PauTs exhortation must have an individual
application ; for every baptized person may be regarded as
forming a constituent part of the one great Temple,
composed of living stones " fitly joined together." But E ? h. iv. 16.
we must not press the figure too far ; for it would be
absurd to suppose, that there are millions of temples of
the Holy Ghost, composed of the separate units, who are
members of the Body of Christ. This theory would tend to
obliterate the one grand truth of the Church, as a nhole,
being the Body of Christ, and the Temple of the Holy
Ghost. There is one God, one Head, one Body, one Spirit,
one Temple. The Temple is one ; but is " builded '" of a large
number of living stones. Hence, men not merely as units,
but in millions shall, according to God's wonderful purpose,
be built into one living Temple ; while each separate stone
shall be filled with the one, pervasive, omnipresent Spirit.

The following figure may illustrate the point. In a vine,
every cluster of grapes is made up of many separate
berries ; and each distinct berry contains the juice of the
vine. As the grape ripens, it becomes more and more filled
with juice, until the measure of its capacity is reached.
One berry does not form the cluster ; neither does one cluster
constitute the vine ; nevertheless, if the vine be fruitful,
the sap must fill every berry with the juice. St. Paul wrote

278 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXIX.

E P h. v. 18. to the Ephesians : " Be filled with the Spirit." Every
baptized person should " be filled with the Spirit " ; but
not as a separate unit, or apart from the Church, which is
composed of the aggregate of the Baptized ; and which, in
her corporate unity, forms the temple of the Holy Ghost.

Jesus only, in virtue of His Divine personality, can
receive the fulness of the Spirit : but that He might manifest
the same, in its " diversities of gifts " and fulness, it was
necessary that He should receive a Body ; and herein is
revealed the great mystery of the Church, as the Body of
Christ ; and the necessity that the members of the Body, in
their variety and unity, should receive graces and gifts,
differing according to their position and requirements.
Whatever be the varied forms of the gifts of the Spirit (see
Eph. iii. 10),* they resolve themselves into the ultimate
fact, that the members are " made partakers of the Holy
Ghost," in His diverse distributions; and that the Body of
Christ is one, and the indwelling Spirit is One.

Let us not fail to rejoice in this great truth : that, because
of our Baptism, the Holy Ghost dwells in us, even now;
according to " the measure of the gift of Christ," and our
place in the Church of God.

Some persons shrink from claiming this great privilege ;
and when they realize what the claim involves, they feel as
if it bordered on presumption and blasphemy. Were it not
revealed by God Himself, that the Holy Ghost is the express
gift of His grace, there might be some excuse for this weak-
ness of faith. But to doubt the reality of the gift when on
God's authority, Apostles have assured us of its bestowal
is to incur spiritual guilt through the sin of unbelief.

Let us look at the converse case. Would not any average
Christian man be shocked, if he were told, that God was not

* The Greek for manifold (Eph. iii. 10) is iroA.uirotajAos, which literally
means much variegated a beautiful figure to apply to the complex,
chromatic wisdom of God.

Partakers of the Holy Ghost. 279

his Father ; that God did not dwell in him ; that the Spirit
of God had forsaken him ; and that God had withdrawn from
him His blessing and guidance. He would be appalled, and
would look upon these assertions as personal censures, and
would dispute their truth ; even though he might shrink from
vindicating his high Christian and baptismal privilege, of
being a member of Christ, a son of God, a partaker of the
Holy Ghost ; and might feel hardly able to claim the great
privilege, of being indwelt of the Spirit of God.

We would now consider the crowning grace of Christian
Baptism, according to Christ's intention and the practice
of the primitive Church : namely, the full endowment of
the Holy Ghost, which was ministered*to the Baptized, by
the laying on of Apostles" hands. Primitive Christians were
described as ' anointed * and '" sealed ' ; and this grace was 2 Cc*. L 21, 22.
regarded by the early Church, as the necessary sequel to
Christian Baptism. The following passage, from the Acts of
the Apostles, records the ancient practice : " When the A: "- f v ~ i-t-ir-
Apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had
received the word of God ? they sent unto them Peter and
John : who. when they were come down, prayed for them.
that they might receive the Holy Ghost : (for as yet he
was fallen upon none of them : only they were baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus). Then laid they their hands en
them, and they received the Holy Ghost.' 1

The same truth is brought out by St. Paul's treatment
of the converts, at Ephesus. They had been baptized, but
could not receive the full anointing of the Spirit, until the
Apostle had laid his hands upon them. AC-.S *. 1-6.

Hence, great as was the blessing conveyed by the act
of Baptism, in the first instance : it was, nevertheless, not the
final act, but was to lead up to something higher ; for the
partaking of the Spirit, and of His gracious operations, was
certainly a lesser grace than that of receiving the Spirit,
whose special glory was to distribute His gifts as well as His

280 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXIX.

i John ii. 20. graces ; to anoint the Baptized with " an unction from the
Holy One " ; and to endue them with power, for the fulfilment
of duty and for the ministry of service.

To describe the great blessing of being anointed and
sealed with the Holy Ghost, as identical with being made
" partakers of the Holy Ghost," would neither be accurate
nor Scriptural. God does not repeat Himself. His initial
act, in making the baptized believer a partaker of the Holy
Ghost though a fundamental blessing is not exhaustive
of the fulness of His Spirit ; and could not be repeated in the
greater gift, conveyed by the laying on of Apostles' hands.

Hence, in considering the Baptism of or with the Holy
Ghost, it must be unhesitatingly affirmed that the imparta-
tion of the Holy Ghost, in Christian Baptism, is not identical
with His grace and gift which is ministered in the ' Sealing.'
Manifestly, the partaking of the Holy Ghost, whereby the
spirits of men are quickened with Christ's resurrection-life,
is not the same, in kind or degree, as the full endowment
Acts i. 8. of the Holy Ghost. The Baptism of life by the Holy Ghost,
is the precursor to a Baptism of power with the Holy Ghost ;
both gifts being, according to God's purpose, inseparably
related, but not identical.

This gift of the Holy Ghost, was sometimes set forth under
the figure of anointing, as St. Paul writes to the Corinthians :
2 Cor. i. 21. " Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath
anointed us, is God." Anointing implies anointing with
something ; and in this case, it is with the unction of the
Holy Ghost. The term could not be applied to the grace
received in Holy Baptism; although we are therein made
partakers of the Holy Ghost. The Apostle further states,
" who hath also sealed us," which implies that the sealing
Eph. i. 13. was an act of God, and the due sequel to Faith and
Baptism.

The nature of the ' Anointing ' may be gathered from
various Scriptures. It consists : (i) of illumination or

Partakers of the Holy Ghost. 281

teaching by the Holy Spirit ; for St. John writes : " The i John ii. 27.
anointing which ye have received of him abideth hi you
. . . the same anointing teacheth you of all things " :
(2) of endowment and power for service, as "kings and
priests," which shall be rally manifested in the Resurrection.
Compare Ex. xxviii. 41 ; I Sam. xvi. i, 3 ; Rev. i. 6 ; Acts i. 8.

Pentecost was the fulfilment of the promise of the Lord,
and was the full Baptism " with the Holy Ghost and with Matt. iii. n.
fire " : and in that Gift was embodied the grace of Christian
Baptism, and all the spiritual blessings conveyed therein.
But since the death of the Apostle John (circ. A.D. 100),
the last of the twelve Apostles, there have been thousands of
illustrious saints and of devout Christians, who were unable
to receive the laying on of Apostles' hands, and so did not
enjoy the full Pentecostal endowment of the Spirit : dare
we say of these, that they were not indirelt by the Spirit
of God, because, owing to the absence of Apostles in the
Church, they could not receive the fulness of the Holy
Ghost ? This would be a terrible thought, one which we
shrink from formulating, or applying to the saints of bygone
ages ; hence, we are bound to believe that there is a measure
of indwelling of the Spirit, vouchsafed with the initial grace
of being made partakers of the Holy Ghost, in the
Sacrament of Christian Baptism.

The truth of this distinction between the operations of
the Holy Ghost, in Baptism, and that full endowment of the
Holy Ghost, through the laying on of Apostles' hands, is even
now witnessed to by some sections of the Christian Church,
where the Chrism is administered after Baptism, and is
regarded as its complement. The rite of Confirmation often
succeeds Baptism at a short interval, as is seen in the Greek,
Roman and Lutheran Churches ; but Confirmation by Bishops
cannot bestow the fulness of the Spirit, nor the same
measure of grace, that is conferred by the laying on of
Apostles' hands. (See Chapter XLVI.)

282 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXIX.

The contrast between Baptism and the complementary
action of the laying on of Apostles' hands, may be seen in
the following synopsis :

IN BAPTISM :

We are baptized into Christ, and
receive the life of Christ ;

We are made members of Christ

and sons of God ;
We are made pat-fakers of the Holy

Ghost. (Heb. vi. 4.)

We are made " heirs of the king-
dom." (Jas. ii. 5.)

We manifest the fruits (or graces) of
the Spirit. (Gal. v. 22, 23.)

IN THE LAYING ON OF HANDS

BY APOSTLES :
We are stablished in Christ, and

endowed with grace for our place

in the Body of Christ ;
We are anointed as " Kings and

priests unto God." (Rev. i. 6.)
We are filled with the Spirit, and

" sealed unto the day of redemp-
tion." (Eph. iv. 30.)
We receive " the earnest of our

inheritance." (Eph. i. 14.)
We receive the gifts of the Spirit.

(i Cor. xii. 4, 8-11.)

That the respective effects, of these two operations of the
Holy Ghost, must be different, is proved by the simple fact,
that there are two ordinances for the impartation of the
Spirit. The ordinance of Christian Baptism a birth of
water and of the Spirit unites us to Christ, regenerates us
with His resurrection -life, and makes us " partakers of the
Holy Ghost " : but the ordinance for imparting the fulness
of the Spirit, in His gifts, through His anointing and sealing,
is the Laying on of Hands by APOSTLES. That one and the
same grace, should be ministered in two different ways, and
by two different ordinances, were contrary to the wise and
determinate actions of God, both in nature and in grace.
Each ordinance must minister its special grace, and no
other ; and whilst there must be a relation between the two,
there cannot be a disguised identity.

Thus, we see there are stages in the impartation of the
gifts of the Holy Ghost. Hence, although it is written of
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, that the Father gave
John iii. 34. not the " Spirit by measure unto him," as Man, still, in
His life as perfect Man, definite stages of the ministration
of the Spirit, may be traced.

Partakers of the Holy Ghost. 283

The two gifts, which we have been considering, may be
compared with the gift of the Holy Ghost, which the Lord
received at His conception, and that which he received, after
His Baptism : and again, with the power by which He rose
from the dead, and the anointing and consecration with
glory, which He received after His ascension to the right
hand of the Father, when he was glorified, and received the
Spirit on behalf of His brethren.

These thoughts lead on to the subject of the gifts of the
Holy Ghost, or those spiritual gifts, mentioned by St. Paul, i Cor. sit
These are generally, but erroneously, termed the " extra-
ordinary gifts " of the Holy Ghost. There is, however, no
warrant in Scripture to justify the assertion that they were
either extraordinary or temporary : on the contrary, they
were meant to be permanent ; for the Lord gave His Apostles
the command to go t; into all the world, and preach the M^
Gospel to every creature." It is self-evident that these
words, and those that follow, do not refer to the Apostles
only, but to those who should believe through their preaching ;
for our Lord continued thus : " And these signs shall follow 11*
them that believe : in my name shall they cast out devils ;
they shall speak with new tongues ; they shall take up
serpents ; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them ; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover." These great spiritual powers were the Lord's last
legacy of gifts to believers and to the Church, for their
ordinary, or at least for their exceptional, use. \Yhat a
picture is presented of the loss of faith in the Church, when
so many believers repudiate what is their birthright and
heritage ; and call it unscriptural, or inconsistent with the
present Dispensation, to expect the manifestation of these
gifts ; as if there were less need of them now, than in the
early days of the Church!

We are approaching the end of the Christian Dispensa-
tion ; which, according to the revelation of Holy Scripture,

284 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXIX.

will end in an apostasy, and a time of trouble, such as has
never been known since the beginning of the world. Can
we then venture to neglect or quench any of the gifts of the
Spirit ? Should we not cherish them all ? Surely, God
would never bestow the inestimable gifts of the Eternal Spirit,
if they were unnecessary ; or only to be manifested during
the first few years of the Church's pilgrimage on earth.
It might almost be said that the Church needs the gifts of
the Spirit, even more now, at the close of this Dispensation,
and during the dawning apostasy, than she did at the
outset of her career. The very first Epistle, which St. Paul
wrote, was addressed to the Christians in Thessalonica,
Thess. v. 19, 20. A.D. 54, and he exhorted them thus: "Quench not the
Spirit. Despise not prophesyings." These are the special
sins of this Dispensation, against which we must watch,
for the quenching of the Holy Ghost is a more grievous sin,
than any sin possible in the two previous dispensations.
Let us honour the Spirit in all His offices and gifts. Let
us join in the united cry, which has of late (Easter, 1905),
gone up from England (under the presidency of the Arch-
bishops and Bishops), for a great outpouring of the Holy
Spirit, in these latter days, according to the promise of God
by His ancient Prophet (Joel ii. 28, 29).

Apart from the Holy Spirit, we are helpless. Apart from
Him, the Incarnation, the Death, and the Resurrection of
Christ, would profit us nothing, and would be ineffectual
for our salvation ; because they need that personal accept-
ance, which we cannot achieve without the prevenient grace
Rom. viii. 26. of the Holy Ghost. To the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, who
bears with our sins and waywardness ; and with the trans-
gressions of the whole Church ; and yet whose grace will
prevail to perfect God's elect, be everlasting praise !

Let us conclude this chapter with the prayer : O Lord,
take not Thy Holy Spirit from us, but rather fill the vessel
to the brim ; fill us with the Holy Ghost !

Heirs of the Kingdom of God. 285

CHAPTER XXX.

HEIRS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

ANALYSIS : God introduces the natural Creation, before He creates man as
its lord ; this process "is reversed in the New Creation : the King
is first prepared ; then the Kingdom. ' The Kingdom of God ' :
meaning of the term. It was the great theme of the Psalmist, of
the Prophets, and of our Lord's preaching.

The Nature of the Kingdom of God. The Baptized,
although made heirs of the Kingdom, are not yet its possessors.

The Priesthood of the Baptized, associated with their
Kingship. They are being now trained, by means of suffering,
to " walk worthy of God, who hath called [them] unto his
kingdom and glory" (i Thess. ii. 12).

REVEALED Truth is ONE, and proceeds from one Source
the Incarnate Son of God ; hence, all truths are affiliated.
The rays of the sun diverge, in dilating circumference ;
yet each ray may be traced back, to the source whence it
emerges, and where all the rays coalesce in one central orb.
Thus, the truth of Christian Baptism emanates from the
central truth of Incarnation ; yet it has its relation to the
finality of revelation, viz., the Kingdom of God ; for it is
among those "things, pertaining to the Kingdom of God," Acts i. 3.
about which, our Lord communed with His Apostles, during
the forty days which intervened between His Resurrection
and His Ascension to the throne of God.

In introducing the new or heavenly creation, God, hi His
infinite wisdom, adopts a reverse process to that, by which
He brought in the first and natural creation. In the first
case, the material creation was prepared for the reception of
its lord, i.e., man, upon whose faith and obedience its
peace and welfare depended. When man fell, the whole
creation fell, and became subject to vanity and corruption.

286 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXX.

But in bringing in the New Creation, God has adopted
the reverse plan : for, in this case, there must be no possi-
bility of failure. The King the Heir has been found,
and having been perfected through suffering, and by His
Resurrection and Ascension, He is exalted to be God's
everlasting King. The Church was given to Him, to be
His Bride ; and when she also is perfected, the marriage of
the Lamb will take place ; after which, the Jews and the
nations of the saved, shall be perfected in their place and
measure ; and then the Almighty fiat will go forth, " Behold,
Rev. xxi. 5. I make all things new." Then shall appear the " new
2 S p'et. X iii. 13' heavens and [the] new earth wherein dwelleth righteous-
ness" ; and the everlasting Kingdom of God shall be revealed
a prepared place for a prepared and glorified people.

The meaning of the expression, the Kingdom of God, is not
always rightly apprehended. Many persons consider that
this is simply a term for the spiritual reign of God, in the
hearts of men ; because the Lord taught the Pharisees,
Luke xvii. 20, 21. that " The kingdom of God cometh not with observation "
(with outward show, margin) : . . . " for, behold, the king-
dom of God is within you " (among you, margin). In order
to support these views of the Kingdom of God being only
spiritual, the following words of St. Paul are usually quoted :
Rom. xiv. 17. " jr or ^he kingdom of God is not meat and drink ; but
righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

The Kingdom of God may be all this, in its present
embryo phase ; but it is much more than this, in its full
realization, as the following considerations will prove.

When God shall have brought in the " new heavens and

the new earth," they will constitute His everlasting King-

Heb. i. 2. dom, under His Son ; " whom he hath appointed heir of all

Matt, xxviii. 18. things," and who has received " all power ... in heaven

and in earth." The Kingdom of God is one of God's

Prov. viii. 23. eternal thoughts ; it is His counsel " from everlasting

... or ever the earth was." ' The Kingdom ' is one of

Heirs of the Kingdom of God. 287

the golden threads which runs through the inspired Scrip-
tures, and links them into a unity. It was shadowed forth
in Paradise ; it was lost ; it is regained : and it is seen by
St. John in its full glory, in the concluding visions of the
Apocalypse. The purpose of God, in Creation, was SELF-
MANIFESTATION, to show forth His being, character and
glory ; and the principal .means to this end, was that of
INCARNATION, God stooping to take the nature of His
creature, man ; the end of all being the establishment of His
glorious and EVERLASTING KINGDOM. All the dealings of God,
with mankind, in the Patriarchal Dispensation, and in the
codification of the Law in the Mosaic Dispensation, were to
prepare men for His Kingdom. This thought fills many
familiar passages of the Old Testament with prophetic and
typical interest ; especially those concerning the kingdom of
David and of Solomon, and the subsequent, divided king-
doms of Judah and Israel. In analysing the Psalms, we
find that the Kingdom is their one key-note ; and when
David has exhausted his inspired panegyrics of the King-
dom, in that royal seventy-second Psalm, he concludes
with a triumphant ascription of praise : " Blessed be the Pia - Ixxii - l8 - 20 -
LORD God, . . . and blessed be his glorious name for
ever : and let the whole earth be filled with his glory ;
Amen, and Amen : " and then he adds : " The prayers of
David the son of Jesse are ended." Having embodied all
his desires, in his comprehensive prayer for the Kingdom of
God, and having nothing more to ask for, his prayers and
requests are brought to an end.

The Kingdom of God also occupies a prominent place in
the prophecies of all the Jewish Prophets ; but especially,
in those of Isaiah and of Daniel. In the metallic image of Dan- "
Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which was composed of gold,
silver, brass, iron and clay, the four great world-monarchies
are set forth : to wit, the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the
Grecian, and the Roman with its ultimate sub-division into

288 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXX.

ten democratic kingdoms, a process which is actually taking
place in these days : but, in Daniel's prophetic vision, all
Dan. ii. 34, 35. those metals were " broken to pieces together, and became
like the chaff of the summer threshing floors ; [which] the
wind carried away." " THE STONE cut out without hands,
which smote the image upon his feet . . . became a great
mountain, and filled the whole earth," and is a recognized
symbol of the Kingdom of God, in its resistless power and
development.

The Kingdom of God was the principal subject of our

Lord's teaching ; His miracles of healing illustrated its

beneficent character ; His parables set forth its present,

Matt. ix. 35. or its ultimate stages, and He " went about . . . preaching

Luke viii. i. the Gospel of the kingdom," " and shewing the glad

tidings of the kingdom of God." In the four Gospels,

there are some eighty allusions to the Kingdom of Heaven

or of God. The same truth is also prominent in the Epistles ;

and yet this grand topic is rarely touched upon, in modern

preaching or theology.

The Nature of this Kingdom may now be considered.
The Kingdom of God is not one level uniformity, or a
democracy : much less an unorganized mob. It is an
harmonious unity ; for the fundamental element of sub-
ordination, does not exclude the exercise of the varied
i Cor. xii. 1 8. talents of its subjects. " Now hath God set the members
... in the body, as it hath pleased him " ; for His will
is the grand law, and His glory the sole end ; and these
controlling principles extinguish all jealousies among those
who are saved by free grace.

Zech. xiv. 9. The Kingdom will be Universal. " The LORD shall be

Rev. xix. 16. King over all the earth." " And he hath on his vesture
and on his thigh" a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND
LORD OF LORDS." The initial right to dominion, which
God gave to man, has never been abrogated ; though this
instinct and this love of power, have often been perverted

Heirs of the Kingdom of God. 289

into a cruel and desolating ambition. Universal monarchy has
been the dream of conquerors, who have waded through
rivers of blood for its attainment ; but which they failed
to reach, when they thought the prize was within their
grasp. Only under the righteous rule of the King of kings,
shall this dream of universal dominion be realized.

The Kingdom shall be everlasting.

The Kingdom of God shall not pass away, like those
mighty, earthly dominions, which were seen by the prophet
Daniel: for being founded on truth, on righteousness, on
holiness, there is no element of decay or change, or even
of improvement in it ; for it is absolutely perfect, and
therefore, shall last for ever.

The Kingdom is spiritual and heavenly. When the new
heavens and the new earth shall be welded together ; it
may be, that the new earth will be the centre of the New
Creation. The Lord gave a hint of the character of His
Kingdom, when He said : " My kingdom is not of this John xviii. 36.
world [or age] : " Our Lord frequently calls it " the kingdom
of heaven " ; but perhaps in a less comprehensive sense, than
when He speaks of it as " the kingdom of God."

It is a glorious Kingdom. " Solomon in all his glory Matt. vi. 29.
was not arrayed like " the lily of the field ; but when Solomon's
Son sits on His throne, " the moon shall be confounded, and isa. xsiv. 23.
the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign .
before his ancients gloriously."

The Kingdom of God is a great reality ', it is not a figure
of speech, or merely a spiritual idea or sentiment. Its
earnest should, even now, be seen on earth, in the Church of
God ; which should set forth the Kingdom, in a mystery ;
that is, men should look at the Church and see, in her, the
foreshadowing of that divine Kingdom in its principles of
love, of obedience, of purity, of righteousness ; and in its
rule, administration, and blessing.

The principles of the Kingdom are eternal ; and are those

290 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXX.

which uphold the immutable throne of God. The Kingdom
is a righteous kingdom ; for the King loves righteousness.
(Heb. i. 8, 9 ; Psa. xlv. 6, 7.)

It is interesting to note, how often the word " Father "

occurs in Scripture in connection with the Kingdom ; as,

Matt. xiii. 43. for instance, when our Lord says : " Then shall the righteous

shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" : and

Luke xii. 32. again ; " Fear not, little flock ; for it is your Father's good

pleasure to give you the kingdom."

The true ideal of rule, government and protection,
based on love, involves the radical idea of Fatherhood.

In the Lord's Prayer used by millions of Christians in
all corners of this sin-stained and suffering earth, we are
taught to address God, as " Our Father " ; and following
the ascription of honour to His Name, is the petition, " Thy
kingdom come " ; showing what a prominent place the
Kingdom of God should occupy, in the hearts and prayers
of His people.

Martin Luther, in a sermon that he preached in Advent
(A.D. 1532), " On the coming of Christ," said : " Therefore
with courage and hope, pray, ' THY KINGDOM COME ' . . .
Whosoever is not so prepared and ready as to desire that
day, does not yet apprehend the Lord's Prayer, much less
can he, from his heart, pray it. Wherefore, if thou dost
not desire this day [i.e., the day of the Lord's coming],
thou wilt never be able to pray the Lord's Prayer."

The Sacrament of Baptism is our introduction into the
i Pet. i. 3, 4. Heavenly Kingdom, with which it must have a special
relation, as the present appointed means of entrance into
that Kingdom. It is remarkable that our Lord, in His
first discourse, should twice connect the birth of water and
of the Spirit, with seeing and entering into the Kingdom
of God. (John iii. 3-5.)

By the act of God in Holy Baptism, we are made
Matt. xiii. 38. " children of the kingdom " ; being enrolled as its subjects,

Heirs of the Kingdom of God. 291

and as kings and priests of the world to come. Just as the

name of a child or adult, is inscribed on the register of the

Church, after Baptism ; so the names of the Baptized are

entered on the heavenly register ; and by the grace of God,

they have a claim that is admitted to be legal and valid,

because of the royal will of their Redeemer, who expressed

His will to the Father thus : " Father, I will that they also, John xvii. 24.

whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am ; that

they may behold my glory." That so simple an ordinance

as Baptism, should bestow upon men such a royal descent,

and enroll them among the princes of Heaven (the

aristocracy of the Universe), as heirs of the Kingdom of God,

is a matter for wonder and adoration.

The privilege of heirship springs out of sonship ; and flows
naturally from our position as sons ; for being sons of God,
we cannot but be inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven.
But indeed, the Baptized are heirs of something greater than
a kingdom however great this eternal gift may be for
they are " heirs of God " ; heirs of the living God Himself, Rom - viii - '7-
of what He is, of what He has, and of the glory, outward and
spiritual, which is summed up in the idea of the Kingdom.

Baptism, our title-deed, is signed ; and it will not be
challenged if we abide in the grace thereof, and do not, by
sin and unbelief, cause the deed to be cancelled. The
splendour of the inheritance, sets forth the dignity conferred
upon us, by the act of God, in enrolling us as heirs ; never-
theless, we must not be "high-minded, but fear"; and Rom. xi. 20.
" walk worthy of the vocation wherewith [we] are called." E P h - 1V - *

" Our citizenship is in heaven : " our standing and hope Pha.in.ao(R.V.)
being heavenly, our joy should likewise be heavenly ; but
if we are sensual, if we mind earthly things, it is clear that
we have forgotten our vocation, and are falling away from
our hope.

The Baptized should realize their calling and position, as
" heirs of the kingdom " ; or (as the Church Catechism J 88 - iL 5-

292 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXX.

phrases it) " inheritors of the kingdom of heaven." The
, following explanation will elucidate this point. An heir
is one who, though not possessing the property, has an
acknowledged right to receive it, at some future date. He
inherits his legal rights, whether by birth, or by will, from
those who possess the property ; and hence, he is called
the heir. But heirs are not possessors. Heirship does not
guarantee or ensure possession. In like manner, the saints
have not yet come into possession of the Kingdom ; but if
Col. i. 23. they " be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel,"
Rev. xxi. 27. they have the assurance that their names shall remain " in
the Lamb's book of life " ; and that they shall enter into
the inheritance, in the day of judgment and of final awards.
The element of legality is always necessary in heirship ; for its
claim is based on law ; and the sacredness of a testament or
will, has ever been jealously guarded by all civilized nations.

The law of God, given through Moses to the Israelites,
recognized heirship ; and the birthright of the firstborn was
jealously witnessed to, in the priesthood, in the royal
Deut. xri. 15-17. succession, and in the " double portion " all of which
privileges belonged to the firstborn, by right. Nevertheless,
the firstborn might forfeit his birthright, as in the case of
Reuben ; or despise and alienate it, after the example
of Esau. He who is heir to a great property, is treated with
respect ; for riches, in this world, command deference and
give prestige ; but no heir enters into the possession of the
property, until the death of the possessor ; unless it has been
made over to him by deed of gift. Although no future
death is needed for heirship to the Kingdom of God ; yet
it is only through the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
Rom. viii. 17. the Baptized are heirs of the Living God.

Our Redeemer in, and through, and with whom we
inherit the Kingdom gained the inheritance for us, through
His death and also by His resurrection ; and our heirship is
peculiarly associated with both these glorious events.

Heirs of the Kingdom of God. 293

The heirs of the Kingdom of God may receive, even in
this present time, an earnest of the Kingdom. This, as
St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, is the special gift of the
Holy Ghost, through the laying on of Apostles' hands. He
writes : " in whom \i.e. t in Christ], after that ye believed, ye Eph. L 13, 14.
were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the
earnest of our inheritance" An "earnest" is the pledge
of what is coming ; the heir receiving a portion, in present
possession. And thus, the bestowal of the Holy Ghost,
with His nine gifts (which are instalments of the powers
of the world to come), is an "earnest"' of the coming
Kingdom.

The Lord " Jesus Christ . . . hath made us kings Rtv. -.. 5- 6-
and priests unto God and his Father." Does not this cast
a ray of light on our future occupation and service, in
offering up spiritual sacrifices, which will employ and ravish
all our redeemed and exalted powers ?

In Christ, we shall be priests, to head up and present
Creation's worship to the Holy Lord God ; we shall be
kings, to rule over parts of His vast dominions : and while
worshipping the great Eternal Source of all good, we shall
in our place and measure dispense His blessings to others
according to His law and order.

The future position of the Baptized as a royal priesthood,
in the eternal kingdom of God, may rank among their
highest privileges. St. Peter calls those whom he was
addressing (the strangers scattered throughout Asia Minor),
an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, accept-
able to God by Jesus Christ ; and in the same chapter, he
calls them a " royal priesthood/' which hints at the union
of the two great offices of Kingship and Priesthood.

Priesthood and Kingship have their affinities, and they
were among the privileges of the firstborn, in Patriarchal
times. At present, their union, save in the Person of
our Lord Jesus Christ, is contrary to the will of God, and

294 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXX.

therefore, is usurpation and sin ; but the time will come when
the offices will be rightfully united. The Lord, even now,
is King and Priest a Priest upon His throne ; and His
glorified members will hereafter share this honour with
Him in His kingdom.

This is the spiritual and most honourable calling of the
Baptized ; and if we apprehend it, even in a small measure,
we must be filled with shame and humiliation, when we
perceive how utterly the Baptized have forgotten this high
and heavenly calling : and have become entangled with the
world and overcome of evil. Like many other glories it is
Col. iii. 3. a t present hidden, for now our "life is hid with Christ in
God" ; but it shall be brought to light in the resurrection,

Rom. viii. 19. j n tne d a y of the manifestation of the sons of God."

It is impossible to imagine a position of greater dignity,

Rev. xvii. 14. in the Universe, than that which the " called, and chosen,
and faithful," from among the Baptized, will occupy " in
the Regeneration," when the Son of Man shall sit upon the
throne of His glory. They will form a Priesthood under
the great High Priest, the one great Worshipper, the one
Representative to the Father, of the whole creation.

Such, in its varied aspects, is our high and holy calling
as heirs of God. The Kingdom of God is ours, even now,
by title ; but it will not be ours by possession, until after the
resurrection. The " heirs of God " are not now recognized
by the world ; just as the grace of Baptism, which is
imparted to the spirit, is not visible in the material body.

The present necessary training for the Kingdom, is to be
found in the Church; which is God's training-school in
charity, benevolence, obedience and rule.

That a preparation is needed for the Kingdom is evident,

Gal. iv. i, 2 . from St. Paul's reference to the discipline to which an heir
must submit, under tutors and governors, so long as he is a
child, before he enters into possession of his inheritance.
The world is the training-school ; and the experience gained

Heirs of the Kingdom of God. 295

therein is that of suffering, and of the patient endurance of
afflictions ; even as the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas, warned
the disciples in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, " that we must Acts xiv - 22.
through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."

Jesus Christ was the Man who endured temptation,
above all other men, for He was tested and tried, in every
possible manner, by Satan, by His enemies, and even by His
friends and disciples. In the first recorded temptation of
our Lord, He was shown " all the kingdoms of the world " Luke iv. 5.
and the glory of them " in a moment of time " ; but He
rejected the beguilement, with which the Tempter insidiously
assailed Him, offering Him the dominion, apart from God,
and free from the dreadful ordeal of suffering and death.
Our Lord would only accept the Kingdom in God's
way ; namely, through tribulation, self-denial, suffering and
crucifixion. Suffering is the true preparation for the King-
dom ; and Baptism, with its key-note of death and
burial, strikes the same chord, when it indicates a
righteousness and a preparation that must come through
suffering. " The disciple is not above his master : but Luke vi. 4 o.
every one shall be perfected as his master " (margin), who
was made " perfect through sufferings." Heb - ij - I0 -

It is written, " if we SUFFER, we shall also REIGX with 2 Tim - " I2 -
him : if we deny him : he will also deny us." To refuse to
suffer with, and for Him, is to deny the Lord.

We are baptized into the death of Christ, and this implies Rom - vi - 3-
suffering ; even the lingering and painful death of crucifixion
of the flesh, with all its preliminary discipline.

In the light of this glorious hope of the Kingdom of
God, founded on the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
our Baptism into Him, let us seek to walk worthy of God Rev - xiv - 5-
(who has called us unto His Kingdom and glory), and
to vocalize more earnestly the unutterable groanings of the
suffering creation, "Our Father which art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name ; THY KINGDOM COME ! "

296 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXXI.

CHAPTER XXXI.

ADMISSION TO THE HOLY COMMUNION.

ANALYSIS : Connection of Christian Baptism with the Holy Communion ;
of which no unbaptized person can partake.

Difference between the Eucharist and the Communion.

Necessity of food for all creatures. The regenerate life
needs food the Body and Blood of the Lord. Prayer, reading
the Bible, or Worship, are not substitutes for the Holy
Communion.

Ancient practice of the " Communication " of children.
Grievous neglect of this Holy Sacrament.

AMONG the great spiritual privileges of Christian Baptism,
is that of admission to the Holy Communion, at the ' Table
of the Lord.'

That Baptism should be the necessary requirement, before
partaking of the Holy Communion, seems obvious ; for, as
those who are unbaptized are not in the New Covenant, they
cannot partake of the Feast which the Lord has provided
for His adopted children. The Mosaic law enforces the
same principle. It was distinctly commanded that no
uncircumcised person (who was not in covenant with
God) should eat of the Passover ; and that if any man
would partake of its privileges, he should forthwith submit
to the initiatory rite of Circumcision.

At the outset, it may be well to point out the difference
which exists between the Eucharist and the Holy Com-
munion ; although they both have the same spiritual basis ;
viz., the sacrifice and death of Christ. The terms are not
identical, and should not be used indiscriminately. (See
Part vi., Chap. XLVI.)

In its true liturgical aspect, the Holy Eucharist is the
Oblation, before God, of the memorials of the death of His

Admission to the Holy Communion* 297

dear Son, i.e., the Body and Blood of Christ, in a heavenly
mystery; and the presentation of this spiritual and
memorial Sacrifice to the Father, in the power of the Holy
Ghost, is the Godward act in this holy Ordinance. This
Sacrifice, which Christ has instituted in His Church, is
spiritual, real, unbloody and reasonable : and is commemo-
rative of His death, until He comes again. The Communion
follows the Eucharist, and is the manward aspect of the
Office, when we draw near, to partake of the Sacrifice for our
personal benefit. In the Passover, the victim was slain, and
its blood was sprinkled on the lintel and door-posts outside,
so that it might be visible to the destroying angel, and to
God Himself ; for the LORD said, " When I see the blood,
I will pass over you." This was the sacrificial and Godward
aspect of the Passover. But inside the blood-sprinkled
door, the family, in trembling safety, were bidden to partake
of the feast of the slain lamb. They fed on the sacrifice
(which was roast with fire, and garnished with bitter herbs),
with their shoes on their feet, and with staff in hand,
eating the lamb, in haste, on the eve of their exodus from
Egypt> the l^d f bondage.

There is a profound mystery connected with food.
This great law of the necessity of food, pervades Crea-
tion ; and so far as we know, there is no exception to it,
save hi the case of the Eternal Creator. God only, is
independent and self-existent ; and He supplies, out of His
inexhaustible fulness, the wants of all His creatures.
The necessity for food is a sign of dependence and a
distinctive mark of the creature. (See Psalm cxlv. 15, 16.)
" Man [we read] did eat angels' food " ; and the LORD, in Pia - kxviiL 25.
the wilderness, gave them " the bread of heaven." In his Psa - CT - 4-
innocent state, man required food, and ate of the fruit of the
" tree of life " ; and the same tree shall be seen again in the
eternal Paradise of God. In the wilderness, Manna was
miraculously supplied for the support of the children of

298 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV. Chap. XXXI.

Israel ; and they were nourished with this symbolic food,
for nearly forty years.

Now, all that has been affirmed of the material creation,

John iii. 1-13. is true also of the spiritual. Our Lord's discourse to

John vi. Nicodemus (on regeneration or the new birth in Baptism),

was supplemented, at a later period, by a more general

address to His disciples, on spiritual food.

The regenerate life needs food, according to its nature,
John iii. 6. by the appointment of God. The Lord said that " that
which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and that which is born
of the spirit is spirit " ; whence, the conclusion may be
drawn, that as the flesh, to be nourished and sustained,
requires material food ; so, likewise, the spirit, for its nourish-
ment, needs spiritual food. The regenerate, spiritual life,
received in Holy Baptism, must be nourished with suitable
food ; and this is to be obtained in the Lord's Supper. The
Lord Himself tells us, in the following words, wherein this
John vi. 5 1. food consists : " I am the living bread which came down
from heaven : if any man eat of this bread, he shall live
for ever : and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I
will give for the life of the world."

Thus, the Lord calls Himself the bread of life, which He
declares to be His flesh, that He would give for the life of the
world. Bread is recognized as the ' staff of life,' the most
general nutriment of mankind ; and in illustration of this,
Matt. iv. 4. our Lord quoted these words from Scripture : " Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God."

Jobxxiii. 12. When Job was taunted by his friends, he replied: "I

have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my

Psa. cxix. 103. necessary food " ; and the Psalmist exclaims : " How sweet

are thy words unto my taste ! yea, sweeter than honey to

my mouth ! "

Since this spiritual, heavenly food (ordained by God as
suitable to the given end), is intimately connected with the

Admission to the Holy Communion, 299

Lord Himself, we are led to consider the events which
occurred, on the night before He suffered, when our Lord
instituted the Sacrament of His Body and Blood.

When celebrating the last Passover with His disciples,
the Lord, in the midst of the supper, " took bread,
and gave thanks, and brake it," saying to His disciples,
" Take, eat : this is my body, which is given [broken] for '-"ke di. 19.
you : this do in remembrance of me." After supper (it is
supposed after the second Paschal Cup] He took the cup
(probably of \\ine mingled with water), and bade His
disciples drink it, saying, " Drink ye ah 1 of it ; for this is my Matt. \xvi. 27,:
blood of the new testament [or covenant], which is shed
for many for the remission of sins." " This do ye, as oft J Cor - xi - 2 5-
as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."

Then, it was in this act that the Lord, of His own free
will and out of unutterable love, VOLUNTARILY OFFERED UP
HIMSELF to the Father, as a Sacrifice for the sins of the whole
world ; and it remained for sinful men to consummate the
sacrifice, by crucifying the Lord, and " by wicked hands,"
putting Him to death. Our Lord had previously said :
" I lay down my life . . . No man taketh it from me,
but I lay it down of myself." No one, in heaven or in earth,
could compel Him to suffer. To force an innocent man to
suffer for the guilty, were an act of injustice, and contrary to
the character of a holy, righteous, and just God. The glory
of the Lord's sacrifice, as a free-will act of inestimable love,
must never be clouded nor forgotten ; and the formal
presentation of Himself as the Sacrifice the sin-offering for
the transgressions of the whole world took place, when the
Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist. It was this act of His,
in the Holy Ghost, that filled the Sacrament with its precious
reality which abides even to this present time. After this
act, the Lord was passive in the hands of His murderers :
"He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep
before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."

300 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXXI.

i Pet. i. 12. i s it then to be wondered at that " the angels desire to look
into " these things ; or (as the Greek TrafiaKvirrftv literally
means), to bend over, to ' investigate them closely, as

Heb. ix. 5. symbolized by the Cherubim shadowing the Mercy Seat ?

Passing from the sacrificial aspect of our Lord's death,
commemorated in the Holy Eucharist, we next consider
the Sacrament in its manward aspect ; viz., the consumption
of the sacred elements in the Holy Communion ; this special
phase being typified by the partaking of the Paschal lamb,
after the sacrifice. This Feast was destined to be the
principal food of " Christ's Church militant here in earth,"
throughout the Christian Dispensation.

(1) The Lord's flesh is given to us for spiritual food.
This 'unbloody sacrifice' and its consumption, are connected
with the death and resurrection of Christ ; and are spiritual
mysteries, fulfilled in the grace and power of the Holy Ghost.
It was not His literal, carnal flesh that the disciples were
to eat ; but His flesh, as offered to God in His holy death,
and which became, after His resurrection, spiritual and

John vi. 51. glorified. The Lord's words were : "The bread that I will
give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world,"
and when the Jews heard this saying, they were offended, and
said, " How can this man give us his flesh to eat ? " But
although this is one of the greatest of all mysteries,
the unfathomable mystery of Divine Love casts its light
thereon.

(2) The Lord's blood is given to us for spiritual drink ;
John vi. 53. as well as His flesh for spiritual meat. " Except ye eat the

flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life
in you." Much that has been said of the flesh of the Son of
man, may be repeated with reference to His blood. The
disciples could not have drunk the Lord's literal blood,
which was to be shed for the remission of the sins of the
whole world. There must have been a deep and spiritual
meaning in His words, when He took the cup and gave

Admission to the Holy Communion. 301

thanks, and said, " Drink ye all of it. This is my blood

. . . which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

In this Holy Sacrament, we drink the Lord's blood after a

spiritual and heavenly manner, in the power of the Holy

Ghost. It is the royal wine of the Kingdom ; it is the

source of joy that makes glad the heart of God and of man ; Judges ix. 13.

and in contemplating these ineffable mysteries, we rejoice, Psa - civ - 1 S-

crying, " Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift ! "

This spiritual food, being ordained by the Lord Himself,
is the most appropriate nourishment for the heavenly life of
the soul and spirit ; and yet men, in their blindness or
perversity, ignore this food, and reject this Eucharist, as
may be seen in the case of many pious Christians, who lay
more stress on other recognized spiritual aids ; among
which, the following principal means of grace may be cited.

(1) The first of these is Prayer. Without this, the
spiritual life cannot flourish ; for as the poet says

" Prayer is the Christian's vital breath ;
Restraining prayer, we cease to fight." Montgomery.

Prayer is, indeed, an imperative necessity to the saints, in
this present condition of trial and mortality ; and the
commands in Holy Scripture are frequent and emphatic, to
" continue in prayer," and to " pray without ceasing." Col. iv. 2.
Prayer, which has its indisputable place as a means of grace, ! Thes5 - v - *7-
is an essential prerequisite for due participation in the Holy
Eucharist. A prayerless person, going up to Holy Com-
munion, is a contradiction ; nevertheless, although without
prayer, other means of grace will languish, there is not, in
prayer, the spiritual nutriment which the Lord designed to
convey by His precious Body and Blood, in the Holy
Communion.

(2) Others lay great stress on reading the Holy Scriptures.
Much that has been said about prayer is applicable to this
means of grace. Spiritual life will not flourish, if the Word
of God be neglected. It is well to love, to meditate on, to

302 Striptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXXI.

delight in the Bible ; for it is the only Divine book ever
written for supercilious and erring man. It is a matter
for thankfulness, that thousands reverence the Scriptures
with a passionate love ; though perhaps they unduly exalt
them, in the letter, to the disparagement of other means of
grace. But while yielding to none in our love for, and
homage to the Word of God : the truth must be maintained,
viz., that the same spiritual nourishment cannot be derived
from it, as from direct contact with the Saviour Himself,
in the Holy Communion.

(3) Again, many lay stress on Public Worship, and the
ordinance of preaching. No one should neglect these means

Heb. x. 25. of grace ; for it is written : " Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of some is." To worship
God, is as imperative a duty as to pray and to read His holy
Word ; and it is not a sign of healthy, spiritual life, when
men say they need not seek God in the Church, but can find
Him in Nature and in Creation.

(4) Others, again, lay emphasis on Christian communion.
Many are much profited by the sympathy, intercourse, and
fellowship of believers ; and this is a means of grace,

Mai. ill. 16. which we may gratefully acknowledge. " Then they that
feared the LORD spake often one to another : and the
LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance
was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and
that thought upon his name." The saints, who fear the
Lord and who think and speak of Him, shall be reckoned

Mai. iii. 17. among the Lord's " jewels." But profitable as are all these
means of grace, they do not attain to their full efficacy, if
they be not accompanied by the grace of Holy Communion.
Why should this Ordinance be ignored by some, and feared
by others ? Many shrink from it, and are afraid of being
called Romanizers, Sacramentarians, Ritualists in a word,
unspirilual. Not apprehending the nature of the Holy
Communion, many devout Christians Evangelicals and

Admission to the Holy Communion. 303

Nonconformists do not assign to it the chief place as a means
of grace. The Scripture speaks of " the children's bread"
Can anything so truly deserve this term, as the Bread and
Wine of the Lord's Supper the flesh and blood of the
Son of Man in the Holy Communion ? As children and
as sons, we are invited to our Father's Table ; and it is only
right and natural, that we should seek and expect to
receive our heavenly food at His Altar or Table.

It was the practice, in the primitive Church, during the
first three centuries, to admit children to Holy Communion,
and there is no incongruity in this act ; for if it be lawful to
baptize children, and if they have received the germ of a new
life even the resurrection-life of Christ then it is reasonable
that the new life should be nourished, with its appropriate food,
which, as we have seen, is the flesh and blood of our Saviour
Jesus Christ. This " Communication " by infants, should
form an additional link between the two Sacraments : and s Chap, si- i.
it is beautiful to observe the Lord's tender care for the little
ones, when He said to Peter, after His resurrection, in the
first of His thrice-repeated commands, " Feed my iambs " ; John xxi. 15. id.
and then, twice added the injunction, " Feed my sheep/'

Furthermore, the Holy Communion, which is often called
" The Lord's Supper," is the earnest of the future '*'' mar- Rev. rix. 9.
riage supper of the Lamb " ; when, according to the Lord's
gracious promise, " we shall eat bread in the kingdom of Lake xiv. 15. .-4.
God."' Those who sit down to the Feast, must be of
" the household of faith " sons, by adoption, coming
up to their Father's Table. They must have undergone
some preparation for the Feast ; for enemies would not be
invited ; nor would those who mock at the King's invitation,
come to the banquet to eat "the children's bread." They must
have on the " wedding garment " of the King's providing ;
and this may be associated with Christian Baptism, at
which, in early times, the candidates wore white garments,

which they retained for several days. S** C^P- ***>

* P. 250.

304 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXXI.

Without entering into the various theories or doctrines
of the Holy Eucharist, which have caused such schisms in
the Christian Church ; a few words are necessary on the
true doctrine of this Sacrament. We acknowledge the
Holy Eucharist to be a means of grace ; we maintain that
the bread and wine are not transubstantiated, but remain
bread and wine ; but, nevertheless, that they are changed
and that they become, through the power of the Holy Ghost,
the body and blood of Christ not literally or carnally ;
but after a real, spiritual, and heavenly manner objectively,
because independent of the faith of the recipient. It is,
therefore, right to believe in the "real presence," as it
is termed, and that Christ is really and personally, though
not incarnately, present in the holy elements, for the mystical
presentation of these emblems of His passion before God the
Father ; and for the nourishment of all faithful recipients.

The Lord's gracious object, in instituting this Holy
Cor. xi. 26. Feast, to " shew the Lord's death till he come," was that
the faith and memory of His redeemed should be stirred up
by an objective rite.

Alas, that millions of Christian persons should forget this
rite ! How sad it is, that the great majority of Christian
congregations, after hearing stirring invitations to come to
the Lord's Table, ignore their Saviour's commands, and turn
away from the Feast ; and that only a small percentage
remain behind, to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, and to
partake of the Holy Communion. The Holy Eucharist,
if regarded aright, is the central act of Christian Worship,
from which all others spring ; and surely, it is not expecting
too much that, after the example of the early Christians,
it should be celebrated, at least weekly, on the first day of
the week being the Feast of the glorious Resurrection. To
this precious privilege of Communion, Baptism is the
Divinely authorized means of admission, for which we
" heartily thank our Heavenly Father."

Salvation. 305

CHAPTER XXXII.

SALVATION.

ANALYSIS : The Baptized are placed in a State of Salvation.

Relation of Salvation to the past, the present, and the future.

The crown of Baptism is seen in Salvation perfected, which
includes (i) Eternal Life ; (2) Resurrection ; (3) The perfecting
of the Body of Christ ; (4) The manifestation of the sons of
God ; (5) The full Baptism with the Holy Ghost ; (6) The
Advent of the Lord; (7) The Kingdom of God.

Practical considerations.

IF what has been advanced in the seven previous
chapters, concerning the privileges of Christian Baptism, be
accepted that we have been forgiven ; justified : grafted
into Christ : made sons of God, partakers of the Holy
Ghost, heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven : and admitted to
Holy Communion it is not presumptuous to declare that
we have been placed in a state of salvation ; and may rightly
use the words of the Catechism, " I heartily thank our
heavenly Father, that He hath railed me to this state of
salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord." We have
recounted seven God-given privileges, in what may be almost
designated an ascending scale, although in Baptism, they
are bestowed on us, by one and the same act. (See Part IV.)

The subject, which concludes this array of the privileges
of Christian Baptism, may be summed up under one word,
SALVATION, for this is the climax ; and even now, it is com-
plete in its essence, though it awaits its full MANIFESTATION
in the Resurrection, and in the Kingdom of God.

But we must observe, that although we have been placed
in a * state of Salvation,' our Salvation is not yet assured,
nor is it an accomplished fact. If we are authorized
in believing that this standing may be predicated, in theory,

306 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap XXXII.

of all the Baptized ; such a statement would seem to savour
of mockery, and irony when we look at the present condi-
tion of the Baptized, which presents tremendous spiritual
difficulties, the consideration of which we must postpone
to a subsequent chapter (XXXVIIL). But we are here con-
cerned with the acts of God, and with the condition in
which He has placed the Baptized : though, if they lapse, they
2 Cor. vi. i. will then have received " the grace of God in vain " ; and
will become guilty of " a falling away," or of that Apos-
tasy, which will culminate in the manifestation of the last
Antichrist.

At the outset, we must never forget the glorious

Jonah ii. 9. Scriptural truism, that " Salvation is of the LOA'>." If the

creature have sinned and fallen from God, and be in danger

of banishment, punishment, and eternal misery ; then the

only help that can possibly arise, must come from the

sa. ixviii. 20. Creator Himself, for He is " the God of salvation." The

creature has no power to regain its lost position ; nor, in

the slightest degree, to effect its own salvation temporal,

spiritual, or eternal.

The essence and nature of Salvation, may now be con-
sidered, and its definition briefly given. Salvation, strictly
speaking, is the being made safe, the being delivered
from evil, or rescued from danger, and placed in a state of
freedom from peril.

But the Scriptural idea of Salvation embraces more than
this negative aspect ; for it is not merely the deliverance
from sin from its penalties, viz., suffering, death, and hell ;
but it includes the positive side also, in being placed in a
condition of absolute security ; in being made everlastingly
righteous, holy, and happy ; in being perfected in body,
i Pet. v. 10. soul, and spirit ; and in inheriting the eternal glory which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Some persons, who are anxious for the salvation of others,
sometimes put the question to them, " Are you saved ? "

Salvation. 307

This may savour of presumption, or of mistaken zeal, OB
the part of the interrogator, and may be a question which
he is not justified in asking ; but it often calls forth replies
betokening perplexity a want of faith in, and knowledge
of, the salvation of God through Christ Jesus. There is
an undefined feeling among sinful men, that they must, as
it were, pay some ransom for their souls, i.e., do something,
to obtain salvation ; and so their uncertainty resolves itself
into a faint reply of " I hope so," or " I do not know.'' Such
answers cannot be regarded as satisfactory ; for this mighty
subject should not be left in any doubt, such as that implied
in the indefinite sense, in which the word * hope " is generally
used : for it is not spoken with the Scriptural meaning of
a blessed and certain hope ; but with that element of un-
certainty, that is attached to the things of e very-day life.

I. The subject may become clearer, if Salvation be
considered, not as a whole ; but in its constituent parts
relating to the past, the present, and the future.

A baptized person ought to be able to say: (i) as
regards the past, " I have been saved " ; (2) as regards the
present, " I am being saved "' : (3) as regards the future,
" I hope to be saved."

(i) With reference to the past, which is the first phase of
salvation, we may all say, " We have been saved." Saved
from what ? From sin, from sin itself, and from the guilt
of sin. " Christ died for our sins " : He was made " sin for i Cor. xv. 3.
us" : " His own self bare our sins in his own bodv on the 2Cor V '. 2I ~

i Peter u. 24.

tree " : the Saviour's name of JESUS, betokens that He
saves " his people from their sins." This is " the gospel of Matt. i. at.
Christ : " which " is the power of God unto salvation to Rom. i- 16.
everyone that believeth."

Christ saves us also from the penalty of sin. It was
ordained that Christ should endure the " suffering of Heb. u. 9-15.
death . . . that he by the grace of God should taste
death for every man. For it became him ... in

308 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXXII.

bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings." He died, that " through
death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that
is, the devil ; and deliver them who through fear of death were
all their lifetime subject to bondage." This state of salva-
tion is, in a certain aspect, the position of all men, but
most especially of the Baptized.

(2) Salvation is connected with the present time : and
in its present action, every child of God should be able
to say, " I am being saved " ; and should daily know the
power of God's salvation, in being made free from sin, and
enabled to render loving service to God. Salvation is more
than an abstract truth ; it is a great reality, and should be
rejoiced in, even now. The hidden power and grace of the
death and resurrection of Christ, should be working in
us, with their manifested results. Our REDEMPTION has
been accomplished ; our SALVATION is being accomplished.
Acts ii. 47. It is recorded that in the early days of the Church, " the
Lord added to the church daily such as were being saved."
The rendering in the Authorized Version " such as should
be saved " is not correct, for the Greek verb is in the
present participle (TOI-S o-wo/u,'ovs).

The radical idea of Salvation is salvation from sin. We
are too apt to dwell upon the results of sin, such as the
exhibition of evil, in various forms in sickness, pain,
mortality, corruption, death, and hell. These are the results
of sin ; and too often, men look upon salvation, primarily
and superficially, as the being saved from temporal and
physical evils. But the objective and subjective work of
salvation is more radical, for it strikes at the root or cause
of all these evils, viz., the moral and spiritual evil of SIN
itself. If it be apprehended, that in salvation from sin,
sin is forgiven and put away, and the power of sin is broken ;
then the guilt, the penalty, and the results of sin will all,
in due time, be utterly effaced.

Salvation. 309

This salvation from sin, is embodied in the two-fold truth
which lies at the base of Christian Baptism, viz., the death
unto sin, and the new birth unto righteousness. If the death
and resurrection of Christ be working in us now, by the
power of the Holy Ghost ; then this is the working out, in
us, of God's salvation as a present reality. The Cross of
Christ embodies the victory over sin, self, pride, the world,
the flesh, and the devil ; therefore, since we are crucified Rom vi. 6.
with Christ, His death works in us, and conveys deliverance Gal - " 2 -
to us from these evils ; while Christ's resurrection lifts us
above the scene of conflict, into a purer and higher region
of assured peace, if we abide in Him, and He in us. In the
first instance, salvation does not mean simply future
happiness ; but the being delivered from the power of sin ; of
which deliverance even* faithful baptized person should
be daily conscious. Thus. St. Paul writes : " But now R^m. vi. 22.
being made free from sin. and become servants to God, ye
have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."

(3) As regards the future : may not everyone lawfully
say, " I hope to be saved " ? This is rightly an object of
HOPE ; for no one. on earth, has yet attained to full salvation,
nor to the perfect condition of the Kingdom of God ; but
in God's good time, we hope to be perfected in spirit, in
soul, and in body. We are to put on " for an helmet, i Thess. v. s.
the hope of salvation" We, as " the sons of God." shall i John iii. 2.
become like the Lord ; and be fitted to live with Him, for
ever. " Our citizenship [R.v.] is in heaven ; from whence rhil - . 20, 21.
also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ : Who
shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like
unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby
he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Our
salvation will then be accomplished : and will be perfect and
eternal. The Lord, after His resurrection, said to His
Apostles, " He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark xri. 16.
May this full and three-fold salvation, by the grace of God, be

3IO Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXXII.

the experience of every person who reads this book ! Amen.
II. Salvation, in its perfection, may now be considered
with reference to Christian Baptism ; and it will be seen
that it is neither more nor less than the perfect fulfilment
of the Sacrament ; and the completion of all the truths,
embodied in embryo therein, which may be briefly
recapitulated.

(1) The first Baptismal truth, which will be revealed
in the fulness of God's perfected salvation, is that of eternal
life. The germ of this eternal life, being received in Christian
Baptism, must (if unimpeded) grow and flourish ; until, in
the resurrection, it will attain its perfection. This is the
glory of that implanted, heavenly life, which is the free

i John v. ii. gift of God to man. "God hath given to us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son."

(2) The second grace of Baptism, is its special connection
with the resurrection of Jesus Christ ; for in Baptism, we
were quickened with the resurrection-life of Christ ; in a

Rom. vi. 5. word, as the Apostle Paul expressed it, we were " planted
... in the likeness of his resurrection."

With this implanted resurrection-life, every other privi-
lege is linked. Life, itself, may be a simple idea ; but
resurrection-life is complex ; for it is a life wrested from
death; and if the life that Christ received, when He was
raised from the dead, be given to the Baptized, how could
this resurrection-life of Christ, in them, receive its adequate
manifestation, in anything short of actual and literal
resurrection ? Regeneration, being the new life of spiritual
birth, is the seed which finds its fruit finally in resurrection ;
and since resurrection is the essence of regeneration, re-
generation and resurrection are twin factors in the Sacrament
of Holy Baptism ; and regeneration must necessarily find its
crown in the final and literal resurrection, as the only true
development of the quickening power of the Holy Spirit.
" Thus, Baptism will culminate and be perfected in

Salvation. 311

Resurrection. All the figures, types, and truths, connected
with Baptism, will be fulfilled ; and all that it prefigured will
become an eternal reality ; for it is, even now, the Sacrament
of Resurrection, which is its natural end and climax. As
concerns our grafting into Christ, and our consequent
responsibility and duty to live thence forward in Him, and to
Him the work of grace, wrought in us, is already complete.
But in another point of view, it awaits its perfecting in
the Resurrection. In the Resurrection, the work now
sacramentally begun, will be finally completed. That day
will accomplish, in the complete and final sense of the
word, our regeneration (Matt. xix. 28), or new birth into
* the life of the world to come.' "* See Phil. iii. 20, 21 (R.v.),
Col. iii. 4 (R.V.).

Moreover, a special prize is set before the Baptized in
connection with Resurrection ; viz., the First Resurrection Phil. iii. n
" out from among the dead " ; and connected therewith,
is the hope of the change at the Lord's appearing, succeeded
by the joint Translation of the two companies of the raised
and the changed Saints. This change without death, is the
special hope of salvation, which more particularly affects the
living, as St. Paul says : " Then we which are alive and J Thess - iv - ! 7-
remain shall be caught up together with them [the risen
saints] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and
so shall we ever be with the Lord."

(3) Another Baptismal truth, which can only find its
true consummation in the Kingdom of God, is that all
faithful members, who have been grafted into the Church
of Christ, will be perfected collectively in the Resurrection.
The Lord shall give to all His members, in their places and
measures, as one glorious unity, the rewards of Resurrection,
Translation, and Glorification ; to which none of them, taken
separately, could ever have attained.

* " The Divine Life in the Church" Section II., pp. 49-51. Rev.
John Macleod, D.D.

312 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part IV., Chap. XXXII.

(4) The grace of divine sonship, bestowed by God in
Holy Baptism, is not yet manifested : the Church is waiting
for the advent and manifestation of the Incarnate Son of
God Himself; when the full development of our sonship
will be perfected ; and when, in the Resurrection, it shall be
avowed of God, in the sight of men and of angels. Sonship
is now a hidden spiritual treasure ; but then, it shall be made

Luke xx. 36. manifest. Our Lord, Himself, speaks of " the children of

God, being the children of the resurrection."

Rom. viii. 19. In this " manifestation of the sons of God," their spiritual

glory will no longer be latent ; but the whole body, and
every individual member, will be full of the Holy Ghost.
The Church herself, is the supreme work and masterpiece of
God ; for, together with its Head and members, it forms

Col. ii. 2 (Greek"). THE CHRIST OF GOD.

(5) Another spiritual blessing, to be received in the
Resurrection, is the full Baptism of the Holy Ghost and of
fire, which may be regarded as synonymous with glorification
and with eternal life. Then, and not till then, shall the
Saints receive their literal baptism of fire. Those who are
made " partakers of the Holy Ghost " may look forward to
this hope, as the natural sequel to their Baptism.

(6) But this gradation of glory has its climax in the
Personal Advent of our Lord (on which the above-mentioned
glories hinge) ; and then the full meaning of Holy Baptism
shall be made manifest. If Baptism be so intimately linked
with the Person of Jesus Christ, who died and rose from the
dead; then surely, it is closely bound up also, with His
further action of coming again to take those to Himself,
for whom He not only died, but who (being the members of
His Body) now form part of His very self. The truth of the
'Lord's Second Coming, 'may not be so patent in the Sacrament
of Holy Baptism, as it is in that of the Holy Eucharist, in

i Cor. xi. 26. which we " shew the Lord's death till he come" But " the
Kingdom of God " is bound up with the Advent of the

Salvation. 313

Lord ; wherefore, if the Baptized are made inheritors of the

Kingdom of God, Baptism must have something to do with

the Kingdom itself, and with the Coming of the King.

Without Him, the Kingdom could have no existence ; and

in the establishing of God's Kingdom on earth, Christ will

have certain acts to fulfil hi the future. Hence, the Lord

Jesus must return ; He must fulfil His promise to His

disciples : "I will come again, and receive you unto John xiv. 3.

myself."

If men would truly know what the Salvation of God
is, they must look, in faith, to Jesus Christ, raised from the
dead and exalted to the right hand of God. The Lord Him-
self is the embodiment of God's Salvation. But when He was
on earth, it needed faith and spiritual discernment to behold
His glory. When the aged Simeon held the infant Jesus
in his arms, the desire of his heart was fulfilled : and he
could then say, " Mine eyes have seen thy salvation/' Luke ii. 30.

From the right hand of the Father, the glory of Jesus
Christ is enlightening the heavens ; but now we need
faith to behold that glory, and to rejoice in the hope
thereof. In Christ, the salvation of God is manifested, as
in a mirror. In the Psalms, the Messiah's prophetic
cry for deliverance, is often repeated ; and He was heard,
although He was not saved from death, nor from the
grave ; but after His passion, He descended into Hades,
that He might pay the uttermost farthing, on the sinner's
behalf. But having been delivered from the grave from
Hades, yea, from Death itself He has saved humanity,
and perfected it, through suffering. Salvation, in its fulness,
is embodied and realized hi Jesus Christ ; as in ONE who is
its sum and substance. The Lord Himself is the first saved
Man ; for it is written of Him, as the King : " in thy salvation P**-
(O LORD), how greatly shall he rejoice ! " He is the first
glorified Man the Firstfruits from the dead the first
perfected example of the New Creation.

3^4 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Pan IV.. Chap. XXXII.

Eternity itself will be needed to set forth the great
privileges, which God made over to man, in the apparently
simple act of Holy Baptism. How great are the privileges of
this company, where all are " firstborn," where all are
Kings and Priests, and have the birthright and the double
portion ! How the Church, and every member of the same,
should be longing and crying for the Resurrection (and for
those other great events which are bound up therewith), as
the introduction to the Kingdom of God !

(7) Although, in Baptism, men are brought into a state
of salvation, yet the perfection of this salvation can only
be consummated in the Kingdom of God ; inasmuch as all
that Baptism has prefigured or embodied, can be realized
only in that everlasting Kingdom.

In reviewing these privileges of the Baptized, it may be

isa. v. 4. asked : Could God have done more for His vineyard than

He has already done ? It would be impossible to conceive

a more free and boundless liberality, than that which God

has shown unto man. Human language is not equal to

the task of setting it forth, for it is beyond man's finite

Isa. lxi\. 4. imagination : " as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear

i Cor. 11. 9. heard, neither have entered in the heart of man, the things

which God hath prepared for them that love him."

Thus, God having done all that is possible for the human
race, there is nothing more with all reverence be it said
that He can do for man. The Lord having provided His
Salvation, its happy issue depends on man's free-will and
acceptance. When persons indulge in hard thoughts of God,
and are perplexed by the mysteries of Providence which
occur in the world, do they apprehend that the LORD has,
in His wisdom and power, done all that love could suggest,
to ensure man's real and eternal welfare ?

The first man, Adam, had all that he might desire ;
and there could hardly have been an easier test of his
obedience, than the abstaining from eating the fruit of one

Salvation. 315

tree. Again, take the case of the Jews : of them, the Lord

cries : " What could have been done more to my vineyard, isa. v. 4 .

that I have not done in it ? wherefore, when I looked that

it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes ? "

Further, hi this dispensation of the Gospel of GRACE,
when God is not imputing our trespasses unto us, we rejoice 2Cor. v. 19
to know that our reconciled Father " hath not appointed us i Thess. v. 9.
to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."
And if such great privileges be ours now, viz., forgiveness
of sins, justification, membership with Christ, divine son-
ship, being made partakers of the Holy Ghost and heirs of
the Kingdom, summed up in the gift of the Son of God and
of the Holy Spirit might we not say that the Lord has
exhausted " the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness Eph. ii. 7.
toward us through Christ Jesus " ?

Let us not think lightly of our rights and privileges ; for
" how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation ? " Heb. ii. 3.

It is of this great Salvation, that the Baptized are even
now declared to be heirs, to whom the angels act. as
" ministering spirits." Let us walk worthy of our high Heb. i. 14.
calling, " looking unto Jesus," and to the incorruptible
crown, which He will award unto all His faithful servants.

O that the Baptized may not despise their birthright ;
but through the grace of God in Christ Jesus, attain unto
its full and everlasting fruition !

The seven privileges which we have considered, as
constituents of God's great Salvation, are like the seven
colours, which form the bow " in the day of rain," which Ezek. i. 26-28.
surrounds the man seated on the sapphire throne, in that
vision which symbolizes the "glory of the LORD" : although,
fused into the one great Salvation, they may be set forth by the
' rainbow round about the throne, . . . like unto an emerald." Rev. iv. 3.

Shall we not embody all our desires in that comprehensive
and inspired prayer : " Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and P=- k**v. 7.
grant us THY SALVATION ? " Amen.

SCRIPTURAL STUDIES ON BAPTISMS,

ESPECIALLY CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

PART V. THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XXXIIL THE BAPTISMAL COVENANT.

CHAPTER XXXIV. Vows AND RESPONSIBILITY.

CHAPTER XXXV. EDUCATION, IN ITS RELATION TO CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XXXVI. THE STANDING OF THE BAPTIZED, AS SEPARATED TO

GOD AND " CALLED SAINTS."

CHAPTER XXXVII. THE PRACTICAL LESSONS OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.
CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE DIVISIONS OF THE CHURCH CATHOLIC IN

CONNECTION WITH HOLY BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XXXIX. THE DISASTROUS RESULTS OF THE BROKEN UNITY
OF THE CHURCH.

CHAPTER XL. THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE BAPTIZED.

The Baptismal Covenant. 319

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE BAPTISMAL COVENANT.

ANALYSIS -. A Covenant : what it is, and what it implies. Its origin. The
seven chief Covenants of God with man. The New Covenant,
through Christ's death, confirmed in Holy Baptism.

The proper position, in Churches, for the Decalogue (the
Old Covenant), is not the Altar, but the Baptistery.

AMONG the practical aspects of Christian Baptism,
prominence may be given to the consideration of Baptism,
as a Covenant. This subject resolves itself into three
points : (i) wherein a Covenant consists ; (2) what it
implies ; (3) whence a Divine Covenant arises.

(1) A Covenant is a contract between two parties, by which
each is pledged to a certain course of action. The existence
of Covenants is world-wide ; and they lie at the basis of
religion and of civilization. All the mutual relations of
men are founded on covenants, expressed or implied.

(2) A Covenant implies not only privileges, but also
responsibilities ; for it creates, and rests upon mutual obliga-
tions; and involves a definite course of action ; and it is
therefore based upon the first principles of morality, truth-
iulness, faithfulness, and integrity. To keep a covenant, is
a duty ; to break it, is a sin.

Covenants, oaths, and promises are registered in heaven ;
and men are held responsible by God, for their fulfilment.
Even the heathen nations were not exempt from the faithful
observance of their covenants ; for God pronounced judg-
ment upon Tyre of old, " because they . . . remembered Amos
not the brotherly covenant " once formed with Solomon,
king of Israel. (See i Kings v.) The prophet Jeremiah
gives a striking instance of the Lord's judgment upon the
princes, priests, and people of Judah, for breaking their

32O Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part v., Chap. xxxm.

promise or covenant to release, at the end of seven years,,
their Hebrew brethren, whom they retained as men servants
and handmaids. The LORD, whose name had been solemnly
invoked, took knowledge of the transaction, and uttered

jer. xxxiv. 17-20. the following condemnation : " I will give the men that have
transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the
words of the covenant which they had made before me,
when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the
parts thereof, the princes of Judah, and the princes of
Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people
of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf ;.
I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and
into the hand of them that seek their life." To confirm
this covenant, a sacrifice was slain. A calf was divided
into two equal parts, between which the people walked ;
to denote that they would be cut in pieces, if they broke

Ezek. xvii. ii-2i. their oath. Zedekiah, king of Judah, was also condemned
for breaking hi covenant with Nebuchadnezzar.

A Covenant made by God, implies that God will confer
some blessing upon those who are in covenant with Him, if
they abide faithful; which blessing, He is not pledged to-
grant to those who are not in His covenant.

(3) A Divine Covenant springs from the free will, and
grace of God ; and originates, in the first instance, from His-
mercy. Having arisen from God's mercy, the covenant is
fulfilled by His truth. He promises freely of His grace ;
but having promised, His truth binds Him, according to the
laws of His own Being, to fulfil that which He has promised.*

* It must not, however, be forgotten that there is a conditional element,.
in the promises of God made to man, by which their fulfilment depends on
the faith or unbelief of those to whom the promises are made. But there
is such a thing as an unconditional covenant, where Jehovah is the sole con-
tracting party. There are three such covenants in the Bible ; the first with
Noah respecting the earth ; the second with Abraham, regarding the land
of promise; and the third with David concerning the throne. The conditional
covenants that God made with man, have always been broken by man.
Ten Sermons on the Second Advent. Rev. E. W. Bullinger, D.D.

The Baptismal Covenant. 321

The prophet Micah speaks of God's Covenant, in the
same twofold aspect : " Thou wilt perform the truth to Micah vii. 20.
Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn
unto our fathers from the days of old." Mercy to Abraham,
with whom God made a covenant freely, becomes truth to
Jacob ; for God will keep the covenant made with the
fathers, even to their children ; and not alter the thing Psa. ixxxix. 34.
that has gone out of His lips.

Let us glance at the chief Covenants, which God has made
with man, as recorded in Holy Scripture.

The First Covenant, after " the heavens and the earth Gen. ii. 1-3.
were finished," made by God with man (and with creation,
the cattle being included also), was that of the Sabbath.
This was never abrogated (see Exod. xvi. 22-26), for
the fourth commandment of the Decalogue begins with
the word, REMEMBER : " Remember the sabbath day, to Exod. xx. S-io.
keep it holy" ; and it ends with a reference to the fact that
the LORD Himself rested on the seventh day. Wherefore,
as He blessed and hallowed it, the prohibition to work
extended not only to man, but also to all cattle, and to the
strangers in Israel. The " profaning the sabbath," was Neh. xiii. 15-18.
one of the chief causes of God's severe chastisements
upon Judah and Jerusalem (Jer. xvii. 20-27), an d of the
seventy years captivity of the Jews in Babylon, "until the zChron. xxxvi.zi.
land had enjoyed her sabbaths." In the Holy Scriptures,
the Sabbath is often alluded to, as a perpetual covenant, and
as a SIGN between God and Israel (Exod xxxi. 13 ;
Ezek. xx. 12) ; but a blessing is also pronounced by the
LORD upon " the sons of the stranger," and upon " every isa. ivi. 2-7.
one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it."

Adam, the first man, even in a state of innocence, was
placed by God under the " Covenant of Works " (as the old
Divines express it), the terms of which were obedience and
life ; or disobedience and death. So long as Adam obeyed
the commandment of God, his life, his bliss, his safety, were

322 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXIII.

assured. Adam broke this Covenant ; and hence, incurred
the penalty. But God, in His work of redemption and
restoration, graciously vouchsafed a series of promises to-
man, which are embodied in seven Covenants of Mercy.
Gen. Hi. 15. The first of these Covenants of grace was hidden in the

promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the head
of the serpent. The Gospel and the New Covenant of grace,
were foreshadowed in this condensed promise.

Gen. vi. 18. The Second Covenant was made with every living creature

Gen. ix. 9-17. and the earth through Noah, after the flood) ; and the token
of this " everlasting covenant " is the rainbow.

The Third Covenant of God with man was made with
Gen. xvii. 7, 8. Abraham in these words : "I will establish my covenant
between me and thee and thy seed after thee . . . for an
everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and thy seed after
thee.' 1 '' Then follows the promise of the land of Canaan to
Abraham and his seed stamped, as it were, with this seal,
" and I will be their God." This was the sum and substance
of God's Covenant with Abraham and Israel the Godward
side of the Covenant.

But this Covenant was embodied in the promise of the
land, which LAND should have ever been a reminder to Israel
that THE LORD was their Covenant God.

This Third Covenant freely made with Abraham, con-
cerning Canaan, the Promised Land, was confirmed by a
wonderful vision, recorded in the Book of Genesis (Chap.
Gen. xv. 8. xv.). In answer to his question, " Lord GOD, whereby
shall I know that I shall inherit it [the land] ? " The Lord
Gen. xv. 9-21. said unto him, " Take me an heifer of three years old, and
a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old,
and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto
him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each
piece one against another : but the birds divided he not."

The first point we notice, is the deep sleep and the " horror
of great darkness [which] fell upon Abraham," symbolical

The Baptismal Covenant. 323

of the sufferings of his posterity, for four hundred years
(verse 13). " And when the sun went down, . . . Gen. xv.
behold a smoking furnace [an emblem of Egyptian slavery,
called in Deut. iv. 20, the iron furnace], and a burning lamp
that passed between those pieces." This symbol, a lamp of
fire (margin) would indicate deliverance, through the presence
of God, who " is a consuming fire," guiding His people
according to His promised Covenant.

This figure also shows forth in a wonderful manner, the
faithfulness of God's Covenant : for the lamp of fire,
symbol of God's presence, passed between the divided
pieces of the sacrificial victims, evidently symbolizing the
same lesson, as that mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah. J- xxjd
In the case of men, we know the meaning of this symbolism,
viz., that as the parties to the Covenant passed between the
pieces of the slain victim, so might either of the contracting
parties be cut in pieces, if they failed to observe the terms
of the Covenant. We should, of ourselves, shrink from
applying this symbol to the Deity, nor could it have any
application to God Himself ; but (such is the condescension
and grace of our God) might it not have an application
to the Son, to the incarnate Word, God manifest in flesh,
illustrating His eternal truth and faithfulness ? At least,
this detail, in Abraham's vision, seems to indicate that the
Lord (as Man) took up, as it were, all the obligations of
the Covenant ; and would fulfil the same. This vision
might also throw light on that expression of the Lord Him-
self, " Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day : and
he saw it, and was glad " (John viii. 56). This covenant
was confirmed to Abraham seven times, and was also-
renewed, with reiterated promises, to Isaac. It was also
confirmed to Jacob, the token of which, was his change of
name from Jacob to Israel (Gen. xxviii. 12-15, xxxv. 9-15).
These were not new Covenants, but reiterations of the one
made with Abraham : Isaac and Jacob being " heirs with

324 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap, xxxill.

him [Abraham] of the same promise" (Heb. xi. 99. See
Ps. cv. 9-11).

The token of this Covenant was Circumcision, which is
usually regarded as a Covenant in itself, and is thus desig-
Gen. xvii. 13. nated by God himself. (See also John vii. 22 ; Gen. xvii.
4, 14, 23-27.) It might be regarded as the manward
side of God's Covenant with Abraham, and as the Fourth
Covenant.

Acts vii. 8. It is alluded to by St. Stephen as "the covenant of

circumcision." The performance of this ordinance was held
in abeyance, during the forty years that the Israelites
wandered in the wilderness ; but at the word of the LORD,
their first act on entering the promised land was its renewal
at Gilgal (Josh. v. 2-7). Our Lord said to the Jews :
John vii. 22. " Moses gave unto you circumcision ; (not because it is of
Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day
circumcise a man."

Ex. xxxiv. 28. The Fifth Covenant, was with a Nation, ' the children

Ex. xix. 5, 6. o { i sr ael ' ; its terms were that they should be a holy,

priestly nation ; and its token was the giving of the Law

(summarized in the Ten Commandments or the Decalogue),

which is often referred to, in Scripture, as " The Covenant."

A further development is seen in the Sixth Covenant,
with David ; the terms of which were that David should
See Fsa. ixxxix. have an everlasting throne, and a Promised Seed to fill that
35 37 ' throne for ever ; and the token of this was his own throne.

After these preliminary covenants had been made, there
comes into clear view the abiding Covenant with the Seed itself
even with Christ ; with whom, as the Son of God, the
Father made an everlasting covenant, before the world began ;
and in whom, as MAN, the seven previous covenants
(including that of the Sabbath) are embraced and fulfilled.
For the Lord Himself brings in a Covenant, which is
now designated the " New Covenant " (which, in some
aspects, might almost be regarded as the Eighth). This

The Baptismal Covenant. 325

Covenant is sealed with His blood ; and its token is the

Holy Cup, in the Eucharist, or the Lord's Supper. " This Luke xxii. 20.

cup is the new testament [covenant, Gk.] in my blood, which

is shed for you," and " for many for the remission of sins." Matt. xxvi. 28.

Let us reduce these seven (or eight) covenants to the
two great Covenants, viz., the old and the new, which are
brought before us in the Epistle to the Hebrews. " In Heb. viii. 13.
that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old.' 1 ''
The first was ratified chiefly by blood ; the second, by
water : the first was for " the purifying of the flesh " ; the Heb. ix. 13.
second, for the renewal of the spirit : the first spoke of the See E P h. iv. 2-.
law ; the second speaks of the Gospel : the first spoke rather
-of condemnation; the second speaks of justification unto
life. The first was given before the Incarnation, and,
as a schoolmaster, led up to it : the second is based upon all Gal. Hi. 24.
the transcendent benefits obtained for us by the Passion
-of our Lord, by His death and resurrection ; and was
ratified by His blood. Though the second is so vastly
superior to the first; still, the first was of God, whose purpose
it served in His education of man ; and it conveyed spiritual
blessings to those who abode in its grace ; even though,
like the Law, it rather brought to light " the knowledge of
:sin," than provided the means for victory over sin. The
writer to the Hebrews contrasts the two Covenants : and
shows the superiority of the new over the old. The old Gal. iv. 24.
Covenant gendered to bondage ; it gave no strength to
fulfil the requirements of the Law, nor could it take awa}' sin ;
but under the new Covenant, the Baptized are not servants,
but sons; and remission of sins is given to them, with liberty, Heb. x. 17, 18.
and grace to keep the Law. Wherefore, this New Covenant R om . vi. 14.
is not, like the Old Covenant, " a shadow of good things to Heb. x. r.
come"; but it is the substance, and a spiritual reality,
existing in the Body of Christ. Is not this the new
Covenant which the Lord, by the prophet Jeremiah, promised
to Israel of old ? (Jer. xxxi. 31-37 ; Heb. viii. 8-12 ; x. 15-17).

326 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [ Part V., Chap. XXXII 1^

Baptism is our introduction into this New Covenant.

The New Covenant is sealed with the blood of Jesus ;;
it stands on the basis of His death and resurrection ; and
Christ has ordained an external act, which shall signify our
entrance into this New Covenant, whereby we inherit its-
privileges, incur its responsibilities, and receive a new
spiritual standing. The mode of entering into the Old
Covenant, was by the external act of Circumcision : the
mode of entering into the New Covenant, is by the external
act of the Sacrament of Baptism, " wherein the washing with
water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into
Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of
grace, and our engagement to be the Lord's."* By this
act, a bond exists between us and God, which we cannot
break at will. The Baptized are as much in covenant with
God, as were the Jews of old ; although the covenant of
Circumcision was written in their flesh, and left its mark
behind. Theirs was the Old Covenant sealed with blood ;
ours is the new, sealed with the blood of Christ, but effected
by water ; and which, though less painful, and in the outward
flesh invisible, is more spiritual, more free, and better suited
to our higher standing in Christ Jesus. But the sign of
the Cross, on our brow, is visible to God ; and even if we
forget the fact, God does not forget that we are members
of a Covenant. The responsibilities of the Baptized, by
virtue of this Sacrament, are summed up in the vows made
at their Baptism, in the administration of which, their
privileges are bestowed upon them though these may
be allowed to lie fallow and inoperative, because of the
recipients' unbelief. That the Baptized may ignore their
Covenant standing with God, does not cancel the fact of
its existence. Much stress is laid, in Holy Scripture, on

* Shorter Catechism of the Church of Scotland, Q. 94.

The Baptismal Covenant. 327

the fact of the Jews being a Covenant people ; and this fact

is often alluded to, as an aggravation of their national sins,

and as the ground of appeal to the mercy of God by the

saints of old. The breaking of their Covenant, was the chief

subject of the confessions made by the most patriotic

men, viz., Ezra. Xehemiah, and Daniel. The great guilt

of breaking the covenant of wedlock is admitted by all ; and

as Baptism is represented, in Scripture, under the figure of Rom. vi.,viL 1-4

marriage, those who break this covenant, become guilty

of spiritual adultery, and shall be judged accordingly.

As God is faithful to His part of the Covenant : so would
He minister grace, to enable baptized persons to keep their
part of the Covenant ; that they may sustain its responsi-
bilities and rejoice in its privileges, to the glory of God.
to the blessing of His Church, and to their own ever-
lasting salvation.

In connection with this subject, an allusion may be made
to the erroneous practice of placing the Ten Commandments
over the altar (or Communion Table), in our English Parish
Churches. The Decalogue reminds us of the old and
legal Covenant ; and while there is an appropriate place
for it in the Church, its exhibition over the Altar, is
inappropriate, for which we may adduce the two following
reasons :

(i) We are not under the Law now, but under the
Gospel.

" The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth j hn L 17.
came by Jesus Christ " ; thus, St. Paul draws a parallel,
or rather a contrast, between the Law and the Gospel, see 2 Cor. ill.
He states that "by the law is the knowledge of sin " ; "The Rom. Hi. 20.
law entered, that the offence might abound " ; and again, R om . v. 20.
" I had not known sin, but by the law," " and the command- Rom. vii. 7. 10.
ment, which was ordained to life. I found to be unto death."
The law said, " This do, and thou shalt live " ; or, * Do not
do this' : eight of the commandments being direct negatives.

328 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXIII.

z Cor. iii. 7, 9. Accordingly, the Apostle describes the Law, as " the
ministration of death," and " the ministration of con-
demnation." It enjoined precepts for a perfect life ; it
threatened the penalty of death, for disobedience ; but it
did not give grace to fulfil its demands, which were holy, just,
and good ; nor did it make provision for failure. In all
these points, the Gospel offers a direct contrast to the Law.
2 Cor. iii. 9. (2) The Gospel, or New Covenant, is the " ministration of

righteousness " and of life ; it is not written in stones ; it does
not deal with threatening negatives ; but enforces the all-
embracing command, " Thou shalt love." In contemplating
man as sinful, condemned, and weak, it makes provision
for failure. It ministers grace or spiritual strength, to
enable man to believe and to yield the obedience of faith ;
and though it is a contrast to the Law, yet it is not
ls.>m. 21. antagonistic, for its end is to " magnify the law, and
make it honourable." Still, the New Testament teaches
that, in a certain sense, the Law is abolished (certainly, as
a ground of justification) ; that we are dead to the Law,
by the body of Christ, who has freed us from its curse ;

Rom.'vii. 5, 6. and when St. Paul says that " the motions of sins, which
were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth
fruit unto death," he adds, " But now we are delivered
from the law, that being dead wherein we were held."
(See also Gal. ii. and iii.) It may therefore be inferred
that while there must be a fundamental and essential unity
of the Law and the Gospel (since both are from God), which
unity is seen in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ ;
nevertheless, there is a marked contrast between them,
which practically serves to distinguish these two great
Dispensations, or God's modes of dealing with men : the
first of which, is called the Mosaic or legal Dispensation ;
and the second, the Gospel or Christian Dispensation.

For these reasons, if it be not an actual error to inscribe
the Decalogue over the Altar or Communion Table, according

The Baptismal Covenant. 329

to the usual practice in the Church of England ; it is, to say
the least, a violation of spiritual propriety and harmony.

The Altar is the place where the Lord's last act of love,
in His sacrifice of Himself, is commemorated. This is the
scene of the Feast of Love, which is full of the inspirations
of the Gospel. To obtrude the Mosaic Law before a congrega-
tion of baptized persons (who, as St. Paul teaches us, are
freed from the Law) : and to place before them, above the
Christian Altar, the stern Decalogue of Sinai, uttered amidst
the terrific convulsions of nature, is not according to the
spiritual fitness of things.* Sinai should not even faintly
eclipse Calvary. Sinai may make us quake ; for we are
sinners ; but Jesus, the Lamb of God, our Law-fulfiller and
Redeemer, speaks peace to us ; for His sacrifice has hidden
the Law in the Ark of the Tabernacle, which is covered over
with a solid golden lid, reddened by the seven-fold sprinkled
blood, and which bears the beautiful name of the " Mercy
Seat." The Lord Jesus, in pointing to the Law, bids us
" Fear not " ; and pointing to Himself, as crucified and risen,.
He says, " Thy sins are forgiven thee, go in peace."

The above objections, to the location of the Decalogue,
do not apply to the placing of the Lord's Prayer and the
Apostles 1 Creed in a similar position, over the Altar ; for these
are both Christian symbols, and occur in Morning and
Evening Worship ; and virtually, in the Eucharist, where the
fuller Nicene Creed replaces the shorter Apostles' Creed.

But there is a fit and proper place, in the Christian
Church, where the Decalogue, the Lord's Prayer and the

* There are several Churches in England, where a different arrange-
ment may be seen. In the Church of Silchester, the Ten Commandments
are placed at the west end, near the entrance door, where the font usually
is : in the Church of Darenth, in Kent (which is alluded to in Murray's
Guide Book, p. 91), they are over the pulpit, which position, though not so
suitable as near the font, is more suitable than over the Altar ; in Sutton
Courtney, in Berkshire, and in the Church of Wymington, in Bedfordshire,
the Commandments are not placed over the Altar. Many other examples,
might, no doubt, be found throughout England.

330 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXIII

Creed, may foe rightly set up as a testimony to all men, viz.,
in the Baptistery* and for the following reasons :

(1) These three forms of " sound words " may be con-
sidered with reference to the child, or person, who is baptized.
The sponsors are asked, in the child's name, if the child will
'believe "all the articles of the Christian faith," and will
obediently " keep God's holy will and commandments,
.and walk in the same all the days of his life." Thus,
there is a propriety in having the Creed, the Lord's Prayer

.and the Ten Commandments affixed there ; on account of
-.the important part which they occupy in the Baptismal
: Service. They are given to the child as an epitome of
his faith and duty, for his remembrance and guidance.

(2) These Symbols have a relation to the Baptismal
vows. In the child's name, and on his behalf at his Baptism,

the sponsors renounce the world, the flesh, and the Devil ;
-they confess, in his name, all the articles of the Christian
faith ; and they engage that he shall obediently keep God's
Commandments, which are recorded in the Catechism
for the child to learn by heart ; hence, their public exhibition,
:in the place where Holy Baptism is administered, is most
-appropriate.

(3) These three Symbols are embodied in the Catechism.
'The Catechism makes provision, on the part of the Church,

that the child shall be taught truth in a " form of sound
-words " ; and the English Baptismal Office concludes thus :
'"Ye are to take care that this child be brought to the

Bishop to be confirmed by him, so soon as he can say the
Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments
;in the vulgar tongue, and be further instructed in the Church

Catechism set forth for that purpose."

Hence, the Catechism has a special relation to baptized
children. Its first part may be said to contain three

* In very .few of the ordinary Churches in England, is there a
. Baptistery.

The Baptismal Covenant. 331

divisions : the Articles of the faith summarized in the Creed,
-which the child is to believe ; the Ten Commandments, or
the rule of life, which the child is to obey, and which are
-expounded in the " duty to God " and in the '"- duty to our
neighbour"* in the catechism ; and the Lord's Prayer, the form
in which the child is to pray to God for daily grace.

(4) This three-fold tablet may be regarded as a testimony
an appropriate witness to the truth and law of God.

This tablet, when placed in the Baptistery, is a witness
to the Catholicity of the faith of the worshippers, that they
should, in an orthodox spirit, hold fast ancient truths,
as set forth in these symbols, which are hoary with the
lapse of ages ; it is a testimony to the union and communion
of all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and are
baptized in His Name : and it is also a reminder of faith
duty to all who enter the Lord's House.

The Law is still a rule of life ; for men are bound to do
it commands, and to abstain from what it forbids.
The visible Decalogue may often speak to a man's con-
science ; and restrain him from some deliberate sin.

The greater part of the sacred Prophetic Books and of the
Apostolic Epistles, consists in reminding a Covenant people
of those things which they knew, but did not observe in
life and practice ; and hence it is well, that when entering
the House of God, we should be reminded, by those three
symbols, of our covenant vows and responsibilities, to
believe what is true, to do what is just and right, and to pray
according to God's will. With all our heart we should
praise God for His grace ; which has led Him, in His mercy
and truth, to make Covenants with sinful man. Thus the
sweet Psalmist of Israel, in his "last words," speaks of
" the sure mercies of David " (fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the
seed of David according to the flesh) : '* Yet he hath made Acts rm. 34.
with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and
sure : for this is all my salvation, and all my desire." 2 Sam.xxiiL 5.

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part V., Chap. XXXIV.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

VOWS AND RESPONSIBILITY.

ANALYSIS : The Nature and Obligation of a Vow : Broken vows entaiP
guilt.

The three vows taken in Baptism : ( i ) To renounce the-
world, the flesh, and the Devil ; (2) To believe the truth of God ;
(3) To keep the commandments of God.

A vow may be defined as a solemn promise an engage-
ment freely entered into ; an oath made to God, to perform
some act, which may consist of either personal dedication,
or the consecration of something of value to His service.

A vow is more sacred than an ordinary promise ; and
contains a religious element, being generally connected
with a Divine Person. A vow is not like a Covenant, or
mutual agreement between two parties ; but it is centred
chiefly in one party, who stands in an inferior position, and
voluntarily vows or dedicates himself, or something of
value, to a superior. It is rather a promise by one person
to another, without any corresponding responsibility on the
part of the promisee.

God makes no vows ; though He promises and enters
into covenants. A vow, in its nature and essence, pertains
to the creature, not to the Creator.

To make a promise or a vow, is virtually to accept a
responsibility for its performance. In a vow, there is an
underlying idea of obligation, or of moral duty, which
claims fulfilment. The word obligation comes from the
Latin ob-ligo (I bind), and implies that we are bound by
ties, rules, or fetters, to a given course of conduct.

Many passages in Holy Scripture deal with the subject

of Vows ; for which, special legislation was made in the Law

Deut.xxiii. 21-23. of Moses. "When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD

Vows and Responsibility* 333

thy God, thou shall not be slack to pay it : for the LORD thy
God will surely require it of thee ; and it would be sin in
thee. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin
in thee. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt
keep, and perform ; even a free-will offering, according as
thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast
promised with thy mouth."

Breaking a Vow or a Covenant, without the consent of
both parties, is criminal. After twenty years of forget-
fulness on Jacob's part, God reminds him of his vow, made Gen. xxxv. r.
at Beth-el, in his time of trouble ; and which he appears
to have left unfulfilled. At that same time, Jacob vowed Gen. xxviii. 22.
to pay tithes unto the LORD of all that he acquired. It
cannot be asserted that he did not pay them, though there
is no record of his having done so : but his forgetfulness,
regarding his spiritual vows, might lead to the inference
that he had also forgotten to pay his promised tithes.

It is written in the book of Ecclesiastes, " When thou Ecc. v. 4, 5.
vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it ; for he hath
no pleasure in fools : pay that which thou hast vowed.
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow " (for which perhaps
no necessity existed), " than that thou shouldest vow and
not pay " ; for this last neglect becomes immoral, and entails
the guilt of an unfulfilled obligation. Even a promise
should not be lightly made ; for to depart from a promise
savours of a lie, and thus becomes actual sin.

Vows and Responsibility are intimately connected with
the Sacrament of Christian Baptism, of which they form
an integral part.

The Vows, taken by candidates for Baptism, were binding
on them before the administration of this rite ; but when
solemnly renewed before God, in the House of prayer, and
ratified in this Holy Sacrament, they acquire an addi-
tional force, on account of their having been made with
free-will and understanding.

334 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part V., Chap. XXXI V.

Those who represent the candidate are asked certain
questions ; to which they give definite, audible answers,
in the name of the candidate whom they represent, as
proxies or sponsors.

Briefly stated, the three vows that are made in Holy
Baptism, are the following : i. To hate what is evil ; n.
To believe what is true ; m. To do what is right.

I. The first Vow is to hate the evil. Evil comes before
us under three phases, (i) the world, (2) the flesh, and
(3) the devil.

(i) The world has a fascination for all : in a word, its
influence is like gravitation. We do not know the strength
of its attraction, until we begin to resist it. The world is
the power and tyranny of the present life, as opposed to
the life of the world to come ; and represents the general
maxims of the mass of men who live without God in this
Psa. xvii. 14. world, and " have their portion in this life."

The Apostle John warns us against this enemy :

i John ii. 15-16. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the

world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father

is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the

flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not

of the Father, but is of the world." Hence we must watch

lest the love of the world, drive out " the love of the Father."

Jas. iv. 4. The Apostle James also reminds us, that the " friendship of

the world is enmity with God."

In early Christian times, the world would indicate the
heathen outside the pale of the Church, of whom the
Apostles give such a terrible description. (Rom. i. 24-32 ;
i Cor. vi. 9-11 ; Eph. v. 3-12 ; Col. iii.'5-8 ; Tim. i. 9-11 ;
i Pet. iv. 1-4.)

Rom. xii. i. The Apostles warn us not to be conformed to the world ;

John. xvi. 33. but like the Lord, to be separate from the world. Although

the Baptismal vow implies the rejection of the principles

which sway the men of the world, yet, with humiliation, we

Vows and Responsibility, 335

confess that the spirit of the world has crept into the Church
{as is seen in Ecclesiastical History), and rebels against the
unworldly spirit of self-denial and self-sacrifice, which the
Lord Jesus enjoined on His disciples ; and only the Holy
Ghost can enable us to carry this life of devotion and self-
renunciation into practice.

(2) In the second part of the vow, we renounce all the
sinful lusts of the flesh. The flesh is a comprehensive word,
and takes in all the corrupt tendencies of our fallen nature.
Lust is uncontrolled desire of the mind or of the flesh ; such
desires not being regulated by the law of God. Ah 1 want of
chastity, all immorality comprehended in this word is
forbidden. The animal passions of human nature are
among the strongest forces that lead to unbridled sin :
and for that reason, need a holy restraint ; for in their
indulgence, as St. Peter expresses it, they "war against i Pet. ii. n.
the soul." To trifle with them, is like playing with matches
on a barrel of gunpowder ; and the Lord Himself teaches Man. \. 29. 30 :
us that it is better to pluck out the right eye, and enter
the Kingdom of God with one eye, than, for the momentary
gratification of any fleshly lust, to be cast into hell.

But in our Baptism, we have foresworn the corrupt
tendencies of our fallen nature all self-will, self-indulgence,
anger, wrath, malice, sloth, covetousness and the evil
passions, recorded in Gal. v., Eph. iv., and Col. iii., which
we are called upon to " mortify."

The great Apostle to the Gentiles, though writing to
the saints, does not scruple to allude plainly to such sub-
jects ; and he writes to the Galatians, " Walk in the Spirit, Gal. v. 1 6, 19-21.
and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh," and then proceeds
to enumerate seventeen different forms of " the works
of the flesh."

The Holy Spirit, having renewed us in our Baptism,
we are not left to fight against the flesh, in our own strength.
The world is outside of us : the flesh represents our corrupt

336

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Tart v.,Chap. XXXIV.

2 Cor. vi. 17.

I John iii. 8.

Jas. i. 15.
John iii. 8.

selves ; it is the enemy within the camp the traitor in
the citadel ; its doom should be death, even death by
crucifixion.

(3) Furthermore, we are to abhor the Devil and all his
works all spiritual evil, all defilement of the spirit. Pride,
independence, rebellion, and all evil that dwells in the will
and in the spirit, must be resisted ; as well as any yielding
of our wills or spirits, to the influence of the Devil. He is
to be resisted, in the inner recesses of our being. " He
that committeth sin is of the devil " ; temptation to sin
is a work of the Devil, the arch-enemy of God and man;,
and sin, " when it is finished," brings its baleful train
of sorrow, misery, disease, and death. " For this purpose
the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the
works of the devil." Let us never forget that we have
foresworn the Devil, in our baptismal Vows ; and let us not
be guilty of perjury and treachery, by any wilful sin.
All sin is antagonistic to God, because sin is of the Devil ;
" For the devil sinneth from the beginning," and " the Son,
of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works
of the devil."

Not only Spiritualism, and all intercourse with demons
and with departed spirits, is forbidden, as being defiling,
unlawful, and hateful to God ; but all spiritual evil (of which
St. Paul warns us in i Tim. iv. i) should be quenched by
Eph. vi. 16. the " shield of faith."

II. The Baptized have further vowed to believe all the
articles of the Christian faith ; and the truths, concerning
this faith, are summed up in a Symbol or Creed. That there
may be no uncertainty as to the purport of those articles,
the Catechumen is called upon to rehearse the Apostles'
Creed. This is the summary of faith, to which men have
pledged themselves, in their Baptism. Its key-note is the
Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and it includes the great events
in the life of Christ, which are the embodiment of doctrine,

I John iii.

Deut. xviii. 10-12.
Isa. viii. 19.

Vows and Responsibility.

337

and of our faith and hope. The Creed sets forth primarily,
the doctrine of the Trinity ; and then, chiefly, the acts of
Him who is God manifest in flesh our Sacrifice and our
Redeemer, even as He shall be our Judge and our
King.

In looking round sorrowfully at the state of Christendom,
the question may be asked, Are the mass of Christians
abiding in this faith, into which they have been baptized ?
The general scepticism in Roman Catholic and Protestant
countries the rationalism, the neologian attacks on the
history of the Gospels, on the whole Bible, and on Christ
Himself all these spiritual assaults declare that men are
not giving " earnest heed to the things which [they] have
heard," but that they are letting them "slip"; and that
Apostates will be ready to abolish Christian Baptism to
sweep away all forms of sound words and doctrine, together
with all faith in revealed truth.

III. The third Baptismal Vow is to do what is right, that
is, to obediently keep God's holy will and commandments,
briefly summed up in the Decalogue. Obedience means
the giving up of our wills, to do the will of God. We have
bound ourselves, under a vow or oath, to do good. Those
short admonitions, scattered throughout the books of the
Prophets and the Epistles, where good and evil are set in
direct contrast, are admirable: and form suitable texts,
wherewith to arm the young mind : " Hate the evil, and
love the good " ; " Cease to do evil, learn to do well " ;
" Follow not that which is evil, but that which is good " ;
" Eschew evil, and do good."

What do these injunctions embody, but the third great
Vow of Baptism ? Let us stir up our hearts and spirits,
remembering that we have vowed to be followers of " that
which is good," and are not left in doubt concerning the
good, for it is written : " He [God] hath shewed thee, O
man, what is good ; and what doth the LORD require of thee,

Heb. ii. i.

2 Tim.

Amos v. 15.
Isa. L 16, 17.
3 John II.
I Pet. iii. ii.

Micah vi. S.

338 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part v., Chap. XXXIV.

but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly

with thy God ? " In Baptism, the life and power of God

are imparted ; whereby the will may be strengthened and

the power supplied, to enable men to carry into effect those

good desires, which else were fruitless and would not blossom

Psa. ivi. 12. into action. "Thy vows are upon me, O God." Do we

remember, and do we pay our solemn vows, even these

Baptismal Vows ? May we, with true hearts, say with the

Psa. cxvi. 14. Psalmist : " I will pay my vows unto the LORD."

Let us not shrink from looking at the subject, from an
individual point of view ; for with each one of us, has this
new Covenant of God been made. Either we are in covenant
with God ; or we are not. If we are, we are bound to God,
by our vows of allegiance. If our Baptismal vows do not bind
us to God, we are farther from Him than those under the Old
Covenant ; and this were a going backwards and not forwards,
which, in God's dealings with men, were an impossibility.

" Every man who keeps his Baptismal Vow, diffuses,
whether he knows it or not, a spirit of victory through all
ranks of the Christian Army."*

The subject of Vows does not stand alone, for the
kindred topic of Responsibility (which is bound up with,
and results from Vows) is brought into prominent relief.
Responsibility is the giving an answer to some superior,
or the rendering an account, concerning a trust. Christian
Baptism has been denned, as " the Sacrament of Responsi-
bility " ; and Canon Sadler has written a treatise on Baptism,
from this sole point of view.

" The distinctive character of the ethical teaching of
the Apostles, is founded throughout, on the assumption
of a distinctive responsibility, created through baptismal
grace. . . .

" In one point of view, the grace of Baptism, according
to the teaching of the Apostles, is irrevocable and eternal.

* Sermons, by Rev. N. Armstrong, Second Series, p. 73.

Vows and Responsibility. 339

It imparts a responsibility proper to it, which can never,
on our part, be altered or diminished ; and from which,
once conferred, it is thenceforward impossible for us to
escape. Once baptized with * the one Baptism/ we can
never again be as if our Baptism had not been. We are
shut up to one or other of two alternatives either that of
advancing to the ineffable glory of our inheritance, or that
of being judged as apostates, and consigned to the ' Second '
Death of the twice bora." *

The question now arises, For what are we responsible ?
In reply to this, it may be asked again. What have we
received in Holy Baptism ? In this Sacrament, we must
have received something or nothing. If nothing, for what
then, can we be held responsible ? But if we have received
something, it cannot be less, than a gift of the grace of God,
and those spiritual blessings which have been considered
in detail. If then, we have received grace, we are responsible
to God, for the same, and must give account for the grace
bestowed, and for its exercise and conservation.

Every baptized person is responsible for fulfilling his or
her vows and obligations, which have either been voluntarily
undertaken, or which exist, in the nature of things.

Bv the act of God, we are planted in His vineyard ;
therefore, fruitfulness is our duty ; but it is quite possible
to conceive of a plant, in the best soil, bearing no good fruit ;
the fault not being in the soil, nor in the husbandman, but
in the plant itself.

We are called to be " labourers together with God " ; i Cor. in. 9.
but our personality as agents, who possess will and choice,
is not ignored ; and the conjunction of our will with the
grace of God, is a necessary condition, in manifesting holiness
of life and in the ftilfilment of our vows. A halting or
undecided Will is a great evil.

* The Dtoiue Life in tlu Ckurck. "Baptism." Section III. Rev.
John MacLeod, D.D. Hett : Edinburgh, 1895.

340 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part V., Chap. XXXIV.

God's Sovereignty and Man's Responsibility, are great
fundamental truths. They rise, like two columns, into the
air ; but the arch which unites them, is above us in the
heavens, and therefore unseen, save to the eye of faith.
Phil. ii. 12, 13. st> p aul wrote to the philippians, " Work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which
worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Alas ! while we cannot create grace ; we have the fearful
power of resisting it. Whether men will acknowledge or
ignore their responsibility to God, it is the basis of a
Judgment to come ; for the very essence of responsibility
consists in our being answerable to God : hence our Judge
must, and will, inquire whether our Vows have been fulfilled.

While the first of the three Parables, in Matt, xxv.,
enforces the spiritual duty of watchfulness ; the second,
shows the responsibility of using the talents, committed to
our trust, for the honour of the Giver ; while the third,
teaches the necessity of exercising common charity to the
humblest of Christ's brethren.

St. Paul's exhortation to the early Christians, inculca-
ting holiness because of their Baptism (Rom. vi.), is founded
on the responsibility, in respect of the grace therein received.
He argues with them, as sons, and as having received many
2 Cor. vi. i. precious privileges, exhorting them therefore not to " receive
the grace of God in vain."*

The responsibilities of every member of the Body of
Christ, must vary in detail, with the gifts committed to the
use of each individual ; whether the entrusted talents be
ten, or five, or not more than one.f

* The Sacrament of Responsibility, p. 34. Canon Sadler.

f An interesting and practical book, by the late Rev. P. B. Power,
M.A., called " One Talented People," urges the duty, even if we have only
one talent, of discovering it and diligently using it to the glory of God ; and
of not burying it in a napkin. Every individual has at least one talent, and
for the use and development of this he is responsible. Jf he has been
entrusted with only one talent, he is not responsible for more than one.

Vows and Responsibility* 341

The principle is set forth in Scripture, that " unto Luke xii. 48.
whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required " ;
and in each successive Dispensation, we see an increase of
light, of knowledge, and of grace imparted.

The responsibility of man, is enforced in Holy Scripture,
from first to last : but the responsibility of the Baptized,
is greater than was that of the Jews, under the Law. Salva-
tion is of the Lord. We are " justified freely by His grace," Rom. iii. 24.
and not by the works of the law ; yet the reward will be
proportionate to our faith, diligence, and self-sacrifice,
springing from love to God.

In the Epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul speaks of a i Cor. iii. 12-15.
judgment according to works. He does not teach the
doctrine of purgatory ; but enforces the testing of every
man's work ; which is compared to a building composed of
" gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble," erected
upon a sure foundation. On fire being applied to the edifice,
the perishable materials are burnt up ; but the man
himself, being on the one true and safe Foundation, JESUS
CHRIST, shall be saved. This passage bears upon the attain-
ment of a reward, and a crown ; or of their forfeiture and
loss. That such loss is possible, is shown by the Lord's
words to the Church in Philadelphia : " Behold, I come Rev. iii. n.
quickly : hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take
thy crown" God forbid, that any selfish ambition should
stimulate us to this heavenly diligence. Though the Lord
has promised to reward us abundantly ; the greatest reward
the faithful servant craves, is His approval, expressed in
the commendation, " Well done, good and faithful servant." Matt - xxv - 2 3-

To each one of us is said : " Son, go work to-day in my
vineyard " ; and we should go willingly, because of our vows,
and from the pure love of those who have been forgiven
much in Jesus Christ our Lord.

O Lord fulfil our vows in us, to thine honour and to our
eternal salvation !

34 2 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part V., Chap. XXXV.

CHAPTER XXXV.

EDUCATION, IN ITS RELATION TO CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

ANALYSIS : Difference between Education and Instruction. Education
is the training and development of the faculties of the learner.
Our Lord's method of teaching : five examples.

To instruct the mind, while ignoring the spirit, is a
practical error. The gifts bestowed in Baptism must be educed.
A letter on the Christian education of children.

A PRACTICAL point, in connection with Christian
Baptism, is that of Education. It is clear that the views
we hold concerning Christian Baptism, must affect the
education of our children. On this subject, there are two
different theories for it would be impossible to call both
of them principles.

(1) Under the first theory, it is assumed that God has
done little or nothing for us, in our Baptism ; which is, there-
fore, regarded almost as an empty form ; as admitting only
to the outward fellowship of the Church, and conveying
no Sacramental grace. Under this hypothesis, Baptism
could hardly make us partakers of those great truths and
privileges which have been the subject of our consideration.

(2) The other theory or, rather, principle is that God
has really done something for us, in our Baptism, that it is a
great spiritual reality, full of grace, bringing us into contact
with important truths ; in short, it is not stating the point
too strongly to affirm, that in Baptism, God has done for
us all that He can do, and that there is nothing more left
for Him to do on our behalf (as we have before reverently
stated, p. 314). God condescends to ask us sinners, who should
be the suppliants of His mercy, to accept what He has done ;
He asks for our intelligent, co-operative, receptive faith, that
we may abide in the grace given, even unto eternal life.

in its Relation to Christian Baptism* 343

It is important to have a correct idea of the meaning of
Education. The word education comes from the Latin
educere, which is to lead out of, to draw out from ; and it differs
from instruction, which is rather the mere impartation of
knowledge. Education is not the cramming a young mind
with facts, figures, or information, on any or every con-
ceivable topic ; but it is the drawing out the mental and
spiritual faculties of the individual ; that he may be able to
use his own powers, and grasp, retain, and assimilate the
knowledge with which he is brought into contact. A person
might be well instructed, so far as headlore is concerned, and
vet be unpractical, unwise, and tactless in his intercourse
with his fellow-men. But ' Education." properly so-called,
involves a practical element, which is brought out in our
contact with men and things : and this necessitates irisdom,
which is denned as the right use of knowledge, and is distinct
from mere knowledge, as an abstraction.

True education starts on the principle of training : viz.,
that of telling the pupil little or nothing, by way of instruc-
tion; but of eliciting from the pupil, by scientific questions and
disguised art, the knowledge which it is intended to convey.

In this way. the mind of the ' Catechumen ' is enlarged
and exercised ; his powers are developed : his interest is
excited ; and he feels, to a certain extent, that he is indebted
to himself for the lesson which he has learned. Nevertheless,
instruction should not be neglected, but should go hand in
hand with education.

This method of teaching (sometimes called the Socratic
method) is the most efficacious. It is simple, yet profound ;
it involves trouble and preparation on the part of the
teacher, but it ensures a fuller apprehension by the learner
or recipient. It is different from the old, humdrum way, of
cramming facts into an unintelligent brain ; which did not
arouse the interest, sympathy and faculties of the pupil, nor
persuade him to co-operate with his teacher.

344

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXV.

Luke xx. 20-26.
I Tim. iii. 16.

This improved system was carried out in the Normal
Training College, at Glasgow ; and a book was written by
Dr. David Stow, explaining the principles and the practice
of what was called the Training System.*

This principle of educating persons, and eliciting the
information or answers from themselves, was our Lord's
method of teaching : and could we have a more perfect
example, than that of Him who "spake as never man spake,"
who was, in very truth, God " manifest in the flesh " ?

When the Herodians sought to entrap our Lord into a
Luke xx. 22-25. political indiscretion, they asked Him, " Is it lawful for us
to give tribute to Caesar, or no ? " The object of the subtle
question being, that if He said "Yes," He would lose favour
with the Jews ; and if He said " No," He would be reported
to the Romans, as a disloyal seditionist. The Lord replied,
" Shew me a penny " : and on their shewing Him one,
He asked, " Whose is this image and superscription ? "
(i.e., the effigy and the inscription surrounding it). When
they replied " Caesar's," the Lord pointed the moral ;
" Render therefore unto Caesar the things that be Caesar's,
and unto God the things that be God's."

Again, while the Lord was sitting at meat in the house
of one of the Pharisees, a woman came and washed the
Lord's feet with her tears, which gave offence to the host ;
whereupon, the Lord said to him, " Simon, I have somewhat
to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was
a certain creditor which had two debtors : the one owed five
hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had
nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me,
therefore, which of them will love him most ? Simon
answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave
most ? " And the Lord replied, " Thou hast rightly judged."

* These principles have been incorporated in the systems adopted
by the chief Educational Establishments and Training Colleges of the
present day.

Luke vii. 36-50.

Education, in its Relation to Christian Baptism. 345

Simon could hardly have come to any other conclusion ;
which the Lord then applied to the existing circumstances
of the feast, at which He was a guest, and had been treated
somewhat discourteously by His host.

On another occasion, a question was asked of the Lord,
" And who is my neighbour ? " To this, the Lord replied Luke *. 29-37.
by the beautiful parable of the Good Samaritan, and related
the conduct of the Priest and the Levite, who, neglectful of
the wounded man, passed by on the other side ; while the
Samaritan stopped and ministered to the sufferer, at some
personal inconvenience and expense. The Lord then
clinched the teaching, that He would convey by this parable,
with the question to His interrogator, " Which now of these
three, thinkest th&u, was neighbour unto him that fell among
the thieves ? " And the man was constrained to answer,
" He that shewed mercy on him." The right answer was
thus extorted from the questioner's conscience.

Another instance of our Lord's method of training
occurred when Peter was asked by the Jews, if his Master
did not pay tribute (viz., the half shekel for the maintenance
of the Temple), and he hastily replied to his questioners,
*" Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus M^ 1 - *vii- 25, 26.
prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon ? Of
whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute ? of
their own children, or of strangers ? Peter saith unto him,
Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children
free."

A third similar parable of our Lord, is as follows : ' * A Matt - * 28-31-
certain man had two sons ; and he came to the first, and
said, Son, go work to-day in my vineyard. He answered,
and said, I will not : but afterward he repented, and went.
And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he
answered and said, I go, sir : and went not. Whether of
them twain did the will of his father ? They say unto him,
The first." The Lord then added the moral to His parable.

34 6 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part V., Chap. XXXV.

In these five instances, the Lord made the disputants
answer the question with which He concluded His teaching
or parable ; and the appropriate answer was so self-evident,
that His hearers could not refuse to give it, whether they
wished to do so, or not.

There are other examples of the same method of teaching,
by our Lord, although, perhaps, less pronounced.

Matt. ix. 15. Thus, the Lord asked the questions, " Can the children of

the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with
Matt. x. 29, 31. them ? " Again : " Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?
and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your
Father . . . Fear ye not, therefore, ye are of more value
than many sparrows."

Christ's testimony concerning John, supplies another

Matt. xi. 7-9. illustration of this method of training. " What went ye

out into the wilderness to see ? A reed shaken with the

wind ? But what went ye out for to see ? A man clothed

in soft raiment ? But what went ye out for to

see ? A prophet ? Yea, I say unto you, and more than

Matt. xii. 3, 4. a prophet." Again, "Have ye not read what David did,

when he was an hungred, and they that were with him ;

how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shew-

bread, which was not lawful for him to eat . . . but only

Matt, xii 26. for the priests ? " " If Satan cast out Satan . . . how

Matt. xii. 48, 49. shall then his kingdom stand ? " Again ; " Who is my

mother ? and who are my brethren ? And he stretched forth

his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother

and my brethren ! "

One more example may be adduced in our Lord's teaching

Matt. xvi. 9, 10. to His disciples : " Do ye not yet understand, neither

remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many

baskets ye took up ? Neither the seven loaves of the four

thousand, and how many baskets ye took up ? "

Secular education is one of the chief subjects of contro-
versy in the present day. Men are realizing that all the

Education, in its Relation to Christian Baptism, 347

members of the State ought to be educated ; and, in various
ways, they are trying to meet the difficulties of educating
the masses ; for it is admitted that ignorance together with
poverty, breed crime and misery. The law of England now
insists on compulsory education for every child between
the ages of five and thirteen for girls, and between five and
fourteen for boys.

This necessity for education, is enforced by the great
advances which have been made in scientific invention, and
in physical and natural knowledge of all kinds, when
cheap literature brings down to the cottage door what were
once the secrets of an initiated few. We have come to
" the time of the end " : when " many shall run to and fro, Dan. xii. 4 .
and knowledge shall be increased."

Man is composed of body, soul, and spirit ; and not one
of these should be ignored in an education which regards
the whole man. But the most important of these con-
stituent parts of the man is the spirit, and the education
of the spirit (in preparation for God's grand purpose, the
Kingdom of God) is the chief topic of the Holy Scriptures.

The words that God spake of old, through the prophet,
Isaiah, are still true : " My thoughts are not your thoughts, isa. iv. 8.
neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD"; and,
conversely, man's thoughts are not those of God. One
of the great controversies in educational questions of the
day, is what is termed the religious difficulty ; and this is
the result of the sin arising from the broken unity of the
Church from the schisms and heresies which afflict us and
from the attempts of those who would eliminate all doctrinal
teaching, and even the reading of Holy Scripture, from the
daily course of instruction, in the school. This has been a
matter of fierce debate ; and divides the people into two
antagonistic camps. It is to be feared that men are making
shipwreck of their faith and hope, in choosing their own ways,
in neglecting the ways of God, in cultivating the intellect

34^ Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXX V.

while ignoring the spirit ; in furnishing the head, while neglect-
ing the purification of the heart. Alas ! when too late, they
will see that they have only opened the floodgates of the
unbridled passions of men, who are full of secular know-
ledge, selfishness, ambition, and hatred of God. These evils
will culminate in the devastating storms and revolutions
under Antichrist, who shall crush men under his iron heel,
with a cruelty, never known before. Thus, ungodly men
will reap what they have sown.

The child is brought into the Church of God by Baptism ;
hence, how great a part must that Holy Ordinance play, in
the education of children ; and its recognition must form an
important element in any true system of education, that
shall be according to the mind of God. If the child has been
made a child of God by adoption and grace ; this fact must
be admitted, and must influence our method of education,
so that the grace given may be recognized and " stirred up."
If the privileges, already recorded (in Part IV.), have been
bestowed upon the child, by the act of God in Baptism, they
must be taken into consideration in the subsequent training.
Our children should be brought up as Christian children,
and not as heathen ; for the fact of their being in covenant
with God, and having a relationship to Him, places them
on a high platform of peculiar responsibility.

Indeed, all these privileges should form one grand
subject of instruction, that the child may know what God
has done for him ; so that his heart may be melted both to
feel and to requite the love of God. These truths or facts
should be clearly instilled into the child, for him to believe,
grasp, and to absorb ; for it is only in acknowledging this
act and grace of God, that we have some foundation
to work upon in the child, a spiritual life to educe, and a
sense of responsibility, to which we can appeal. When St.
Paul encourages the Roman and Colossian converts to
holiness, on what does he base his exhortation ? Not on

Education, in its Relation to Christian Baptism. 349

what they are in themselves, but on their standing through
Baptism, on the grace of God in them, and on their concurrent
privileges and responsibilities.

" Christian nurture, then, concerning which the Apostle
speaks, is not the mere instructing of children about religious,
truths and duties, or the training of the Baptized with the
expectation that as the fruit of it they will afterwards be
gathered into Christ's flock ; but it is the rearing of those
who are already Christ's to the end that they may, grow
into Him, be filled with His fulness, walk in His ways and
ever show forth the life of Jesus that is in them. In the
one case, we should be seeking to prepare the ground for
the future reception of the seed, should it please God to sow
it ; but in the other, we seek to make the seed already
planted, germinate and bring forth fruit unto perfection.
To train up children in the nurture of the Lord supposes
that the Lord has already made them His by some solemn
and public transaction, known and real, which we can rest
upon as the basis of our labours." *

Baptismal grace is Christ's life in us ; and it is the seed
of eternal life, sown in our hearts. Although the seed often
does not appear to germinate, much less to fructify ; still we
cannot say if it be dead ; only God knows whether this is the
case, or not. We must labour on in patience and faith.
When the primeval woods in Canada, are cleared, raspberries
spring up and fructify. As an illustration of the truth
which we are considering, we can cite an instance of a large
outhouse, which stood for more than twenty years, in a
garden in London ; and on its removal, a forest of flowers
sprang up on its site, in the following spring. The seeds
were there before ; but showed no signs of vitality, till the
conditions were favourable. Thus is it often with the seed
of grace in the hearts of our children. While parents must sow

* Christian Nurture, page 4. Rev. W. W. Andrews.

35 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part V., Chap. XXXV.

in tears, and labour in faith and patience, they should
beseech God to grant the increase, that they may reap in joy.

" Christian training, then, starts from the fact of an
operation already done by God, wherein the child brought
in faith to His Sanctuary is by Him adopted, and made
partaker of the life of His Son. It is the training of those
who are taken out of the world, and placed in the Church ;
and its aim is to make them fruitful members of that holy
company. It builds on the foundation which God has laid.
It seeks to unfold that which He has given, and to call out
into active exercise all the virtues and graces which should
adorn every member of the Body of Christ." *

We cannot better complete this section, than by quoting
a letter, written about the year 1840, by a sainted lady. It
does not appear in her published correspondence ; but its
beauty and appropriateness are its best vindication.

MY DEAR FRIEND, The subject proposed in your last letter, is
full of interest to me, and I should sooner have replied had not your
words, " I wish we were nearer that I might have the benefit of
your counsel, in bringing up my little girl," awakened my conscious-
ness of needing help rather than in being able to give it, and had not
a long list of passages, teaching us to cast the beam first out of our
own eye, that we may see clearly to pull the mote out of our neigh-
bour's eye, seemed to close my lips except to God. . . .

It is wise, before we undertake a work, to enquire what it is we
have to do ? . . We are bringing up our children for God ; but I fear
comparatively few apprehend the purpose of God concerning their
children, or the provision made by Him for the accomplishment of
this purpose. I believe that baptism is the basis of Christian educa-
tion, and that the first step in our progress is to understand what
God does in that holy act, which is so lightly thought of, and for
which our gracious Father receives so little of the glory that is due.
Is it not, to our children, the seal of the everlasting covenant (in
which God promises to be our God), the inestimable blessings and
privileges of which, as detailed in the various parts of Scripture,
you so well know.

Is it not the cutting off of the soul of the child from the corrupt
.stock of the first Adam, and grafting it into the holy stock of the

* Christian Nurture, page 6. Rev. W. W. Andrews.

Education, in its Relation to Christian Baptism* 351

oecond Adam, the Lord from heaven ? Is it not the death of the
.old nature, the impartation of the new nature ?

Is it not the pew bjrth from God ? under any of the varied forms
in which the work is. represented, in Rom. vL, &c. What have we
then before us, ia f eceiving our little ones from the baptismal water,
.and what is our position towards them ? We have an infant, who is
made by ^adoption the child of God ; we have a being who has put on
rChrist, and is made one with Him, in whom He dwells, by the Holy
Spirit ; this holy plant of divine grace, is that which is committed
-to our care, to shelter and to cherish, till there shall be nothing left
-to hurt or to destroy in all God's holy mountain.

It seems to me, that here so many parents fail ; they are deeply
, concerned for their children's salvation ; they are diligent in using
-the means of grace ; but their object is to have that imparted, which
is already in the heart, and might have been developed, if there had
been faith in its existence, The forms of error, arising from this
.cause, are too fearfully multiplied to be stated ; but many will readily
.occur to yourself. I have little doubt that it is the origin of that
.soul-bewildering instruction, that leaves the creature to feel that it
must become something good, in order to obtain all the blessings
promised by God ; instead of understanding that God has loved us,
.and freely given us His grace not the mere proclamation of it by
preaching, but the possession of it by His Sacrament; and therefore
having received the Spirit, we are responsible for bringing forth the
-fruits of the Spirit.

Having received Jesus the Lord, our place is to see that they
walk in Him, being made partakers of His grace ; we are to see that
-they grow in grace, in the knowledge of God the Father and of Jesus
.Christ the Lord, and that knowledge is chiefly to be gained from us.
Parents are the mirrors in which the image of God is to be seen. It
is in parents, that God comes within reach of little children, and
hence, the solemn responsible position ! Witnesses for God ! A
faithful witness delivereth souls ; there must be unwavering truth
in the parent, if faith is to be maintained in the child. There must be
love strong, enduring, self-sacrificing, holy love if confidence and
love are to be cherished in the child. There must be faithfulness
to God, in holding authority for Hun, if reverence of authority is to
be maintained in the child. The child must be taught the things
that are given to it of God, in order that it may know the real nature of
.sin i.e., resisting the Spirit of God. Ah ! I believe by far our greatest
difficulty is with ourselves; we do not rule ourselves, and how can
we expect to rule another ? The inscription of God's image in our-
selves is so marred, that we cannot impress its lines distinctly on
another. . .

352 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXV.

If we have to do with an immortal, spiritual being ; who but the
Spirit of God within us can educate that being for glory, and carry
into effect the will of the Father towards the child ? This calls for
self-renunciation, that we may be as transparencies, through which
the sunshine of divine light and love may reach and cherish the
babe, to whom He will reveal the mysteries of His grace, and prepare
for sustaining the eternal weight of glory. . . Be what your children
ought to be. Do what they ought to do. Avoid what they ought
to avoid. Are any among them defective, examine yourself. Begin
by improving yourself, and then seek to improve your children ;
think that those around you, are only the reflection of yourself ; the
more obedient you are to God, the more obedient will your children
be to you.

Thus, she " being dead, yet speaketh " ; and may the words

bless the grandchildren of her to whom this letter was

addressed, who also has been long taken to her rest ! The

Prov. xxii. 6. promise is irrevocable : " Train up a child in the way he

should go : and when he is old, he will not depart from it " !

NOTE. In "The Book of Common Order" (or John Knox's Liturgy),
which embodied the worship of the Church of Scotland from A.D. 1564 to-
1645, the Baptismal Office begins with a question, which implies that the
specific end of the Sacrament, is not that of admission merely into the
Church visible, but into the mystical body of Jesus Christ :

" Do ye here present this child to be baptized, earnestly desiring
that he may be engrafted into the mystical body of Jesus Christ?"
The Address which follows this question affirms the doctrine of Baptism,
and then contains a special exhortation to the parents in the following
words :

" Moreover, ye that be fathers and mothers may take hereby most
singular comfort to see your children thus received into the bosom of
Christ's congregation, whereby ye are daily admonished, that ye nourish
and bring up the children of God's favour and mercy, over whom His
Fatherly Providence watcheth continually. Which thing, as it ought
greatly to rejoice you, knowing that nothing can come unto them without
His good pleasure (Matt. x. ; Luke xii.), so ought it to make you
diligent and careful to nurture and instruct them in the true know-
ledge and fear of God (Eph. vi.), wherein if ye be negligent, ye do not
only injury to your own children, hiding from them the goodwill and
pleasure of Almighty God their Father, but also heap damnation
upon yourselves, in suffering His children, bought with the blood
of His dear Son, so traitorously, for lack of knowledge, to turn back
from Him. Therefore it is your duty, with all diligence to provide
that your children, in time convenient, be instructed in all doctrine
necessary for a true Christian." (The italics are in the original.)

The Standing of the Baptized. 353

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE STANDING OF THE BAPTIZED, AS SEPARATED TO GOD
AND "CALLED SAINTS."

ANALYSIS : Separation is the radical idea of Holiness ; exemplified in
Persons and Places, under the Mosaic Law.

Baptism is God's line of demarcation between the Church
and the World.

The Baptized are reckoned as ' Holy,' even if, like Israel
of old, the majority are lapsing from their standing.

The Apostles always address them as ' Saints.'

On Sin after Baptism.

THE position which God has already given to the Baptized,
is that of saints, and partakers of a heavenly calling. Their
standing is that of a separated people, called to live to the
glory of God, and for the blessing of others. Baptism is an
act of God, in the separation of an election ; and is the token
of His new Covenant ; even as Circumcision was the token
of His Covenant with the Israelites, and of their separation
from the surrounding nations.

Thus, the Baptized have not only been taken into
covenant with God ; but they have also been separated
from the world, and set apart to God, by His own act, and
for His service and glory. This truth of separation is
worthy of meditation ; for it embraces the radical idea of
holiness,* which involves separation from sin ; and separation
to God, the fountain of moral purity and excellence. It
was by this process of separation, that God gave a
practical training-lesson in holiness, to His servants of old.
They were to learn the difference between the holy and
profane, between the clean and unclean. Noah was
taught the same principle in the division of the beasts,
into clean and unclean, before they entered the Ark ; and

* The root of the Hebrew word for holy means separated.

354 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap.XXXVl.

some distinction, of this sort, may have existed in earlier
times. In the case of Israel, whom the Lord had delivered
from the impure familiarities of Egyptian idolatry, this
process of separation conies into prominent relief. It is-
seen first in the case of the children of Israel, personally..
All nations belong to God ; nevertheless, out of these, He
chose and separated one family to Himself. This is the first
Amos Hi. 2. circle, within the outer circle. " You only," God said, " have
I known of all the families of the earth." Moses, in his con-
cluding exhortations, summing up what the Lord had done'
Deut. xiv. 2. for Israel, spoke thus : " The LORD hath chosen thee to be a.
peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are
upon the earth." Again, Moses entreated the LORD in
Ex. xxxiii. 16. these words : " Wherein shall it be known here, that I and
thy people have found grace in thy sight ? Is it not in that
thou goest with us ? so shall we be separated, I and thy people,
from all the people that are upon the face of the earth."
Shortly after they had left Egypt, the LORD said to them,.
Ex. xix. 5, 6. " If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant,
then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people."
God had also given them a sign in their flesh even the
separating mark of Circumcision. In token of their separa-
Num. xv. 38-40. tion, God enjoined the Israelites to wear " fringes in the
borders of their garments " with " a ribband of blue," to-
remind them of all the commandments of the LORD.*

Moreover, of this twelve-fold tribal nation (which they

Num. xvi. 9. had now become), the LORD selected one tribe, viz., the

tribe of Levi, for the service of the Sanctuary. Thus

the Levites formed a second inner circle. Of this tribe,

the Lord chose one family, the family of Aaron, who-

Num. xviii. 7. were invested with the " priestly office," to which the

rest of the Levites were not admitted ; and this priestly

family were permitted to approach unto God, in a still nearer

Matt. ix. 20 ; * This was the "hem" of our Lord's garment, which the woman, in,

xiv. 36. the Gospel, touched in faith, and was made "perfectly whole."

The Standing of the Baptized, 355

circle. Not only did they minister in the court, with the
Levites ; but they had access to the Holy Place, for pur-
poses of worship ; a privilege not conceded to the Levites.
Again, of this family of priests, God separated the hereditary
Jiead, whom He designated ' the High Priest ' ; and to him,
as representing the whole nation, permission was granted
to approach unto the LORD, in the ''Holiest of all," but with
limitations ; for even this separated man might enter into
the inner shrine only once a year. Having purified himself,
by washing in water, he put on special, plain, linen garments ;
and then, under the cloud of incense, he entered the shrine
of the Tabernacle, but " not without blood." This cleansing, Heb. ix. 7.
separating process, with reference to their High Priest,
if apprehended in its four-fold action, must have conveyed,
to any devout Jew, the idea of the superlative holiness of
God, who permitted only chosen servants, under special
restrictions, to draw near to His Presence.

This train of thought, regarding persons, may be pursued
with reference to places. We might instance the bounds, EX. xix. 12.
set by Divine command, about Mount Sinai, at the giving Heb - xii - l8 -
of the Law ; the separation of the camp of Israel ; the Court
of the Tabernacle ; and, at a later period, the sacred area,
whereon the Temple was erected. " The earth is the LORD'S," Ex. ix. 29.
and He claims it, saying, " all the earth is mine." But
from it, He chose an inheritance for His people the land
of Canaan, which is once called in Scripture, " the holy Zech. ii. 12.
land." Out of its twelve provinces, He chose those of
Judah and Benjamin ; and from the cities of Benjamin He cf. Josh, xviii. 16.
chose JERUSALEM, which was jointly occupied by Judah and J ud g es ' 8 - 2I -
Benjamin. Of the hills of Jerusalem, He chose one, Zion
(' heap of stones ') ; and out of the eminences of Zion
or Moriah (for some consider them identical),* He set apart
the Temple area for Himself the same area as that now
known as the " Haram Esh-Sherif," which means, " the

* See Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. I., Part II., p. 1651.

356

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part v., Chap. XXXVI.

Kings i*. 3.
Matt. iv. 5.

Rev. xi. a.

Eeek. xxii. pas-
sim ; xxiv, 6-
14.

Matt, xxvii. 53.

Psa. Ida. 10.

noble enclosure." From the midst of this area, He separated
the enclosed space of the building, which consisted first
of the porch, then of the house : but in the building itself,
there was a yet further separation ; for an inner space was
assigned to the Most Holy Place. Again, this inner shrine
contained the most holy piece of furniture the Ark with
its golden lid or Mercy Seat, covered by the Cherubim.

Here we see the same principle applied to places, as to
persons ; and the practical lesson is the same, viz., that
separation of places symbolized the spiritual truth of holi-
ness. Further, the two gradations of places and persons
were joined together, on one special occasion, when on the day
of Atonement, under many restrictions, the High Priest (the
separated man) went into the ' Holy of Holies ' (the separated
place), and came near to JEHOVAH, the Living God of Israel,
with incense and with sacrificial blood.

Although Jerusalem was so favoured, in being the site
of the Temple of the living God, and was regarded by the
Jewish nation, as " the holy city" ; yet what was its actual
condition ? No language is too strong to describe the
wickedness of the " bloody city." The description of it, as
recorded by the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah,
Amos, and Malachi, is appalling. Its spiritual condition
must also have been terrible, when the Jews crucified the
Lord of glory ; yet, even then, in St. Matthew's Gospel, it is
designated " the holy city." But what is the explanation
of the expression ? It is not meant to assert that Jerusalem
was actually a holy city ; or acceptable to God (for her
destruction had been already foretold and was imminent) ;
but that, by an act of God, she had been separated to Him,
and therefore, it was her calling to be holy ; for which
status she was held responsible. The standing once given by
God to His Covenant people, had not been abrogated.

The forbearance and longsuffering of God are wonderful ;
His patience and mercy reach unto the heavens ; for

The Standing of the Baptized. 357

notwithstanding the provocations of Israel, He was slow to

cast off His people. " For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Jer. u. 5.

Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts ; though their land

was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel." This

was the comforting assurance of Jeremiah (595 B.C.). Even

in the times of the captivity, Haggai testifies, to the same

effect. " According to the word that I covenanted with you Hag. ii. 5.

when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among

you : fear ye not."

So, also, in the Book of Daniel, the Jews are called " the Dan. viii. 24.
holy people " ; even when, for their sins, they were suffering
under God's anger, in their dispersion and captivity. These
expressions, " the holy city " and " the holy people," being
Scriptural (otherwise we should never, of ourselves, have
dared to apply these terms to the examples just quoted),
are full of comfort, inasmuch as they turn our thoughts away
from our actual condition and attainments, to God's sovereign
and gracious acts towards us. These are our confidence ;
and our hope is that, if we walk by faith, God, in His own
way, will secure the desired result ; namely, that we
ourselves, shall ultimately be made holy.

We read, in the Sacred Scriptures, that when anything
was separated to God, it could not be put to profane uses :
" No devoted thing," devoted unto the LORD, could be Lev. .\x\-ii. 28.
revoked, sold, or redeemed : " every devoted thing is
most holy unto the LORD." This fact is illustrated in the
rebellion of Korah and his company. Their fifty censers, Num. xvi. 36-40.
having been offered to the Lord, became hallowed, and
could not be put to profane uses. They were therefore
beaten into brazen coverings, for the Altar of Burnt Offering,
and were designed to remain as memorials, "that no stranger, Verse 40.
who was not of the seed of Aaron, should come near to offer
incense unto the Lord." The holy, priestly garments, and Ex. xxviii.
those used on the day of Atonement, were never worn Lev - xvi - *
except for ministering before the LORD ; and the holy

358 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part v., Chap. XXXVI.

vessels, which belonged to the Temple, were handled only
by the priests. These vessels, which were taken to Babylon
Dan. v. c-r. ty Nebuchadnezzar, were desecrated by Belshazzar's profane
toasts, at an idolatrous revel, which led to his doom being
instantly written upon the wall.

Heb. ix. 4. Even a stick, such as Moses' rod, or "Aaron's rod

that budded," may be holy : therefore, we are right in
speaking, in the Church, of " the holy bread the holy cup,"
which have been blessed, in the name of God ; and set apart
for the service of the Church.

Some such analogy, as that which we have considered,
exists, likewise, in the Christian Dispensation, especially as
regards persons.

Baptism is God's line of demarcation between the Church
and the world ; and should embody all the concurrent
spiritual realities.

The Baptized, having thus been separated to God, by

this Sacrament, ought to be holy ; and in one sense, they are

holy ; but if they are not holy in deed and in truth, then they

2 Pet. ii. 22. are like the sow that was washed, but which returned " to

her wallowing in the mire."

Surely those who are separated to a Holy God, must be

regarded as holy. There is none holy but God. He is the

Fountain of all holiness, and the great anthem of heaven is,

P R a evv' 3- " Thou art holy." He is separated from all evil, " A God of

Rev. xv. 4. truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." Such

Deut. xxxii. 4 . would He have His children to be ; especially those separated

by Him in His own ordinance, and who, begotten of Him by

water and the word, are brought into the fellowship of His

Son, and made partakers of His Holy Spirit. To all such,

i Pet. i. 15, 16. He says, " Be ye holy; for I am holy." All true spiritual

and non-artificial holiness must come from God, and cannot

be effected by any act on our part, in the first instance.

Herein consists the spiritual standing of the Baptized :
they have been brought near to God, in order that they may

The Standing of the Baptized. 359

be holy ; that they may observe the Lord's statutes, and Psa. cv; 45.
keep His laws.

There is one striking point, in all the Epistles ; viz.,
the way in which the Apostles addressed the Churches and
their members, in the first days of Christianity. It was
not that the Churches, or individual members thereof, were
perfect ; but the key-note, throughout, is the position in
which they had been placed, by the grace and by the acts
of God.

"The Apostolic argument is never 'You are living
in sin, and therefore your Baptism meant nothing as an
operation of grace ' ; but, on the contrary, it is always this,
' In Holy Baptism you have passed under an operation of
God ; and your consent, thereafter, to even one wilful sin,
is a monstrous contradiction of the grace in which you
stand.'

" No point admits of more varied and vivid illustration,
from all the writings of the Apostles, than this ; and there
is no point more conclusive, as to the Apostolic doctrine
of Baptism.''*

Thus, St. Paul addresses the Roman converts as " beloved Rom. i. 7.
of God, called to be saints," or (as in the Greek] " called
saints " ; and truly, they were such, in contrast to the
heathen, whose abominations the Apostle recounts in the
same chapter. This view is more marked, in the case of the
Corinthians ; to whom St. Paul writes, as "to them that i cor. i. 2.
are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints " ; yet he
rebukes them for many grievous sins ; for their schisms
and litigious spirit ; for impurity ; for disorder at the Holy
Supper ; for unsoundness in doctrine, and for unbelief in
the resurrection of the dead ; and yet, he never loses sight
of their standing, as " in Christ Jesus," as " God's husbandry," i Cor. i. 30.

i Cor. iii. 9.

* The Divine Life in the Church. Baptism. Section III., p. 93. Rev.
J. MacLeod, D.D. See The Sacrament of Responsibility and The Second Adam
and the New Birth, Chap. VI. Canon Sadler.

360 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V. , Chap. XXXVI.

i Cor.jii._i6 : as " the temple of God," as " the body of Christ, and members

' ' Cor -. xi L?7- in particular." After telling them that "the unrighteous

I Cor. vi. 9-1 1.

shall not inherit the kingdom of God," and after detailing
ten wicked characteristics, he continues thus : " And
such were some of you : but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus, and by the spirit of our God."

T~ r Eph. i. i. St. Paul writes " to the saints which are at Ephesus,"

!E P h. ii. 19. and tells them that they are " fellow citizens with the saints ";
Eph. iii. 18. and he prays that they " may be able to comprehend with

all saints " the immeasurable love of Christ.

Phil. i. i. To the Philippians, he writes, " to all the saints in Christ

Col. i. 2. Jesus which are at Philippi " ; and to the Colossians, " To
the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at
Colosse."

St. Peter uses an expression of the same character,

1 Peter i. 2. addressing his readers, as " Elect according to the fore-

knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the

2 Peter i. 2. Spirit " ; and again, as those " who have obtained like

precious faith with us."

i John iii. 2. St. John also writes to them as " beloved," as being

i John v. 4, 19. " born of God," and as being " of God."

Among people in general, the modern idea obtains that
there are no saints on earth now ; that they belonged to past
ages, as much as the fossils in the earth's strata. We are
all ready to depreciate even the most saintly characters,
when we come in contact with their weaknesses and im-
perfections ; and striking a general average, we see the
characteristic sins of the Corinthians among ourselves ; yet
the same standing has been given to us, as to them. We
are " called to be saints " : and if we are not saints, if we
are not holy, it is to our shame and to our loss. It may
be, that this repudiation of being " saints," is fostered by
the ideas we have received from the canonization, by the
Roman Catholics, of certain Saints in the Middle Ages; such

The Standing of the Baptized* 361

as Francis of Assisi and others, who really laboured to acquire

a sanctity of a most marvellous character ; nevertheless,

we, in our place and measure, should act up to our calling

to be holy ; for without holiness " no man shah 1 see the Heb - xi- 14.

Lord." Except we be pure in heart, and holy in thought,

will, and conduct, \ve can have no fellowship w r ith the Lord ;

for " If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk r J ohn ' 6 -

in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." If we are not holy,

as He is, how could we feel at home, in His presence and

kingdom ? We all have our shortcomings ; nay, more

our faults and sins. Nevertheless, God has given us the position

of sons. The Prodigal was an outcast, by his own act ;

and a selfish, rebellious and profligate man ; but still, he was

a son, though an apostate one for the time being. The

same is true of us, in our standing as sons. Sonship is a

reality, even if it be outraged by our manner of life.

It is a stock argument among Evangelicals, to point to
an evil-doer and ask, How can you call that man a son
of God ? Perhaps the best reply is to cite the parable
of the Prodigal Son, which would have no point at all, if
wickedness destroyed sonship. In this parable, the Lord
teaches us, that it is a marvellous and divine work of God,
to reclaim moral beings from sin ; none could effect this but.
God ; and even He effected it, only by the sacrifice and
death of His well-beloved Son.

Might not Apostles put the same question now to the
Baptized, that St. Paul addressed to the Corinthians,
and say " Know ye not ? " know ye not your high and
heavenly calling, and that ye are called to be saints, saints
of the most holy God ? But do we know and believe this ?
Alas ! the question is most urgent, in these days, when
spiritual ignorance is in inverse proportion to secular
knowledge.

Earnestly do we need to pray that the Spirit of God
may enlighten the minds of His children the members of

362 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXVI.

Christ before darkness settles on them ; that they may
know their responsibility, not only for more grace given,
but also for more grace ignored and neglected, than in any
previous dispensation. How many of us have forgotten
that we have been separated to God, in the Sacrament of
Baptism ! Let us seek for the real circumcision of the heart,
the true Baptism of the spirit ; that we may not be Christians
outwardly and in name only, but inwardly and that all
God's gifts may be effectual, to our eternal salvation.

In conclusion, we may briefly allude to Sin after Baptism.

This is a wide subject, and one which agitated the early
Church, to a great extent. SIN, under all forms and con-
ditions, is a terrible and deadly evil ; but any recurrence
into actual or gross sin, after being washed in the laver
of Baptism, was looked upon by the early Church with horror;
and controversies were aroused, as to whether such sin
could be forgiven, and the penitents readmitted to Holy
Communion.

If baptized persons lapse into actual and gross sin, the
-absolution pronounced in the Church, after the general
Confession, may not suffice to meet their need ; and they
may require a special Service, to convey absolution for their
cleansing and restoration. To those, who think it is enough
simply to pray to God, for forgiveness of sin, and who are
inclined to ask, ' What are the benefits of absolution ? ' it may
be replied : They are three-fold : " First pardon, through
the blood of Christ, of the sins confessed ; secondly, deliver-
ance through the Holy Ghost, from the power of evil, under
the dominion of which the penitent had fallen ; thirdly, a
restoration to the state of grace in Christ, of those, who
through wilful and deliberate sin, had fallen therefrom."

To be kept from sin, must ever be our constant prayer ;

and, at the same time, we should daily watch against the

temptations thereto. Sin, or that which is evil, is the

Tsa. xcvii. 10. great thing that we are told in Scripture to " hate " and

The Standing of the Baptized.

363

-to " abhor." " I fear nothing but sin," said a departed saint,
Avho now awaits the First Resurrection.

Could any subject be more painful to dwell upon, than
that anyone, who has been baptized into Jesus Christ,
"' that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own
blood," should surfer these holy, shining garments to be
" denied," or " spotted by the flesh " ! What fear and
anguish lie hidden in such a dread experience !

The solemn appreciation that the early Church had of
this subject, testified to the responsible position, imparted
through Baptism, and to the consequences of sin. Far
deeper and more comprehensive views of the nature of sin,
Avere entertained then, than in these latitudinarian days.

If the sacrifice of Christ, on the Cross, was absolutely
necessary to take away sin, and if this be the key-note
of Baptism, what shall be said of wilful sin, after Baptism ?
Do not those, guilty of such sin, " crucify to themselves
the Son of God afresh " ? Yea ; and do not the sins of
the Baptized " put him to an open shame " ?

It is a matter for devout thankfulness that God's promise,
"' My spirit remaineth among you," is still true of Christen-
dom ; but it will be a fearful day when the Spirit of God
no longer strives with man, and when the Holy Ghost is
Avithdrawn from apostate Christendom.

We have had white shining garments given to us, and we
have, as it were, to travel through a labyrinth of trees,
covered with pitch. Now, care and circumspection are
required, that our garments may remain white and undefiled
by the surrounding pitch. Thus, should we pass through
this world, maintaining our baptismal innocency, and
keeping our garments unspotted by the flesh. Thank God !
*' Our Saviour Jesus Christ . . . gave himself for us, that
he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." May His
purpose be accomplished in each one of us ! Amen.

Amos v. 15.
Rom. xii. 9.

Rev. i. 5.
Is. Ixi. 10.
Rev. iii. 4.
Jude 23.

Heb. vi. 6.

Hag.

Titus ii. 13, 14.

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part V., Chap. XXXVII.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

THE PRACTICAL LESSONS OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

ANALYSIS : The practical lessons and duties arising from our being,
grafted into Christ, are : ( i ) Brotherhood and Membership ;.
(2) Unity ; (3) Sympathy ; (4) Self-crucifixion and Self-denial ;.
(5) Truthfulness; (6) Purity; (7) Love.

MANY practical duties result from the fact of our Baptism.
All the thoughts and ordinances of God are practical, and
are meant for the recovery, sanctification, and ultimate
glorification of sinful man ; therefore the Sacrament of
Baptism, being full of divine truths and mysteries, has
its bearing on our daily lives.

The grand distinctive lesson, enforced by Baptism, is the
abhorrence of all evil, and the cultivation of all righteousness
and truth. This spirit pervades the holy Sacrament ; and
shines principally through the two cardinal truths, of which
it is the exponent, viz., the Death and Resurrection of Jesus
Christ our Lord.

The various duties arising out of the mutual relationship
of men are brotherhood, sympathy, purity, and love ; but
they all radiate from these two central acts of Christ, which
the Holy Ghost uses, to work in the Baptized the death
unto sin and the new birth unto righteousness. The Holy
Ghost does not act independently ; but His office, as our
John xvj. 14, 15. Lord expressly told His disciples, is to take of the things of
Christ and show them, or apply them unto us. Sanctifica-
tion, apart from these two great acts of Christ, is an impossi-
bility; for they form the groundwork of that personal
sanctification, of which the Holy Ghost is the chief Agent.
Since the death and resurrection of Christ are the bases of

The Practical Lessons of Christian Baptism. 365

Baptism, we cannot advance in sanctification, except by
abiding in their personal realization.

Death, inflicted on " the old man " (or nature), is a
decisive, sacramental act of God, through the death of Christ.
This is neither a progressive act, nor a lingering death ;
much less is it any attempt to improve " the old man,"
which is condemned to death ; but it is a spiritual infliction
of death on the old Adam, in Holy Baptism, by the opera-
tion of the Holy Ghost. And the same truth of a decisive
sacramental act of God, holds good of the simultaneous gift
of life, when we are made partakers of Christ's resurrection-
life.

What is this but regeneration in its most intense and
vital essence ?

(i) Baptism is the creation of a new spiritual brother-
hood, and it cherishes all the duties that spring from this
membership. Baptism is meant to bind mankind together.
in a heavenly fellowship, in unity, holiness and love all
of which graces are of God.

Human beings cannot stand alone, for in every relation-
ship of life they are interdependent. So also, in things
spiritual ; men, being brought into relation with the second
Adam, are bound together ; and not only so. but are linked
with the whole intelligent and spiritual creation through
Him, who is " heir of all things," and the Head of the New
Creation of God.

Thus, it is clear that the Baptized have certain duties
to Christ, as well as definite duties to one another.

Apart from the law of God and of Christ, and the ever-
lasting sanctions of morality, our first duty arises from the
great truth that, in Christ, we are coalescent in one spiritual
brotherhood, being members one of another. We are
grafted into Christ ; and out of this truth, spring duties,
arising from the cardinal truth of our mutual membership
in Him ; viz., that we should care one for another and for

366 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part v., Chap. XXXVII.

the common weal ; and avoid, with abhorrence, those things
which would injure the body corporate. Since we are knit
together by God's act, we cannot be independent of each
other ; and to seek such independence would imply a
Rom. xii. 4-8. breach in our corporate unity. St. Paul, in writing of
various gifts (which differ according to the grace that is given
to every man), emphasizes the fact, that they are given to be
exercised for the common profit ; for " we, being many, are
one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."
The Apostle further brings out this truth, in writing to the
Church at Corinth ; and his teaching, in regard to the exercise
of spiritual gifts and graces, is full of this subject of member-
ship. (See i Cor. xii. passim.)

It is a great and exceptional privilege to have been
admitted, by Baptism, into the communion of the Body of
Christ, although the experience and daily lives of too many,
seem to belie this assertion. Let none think lightly of that
blessed society into which we have been grafted ; let us
not go back into mere individuality, much less into isolation.
The glory of individuality, which God has given to every man,
is not lost by corporate relationship ; on the contrary, the
former is enhanced by the latter ; for the individuality of
the unit is not annihilated, but shines in harmony with that of
others. In nature, the one ray of light is not the less bright
because of its harmony with six other rays with their myriad
shadings ; but its brilliancy is intensified by this seven- fold
fellowship of beauty, for each ray glorifies every other ray,
and thus becomes more beautiful in itself. It is a marvellous
fact, that a close relation exists between all and every
member of the Body of Christ ! What unity ! what com-
Eph. i. 23. plexity ! What a mystery is this Body, " the fulness of him
that filleth all in all " !

This divine purpose of linking men into one spiritual
brotherhood, is a creative truth, a God-like, original ideal, and
could only emanate from God the Creator. Though the

The Practical Lessons of Christian Baptism. 367

creative ties, that bind the human race together, were
preliminary to the spiritual bond (by which God would gather
all men into one faith, in preparation for His future kingdom
and glory), He would, nevertheless, have His Church, even
now, to be a united brotherhood of pure, holy, and loving men.

It is indeed wonderful, that after sin (that element
of disintegration and separation) has broken the brother-
hood and spiritual unity of mankind, God should determine
to repair the breach ; and, by the dynamic power, the omni-
potence of eternal love, to " make all things new," of which R v - xxi 5-
He gives the earnest, in the Church of God. What were
once repulsive atoms, have, under the new law of attraction
(Divine love), become harmoniously organized, and shall
show forth the beauty and wonders of the Creator and
Redeemer.

One of man's devices, to bring about human brotherhood,
is the institution of Freemasonrv, which is condemned by
the Church of Rome ; but all the good, that is supposed to
be effected by this brotherhood of man's devising, ought to
be realized through the principles of truth, imparted in the
divine Sacrament of Baptism, in which the voice of Almighty
God speaks to all the Baptized, " Sons, ye are brethren."

(2) Unity flows, as a necessary corollary, and as a paramount
Christian duty, from our Baptism into Christ, and from our
membership with Him and with each other, without which
such unity could not exist. The strongest bond of unity
which forms a mutual alliance, is that of the kinship of love
natural and spiritual and of reciprocal interests. Unity
is rooted in God, who would have all men to be of one
mind, and of one heart. " Behold, how good and how Psa. cxxxiii.
pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." It
is like the aromatic, precious ointment, wherewith the High
Priest was anointed, and " as the dew of Hermon, and as
the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion."
All the nations of Christendom should be linked into one

368 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXX VI I.

brotherhood, by their Holy Baptism, which should fill them
with the spirit of union and unity. Alas, the irony of their
present distracted and antagonistic condition !

The typical idea of unity in this world, is always held to
be that of the family, which should be a little kingdom of
love, where husband and wife are one, and their children are,
or should be, living bonds between them and one another.
In a bond such as this, but on a spiritual and larger scale,
God would unite mankind into one family, in our Lord Jesus
Eph. ill. 14, 15, Christ, " of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is

named."

Eph. iv. 5-6. The seven elements of unity, mentioned by St. Paul, in

his Epistle to the Ephesians, should knit the hearts of all the
members of the Church together, as the heart of one man.
Five times, in our Lord's last intercessory prayer, does He
pray for His Apostles and for those who should believe on
Him through their word (i.e., the Baptized) that all might
John xvii. 20, 21. be ONE. " Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also
which shall believe on me through their word ; that they all
may be one ; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that
they also may be one in MS."

(3) Sympathy is another lesson and duty, which is
inculcated by our Baptism. Sympathy is derived from
the Greek word (erv/Mratfeia), which means to suffer with,
and this is beautifully expressed by the German word for
sympathy, " mitleid" which means literally " suffering
with " or co-suffering. Sympathy is a mighty factor, even
in the world, where men are drawn into small circles of
relationship, by community of interest or other binding
causes ; and it has been found to be a great element in
successful and harmonious rule and government, and also in
organized combinations of toilers or sufferers.

Men benefit by the sympathy which exists in common
life, under a common headship under one persuasive will ;
for though this sympathy may be sterile among palsied

The Practical Lessons of Christian Baptism. 369

members, yet it is in action, among those that are in life
and health. Of the family virtues, on which stress may be
laid, none is more energetic, diffusive, or consolatory than
that of sympathy ; and there is no grace which the Apostle
Paul enforces, as a principle, with more persistent earnest-
ness. In i Cor. xii., when discussing the memberships in the
Body of Christ, and their relationships one to another, he
exhorts us : " That there should be no schism in the body ; i Cor. ni 25, 26*
but that the members should have the same care one for
another. And whether one member suffer, all the members
suffer with it ; or one member be honoured, all the mem-
bers rejoice with it." Moreover, we are assured of the
sympathy of " Jesus, the Son of God." because He is " not Heb. -T. i 4r 15.
an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of
our infirmities ; but was in all points tempted like as we are.
yet without sin." " For in that he himself hath suffered He\. :;. iS.
being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."
Therefore, knowing that He sympathizes with us. we also
should sympathize with and help one another, not only in
every time of need, but also in temptation. The experience
of suffering is the greatest practical teacher of sympathy.

(4) Another duty which the Baptized should practise, is
that of self -crucifixion, or, in common language, self-denial.

The Lord laid great stress on the necessity of self-denial,
when He said, " If any man will come after me. let him deny Luke .*. 23.
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." This
is an absolute necessity, to bring us back to the likeness of
God, since we have become estranged and self-indulgent
through sin. It is not that God takes pleasure in thwarting
our desires ; but there is nothing except death for the old
Adam, with its elements of selfishness, decay, shame, and
corruption. Baptism is summed up in self-denial and
ultimate death, even the crucifixion of " the flesh with Gal. T. 24.
the affections and lusts." There cannot be a greater
condemnation of selfishness, than the cross of Christ.

37 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXVII.

SELF is the great lever of action, in this present world.
Phil. ii. 21. " All," says the Apostle, " seek their own, not the things
which are Jesus Christ's." The shortest definition of sin, as
we have already shown, is self-will, because the will of man
is contrary to the will of God. Self operates in the best of
men ; but it is ever hideous, for it is of the parentage of
hell. Self-denial is the path of liberty, joy and righteousness.

What stronger condemnation of pride can be found,
Phil. ii. 8. than in the Cross of Christ ? " He humbled himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross "
the death of the slave. In His Cross, He poured contempt
on the pride of men, condemning what they approve, and
approving what they despise.

Again, how can the world, with its aims and pleasures,
be more utterly condemned than in, and by, the Cross of
Christ ? If that be God's estimate of what present things
are worth, is it not their condemnation ? If the Cross be
the doom for the old nature of the first Adam, kept holy in
the flesh of the Son of God, what shall be the fate of the
ungodly and the sinners ? The Lord expresses this in a
Luke xxiii. 31. kindred thought when He says, "If they do these things in a
green tree [alluding to the sufferings of His holy and spotless
self] what shall be done in the dry," in the log of tinder
Rom. ix. 22. i.e., wilful sinners, the " vessels of wrath, fitted to destruc-
tion " ? This is St. Paul's appraisement of the world, when
Gal. vi. 14. he says, " God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto
me, and I unto the world."

This statement expresses a reciprocal crucifixion ; and the
Gat. ii. 20. Apostle explains it, in these words : "I am crucified with
Christ : nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me : and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself
for me." Such should be the aim and experience of every
baptized person.

The Practical Lessons of Christian Baptism. 371

IV. IO, II.

" We are of the circumcision " (those who have felt the Phil, fit 3.
knife), "which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in
Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." By the
cross of Christ, by spiritual circumcision, we must abjure all
selfishness, pride and worldliness ; reckoning ourselves " to be Rom. \L n.
deadjindeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus
Christ our Lord."

Self-denial is the principle of Christian holiness, even as
unworldliness is its atmosphere ; and forasmuch as we are
baptized into Christ Jesus, Holy Baptism sets forth this
spirit as an inherent truth.

If we would know the fellowship of Christ's sufferings.
we must resist " unto blood, striving against sin." " Always
bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus . . .
that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our mortal
flesh." This is the essence of Baptism, in its double mani-
festation (0a-paxm), of the death of Christ with the sufferings
that preceded it : and of the resurrection of Christ with
the glory that shall follow.

In many cases, especially in pagan times, in the days of
the early Church (and even now in heathen lands and in India),
it needed much faith, self-denial, and self-sacrince, to be
willing to undergo the ordeal and profession of Christian
Baptism, perhaps at the cost of friends, position, and even--
thing that made life precious.

(5) Another duty incumbent on the Baptized, because of
their membership, is that of truthfulness.

St. Paul writes to the Ephesians. * i \Vherefore putting Eph,
away lying, speak even* man truth with his neighbour : for
we are members one of another" Truth lies at the foundation
of morality and society, and is the antithesis of lying, deceit,
or fraud : it is necessary in all dealings between man and
man, in even 7 relation of life at home, in the market, in
business, in politics. If truth were practised everywhere
and righteousness, which is the outcome of truth the face

37 2 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part V., Chap. XXXVII,

of society would be changed, and the reign of distrust
among men would cease.

(6) Another mutual duty is that of purity.

The Sacramental grace of Baptism is an enemy to
impurity and to sensuality in every form : it can be nothing
else, for its essence is a death unto sin. The body of sin
having been destroyed, when Christ died unto sin once, our
very flesh, our body (as pertaining to the old nature), should
be to us as dead ; we should not serve our belly ; but
Col. iii. 5. should " mortify [our] members which are upon the earth."

If we yield ourselves to be sanctified in spirit, soul, and
body, we shall, in our measure, reflect the glory of God,
like the crystal sea of glass, which sparkles in the light of
the sapphire throne.

It is remarkable how plainspoken St. Paul is, on the
subject of the various sins of the flesh. In most of his
Epistles, he refers to them ; and he points out the disastrous
troubles these vices brought upon the Church at Corinth ;
i Cor. vi. 15-19. " Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ ?
shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the
members of an harlot ? God forbid . . . What ? know ye not
that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in
you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own ? "

Thus, our bodies being the temple of the Holy Ghost, we
are bound to keep them chaste ; and likewise our spirits, for
i Cor. vi. 20. the Apostle ends his remonstrance with these words : " For
ye are bought with a price : therefore glorify God in your
body, and in your spirit, which are God's." We can hardly
realize the difficulty that the early Gentile Christians must
have experienced, in keeping chaste and pure, in spirit and
body, when many customs and most of the religious
rites of heathenism were steeped in impurity. Alas ! if,
in modern Christian days, it is comparatively rare to find
young men who are pure and chaste, it must have been most
exceptional in heathen times, when everything courted and

The Practical Lessons of Christian Baptism, 373

ministered to the indulgence of the flesh. It is obvious that
purity in thought, word, and deed, is one of the essential
duties of Holy Baptism.

The existence of Temperance Societies, is a painful
witness against the condition of the Baptized. We cannot
think that the Temperance pledge is a means of grace,
ordained by God. It is a human device for ensuring an end,
which ought to be attained in God's way, through the power
of the life of Christ within us, and by the grace and aid of
the Holy Ghost. None would need to take such a pledge, if
they were abiding in Christ, and in the three-fold vow to
resist the world, the flesh, and the Devil, which, at their
Baptism, they have made in the name of God.

(7) The last, the most comprehensive and all-embracing
duty, is that of LOVE, which " is the fulfilling of the law." Rom.'xiii. 10.
This culminating virtue of love, with its essence of self-
sacrifice, should be seen in all the members of the one body,
and should lead us, as the Apostle says, to " lay down our i John iii. 16
lives for the brethren."

In the light of these remarks, how great is the spiritual
sin of schism, of heresy, and even of personal independence,
which often spring from a root of pride, and exhibit
a spirit of rebellion.

Baptism sets before us, in a symbolic and external
manner, \vhat ought to be the experience of our spiritual life,
and our daily conversation and practice in the world :
" Remembering alway, that Baptism doth represent unto us
our profession ; which is, to follow the example of our
Saviour Christ, and to be made like unto him ; that, as he
died, and rose again for us, so should we, who are baptized,
die from sin, and rise again unto righteousness ; continually
mortifying all our evil and corrupt affections, and daily
proceeding in all virtue and godliness of living.'"*

* Final exhortation in the Baptismal Office of the Church of
England.

374 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Pan V., Chap. XXXVII.

Now the last and new command of Christ to His disciples,

John xv. 12, 13. and indeed His one and only commandment is this : " This

is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have

loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man

lay down his life for his friends." And the command,

Eph. v. 2. founded on the example of Christ, is repeated by the

Apostles : " Walk in love, as Christ also loved us, and gave

Gal. ii. 20. himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God " ; " Who

Eph. v. 25. loved me, and gave himself for me " ; " Even as Christ

also loved the church, and gave himself for it."

The special point of Christ's command to His disciples,
is that their love should partake of the nature of His love,
the glory of which was self-sacrifice. Hail to the beauty of
Messiah's life, which sets forth the two grand elements of
heavenly virtue, the death of self and the resurrection of
love ! In thus giving up ourselves ; in crucifying self, or, in
other words, in daily exercising self-denial, we attain to true
spiritual independence, liberty, nobility, and greatness.

Where else do we find such a thrilling commentary on all
the lovely graces of faith, humility, self-sacrifice, and holy
love as in the Cross of Christ ? These have received the
seal of God's eternal approbation in Christ's resurrection, and
enhance his claim to our everlasting homage.

How beautiful and explicit is St. Paul's teaching of the

different characteristics of " Charity," or love, which he

i Cor. xiii. declares to be " more excellent " than the " best gifts," and

i Cor. xii. 31. that, though all else may fail, " Charity never faileth."

Charity or ' Love ' never can fail, for it is of the essence of

the Godhead : " God is Love."

Oh, that each one of us, as members of the Body of Christ,
and that the nations of Christendom, reflected, as in a
mirror, the graces which have been the subject of this
chapter. Thank God ! the heavenly ideal shall be realized
in the everlasting Kingdom of God, which may the Lord
graciously hasten ! Amen.

Divisions of the Church, in connection with Baptism. 375

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

THE DIVISIONS OF THE CHURCH CATHOLIC, IN CONNECTION
WITH HOLY BAPTISM.

ANALYSIS : The Sacraments, which should units the Catholic Church,
are the sources of division.

The differences, concerning the Sacrament of Baptism,
in doctrine and practice, as seen in the Greek, the Roman, the
Lutheran, and the Anglican Churches ; and among the
Reformed and Nonconformist branches.

The scenes witnessed in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
at the annual Feast of Easter.

ST. PAUL says distinctly, in the Epistle to the Ephesians.
that " there is one baptism" which words are re-echoed
every Lord's Day, in the rehearsal of the Nicene Creed in the
Office of the Holy Eucharist : " I acknowledge one Baptism
for the remission of sins." This shows how much the
Baptized must have fallen from their original standing and
unity, when the very Sacraments, instituted by Christ
Himself, have become the battlefield of all sections of the
Church ; and when on Christian baptism, the Catholic
Church is at hopeless variance.

The divisions of Christendom on the subject of Baptism,
are, however, not so radical and intensified, as on the other
Sacrament, that of the Holy Eucharist, or the Lord's Supper,
which divides the Greek, Roman, Lutheran, Anglican, and
Nonconformist sections, into irreconcilable rivalry and
antagonism.

It would seem as if, from the beginning, dissension had
arisen in connection with Holy BaptisrrT. -St. Paul, in his
first Epistle to the Corinthians (A.D. 59), rebukes this schism :

" Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of i Cor. i. 12, 13.
Paul ; and I of Apollos ; and I of Cephas ; and I of Christ.
Is Christ divided ? was Paul crucified for you ? or were ye
baptized in the name of Paul ? "

376 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXVIII.

i Cor. i. 14. And then he continues, " I thank God that I baptized

none of you, but Crispus and Gaius." The Apostle does
not mean, in these words, to disparage the Sacrament of
Baptism, instituted by Christ (on which he lays such stress
in his other Epistles) ; but he would do nothing which
might seem to encourage the existing factions ; and there-
i Cor. i. 15. fore he states his reason, viz., " lest any should say that I
had baptized in mine own name"

Thus, the two Sacraments, which were meant to be the
bonds of the Church's unity and union, have become the
great causes of division, and the arena of bitter controversy.

The early Christians valued most highly the privileges
and grace of their Baptism, and acknowledged its respon-
sibilities. One of the earliest controversies, in the primitive
Church, was connected with the rebaptizing of those who
had been baptized by heretics. Stephen, Bishop of Rome
(A.D. 256), asserted that they ought not to be rebap-
tized ; while Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, maintained the
contrary. This was, in effect, the second great schism
arising out of the Novatian schism which divided the
Eastern and Western Churches.

With reference to the Baptism of Infants, a question
was started in the third century, by Fidus, an African
Bishop, who asserted that Baptism like Circumcision
under the Law was not to be administered until the eighth
day ; but a Council, called at Carthage by Cyprian, the
Bishop, decided that it was not necessary to defer Baptism
until the eighth day ; nor was the mercy of God to be denied
to any, as soon as they were born into the world.

It were an ungracious office to expose the sins of the
Church Catholic ; or to accuse any special section of heresy
or schism ; but it is clear that sin must lie upon us all,
if the fundamental Sacraments given to us by Christ for
our union and unity, for our sanctification and for our
preparation for the Kingdom of God are among the chief

Divisions of the Church, in connection with Baptism, 377

causes of the severance of the Church into hostile camps,
and furnish the rallying cries of antagonistic parties. This
evil condition implies that some common sin lies heavily
upon us, either that we have grieved, if not quenched, the
Spirit, who would make men to be of one mind in a house ;
or that we have lost those ordinances of light and rule,
whereby the Lord would guide His Church, and bind her
together as One Body, fit to be presented to Him, at His
appearing and Kingdom. Our Lord, in His last inter-
cessory prayer, earnestly prayed to His Father that His John xvii. n.
disciples might be one. The rending of the Body of
Christ, is a spiritual sin of enormous magnitude ; which,
viewed in connection with the Church, as part of the
New Creation, entails far-reaching and disastrous results.
(See Chapter xxxix.)

Many think lightly of the widespread sin of schism ; but,
viewed from a spiritual standpoint, it may be regarded
as a grief to our Lord : a quenching of the Spirit : an insult
to God : a hindrance to His purpose of salvation : a post-
ponement of the deliverance of the groaning creation, of
the Resurrection, of the Translation of the saints, and of
the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us consider the prevailing views, on the Sacrament
of Baptism, which exist in the chief divisions of the Church
Catholic.

(i) The number of adherents of the Eastern or Greek
Church, is approximately 100,000,000.

They rebaptize all Romanists who are admitted to
their communion. They do not baptize their children till
they are three, five, six, ten, and even sometimes eighteen
years of age. The candidate is immersed three times,
i.e., in the Name of each Divine Person. The innovation
of affusion (or the pouring of water) was gradually adopted
in the Latin Church, and has become the general Western -
custom ; but in the Eastern Church, Baptism has always

37 8 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXVIII.

been by immersion, and as the late Procurator of the Holy
Synod of Russia officially said, " the Eastern Church has
never ceased to protest against the innovation in the mode
of baptizing, current in the Latin or Western Church."
They attribute to the Sacrament, a divine energy for
regeneration ; and therefore, hold it to be a means of grace.

(2) The Roman Church, whose members are reckoned at
about 240,000,000, also holds the Sacrament of Baptism to-
be an instrument of regeneration.

The Romanists and Greeks maintain that, in Baptism,
original sin is destroyed. The Romanists, therefore, like
the Greeks, maintain that Baptism is " generally necessary
to Salvation " ; and on that account, they teach that infants
must be baptized ; and they carry this so far, that they
regard unbaptized children as forfeiting heavenly blessedness,
and relegate them to an intermediate and undefined place
known as " Limbus Infantum" In the Roman Church,
aspersion and affusion are the modes of administration
generally adopted. Exorcism is practised among their
baptismal ceremonies, and Protestants who join then*
communion are rebaptized. In the Eastern Church, con-
firmation, or unction with consecrated chrism and imposition
of hands, immediately follows Baptism. In the Western
Church, after the schism between the Greek and Roman
Churches, this ordinance was separated from Baptism and
called Confirmation ; and was administered by the Bishop.
On the whole, the differences between the Eastern and
Western Churches, concerning the Sacrament of Holy
Baptism, are trivial in doctrine, but somewhat more
marked, in the manner of administration.

In passing, we may allude to the Coptic Church in Egypt,
to the Churches of the Nestorians, the Armenians, the Syrians,
and the Maronites of the Lebanon ; some of whom are held
to be heretical on certain essential points, but whose
doctrine on Baptism- though held in much formality and

Divisions of the Church, in connection with Baptism. 379

superstition, is sacramental somewhat after the type of the
Greek and Latin Churches.

(3) The practice of the Lutheran Church, in different
European States, is somewhat variable.

Lutheranism prevails in the North of Europe in Prussia,
Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland. This branch of
the Church is Protestant and Episcopalian ; but ceremonial
in ritual, and sacramentarian in doctrine. Respecting
the Sacrament of Baptism, the Lutheran belief differs little
from that of the three principal divisions of the Catholic
Church (Greek, Roman, and Anglican). It acknowledges
the necessity and efficacy of Baptism ; and it anathematizes
all Anabaptists, i.e., those who, denying the validity of
Infant Baptism, repeat it on adults. Luther expressed
himself clearly, against the views of those who maintained
baptismal grace to be contrary to salvation by faith ; and
in his Homily on Baptism, he says, that " baptism has such
energy and virtue, that it is the laver of regeneration and
renewal of the Holy Ghost ; by which laver, the impure
and condemned nature, which we derive from Adam, is
altered and amended."

(4) Let us now glance at the doctrine of Baptism, as set
forth in the Church of England ; of which, we may take the
Book of Common Prayer as the exponent.

Anyone who, without prejudice or passion, studies the
Baptismal Office, can only come to one honest conclusion,
viz., that the Church of England holds the doctrine of
Baptismal Regeneration.

Thus, -in the Office for public Baptism, the Minister,
in the opening address, says, " Forasmuch as none can
enter into the Kingdom of God except he be regenerate,
and born anew of water and of the Holy Ghost, I beseech
you to call upon God that He will grant this child that
thing which by nature lie cannot have, that he may be
baptized with water and the Holy Ghost." In the next

380 Scriptural Studies on Baptism?. [Part V., Chap, xxxvill.

prayer, the words are, " Sanctify him with the Holy Ghost."
Again, later, " Give Thy Holy Spirit to this infant that he
may be born again." After Baptism, the Priest shall say,
" Seeing now that this child is regenerated and grafted
into the Body of Christ's Church, let us give thanks unto
Almighty God for these benefits"; and this is done in the
following words : " We yield Thee hearty thanks most
merciful Father that it hath pleased Thee to regenerate
this infant with Thy Holy Spirit." Thus, in the Office, a
doctrine is asserted and a fact is stated ; and we thank God
for the accomplishment of that fact. Hence, the Church
of England, in her Baptismal Office (if words are to
be taken in their natural meaning), teaches the doctrine of
Baptismal Regeneration ; or that children are therein
born again, born of the Spirit : and this is the confession
of many of her most pious Prelates and Doctors, both
living and departed. This, for example, is the teaching of
Archbishop Cranmer, of Bishop Ridley, the martyr (who
calls Baptism " the fountain of regeneration "), of Bishop
Jewel, of Bishop Hall, of Bishop Jeremy Taylor, of Bishop
Pearson, of Bishop Beveridge, of Archbishop Usher, of
the ' Judicious ' Hooker, of the learned Mede, and even of
John Wesley, and of Dr. Arnold.* Nevertheless, in this
communion, there are thousands of pious, earnest, and
Evangelical Christians who repudiate this view, calling
it a " soul-destroying doctrine " ; and who try, in every
possible manner, to explain away the words of the Baptismal
Office, because of the insuperable, practical difficulties
which, they think, result from what they brand as a false
theory. We are not now considering their difficulties,
nor answering their objections ; we are merely adverting
to the fact that the National Church, in this land, is practically
-divided into three hostile camps : the High, the Low, and

* See Chapter xvi., pp. 126, 127.

Divisions of the Church, in connection with Baptism* 381

the Broad. These three divisions are, to all intents, like
three separate Churches ; but they are held together, in
outward union, by the prestige and latitudinarian charity
of the Established Church. It is on the subject of the
Sacraments, that the High and Low are so widely separated
from each other ; for in the Sacrament which we are con-
sidering, the High Church maintains the doctrine of Bap-
tismal Regeneration, while the Low Church repudiates it
as a relic of Popery, and denounces it as unscriptural.

Some years ago, the whole land was filled with " the
Gorham controversy," which turned upon the fact that the
Bishop of Exeter would not induct Mr. Gorham into the
living of Bramford-Speke) on the presentation of the Lord
Chancellor), because he did not hold the doctrine of Bap-
tismal Regeneration. The matter then became the subject
of ecclesiastical litigation in the Court of Arches, which
decided, in 1849, that his doctrines were opposed to those of
the Church of England, and that the Bishop was justified
in his refusal. Mr. Gorham appealed to the Judicial Com-
mittee of the Privy Council, who reversed the judgment of
the Court of Arches ; and he was accordingly instituted
to the living. Had the judgment been the other way, it
was expected that a large number of clergy and laity would
have seceded from the Church. All sorts of treatises and
volumes have been written on both sides of this controversy
in the Anglican Church, some to maintain the Catholic
doctrine, and the others to explain it away on various
hypotheses, and to show that the Church of England did not
hold what they called an unscriptural error, and that if the
Prayer Book said one thing, the Thirty-nine Articles said
another ; unconsciously illustrating the sarcasm that the
Church of England had an Arminian Clergy, a Popish
Liturgy, and Calvinistic Articles. Some years ago. Mr.
Spurgeon preached a sermon on Baptismal Regeneration (the
circulation of which reached a quarter of a million), and the

2 5

382 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap, xxxvm.

contention of it was that the Church of England did
undoubtedly teach Baptismal Regeneration, and that the
Evangelical Clergy, who did not hold it, were in a false posi-
tion by abiding in her communion. Certain it is, that the
diverse views on the Sacrament of Baptism, which exist
between the two great parties in the National Church,
must colour all the superstructure of their doctrine ; for
the High Church looks upon the Ultra-Evangelicals as little
better than Dissenters ; and the Evangelicals brand the
Ritualists as Jesuits and Papists in disguise. Alas, that
such strife should exist in the Church which should be
manifested as One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic !

(5) The doctrine of Baptism, from the Nonconformist or
Dissenter's point of view, is of the Low Church school, and is
not the doctrine taught by Luther and other reformers.

Here the principles of the Reformation are pushed to
their extreme. Individual liberty, the right of private
judgment, the sufficiency of every man, illuminated by the
Holy Ghost, to find out the truth for himself from Holy
Scripture, are cherished principles, exhibiting the average Pro-
testant mind, which has a hatred of what is called Priestcraft,
Sacerdotalism, Popery, Sacramentarianism, Ritualism or
Formalism. Although the Dissenters repudiate the inherent
.grace of Baptism, and agree in evacuating the Sacrament of
its spiritual grace ; they differ, among themselves, in other
points as to the mode of administration, and the subjects
thereof. The general body of Dissenters (of whom there are
;some ninety millions among English-speaking communities
throughout the world), are content to baptize infants ; while
the large sect of the Baptists (itself split into two cardinal
divisions) administer the Sacrament only to believers, and
consequently, to adults only ; and insist on immersion as the
sole Scriptural mode of administration. We may observe,
generally, that the Greek, the Roman Catholic, the Anglican,
and the Lutheran Churches, regard the Baptism of Infants

Divisions of the Church, in connection with Baptism. 383

as admitting them into the Church, and making them mem-
bers of Christ's Body. The so-called ' Reformed Churches,'
on the other hand (including in this term all Protestant
Dissenters), hold that the children of Christians are in-
cluded in the visible Church, from their birth ; and, with the
exception of the Baptists, that they are entitled to Baptism.
These are the natural starting-points of very different
systems of theology and doctrine. The Nonconformists
view the Sacraments, not as necessary means of grace or
acts of God ; but only as external signs of what may, or may
not be present ; they think that resting in the act, savours
of formality and hypocrisy and is injurious to that inner,
subjective spiritualitv, on which (under Christ) personal
piety and salvation are made to depend.

Many pious and earnest Christians, who maintain that
Baptism is but an outward form of admission to Church
membership, would nevertheless shrink from saying that
any act of God can possibly be inoperative or meaningless :
and yet thousands (who would not deny the grace and
power of God), do, in effect, by their conduct, treat Holy
Baptism as an ordinance of no spiritual value.

Men frustrate the acts of God by unbelief ; for, having
hindered the results, they deny that any act of God takes
place in Holy Baptism. This error partly arises from
misunderstanding the nature of the acts of God, which are
not magic, irresistible charms, apart from the responsibility
and co-operation of the creature.

It is vain to argue and dispute over the quality or the
amount of grace given to us in Baptism. Many use this word
'grace ''in a very loose sense: " I do not deny," said a
clergyman to the Author, "that some grace is or may be given
in Baptism ; but I deny baptismal regeneration, as evidenced
by the state of the visible Church."

Many of the old fathers of Nonconformity, held much
higher views of Sacramental truth and doctrine, than their

384 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part V., Chap, xxxvnr.

modern followers ; and though, perhaps, in the writings of
such a man as Richard Baxter, there may not be a formal
statement of the doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration, yet
he held clear views of the reality of God's grace and blessing,,
as ministered by all Divine acts in the Church.

In the matter of Sacraments, the Reformed Churches on
the Continent, are for the most part Calvinistic, with the
exception of the Lutherans. They follow the views of the
Swiss Reformer, Zwingli, who opposed Luther's desire to-
retain, all that was fit to be retained in the Roman Church ;
while Zwingli went to the other extreme, being desirous of
effacing everything that savoured of Roman ceremonial.
His views on Baptism are thus expressed, in one of his
Confessions : " The matter in baptism is the union with the
Church and people of God. Baptism is a sacrament signi-
fying, to wit, that the recipient belongs to the Church, not
that it makes him belong to it, but that it testifies to the
people that he already belongs to it."

In all that has been stated above, we have sought in the
first place to be accurate, and not to misrepresent the
opinions of any sect or individual ; but this discord of
opinions serves to produce a jarring element, like the con-
fusing voices, which arose when men were building the
Tower of Babel so different from the noiseless building of
i Kings vi. 7. the Temple of God on Mount Moriah, without sound of axe
See Zeph. iii. 9. or hammer. In the Kingdom of God, there shall be one
isa. Hi. 8. Lord, one pure language, one faith ; and the people " shall
see eye to eye," when the Lord shall reign on Mount Zion, as
the one living bond of eternal Truth and Union.

We may now sum up the main differences which exist
in Christendom, with reference to Holy Baptism :

(i) First, as regards the Doctrine and Grace of Baptism.
Here, for the most part, there is an agreement in what is
called Catholic doctrine ; and the Greek, Roman, Lutheran,,
and Anglican Churches, all teach the doctrine of Baptismal

Divisions of the Church, in connection with Baptism. 385

Regeneration ; and the reality of Baptism, as a means of
grace. It was not until after the Reformation, that the
contrary view was adopted ; viz., that Baptism was only an
outward sign, and not a channel of grace ; though this view
is now held by thousands, in the communion of the Estab-
lished Church of England, by all Nonconformist or dissenting
bodies, and by the Reformed Churches on the Continent.

(2) Secondly, with reference to the subjects of Baptism.
As to the reception of all (both adults and infants), to
Baptism, a general agreement prevailed until about
the sixteenth century the epoch of the Reformation
since which time, an increasingly large and influential
section has maintained that Baptism can be rightly
administered, only to believing adults.

(3) Thirdly, regarding the modes of Administration. They
consist of immersion, affusion, and aspersion. These varying
modes have characterized different sections of the Church,
having been warmly maintained, as tests of orthodoxy ;
or else vehemently impugned, as manifestations of heresy.
While the majority use affusion ; the Greek Church and the
Baptists insist on immersion ; the latter applying it however
to adults only. (See Part vi., Chapter XLIII., " On the
Different Modes of Baptism.")

As regards the two great factions, into which the ecclesi-
astical camp or Church is divided, their cause seems to be
inherent in human nature ; and they are like the pendulum,
which swings alternately to two opposite points. If the
danger of one section is form without life, the danger of the
other, is to desire life without form. But so far as may be
gathered from Holy Scripture, neither method is God's
exclusive plan of dealing with men (in their constitution of
body, soul, and spirit), for whom He has ordained Sacraments,
which are " outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual
grace," welding together, because of the mystery of the
Incarnation, the form and the life, into one indissoluble

386 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXVIIL

unity. " What God has joined together, let not man put
asunder." In the time of our Lord, some Jews were
formalists, like the Pharisees ; and others, like the Essenes,
disparaging the form, cultivated the inner, spiritual
essence.

These inherent traits of human nature lie at the basis of
many controversies ; and also, in great measure, at the root
of the special controversy on Christian Baptism.

Let us consider the two great principles which underlie
these opposite schools of theology, into which the Estab-
lished Church on the one hand, and Dissenters on the other
(yea, even the two parties in the Established Church herself),
may be more or less resolved.

Now, one view (viz., that of believing in the reality of the
Sacraments, as means of grace), is based upon the conviction
that they are acts of God, who does nothing in vain, and
who is true to His Ordinances, apart from the faith or
unbelief of man. This school admits that faith is necessary
to the right reception of the Sacraments, since, through
unbelief, the grace of God may be received in vain ; never-
theless, it teaches that grace is there objectively ; and therefore,
the unworthy recipient becomes responsible for so much
grace lavished, yet wasted.

The other party seems to look upon the Sacraments as
mere outward signs, conveying no grace, but which must be
supplemented by God's Spirit, at some future time, con-
verting the person and making him a spiritual believer.

The first teaches that God has done all that He can do-
for man ; and then calls upon man to co-operate and to use
the grace given : the other, in effect, treats these Sacraments
as spiritual unrealities ; and makes every good result to
depend on the subjective preparation, or conversion of the
subject, at some future time.

Some years ago, the newly inducted Vicar of a certain
Church, whose views were of the Low school, took the following

Divisions of the Church, in connection with Baptism. 387

text for his opening address : "My son, give me thine heart"; Prov. judii. 26.

and emphasized his point, by saying, " Brethren, God begins

with the heart, with conversion of heart " ; and he then

proceeded to urge his hearers to give their hearts to God,

and exhorted them to personal holiness. In the evening, the

former Incumbent preached his farewell discourse ; he was

of a different school of Theology, and believed in the

Baptismal standing of sonship. In selecting the same text,

" My son, give me thine heart," he felt constrained to say,

" Brethren, God does not begin with the heart, He begins

with sonship"

Holy Scripture declares that there is " one baptism," Eph. ^.3-5.
and that " by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body." i Cor. xiL 13.
The Church therefore is ONE, by God's will and act; alas,
that men should have done their utmost to mar this master-
piece of God's spiritual creation ! We have torn the seamless
robe into fragments ; and, so far as our powers have gone,
have lacerated the Body of Christ.

While regarding, with sorrow, the divisions of Christen-
dom, on the subject of Baptism, what shall we say of those
Christians, who are not only indifferent to their divisions,
but glory in them ; asserting that these controversies lead to
spiritual freedom, and to the elucidation of truth ?

Those who argue thus, do not consider that schisms
can no more tend to the welfare of the spiritual Body of
Christ, the Church, than could dislocated joints conduce to
healthy exercise in the natural body.

That the Baptized have failed, is realized by a remnant
in their midst ; who not only acknowledge the fact, but,
being jealous for the unity of the Church, humbly confess the
common sin of the distracted Body, in all its schisms, heresies
and hatreds ; even as Daniel made confession of his sin Dan. ix. 3-20.
and of the sin of his people Israel, and presented his
supplication before the LORD for the restoration of
Jerusalem.

388 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXVIII.

" From all false doctrine, heresy, and schism ; from
hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word and Com-
mandment, Good Lord, deliver us." (The Litany.)

NOTE. If we want to see the most terrible, and almost ludicrous,
display of the divisions of the Church in action, let us betake ourselves
at Easter, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. On entering
the Church, the first thing that attracts attention, is a bench on which squat
the Turkish guard, stationed here to preserve peace among the rival Christian
sects which crowd the sacred building. Part of the Church is common
to all the sects, but one enclosure is allotted to the Armenian Christians ;
another (to the west of the large Rotunda) contains the small oratory of
the Copts, and the gloomy Chapel of the Syrians ; another fraction is
denominated the Frank section of the building, i.e., the part assigned to
the Latin or Roman Catholic Church, while the apse and nave, forming the
central portions of the Church, belong to the Greek Church, and are carefully
divided from the aisles, by richly-gilt wooden partitions, to save the Orthdox
<as they emphatically call themselves) from all unholy contact with
heretics and schismatics. What a dreadful irony this partitioned Church
of the Holy Sepulchre is on the truth of the Church being " One, Holy,
Catholic, and Apostolic." What a satire, that Turkish soldiers should be
present, to keep these Christians from literally flying at each other's throats,
-and murdering each other, within these holy precincts, over the very ground
which they believe was hallowed, as being the sepulchre of our Lord Jesus
Christ! The scenes that take place on Easter Eve, in connection with the
Imposture of the Holy Fire, are notorious : in 1834, the lives of hundreds
were sacrificed ; and Mr. Curzon describes his narrow escape, while he saw
four hundred wretched persons, dead or dying, piled promiscuously one
upon another; in some places, lying in heaps above five feet high. The
Roman Catholics originally took part in this ceremony ; but after their
expulsion from it by the Greeks, they have denounced it as an imposture ;
and the Armenians have refused to countenance what they, also, regard
as a fraud.

The following is a tabular view of the approximate numbers of members
belonging to the principal sections, or Denominations, into which the
Christian Church is divided :

Roman Catholics 24O,ooo,coo

Church of England 24,000,000

Methodists 28,000,000

Presbyterians -------- 7,300,000

Lutherans, &c. 30,000,000

Baptists 24,000,000

Other Protestants - - r - - - - 32,000,000
Greek Church --,....--- 100,000,000
Abyssinian - - - -,-- - - - 3,000,000

Armenians 2,500,000

Other Christians 9,200,000

Approximate Total of Christians - - - 500,000,000*

Estimated population of the world - - 1,500,000,000
(* British Almanac, 1906.)

Disastrous Results of the Broken Unity of the Church, 389

CHAPTER XXXIX.

THE DISASTROUS RESULTS OF THE BROKEN UNITY OF
THE CHURCH.

ANALYSIS : The disastrous results of the broken unity of the Church,
are seen in the spiritual sins, of which the Baptized are guilty.

The various devices of man, to maintain or restore unity,
are vain and unsuccessful. The intervention of God is neces-
sary. According to His former dealings with men, God will
probably send special messengers ; who may gather up the truth
from every section of the Church.

The confession of our sins and shortcomings, is an
imperative necessity towards the attainment of this given end.

THE divisions of Christendom, with reference to the
doctrine of Christian Baptism, have been considered in the
last chapter ; and they were seen to be numerous and
radical ; and with sorrow it may be acknowledged, that
irreconcilable doctrines also exist in the case of the other
Sacrament : viz., that of the Holy Eucharist.

Alas ! the divisions of the Baptized are not merely
doctrinal or theoretical ; but are so radical and practical,
that Christendom, the House of God, composed of baptized
nations, is armed to the teeth, filled with jealousies, strifes,
rivalries, hatred, and ambition ; insomuch, that the Divine
plan of binding men into one holy spiritual brotherhood of
unity, truth and love, seems at present to be a transcendental
dream, which can never be realized.

The Lord Jesus prayed earnestly for the unity of the
hurch : that the world might believe that the Father had
sent the Son ; hence conversely, these differences, heresies
and schisms tend to discredit the mission of the Saviour ;
and if we might dare to say so, almost to palliate the sin of
unbelief, in the outer world. At any rate, the schisms add
to the difficulty of believing that Jesus is the Christ, when
His Body, the Church, is so rent and lacerated.

39 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXIX.

This practically, is a stumbling block with many intelli-
gent heathen and Mohammedans, especially in India,,
where these divisions are thrown in the teeth of the mis-
sionaries ; and the natives say that, out of so many religions,
they cannot tell which is the true one.

Such are the evil results, both literal and spiritual,
which flow from the broken unity of the Church. Man,,
in his unbelief, may deem schism too trivial a cause to produce
such great issues ; for he regards this broken unity as a
venial sin. But in the sight of God, no sin is venial ; the
least deviation from the law of God must entail the most
disastrous results ; for the slightest command of infinite
goodness, wisdom and power, is more binding than the
Luke xxi. 33. laws which govern the stars. Christ said, " Heaven and
earth shall pass away : but my words shall not pass away."

The sin of Adam appears to many, to be a small act
of disobedience ; but its grievous results are seen in the
crucifixion of Christ : and its terrible climax will be wit-
Rev, xi. 7. nessed, when the personal Antichrist, " the beast that
ascendeth out of the bottomless pit," shall arise.

St. Paul tells the Corinthians, that one of the causes
of their divisions, was their carnal mind ; and so, when the
Church forgot, her heavenly standing, divisions insidiously
Eph. iv. 3. crept in, for she was no longer " endeavouring to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" ; and " the flesh "
asserting its power, gained the mastery.

A brief survey may be taken of some of the spiritual
sins, and of the disastrous results which overcame the
Church, in consequence of her ceasing to walk in the unity
of the Spirit. The subjects are so wide, that only a brief
summary can be given here.

(i) The first spiritual sin, which supervened on the loss
of the Church's unity, was forget fulness of the hope of her
Lord's return. The Lord had left His Church, and had
commanded her to watch for His second advent. He had

Disastrous Results of the Broken Unity of the Church. 391

enforced this by many parables ; while the most precious
promises were given to those, who should be found watching.
This watching for the Lord's appearing was a proof of love,
of faith and of hope; and was a corrective to self-
indulgence, to the seductions of the world, and to the sins
of the flesh. The history of Israel and universal experience,
show how prevalent and easy is the sin of forgetfnhiess of
God ; and this sin becomes more intensified, under the new
covenant, after the Incarnation, Death and Resurrection
of our Redeemer. Christendom, as a whole, has forgotten
this hope, and lost the grace of watchfulness. The com-
munities, amid the myriads of the Baptized, who profess
and teach the Hope, are " few, that a child may write them." Isa- *. 19

(2) Combined with this sin, is the fact that the Church
has wettnigh quenched the Holy Ghost ; for if He. who only
can sustain the hope of the Lord's return, be grieved, this
hope and all other spiritual graces connected therewith
will wither, and spiritual sins of great guilt will ensue.

To extenuate their shortcomings, the Baptized have
invented a theory, which is not according to Holv Scripture,
viz., that the gifts of the Holy Ghost were temporary, and
were only necessary for the Church in her infancy.

But the Lord takes account of His gilts, which have
never been revoked ; and He will reckon with His servants,
saying : \Vhere are those jewels, with which I adorned my
betrothed at Pentecost ? Why have these gifts not been
exercised ? Why have they been forgotten despised or lost ?

(3) The Church has forgotteu that the resurrectioi of
the dead, should be a living hope. This doctrine is enshrined
in the Creeds ; but few persons cherish it as an earnest, prac-
tical hope in the near future, or pray to God for its speedy
accomplishment. This hope is relegated to the mystic
future of " the last day," as a truth that has nothing to do
with our immediate personal welfare. Men have forgotten
that Resurrection is an integral part of the Gospel, and of

392 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part V., Chap. XXXIX.

God's plan for bringing into being, the new heavens and
the new earth.

While men have a thousand plans for regenerating the
world, they ignore the revealed purpose of God ; and there-
fore, the resurrection, God's great solution for the present
anguish of creation, is scorned as a chimerical theory.

(4) The Church has forgotten the Hope of the Translation
of those who are looking for their Lord's appearing.

This, to all, with the exception of an infinitesimal
minority, is an unknown and incomprehensible idea. To
worldly persons, and even to many professing Christians,
the hope of being caught up to meet the Lord in the air,
and changed into His likeness without death, seems to be
visionary, and is regarded by them with scorn, or veiled

cf. Hos. ix. 7. contempt. The thought of their heart is, as of old, " the
prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad."

isa. xxviii. 15. \Ve have made a " covenant with death," and a happy

death is the only hope of the majority of Christians.

(5) The Church, as a whole, has cared little or nothing
for the sorrows of humanity ; and she has not been true to
her trust of interceding with God, that the groaning creation
might be delivered from the bondage of corruption.

(6) The Church has forgotten the Gospel of the Kingdom
of God, which Jesus preached. This glorious topic of hope
is rarely heard in any pulpit : and yet, it was the grand
theme of the ministry of Jesus, who went about "preaching

Luke viii. i. ... the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God " ; vouchsafing
an earnest of it, in His numerous miracles of healing.

(7) The Church has lost the Ministries which should
Psa. ixviii. 18. lead her unto perfection Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists,
Eph. iv. 8-12. and Pastors the gifts which the Lord received at His

Ascension, and which He gave at Pentecost, for the per-
fecting of the Church.

Nothing, in Holy Scripture, warrants the assumption
that these ministries were temporary. Scripture intimates

Disastrous Results of the Broken Unity of the Church. 393

their permanence, for " the gifts ... of God are
without repentance " ; but there is Scriptural evidence
that, even from the beginning, the Church rejected the
ministry of Apostles, which God had designed to be the
source of rule and government, and the centre and bond
of unity.

One of the earliest and most general results of this
departure from the ordinances of God, was the absence of
love and peace among the Baptized ; the Church becoming
filled with schisms, heresies, hatred, variance, and all
nlthiness of the flesh and of the spirit.

This is seen, literally, in the antagonistic rivalries of
Christian nations (whom God would have made one family,
in the bonds of love and purity), and in those spiritual evils
which we dare not minimise.

Having briefly touched upon some of the leading spiritual
sins of the Church, the question may be asked : \Yhat have
they to do with Baptism ?

We must answer this question in the light of all that
has gone before, remembering that Christ's purpose in
giving the two Sacraments to His Church, was that these
should form bonds of unity in the Holy Ghost. Baptism
was designed to unite men into one spiritual body, and the
Holy Eucharist should cement this tie ; whereas, each of
these Sacraments has been a great source of discord, schism,
heresy and animosity not simply on an individual and
national, but even on an (Ecumenical scale. The antagonistic
views on Baptism, divide Christian men into many hostile
camps ; and the divergent views on the Eucharist also
separate the Greek, Roman, Anglican, and Lutheran com-
munions into irreconcilable sections.

This divided condition of the Church must be a grief
to the Lord ; and not being according to His will. He must
desire to recall the Baptized to unity, and to their heavenly
standing. That there is something wrong, seems to be the

Rom. xL 29.

1 Cor. h-. 11-13.

2 Tim. L 15.

2 Tim.i v. 10, 16.

3 John, 9, ia

394 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXIX.

expressed or unexpressed testimony of the spiritual con-
science of the Baptized, judging from the written testimony
of the various sections of the Church. Unity and catholicity
were much valued in early times, and many efforts were
made to retain them ; as may be gathered from the history
-of the Church.

Judging from Scripture, the original plan of God for
keeping His Church in unity, was by a twelve-fold Apostle-
ship. At the end of the first century, those Apostles who
had survived were rejected ; and, too late, men awoke
to their loss and did their best to remedy it, in their own
way. They did not, however, confess the common sin of
having rejected Apostles ; nor did they beseech God to
repair the breach ; but they followed their own devices,
and drifted into the expedient of conferring upon Bishops,
the functions of Apostles. Bishops, who had not, like
Apostles, universal, but only diocesan, jurisdiction, now
assembled in Councils called ' ; (Ecumenical" (or world- wide)
to define the Church's doctrine and practice. That this
expedient did not succeed is proved by the heresies, which
sprang up, in the fourth and fifth centuries (termed "the
age of heresies "), and by the gradual disintegration of the
Church. Then the Western (the Latin, or Roman) Church
adopted the expedient of claiming supremacy for one
Bishop over the others, and endowing him with a primacy
.and an authority, with which he had not been entrusted
by Christ, the Head of the Church. That this expedient
failed to keep the Baptized in unity, is seen from the record
-of ecclesiastical and medieval history. The Church of
Rome was not content with seeking to maintain unity,
by spiritual means; but betook herself to carnal weapons
to cruel methods of persecutions : viz., the stake, fire and
: sword, the prison, the rack, and diabolical tortures to
enforce the unity of the Church. The successive perse-
cutions of the Albigenses, of the Waldenses, the horrors

Disastrous Results of the Broken Unity of the Church. 395

of the Inquisition in Spain, and the sufferings of the Pro-
testants in the Netherlands, and in France (even as late as
1703), crushed all efforts for legitimate reform, but only
proved the futility of man's devices to secure the spiritual
unity of the Church of God. Rome has, in a sense, witnessed
ior unity ; but both her expedients the primacy of the
Papacy and persecution have failed, for more than
150,000,000 Christians do not, at present, acknowledge the
Papal jurisdiction. In the XVIth century, when the spiritual
and mental tyranny of the Papacy had become unbearable,
the great upheaval, called the ' Reformation/ occurred ; by
which the Western Church was divided into two great
factions (the Romanist and the Protestant), the latter of
which has become disintegrated into hundreds of minor
sects. Since then, the restoration of the unity of the Church,
has been considered to be a dream of enthusiasts.

In the present day, there is an association for the pro-
motion of the unity of Christendom, which has its sympathies
with the Greek, Roman, Oriental, and Anglican Churches ;
but it takes little account of the Ultra-Protestant, and
Nonconformist sections.

" The many thousands of Associates enrolled, include
clergy and laity, Latin, Greek, Anglican, Armenian. Jacobite,
Nestorian, Chaldean, Lutheran, Calvinist. \vho have in-
herited many repulsions ; but who, unconsciously, acknow-
ledge an underlying spiritual bond ; and this united
pleading for the fulfilment of the dying prayer of the LORD
Himself will, it is hoped, yet obtain the blessing for which
the Master prayed." (Extract from the Official Prospectus
of the Association.)

All the Associates lay great stress on the power of prayer,
and undertake to offer daily a short supplication for the
intention of the Association. And every priest who is a
member, is bound to offer " at least once in three months,
the Holy Sacrifice with the same intention."

396 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap.XXXlX.

Every human device (Ecumenical Councils, the Pope
as the head of the Roman Church, the King's headship
of the Anglican Church, and the Czar's headship of the
Greek, or Orthodox Church, in Russia are failures ; and
while, in some cases, they have enforced a paralysed
uniformity, they have been unable to secure the living unity
of the Church, in truth and love.

From the revelation of Holy Scripture, it is clear that
Christendom in any case, the Latin or Western part of
Europe, which formed the Roman Empire will be con-
solidated into ten kingdoms, and gathered under one
supreme ruler, which was the dream of the first Napoleon.
This dream will be realized under the last head of the
Roman Empire, known under the title of Antichrist,
who will succeed in enforcing a spurious unity, causing
Christendom to become fused into one ecclesiastical con-
federation, of which he will become the head. It would seem,
from Rev. xiii., that an alliance will take place between
cf. Rev. xvi. 13, " the beast and the false prophet," and that they will make
14 ; Rev. xix. 20. men bend, for a time, to their political and ecclesiastical
tyranny. There can be little doubt, that Christendom is
even now ripening for the catastrophe ; and if St. Paul and
St. John said, in the first century, that the spirit of Anti-
christ was already working in the Church ; what shall we
2 Tim. iii. i. say, after eighteen centuries, when the signs of the perilous
times are inundating us on all sides ? Christendom is even
now hastening to that apostasy which was predicted, in
the inspired word of Prophecy, more than eighteen hundred
years ago.

Man can do evil, but cannot efface it ; man can make
breaches, but cannot repair them : man can disintegrate,
but cannot unite. We are therefore led to this conclusion,
that it is God, and God only, who can heal this state of
chaos ; who can bind up these wounds ; who can pour in
the oil and wine, and make the Church one ; even as He

Disastrous Results of the Broken Unity of the Church. 397

has promised to do in the case of Judah and Israel, as
typified in the parable of the two sticks, which should
become one in the hand of the Prophet. * xxxvii.

We cannot, we dare not, say that the case of Christendom
is hopeless, for with God nothing shall be impossible ; and St.
Paul says, " Where sin abounded, grace did much more Rom. v. 20.
abound."

Will the unity of the Church never be achieved ? Un-
belief, judging by the past, might suggest a negative answer ;
but faith, looking at the future and relying on the Word of
God, knows that the Church must be made one, ere it can
be presented before the throne of God.

Looking at the Church in her present condition, it may
be asked, Is there any possible way by which this unity
might be attained ?

The most obvious method is by the direct intervention
of God by the Lord Himself sending messengers to reveal
His will. There is no other conceivable way, judging by
past history and by the analogy of God's former dealings
"with men.

Apostles having been rejected, the Lord's ordinance for
binding the whole Church into unity was lost ; and therefore,
disunion, heresy, and schism were the inevitable results.

How can the three great sections of the Church Greek,
Roman, and Protestant be fused into one ? Each section
believes that it holds the whole truth, and being jealous
for that truth, will concede nothing ; but the views of
truth, held by the various divisions, are divergent not to
say antagonistic ; yet they all retain fragments of truth.
Thus, the Greek Church has witnessed for orthodoxy ; the
Roman, for unity, organization, worship and sacraments ;
the Anglican, for Scriptural Education ; the Nonconformists
for the circulation of the Bible, for freedom of conscience,
and individual liberty. None of these phases of truth
should be ignored, in any scheme that would seek to fuse

39 8 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap, xxxix.

them into a unity. Hence, to attune these discords, to
blend into one, every separate truth, to remedy all defects,
to reject all additions that have arisen in the course of
ages, is a work which none, but special messengers from
Jesus Christ, could accomplish here.*

In the Jewish or prophetic, Dispensation, God spoke
through Prophets, to His people ; and inasmuch as He
sent His prophet John the Baptist at the end of that Dis-
pensation, to recall Israel to their Covenant-standing ; it
would be according to the analogy of the Lord's dealings
with men, if, at the end of this Dispensation (which was
inaugurated by the Apostles of Jesus Christ) He were again

Is. iviii. i. to send Apostles, as His messengers to His spiritual Israel,
to show unto His people their transgressions, to restore
the broken unity of the Church, and to heal the wounds
of the Body of Christ. f

Mai. Hi. 6. God has declared his immutability in these words : " I

am the LORD, I change not." Wherefore, that which His
infinite wisdom has devised, His infinite goodness and power
will bring to pass, in due season ; albeit, we confront the
mystery of that purpose being delayed, and even doomed

* A remarkable and unexampled movement has just been organized
in England. A year ago (Pentecost, 1905) the Archbishop of Canterbury
issued an invitation to all Christians, to pray for the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit upon Christendom : and this year (May, 1906) the Archbishops
and the heads of most of the Nonconformist bodies called upon the
Church, at large, to pray on Whit Sunday (June 3rd, 1906) for the restora-
tion of the unity of the Church ; and with all sorrow and penitence to
confess, before God, the common sins and failures, which brought about
the present disastrous condition of Christendom. Nothing similar to this
action has ever been known in the history of the Church Catholic. Is it
one of the signs of the times, which are gathering around on all sides
physical, moral, and spiritual and which warn us that the end of the
dispensation and the hour of trial and temptation, are at hand ?

t Herr von Mickwitz, in his book, " Ein Zeitbild in wichtigen
Zeugnissen," quotes the following witnesses to the possible renewal of the
Apostolate : Hieronymus, Calvin ("Institutes"), Jane Lead, De Maistre,
Innocenti (Russian Archbishop of Cherson and Taurida); to which we may
add the names of Johann Arndt (A.D. 1555-1625); John Robinson, one of
the Pilgrim Fathers who sailed in the " Mayflower," A.D. 1620; Count N.
L. von Zinzendorf, Phil Matthew Hahn (who died in 1/90); the spiritual
movement in Bavaria in A.D. 1.828 ; G. H. Pember, " The Church and the
Chtirches," 1901. See the '"Eli/ah Ministry to the Christian Chttich," p. 529,
and the " Chwctts Forgotten Hope,'" chapters ix. and x. (Hobbs : Glasgow).

Disastrous Results of the Broken Unity of the Church. 399

apparently to temporary failure, through the obstinacy or
waywardness of the creature.

In faith we must grasp this truth, that the time must
come when the Lord shall present the whole Church to
Himself, " a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, Eph- v. 27.
or any such thing." Except this standard be reached, the
Church cannot be presented before the throne of God.
Therefore, as the purpose of God must be fulfilled, the Lord,
after exhausting the riches of His love and forbearance,
during more than eighteen hundred years, must have
recourse to severity, so that the thunder and storm of
persecution (in the fearful trials of the great tribulation
under Antichrist) may accomplish that which the words of
gentleness and love have failed to effect. The Church must
be purified, and the dross taken away ; but, if only a furnace
can do this, then the furnace must be heated seven times.
until the gold and silver are refined, and the Lord's image
reflected therein. The Scripture speaks plainly of a future
time of trouble ; and it is predicted in the Book of the Reve-
lation, as "tfo tribulation the great" (Greek], and a great Rev. vii. 14
multitude come out of it, having " washed their robes,
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." God
seeks to perfect His Church, by the fire of His love, rather
than by the fire of His jealousy ; but if, like Israel of old,
the Church will not hear His voice, then he has no alter-
native left, but to use the chastisement of the furnace.

While deploring our many and great sins, we are
helpless to atone for them or to efface their evil results.
God only can do this, for only the blood of Christ can atone
for spiritual, ecclesiastical, and catholic sins, as well as for
personal, private, and individual sins. We, however, must
make humble confession of our sins to God.

The Lord proclaimed through the prophet Jeremiah,
" Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast trans- jer. iii. 13.
gressed against the LORD thy God." * This requirement was

400 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XXXIX.

preliminary to forgiveness and restoration ; and the same
course is now as necessary for the Christian Church, as for
the Jewish nation of old. This, to a certain extent, places
God and the sinner in their right relative positions ; for God
can bind up the broken and contrite heart, and show mercy,
to the repentant sinner. It is instructive to see the essential
part which confession of sins occupied in the Jewish restora-
tion. The Holy Scriptures record special confessions by
Ezra ix. 5-15. Ezra, by Nehemiah, by the blameless Daniel ; and it is
Dan b remarkable that all these confessions are connected with
the return of Israel, after their seventy years captivity in
Babylon. Confession, therefore, must form a necessary part
in any true, catholic revival and reformation.

We, who have been baptized into the Name of Christ
and made members of His Body and partakers of the Holy
Ghost, are especially bound to confess our sins, with penitent
and broken hearts. " For we have all broken the vows
made in our baptism ; we have all disregarded the unity
of the Church ; and, distracted by diverse winds of doctrine
and divided into many sects, we are incapable, except we
repent, of receiving the. full blessing of God, or attaining
to the perfect stature of Christ."*

" Almighty and everliving God, who by Thy holy Apostle
hast taught us to make prayers, and supplications, and to
give thanks, for all men (we humbly beseech Thee) . .
to inspire continually the universal Church with the spirit
of truth, unity, and concord : And grant, that all they
who do confess Thy holy Name may agree in the truth of
Thy holy Word, and live in unity, and godly love." f

May the Lord accept our confession of sin. and grant us
an answer of peace, for His mercy and for His truth's
sake, in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

* The Liturgy , and other Divine Offices of the Church. (Exhortation in the
Office for Evening Prayer. )

t " Prayer for the Church Militant." Anglican Liturgy : Book of
Common 'Prayer.

The Present Condition of the Baptized. 401

CHAPTER XL.

THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE BAPTIZED.

ANALYSIS : The Baptismal vows are a test of the condition of Christendom.
The Baptized, in practice, have not renounced (i) the world ;
(2) the flesh ; (3) the Devil.

The coming apostasy of Christian nations and repudiation
of their Baptism.

The fearful sin of crucifying the Son of God afresh.

A ray of Hope springs from the eternal purpose of God in
His Church.

IT must be candidly acknowledged, that the present
condition of the Baptized (more especially in their attitude
towards Baptism and its responsibilities) reveals, on all sides,
a growing antagonism to the revelation of God in the Holy
Scriptures, and to the Sacraments and Ordinances of the
Church. The Baptized, speaking generally, are falling
away from their spiritual standing ; are ignoring their
responsibilities ; and are neglecting or denying their duties.
They, who began in the Spirit, are now, like the Galatians
of old, seeking to be " made perfect by the flesh." This is Gal.
not to be wondered at, since, according to the light of
Scripture, the last troublous times are upon us, and the
revelation of Antichrist is imminent.

I. Let us take the vows made in Baptism, as the test
of Christendom, in our brief analysis of its condition.

(i) We have broken our vow to renounce the world,
and the principles which sway men of the world, who look
not beyond this life ; for we have been engrossed and
overcome by business, by cares, by pleasures, and by the
acquisition of wealth, which have absorbed our thoughts,
and deadened our spiritual life.

4 2 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part V., Chap. XL.

The renunciation of this present evil world, implies that
2 Cor. v. 7. " we walk by faith, not by sight." It involves obedience
to the Lord's warnings that we should watch and pray, and
not lapse into that fatal condition ; which God must punish
with sudden destruction, like the Flood in the days of Noah,
or the overthrow by fire of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the
days of Lot. In those days, they builded, planted, married
wives, and did things which were not intrinsically unlawful,
but men became so absorbed in them, that they forgat God ;
Gen. vi. 12. and " all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth."
Hence, they were blind to the signs of impending danger ;
and refused to take warning from God's messengers ; and
so the flood and the fire, respectively, overwhelmed them
with sudden destruction.

This is a materialistic age. The prevailing sin of covetous-
ness and worldliness is shown in withholding from the
Lord His tithes, which are His due. This payment of a
tenth of our increase, is a debt which we owe to God. Offerings
and gifts to the Lord, are voluntary and undefined ; though
they also are necessary in their place, and should be
paid with willing liberality.

(2) The second part of the Baptismal vow, includes the
renouncing the sinful lusts of the flesh. This is a painful
and condemning subject. At the great Pan-Anglican Synod,
which took place at Lambeth in England, in the year 1888,
a great council of Bishops, from all parts of the world were
gathered together, under the presidency of jthe Archbishop
of Canterbury, and they issued a report, which prominently
referred to the sins of Sabbath-breaking, immorality and
drunkenness. This report is a grave censure, and casts a
lurid light on the state of the Baptized on the condition of
those who are pledged to renounce all fleshly lusts. We
might recount terrible statistics of immorality and of drunken-
ness ; but it would be out of place to detail such facts, in
these pages. The sacredness of the marriage bond is held

The Present Condition of the Baptized, 403

lightly in some Christian countries, where divorces are granted
with a facility and rapidity, that testify to the backsliding
of men into the defiling and lawless condition which pre-
vailed before the Flood, when the earth became " corrupt
before God," whose patience and forbearance were, at
length, exhausted.

Every large city, in Christendom, is a hotbed of im-
morality ; and with shame, we must acknowledge that
hundreds of thousands of the Baptized are flagrantly guilty,
in this respect, of being overcome by the various sins of the
flesh, which should be crucified and held in death. Drunken-
ness is likewise a lust of the flesh ; and the misery and
crime which this sin occasions, in the experiences of all the
nations of Christendom, might be written in blood ; of which
sin, alas, free and Christian England is notoriously guilty.

In Holy Scripture, drunkards are classified with forni-
cators, adulterers, thieves, covetous, and extortioners, as
" the unrighteous," who " shall not inherit the Kingdom i Cor. vi. 9, 10.
of God."

Through the prophets Isaiah and Amos, the LORD reproved
and denounced the sensual Jews and " the drunkards of is. xxviii. i, 3.
Ephraim." Whenever nations have become corrupt, in Amos vi. 3-6.
giving way to fleshly sin, the judgments of the Lord have
fallen upon them ; and they have perished from off the earth.

A lesson may be learned from the case of Esau, concerning
the danger of thinking too much of the desires of the flesh ;
and of undervaluing inherited privileges, be they natural
or spiritual. In the Epistle to the Hebrews, this warning
is given : " Looking diligently lest any man fail of the Heb xii. 15, 1 6.
grace of God ; . . lest there be any fornicator, or
profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold
his birthright." To Esau, as the firstborn, belonged in
those patriarchal days, the three-fold blessings of kingship
or rule, of priesthood in the family and of the double portion
of his father's goods ; but Esau, coming in fatigued and

404

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XL.

faint, cared more for the " pottage of lentiles " than for his
birthright which he despised and sold to his brother ; with
which he also sold all those spiritual privileges which were
inseparable from the position of the firstborn.

Heb. xii. 17. Awaking too late to his loss, " afterward, when he

would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected : for he
found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully
with tears." He had despised the spiritual standing of
his birthright, and yielded to the fleshly longing for food ;
and thus, because of his want of endurance, he entailed
irreparable loss on himself and on his descendants.

(3) The third part of this baptismal vow, is a renunciation
of the Devil himself, whom Scripture treats as a terrible
personality. The word ' Devil ' in the New Testament,
is always in the singular ; but the word ' devils,' which
should properly be rendered demons, is always in the plural.
It is a fearful sign of the last days, of the decay of faith
and of the growing apostasy of Christendom, that there
should exist a great spiritual movement, which consists in
seeking to evil spirits, disguised under the misnomer of
' Spiritualism ' or ' Spiritism,' which professes to hold
communication with the spirits of the dead.

The LORD strictly forbad His chosen people to have

Deut. xviii. 10-12. dealings with anyone "that useth divination," "or with

a consulter with familiar spirits . . . or a necromancer.

For all that do these things are an abomination unto the

LORD."

isa. viii. 19. The prophet Isaiah speaks also of those that " seek unto

them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep

and mutter " ; and of the folly of the " living " seeking

" to the dead." " Should not a people seek unto their

2 Tim. iii. i. God ? " St. Paul foretold " that in the last days perilous

i Tim. iv. i. times shall come." " Now the spirit speaketh expressly,

that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,

giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils."

The Present Condition of the Baptized. 405

That the Baptized should seek to evil spirits, and tamper
with the doctrine of demons (which should be held in
abhorrence), is one of the most grievous sins against the
Living God.

A great, and we grieve to add, a sinister interest has
lately been manifested in Oriental mysticism, in Buddhism,
in Occultism ; and in some places, there has been a revival
of Pagan rites. It appears more and more probable, that
there will be a gradual attempt to revive old Pagan worship,
from an aesthetic point of view ; while many Christians are
turning to the philosophies of the East and preferring
Buddhism to Christianity. These all agree in denying the
fundamental truth of the Christian religion, for they deny
the Incarnation of the Son of God. These misguided
votaries look upon the Atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ
as unnecessary and immoral : they do not believe in His
resurrection, nor in the future resurrection of the body : nor
do they believe in the gift of the Holy Ghost : in a word.
they have renounced their Baptismal Covenant and the
privileges which it conveyed. All this is but precursory to
the nations of Christendom throwing off their allegiance
to God, denying the Lord that bought them, and going
back to the worship of devils : in short fearful and incredible
as it may seem reverting to Paganism.

The terrible events and blasphemies, which took place
in the first great French Revolution, foreshadow what will
occur again in Christendom, when " that Wicked " shall ^ Thess. ii. s-io.
"be revealed . . . whose coming is after the working
of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders."
Then, every nation of Christendom will abjure God and
deny the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a fearful fact, that
even now, the worship of the Devil actually exists, in the
city of Paris.

II. The Baptized, in their Sacramental vows, have also
promised to believe all the articles of the Christian faith.

46 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XL.

This is an age of scepticism an age of secular know-
ledge, science and materialism which is not favourable to
faith. There are thousands who not only say in their heart,

Psa. liii. i. " There is no God " ; but who assert it openly, even as there
is a journal in Paris which bears the title, " Ni Dieu ni
maitre." All the foundations of THE FAITH are undermined ;
the Atonement is disbelieved, by ministers of high position ;
the Holy Scriptures, attacked by learned professors, are
depreciated by Church dignitaries ; and a spirit of infidelity
infects the youth of the present generation. St. Jude
refers to words, spoken by the Apostles, foretelling that
Jude 1 8. " there should be mockers in the last time"; therefore, we
should not be taken unawares, but remember that this

Dan. x. 21. warning has been already given " in the scriptures of
truth."

Heb. xi. 6. " Without faith it is impossible to please God " ; but our

faith is not blind, credulous, or irrational ; for it is
imperative when Divine mysteries transcend the compass
of our reason and understanding, that we should by faith
apprehend truths which we cannot comprehend by the powers
of the human understanding.

III. The third Baptismal vow, which binds the
Baptized, is that they should keep God's holy will and com-
mandments, and show forth the " death unto sin, and the new
birth unto righteousness." Alas, their fearful shortcomings
manifest that their vows to renounce the world, the flesh,
and the Devil, are unfulfilled ! For, in being overcome by
the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, in giving way
to the sinful lusts of the flesh, in falling a prey to the Devil,
and seeking after forbidden and defiling, spiritual contact
with the unseen world, they have broken their vows " to
keep God's holy will and commandments." They have not
renounced the common enemies, the three-fold trinity of
evil ; they have not believed the truth ; they have not done
what is right.

The Present Condition of the Baptized. 407

The pride and drunkenness, which are the national
characteristics, of England ; the profligacy, which causes
Paris, ''the eye? the centre of Christendom, to emulate the
Rome of Tiberius, and whose vices seethed up in the great
revolution of 1792, and in the events of 1872 ; the violence,
theft, and brigandage which mark Christian countries, such
as Greece, Macedonia, Sicily, and Spain ; the superstition and
fraud, which mark Italy, the land of Machiavelli ; the infidelity
and rationalism, which mark Germany; the laxity of manners,
which marks kind and hospitable Sweden ; the profligacy,
which marks Austria especially its capital, Vienna, ' the
city of pleasure ' ; the corruption and tyranny, which make
Russia an European byword, aggravated by their cruel
persecutions of the Jews ; the lying, which characterize
professedly Christian, Eastern nations, making them worse
than the ancient Cretans ; the venality, the political and Thus i. 12.
municipal corruption, the covetousness, the love and pursuit
of wealth, which are characteristics of the great American
Republic, with its boasts of liberty and equality ; the sensual
horrors of New York, Chicago, and San Francisco reveal
the pervading unrighteousness, violence, dishonesty and
profligacy, which brand Christendom, taken as a whole. This is
a rough outline of the general state of Christendom (accord-
ing to the commonly received opinions of men of the world),
which we, like Daniel of old, should bewail and humbly
confess before God ; for, being " members one of another/'
we all partake of the above sins. Alas, this picture of the
condition of the baptized nations, shows us how Christendom
is being prepared not for Christ, but for Antichrist.

Of the difficulties that impede the progress of the truth,
and throw discredit on the reality of baptismal grace, there
are none greater, than the ungodly lives of the Baptized ;
for it is asked, If this cleansing of human nature be real,
how is it that we see such small results, and that the old
nature, which is said to be dead and buried, remains active,

48 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XL.

even in saints, to the last ; whilst in wilful sinners it is
rampant, threatening to quench the last spark of spiritual
life ? The enemies of revelation and of sacramental grace,
might say, ' You have drawn a terrible picture of the state
of the Church, and of the condition of the Baptized ; and
yet, you tell us of their heavenly standing, and of the
great privileges of those who have caused the name of God
to be blasphemed.'

It cannot be denied that spiritual evil abounds. The
Baptized have indeed fallen, and sinned by their fruitlessness,
through not abiding in Jesus Christ, into whom they have
been grafted. How many regenerated ones have become
as trees, whose fruit has withered ; and are in danger of
jude 12. becoming " twice dead " ! How many have committed
spiritual suicide ! Yet, God abides faithful.

There is no doubt, that an increasing multitude of
unbaptized persons is arising among us, not only in the
slums of our great cities, but also in country districts
of the lands of Christendom, so that the baptized and un-
baptized form two distinct sections, in professedly Christian
countries. It will be a terrible day, when the nations of
Christendom not only deny their Baptismal standing, but
reject the Ordinance. Have we not seen a late clergyman
of the Anglican Church, devising a new Office of Baptism, in
which the name of Christ is omitted ; and an antichristian
convention at Lausanne, which with scorn and hatred, would
abolish the Sacrament of Christian Baptism ? In a word,,
the abolition of Christianity is the covert aim of Atheists,.
Socialists, Nihilists, Anarchists, and of an increasing multi-
tude, who hope to overturn the existing order of things.

One hundred and fifty years ago, it would have been pro-
nounced an impossibility that Christian men should combine
to renounce Christianity ; then came the scenes of the first
French Revolution, as an earnest of what is now taking
place on a larger scale around us, in all parts of Christendom

The Present Condition of the Baptized. 409

as yet, secretly, to a certain extent ; but, nevertheless,
as a deadly ulcer, ready to burst into sudden manifestation
in the day of the approaching Antichrist, who will burn up
4i all the synagogues of God in the land." Pa. bud*. 8.

There has always been a great line of demarcation
between the Baptized and the unbaptized between the
nations of Christendom, and the Mohammedans, the Hindus
of Asia, the savages of Central Africa, and other heathen
nationalities. In the unbaptized, there is an absence of
the power of spiritual apprehension which characterizes
the Baptized : and they are all more open to the assaults
of the Devil, and to the invasions of evil spirits. But alas,
what shall we say, when the Baptized throw off the restraints
of their Baptism ; and seek, if it were possible, to reduce
themselves to the level of the unbaptized ! In this case,
the guilt of their apostasy is of the deepest dye.

If we analyse the condition of Christendom this company
of baptized nations, this spiritual brotherhood which Christ
instituted, and of which the one principle should be self-
sacrificing love what do we find ? We find Christendom to
be one literal camp ; and the nations, filled with mutual
animosities, bitterness, and suspicions. War, war, war, is
being daily taught, all the year round ; whilst the standing
armies of (Christian) Europe amount to more than fifteen
millions of armed men.

In some nations, every man is a fighting-man, as in pre-
Christian times ; and this fact is a mockery on the religion
of the Prince of Peace. The annals of Christian history have
been an increasing record of injustice, cruelty, rapine, and
spoliation. It seems irony to preach unity and brotherly
love, to the nations of the Baptized, who are so rent asunder,
by spiritual divisions, opposing interests, ambitions, and
jealousies. To say to them, " Sirs, ye are brethren/' would
be like preaching, in the wilderness, to the rocks and torrents.
The time must come, when the Lord " shall dash them in Psa. iL 9.

4*o Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part v., Chap. XL.

pieces like a potter's vessel " ; in the words of Holy Scripture,
Isa. xxxiv. 2. the Lord will pour out His fury and His indignation upon
the armies of the apostate nations.

Men, in labouring to realize their dreams and ideals for
the advancement of humanity its civilization, freedom,
happiness, and the ultimate perfection of the race ignore
the purpose, the revelation, and the Gospel of God. They
seek to attain their end by self-chosen ways, and by human
instrumentalities, which must inevitably fail. 'The Scriptures
are full of warnings, concerning a tremendous, impending
struggle, which shall take place in the last days, between the
principles of good and evil. Men who have not been abiding
in the grace of God, or of their Baptism, shall then eat the
fruit of their own works ; and the intelligent and moral
creation, shall learn what the creature, apart from God, is
in himself though he be highly endowed. The evil con-
federacy of these last days, shall culminate, and find its head
in Antichrist, or, as he is called in the Book of the Revela-
tion, " the beast " (i/piw, the wild beast). He will be Satan's
masterpiece, a man inspired of the Devil the enemy,
the parody, the mockery of Christ the Incarnate Son of God.
He will be Anti-christos, the rival and enemy of Christ,
or His substitute and counterfeit ; and so great will be
the power of this incarnation of Satan, with all the appli-
ances of science, knowledge, and art at his disposal,
that at first, he will be hailed as * the coming man,'
the expected saviour of society. Men will unconsciously
advance to the worship of humanity, to self-deification and
self-glorification ; and in worshipping Antichrist, they will
.think that they are, in effect, worshipping themselves. But
the time will come, when the Beast will throw off the mask ;
Rev. xiii. 16-18. and he will tyrannically impose * his mark ' on his followers.
Dan. vii. 21. He will " make war with the saints " of the Most High, and
Rev. xiii. 7. shall overcome them. How little can we fathom the agony,
that lies hidden in this expression ! Persecution will

The Present Condition of the Baptized. 411

then be a terrible reality for it will be carried on with the
ferocity of hell ; and it will appear as if evil were, for the
time, triumphant, and the name of Christ swept from off
the earth. Thank God, it will be but for a moment ! When
the mystery of God shall be finished, the Lord will come
forth to overcome His enemies, who cried, " Not Christ, but
Antichrist " : He will take His great power, and reign, and
cause heaven and earth to rejoice in the manifestation of His
judgment, and in the establishment of His righteous and
everlasting Kingdom.

Of all the fearful sins, of which we can form any con-
ception, none can come up to that of the official rejection
of the Saviour of the world the Son of God Incarnate by
apostate Christendom. When baptized persons, redeemed
and forgiven, turn against their Benefactor, and hate Him
" without a cause " ; then wickedness, rebellion, impiety and
ingratitude, can, as it were, go no farther. What a lesson
to the universe, of the nature of sin, and of the madness
of sinners ! To a certain extent, and for a short time. God
gives the wicked a free hand, to show the hideous nature
of sin ; and that there is no conceivable depth of horror,
cruelty, or wickedness, into which the sinful heart of man
will not fall, in its suicidal and insane hatred of God. To
literally crucify the Lord of glory, was even from the
human point of view, a great crime; for though Jesus was
" delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge
of God," and He submitted voluntarily out of love to man, to
be a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, still the Jews
took Him, " and by wicked hands crucified " and slew Him ; John x. 18.
and for nearly two thousand years they have been suffering
from their own awful imprecation, " His blood be on us Matt, xxvii. 25.
and on our children." But when all this is repeated
spiritually, at the end of the dispensation and when, with
every possible aggravation, the Son of God shall be crucified
afresh who can describe such an unparalleled climax of

4*2 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part V., Chap. XL.

human sin ! This is a crime which even devils cannot
commit.

How terrible will be the condition of Christendom, when
these sins are universally perpetrated ; and when the
Apocalyptic description of her, as Babylon, is fulfilled when

Rev. xviii. 2. she becomes " the habitation of devils, and the hold of
every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful
bird." Her calling was to be the bride, but she has become
the corrupting harlot. After this, nothing will remain, but
the pouring out of the vials of the wrath of God. We hear
little on these subjects ; for except by a few students of
prophecy, these topics are ignored by the Christian world,
are treated as matters of speculation, and are rarely alluded
to in the great majority of pulpits. Even the brighter themes
of the Coming of the Lord and the Kingdom of God, are
generally neglected ; and it is most exceptional, to hear
these truths and hopes proclaimed, even in free and Bible-
reading England. On the continent of Europe, they are
universally ignored.

It is in the light of the truths and of the privileges, which
we have been considering, that we can appreciate, in
some small measure, the fearful falling away or apostasy of
the Baptized from their original and heavenly standing.
The contrast thus becomes manifest and appalling. It is
when we see what the Church ought to be, and when we
realize her heavenly calling, her privileges, and her Baptismal
standing, that we become sensible of her present sad and
dishonourable condition. The Baptized have forgotten (as

2 Peter i. 9. St. Peter expresses it) that they were purged from their old
sins ; and, having broken their Baptismal Covenant, have
also forgotten the hope of the Lord's Advent.

If such be the terrible, spiritual condition of the Bap-
tized ; what is the climax, to which we are hastening ? It
can be nothing less than apostasy a general falling away
from the faith, and from all the vows and responsibilities

The Present Condition of tne Baptized. 413

of Holy Baptism. Far be it from us, to denounce all the

Baptized as apostate ; for God will not suffer the bridal Church

of Christ to fall away. He will, even at the worst times,

have his " seven thousand " (as in the days of Elijah), who i Kings m. 18.

shall not bow the knee to Antichrist, nor receive " the

mark of the beast." This is "the hour of temptation"

and tribulation, spoken of in Holy Scripture ; but the

promise to the sealed first-fruits, is that they shall be Psa. mL 20,

hidden in the pavilion of the Lord in His secret place P=- an. i.

from " the violent man " ; and the promise to Philadelphia, Rev. vii. 1-3,

is that she shall be kept " from the hour of temptation, * T " I ~ 5 "

Rev. ui. 10.

which shall come upon all the world, to try them that
dwell upon the earth."

In all diffidence, and not seeking to bring any railing
accusations against our brethren, we have stated our con-
victions as to the present condition of the Baptized.
But we must not leave this painful subject without a word
of consolation and hope. For if the cloud be black, it has
a silver lining. The love and purpose of God lie behind the
sins and failures of man. Where sin abounded grace shall
much more abound. The counsel of God shall stand. There
is a ray of hope connected with the eternal purpose of God,
in His Church, which shall abide for ever in full and glorious
accomplishment. The Bride of Christ can never become
apostate, though there may be a great apostasy among the
Baptized, to show what the creature is, even in the dispen-
sation of grace and of the Spirit. There is none good but
one, that is God ; let us remember this. All our hopes spring
from free grace and from the unmerited mercy of God.
Salvation is of the Lord. We shall be satisfied with His
wisdom, love, mercy and power, in the day when the mystery
of God shall be finished and His Kingdom established upon
the ruins of all rival thrones. May we not cry, Hasten,
O Lord, the time, when Thou wilt sent from Thy right
hand the Deliverer whom thou wilt send.

SCRIPTURAL STUDIES ON BAPTISMS,
ESPECIALLY CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

PART VI. SUPPLEMENT.

CHAPTER XLI. Ox SACRAMENTS AND ORDINANCES.

CHAPTER XLII. INFANT BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XLIII. Ox THE MODES OF BAPTISM.

CHAPTER XLIY. THE BAPTISMAL NAME.

CHAPTER XLV. ON CATECHUMENS.

CHAPTER XLVI. THE CONNECTION OF BAPTISM WITH OTHER DIVINE
ACTS IN THE CHURCH.

CHAPTER XLVI I. BRIEF REVIEW OF SOME ORIENTAL BAPTISMAL OFFICES.

CHAPTER XLVIIL BRIEF REVIEW OF SOME OCCIDENTAL OR WESTERX
BAPTISMAL OFFICES.

PART VI.
SUPPLEMENT.

CHAPTER XLI.

ON SACRAMENTS AND ORDINANCES.

ANALYSIS : The nature of a Sacrament : its parts ; its object. Sacraments
are rooted in the Incarnation. They are efficacious because
(i) they are acts of God, even of the Trinity; (2) they are
founded on the Death and Resurrection of Christ ; (3) they
are wrought according to the will and commandment of God,
in the power of the Holy Ghost.

Insignificant things may contain a special significance,
fulfilling a Divine purpose tending to glorify God and to
humble man. The Ministers of the Lord represent Christ and
act in His name. The power of the spoken word.

THE theological word ' Sacrament ' is derived from the
classical Latin word, Sacramentum. This primarily meant
the pecuniary ' recognizance,' deposited in a sacred place
by each of the litigants, in a suit of law ; then, secondly,
the military oath, by which soldiers were bound to allegiance
and discipline, and which was taken on the consecrated
signs, surmounting each regimental banner. Doubtless the
enrolling of converts under the banner of Christ, by a vow
of obedience, led to the ecclesiastical use of the word, which
is first found in Tertulliari (A.D. 200), and acquired a general
application to both the Sacraments before the time of
Jerome and Augustine, in the fourth and fifth centuries.

I. What is the nature of a Sacrament ? In the Church
Catechism, a Sacrament is defined as "an outward and
visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace." Hence, it
consists of two parts, the one outward, the other inward ',
the one visible, the other invisible ; the one material, the

4*8 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLI.

other spiritual ; but the material is not changed, nor is the
invisible invalid or ineffectual. In this duality, a relation
exists which has been effected by the will of God ; so that
the first is designed to be the means whereby the second
is conveyed.

That it has pleased God to use material things to be
the channels of spiritual grace and blessing, and that the
various parts of His creation are thus united and sanctified,
is due to the sovereignty of His wisdom ; and it is not for
man to cavil at the ways of God, but to accept them in
faith, and to rejoice in their efficacy. Sacraments are
rooted in the Incarnation of the Son of God, which may be
johni. 18. termed God's great Sacrament. "No man hath seen God
at any time ; the only begotten Son which is in the bosom
Col. ii. 9. of the Father, he hath declared him " : "In him [Christ]
dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." In Christ
Incarnate, the two integral parts of a sacrament are united
the outward, visible, and natural, to the inward, in-
visible, and spiritual. The inner grace is the life and
love of the Godhead ; and the external material, through
which this grace is brought to us, is the human flesh which
the Son of God assumed. Man himself is, as it were,
sacramental ; for his inner spirit displays itself through the
instrumentality of a visible and material body.

The great object of Sacraments is to counteract the
effects of the Fall of man, by the application of the work
of Christ to each particular recipient ; and to elevate human
nature, by bringing it into union with God.

The " outward and visible sign," used in Baptism, is
water ; the " inward and spiritual grace " conveyed, is
the death unto sin, and the new birth unto righteousness,
through our union with the Lord Jesus Christ.

The outward and visible materials used in the Holy
Eucharist, are bread and wine. In the Anointing of the sick,
in the Laying on of hands, in Ordination to the Ministry,

On Sacraments and Ordinances. 419

the outward sign is holy oil or chrism, which is the sacra-
mental channel of God's grace, in these several cases
respectively. God has ordained means, to attain certain
ends ; or channels, for the conveyance of a special grace :
and " What God hath joined together, let no man put Matt x. 6.
asunder." Let us stand in the reality of God's appointments
and acts ; and confess : " Let God be true, but every man Rom. iii. 4.
a liar." Our faith cannot create those Divine acts, nor the
spiritual realities resulting from them ; yet faith is the
condition upon which the benefit of those acts can be
received : on the other hand, unbelief cannot undo an act
of God ; but it can " frustrate the grace of God/' so far Gal. u. 21.
as regards the reception of His intended personal blessing.
Our faith does not put our old nature to death, either in
Baptism, or at any other time ; but our faith is required
to enable us to walk in the Spirit, and to keep the flesh
(" the old man "). dead and buried.*

Moreover, the whole creation is in a measure sacra-
mental, but though we can hardly call it a means of grace
as in a true Sacrament, nevertheless, the time will come,
when the handwriting shall be legible ; when the parable
conveyed by every atom of matter shall be eloquent : when
the truth and mystery, hidden in 4i the meanest floweret
of the vale/' shall be perceived by our regenerate under-
standings ; when the testimony of Jesus, the Incarnate
Son, steeping every shred of the Universe, shall be felt in
our resurrection spirits, and be condensed again in the
holy incense of vocal adoration and praise.

Viewed in this connection, the Sacraments of the Church
are parts of a whole ; and, according to the general analogy

* Sacraments are not to be regarded as infallible, nor as mere charms ;
for intelligent and co-operative faith is ever needed, to ensure their full
benefit. Difficulties may arise, but we cannot pronounce judgment (nor
are we called upon to do so) on the case of Cortes (in his compulsory method
of baptizing the Aztecs in Mexico), or on the collective and wholesale
baptisms of the Indians under the energetic Xavier.

420 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLI.

of the works of God, are in harmony with the theory
of the Universe. But they stand on much higher ground,
than the sacramental thoughts suggested by the symbols
of the material creation, for they cluster round the Person
of the Son of God made Man. The Sacraments should neither
be deified nor despised. There is a tendency, in sinful man,
to extremes. Many godly persons lay stress principally
on the spiritual reality, i.e., on the thing signified; and
declare themselves indifferent as to the means: this
evinces an imperfect apprehension of the full meaning of
the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Others lapse into formalism;
and, resting on outward rites and acts, do not fill up
these acts by their intelligent and co-operative faith : thus
they fail to apprehend that work of the Holy Ghost, by
which He makes effectual every sacramental action in the
Church of God.

Let the means and the end be kept in their proper
relation. Let not the means be ignored in the desire to
attain the given end ; lest the end, for which the means
exist, become secondary or be forgotten. Thus shall the
Lord be glorified, and we shall be blessed, walking according
to the analogy of faith, in due preparation for the Kingdom
of God,

Two pervasive realities in Nature are life and form.
Life is good and is the essential basis of all form, which it
needs for its healthy manifestation ; otherwise it might be
like water, which, unconfined, would run into a swamp and.
form an unhealthy marsh. Form is good, but without
Ezek. xxxvn. ]jf e ^ would b e an inanimate body mere "dry bones" in
the open valley, without the vivifying power of the spirit.
Thus is it with the Sacraments in the Church of God.

II. What are the reasons of the efficacy of Sacraments ?

(1) They are the acts of God, even of the Trinity:

(2) They are founded on the acts of Christ, viz., on His
death and resurrection :

On Sacraments and Ordinances. 421

(3) They are wrought, according to the commandment
and will of God, in the power of the Holy Ghost.

(1) Holy Baptism is an act of God, even of the Holy
Trinity. It is an act of the Father, and derives its efficacy
from the appointment of the Father ; and in the Epistle
to the Colossians, St. Paul refers to this act of God the
Father, when, in writing of Baptism, he says " wherein also Col. iL 12.
ye are risen with [Christ] through the faith of the operation

of God, who hath raised him from the dead/' It is an act
of the will of God, who willed Creation into existence, out
of nothing. Man is the receiver, and not the creator or
the agent.

Holy Baptism is an act of the Son. The Lord Jesus
Christ, who, in His glorified human body, is at the right
hand of God, should be discerned by faith, as present and
acting in His representative His ordained Minister.

It is well to remember that all words spoken and acts
done, in the Church on earth, are founded on the living
acts of Christ in heaven, behind the veil. There, as our
High Priest, He ministers before God on our behalf.

Baptism is also an act of the Holy Ghost. If the question
arises, How do these Sacraments become channels of
grace ? the only reply is this : By the appointment of God
the Father, because of the acts of Christ, and because of
the power and presence of the Holv Ghost.

(2) Let us consider that, in the Sacraments of the Church,
God is able to use insignificant things for such great spiritual
issues, because of the hidden realities, on which they are
founded, viz., the death and resurrection of Christ. The
Lord in His Incarnation has taken to Himself a portion of
the material substance of this earth ; by His Resurrection
and Ascension He has glorified the same and raised it to
the throne of God. In Him, nature is not only redeemed,
but created anew ; glorified ; spiritualized ; and on account
of this truth, as the central explanation, God deigns to use

422 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLI.

material substances as channels of His grace in His Holy
Church. Without these acts of Christ, Baptism and the
Holy Eucharist would both be unreal and empty ceremonies ;
nay, they could not exist in theory or in practice.

Sacramental acts are done by men, but in the Name
of God. " When an earthly ambassador declares war, in
the name and by the authority of his sovereign, the power
and presence of the monarch (and not of the delegate) are
present in the act ; and how much more is it the act of the
monarch when it is not only wrought in his name and by
his authority, but in his actual presence ? "* The Sacrament
of Baptism is performed, not only in the name and by the
authority of God ; but in His actual presence : as the Lord
Matt, xxviii. 20. sa jd in His valedictory address, to His disciples, " Lo I am
with you alway, even unto the end of the world " (age,
R.V.). " God Almighty not the minister of God, but the
Lord Himself is He who baptizes in the Christian Church.
In the officiating minister, we recognize the member of
Christ the arm of God on earth animated by Him, as our
members are by the mandates of our will."*

Christian Baptism should never be dissociated from
Christ and His acts, whether they be past or present.

(3) Sacraments are wrought according to the will of God,
in the power of the Holy Ghost. A general principle,
which is often seen in God's dealings with men, becomes
prominent, viz., the use of insignificant means for significant
ends ; whereby, there often appears to be a disproportion
between the means and the results. Although the acts
seem simple and almost trivial, and the materials used are
common, such as water, bread, wine, and oil ; yet, they are
made spiritually effectual by the action and presence of
the Spirit of God. To eliminate the action of the Holy
Ghost from the Sacraments, were to make the most orthodox
form and ritual but as " sounding brass, or a tinkling

* 'Morning Watch," Vol. vi., p. 370. A.D. 1833.

On Sacraments and Ordinances. 423

cymbal." The spiritual object of this Sacramental action

is, that "no flesh should glory in [God's] presence," and that it i Cor. i. 29.

should be seen that the power is of God, and not of man.

Sinful man is an inveterate boaster ; and it needs the

discipline of God tender, severe, and protracted to teach

him the grand lesson of " faith in God " ; that there is none

good, but One ; and that " salvation is of the LORD." The Jonah ii. 9.

failure of the whole creation enforces this lesson.

This method of procedure tends to explain the idea
held by the Jews and Greeks of " the foolishness of God,"
and " the weakness of God " ; but which St. Paul shows i Cor. i. 26-31.
to be wiser than men, and stronger than men ; so that we
constantly behold the paradox of Divine power enshrined
in great weakness, as exemplified in the case of the Sacra-
ments of the Christian Church. It is the glory of God to
bring about great results by small means ; and the illustra-
tions of this principle would consist of a summary of the
workings of God, in Nature, Providence, and Revelation.

The validity of a rite (after its origin, and authority have
been ascertained) will necessarily involve a certain actor,
a certain place, a certain time, certain words, and the use
of certain things. This is the essence of all ceremony that
takes place in the world. The Sovereign lays his sword on
the shoulders of a subject ; it is not a meaningless act, as
if done to any common person by his equal ; but in this
given case, the subject rises ennobled and placed upon the
roll of knighthood. The outward sign of the Order of the
Garter, is but a blue ribbon ; but it is the highest of English
honours : and the same principle holds good in many other
instances. Two persons of opposite sexes meet in the
Church : they say certain words, i.e., they pledge their troth,
they give and receive a ring, they join hands ; all this takes
place after due preliminaries, and before certain persons.
These acts are in themselves insignificant, and elsewhere
might mean nothing ; but in this case, they bind these two

424 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI. , Chap. XLI.

persons together ; and the woman passes under the headship
of the man ; so that a few forms have influenced the whole
of their lives on earth.

Now God has commanded His Ministers to baptize.
They are His servants ; they are set apart to their ministerial
office, by prayer and by the laying on of hands. The
respective parties meet in the Baptistery of the Church ;
water is at hand, and it is blessed ; it is applied by
the Minister to the candidate with certain words the
formula of Baptism. These various acts or words become
significant, because of their authority and their manner of
performance. FAITH discerns an act of God ; and in that
assurance, it stands. It does not dwell on the external
act, though it does not ignore this as God's appointment ;.
but it reaches forth to the thing signified, the inner spiritual
glory of the act. To disregard what God has ordained
because we deem it unnecessary, is, to say the least,
presumptuous ; and it must be dangerous for us to pass
by any of the commands of God, and to be " tossed
to and fro " by our own caprice or variable feelings.

The simplicity of Christian Baptism should not be a
stumblingblock, for this simplicity and ease of administration
are but apparent. When we meditate on the Incarnation
as the basis of Baptism ; when we behold Christ suffering
in Gethsemane, and on the Cross, we can understand that
those experiences of Christ on which the ceremonial rests,
were stem realities, and involved a terrible conflict ; and
though the ceremony for the conveyance of His grace is
easy and simple in its performance, its effectiveness was
procured by the agony and death of the Lord. Thus, we
see that there is a profound reason, for the use of insignificant
things, and for the designed disproportion between means
and ends. The thing used appears to be " weak " and
" foolish," as men vainly say ; but that which gives life
and power to the action, is neither weak nor foolish. Men

On Sacraments and Ordinances. 425

look at the outward act, and think it unreal ; because they
do not see, nor apprehend, that which lies behind.

Great unbelief is exhibited in the question, " How can
pouring water on a child, affect his eternal condition in the
Kingdom of God ? " It is easy to immerse a child in
water, but that which fills the act with life and power,
is the work of Christ, which no created being could have
achieved.

Moreover, the qualities which submission to the Ordinance
calls out in man, viz., faith, humility, and obedience, are
not trivial ; but are great spiritual realities. There is
nothing which makes some men's minds more hostile to
the truth of God, than the contrast between the simplicity
of the Divine work in such a sacramental act, and the great
results which are promised and secured ; the truth that
without pomp, without elaborate preparation, and finally,
without expense, a man is baptized with water, with the
utterance of some few words, with no outward or apparent
result, yet with eternal consequences, is deemed to be a
thing incredible. On the other hand, it is no doubt due to
the circumstance of magnificent preparation and costly
outlay, that the ceremonies of the heathen acquire their
credit and solemnity.

Since God has enjoined upon us an easy act of faith
and obedience, there is the less excuse if we do not comply
with the same. In the parable of the marriage supper, our Matt. xxii. 2-14.
Lord states, that suitable robes were provided by the King
for all his guests ; but that one guest did not comply with
the condition, viz., that of wearing the wedding garment.
It may be, that he was late, or perhaps, thought his own
clothes would suffice ; and so he did not put on the King's cf. Zeph. i. 8.
garment which was offered to him as he passed through
the hall to the banquet. This omission was practically
disobedience, and contempt for the arrangements of the
King, at his marriage supper. The King orders him to be

426 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms [Part VI., Chap. XLI.

ejected and punished. To quote a modern example, we are
invited to the palace of our King on condition of inscribing
our names in the entrance register ; but if any man neglect
or refuse to comply with this stipulated condition, he must
not murmur if he be debarred from participating in the Court
ceremonial.

Again, to cite a familiar illustration : when about to
take a journey from London to Rome, the traveller places
on the counter of the booking-office, so much gold, and
receives in return, a small piece of cardboard a ticket.
Intrinsically, it is not worth a mite ; and yet, on reaching
Turin, if the ticket were lost, he would find himself in a
difficulty. He might not have sufficient funds with him
to complete his journey ; delay might put him to much
expense, and cause him great anxiety and embarrassment.
If he were to arrive at his journey's end without his ticket,
what then ? He would be either imprisoned for fraud,
or would be compelled to pay his fare again, with the trouble
of making a reclamation. Hence, this piece of paper
represents an act of the past, the payment of so much
money in short, a contract by the Railway Company to
carry the traveller to his destination. It is his receipt
for having paid his fare ; and any traveller who should
fling his ticket away as worthless paper, would be judged
to have taken leave of his senses.

Numberless instances could be adduced from Scripture,

of great results attained by inadequate means ; such

josh. vi. as the taking of Jericho by the seven-fold blast of the ram's

Judges vii. horns ; the victory of Gideon and his three hundred, by

Num. x. i-io. blowing trumpets and holding lamps ; Abijah's victory

2 Chron. xiii. 14 through the sounding of the silver trumpets ; and many

other examples could be cited.

A great many persons seem to consider it a mark of the
highest spirituality, to ignore the outward and the visible,
and to disparage means and ordinances : but this is not

On Sacraments and Ordinances. 427

according to God's method of procedure ; for, having created
the visible, He not only does not ignore the same ; but He
abhors the false doctrine of Manicheism, viz., that matter
is of itself evil, and is the source of evil. No doubt God
(had He so pleased) could have given His blessing, without
the intervention of secondary means and ordinances ; but
it has not seemed good to Him to adopt this procedure ;
rather the reverse ; and, this being so, our spirituality will
be best evidenced by accepting the way of God, who is a
Spirit, and who has made man in His image and likeness.
In the acts of God, simplicity is combined with the most
perfect and unsearchable wisdom. This may be perceived
in the two Sacraments of Holy Baptism and of the Lord's
Supper. These should not be despised, because they are
apparently simple and within reach of the poorest and most
unlearned. Let us ascribe to the only wise God, praise and
adoration for His mercy and love, in that He, who designed
the inscrutable complexities of the Universe which pass
man's understanding, should deign to give us, in the Christian
Church, such simple methods of bringing us into that spiritual
relationship with Himself, which is fraught with such
mighty and eternal consequences. This shows us that
simplicity is compatible with depth, and illustrates the
familiar aphorism that in the revelation of God, there are
shallows, in which lambs can wade ; and oceans, in which
a Leviathan may play.

How great is the vital power of winged words which
enter, as a factor, into the constitution of the Sacraments !
The power of the spoken word is a wonderful and mysterious
subject. It is true that it is only so much air vocalized ;
but it becomes the vehicle of intellect and spirit ; and thus
becomes mighty. A word may affect the whole course of
our lives for weal or for woe ; and a word spoken, perhaps
fifty years ago, may remain indelible, with its associations
of pleasure or pain, even to the end of our lives. If such

4-8 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLI.

be the power of words, even in ordinary life ; must they not
be powerful and efficacious when spoken in the Name of
God, in the Church of God, and with the grace of the Holy
Ghost for a Sacramental end ? The Russians attribute a
spiritual efficacy and an evil result to a father's curse ;
and they believe that it is not spoken into empty air, but
involves calamitous results. On the other hand, we read
in Holy Scripture, of the great value that Esau and Jacob
set upon receiving their father's blessing. How much more
then, should we attach grace and power to words of blessing,
spoken in our Heavenly Father's Name, in the House of
God ! May God give us grace to value aright all the sacra-
ments and ordinances of God in His holy Church, and to
abide in the same unto everlasting life.

" O Almighty God, who by the giving of the Holy Ghost
hast changed the shadows of the old law into the realities
-of the Body of Christ, and by the continual operation of
the same Thy quickening Spirit dost cause Thy Church
to grow and to be profited by Thy grace ; we beseech Thee,
that we ... may be filled with the blessed communion
of the Holy Ghost, and be endowed with His heavenly gifts ;
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

The following remarks were communicated to the Author,
about the year 1870, by a valued friend, who has long since
gone to his rest and is awaiting the resurrection of the just.
They are worthy of being enshrined in the text, as being
pertinent to this chapter which treats of Sacraments.

" All Sacraments derive their efficacy from the Incarnate,
glorified son of God. It was necessary for the Son of God
to become Incarnate that He might die, and bring to an
end the old Adam. It was necessary that He should rise
again, and bring the new creation out of the old. It was
necessary that He should ascend into Heaven and receive
the Holy Ghost, in order to become the quickening Spirit,
and give validity to every Sacrament. Thus He said,

On Sacraments and Ordinances, 429

* What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he
was before,' how shall ye, ye carnally minded men, under-
stand My words concerning eating My flesh and drinking
My blood? 'It is the Spirit that quickeneth ; the flesh John vi. '63.
profiteth nothing.'

" To deny the necessity of the outward and visible, is
to deny the Incarnation, by which the invisible God was
made visible. Henceforth, the outward and spiritual must
ever be united, and used for the conveyance of spiritual
grace and blessing. Man, himself, is a great mystery or
sacrament, even the Man Christ Jesus ; and there is a second
mystery, even the Church, united to Christ as His flesh
and His bones, and yet ' One Spirit ' with Him. i Cor. vi. 17.

" The word ' Incarnation,' strictly speaking, can be
applied to none, but to the Son of God ; for He united
in His own Person, the nature of man and that of God ;
thus making of two, one Christ. None but the Son could
become incarnate neither the Father, nor the Holy Ghost
no angel, nor archangel. The Incarnation of Christ is
solely an act of the Godhead, in the person of the Son ; but
not without the consent and co-operation of the Father
and of the Eternal Spirit. We oftentimes find the expression,
' Such a monster was an incarnate demon.' A devil or an
unclean spirit may possess a human spirit, but this is not an
incarnation ; none but God can become incarnate.

" No Sacrament is, strictly speaking, a miracle ; but
rather, a mystery. The one is an appeal to the senses ;
the other to faith.

" The Centre, round which all revolve, is not Christ
as He was, but as HE is.

" Are the mysteries of God in Creation sacramental ?
May we not find types, or symbols, or emblems of higher
things, or of things to come, in the vine, the cedar, the fir,
the hyssop ? Thus, strictly speaking, there were no sacra-
ments in the Jewish Church ; but all was prophetical, and

430 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLI.

Ho. viii. 5. served ' unto the example and shadow of heavenly things,'
as for example, grapes, wheat, water, oil, fire, sweet gums,
incense and light.

"It is true that some things were sanctified to the
purifying of the flesh ; but the spirit remained comparatively
untouched. Three objects must ever be united in our minds ;
Christ, the Lamb before the Father, slain and living for us ;
the Holy things on the Altar existing according to the
definition and nature of a Sacrament ; and the Church, the
Body of that Head, who was dead and is alive again, and
who liveth for evermore ; in other words, the Body of the
Lord in heaven, the Holy substances on the Altar, and
Christ's Body the Church, which is both visible and invisible.
John ri. 54. ' Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal
life and I will raise him up at the last day.' Our mortal
body awaits the time when it shall be changed into the
likeness of Christ's heavenly body. Thus Transubstantiation
is not a fact, but a promise, which awaits its fulfilment
at the second coming forth of the Lord Jesus Christ."*

We may conclude this chapter with some appropriate
baptismal prayers by Gelasius, Bishop of Rome (A.D. 496).

"O God, who, by Thine irresistible power, dost wonderfully work out the
effect of Thy Sacraments, and although we be unworthy to perform such great
mysteries, yet Thou forsakest not the gifts of Thy grace, incline Thy gracious
ears even to our entreaty ; be present to us in Thy goodness, assist us in Thy
loving kindness, while we are observing Thy commands, O God Almighty. "f

" O God, who restorest us unto eternal life by Christ's Resurrection, fulfil the
ineffable mystery of Thy loving kindness ; that when our Saviour shall come in
His majesty, as Thou hast made us to be regenerated in Baptism, so Thou mayest
make us to be clothed with a blessed immortality ; through the same our Lord
Jesus Christ."

"O God, who hast renewed in the Font of Baptism those that believe in
Thee, vouchsafe to the regenerate in Christ such preserving grace, that they may
not lose the grace of Thy benediction by any incursion of error ; through the same
Jesus Christ our Lord."J

* Christianus. (E.B.)

f From The Office for the Consecration of a Font, Easter Ere.

% Ancient Collects and Other Prayers. William Bright. (Parker, Oxford.)

Infant Baptism. 431

CHAPTER XLII.

INFANT BAPTISM.

ANALYSIS : No express command for Infant Baptism can be found in the
Bible.

I. Analogies from the Old Testament, especially that of Circumcision.
IL Inferences from the New Testament ; from oar Lord's teachings,
and from those of His Apostles.

m. Testimony of the Ancient Church.

On Sponsors. Clinical Baptism.

WITH the brief space at our disposal, little can be said
on Infant Baptism, a topic which has excited volumes of
controversy, and has agitated the Church with much bitter-
ness especially since the period of the Reformation.

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, according to the
formularies of the three great sections of the Church
Catholic, is considered as being " generally necessary to
salvation " : and the Baptism of Infants seems to have been
sanctioned by the general practice of the Church in
apostolic and post-apostolic times. To this the testimony
of antiquity (to be presently adduced) bears ample witness.

Little has been written, in this treatise, on the necessity of
Baptism, for, having regard to the Lord's command, it has
been assumed as self-evident, hardly demanding direct
proof. It is erroneous, however, to infer that the Unbaptized
are eternally lost, for it is not written, 4 * He that is not
baptized " but " he that believeth not " shall be condemned. Mark xvi 16.
Baptism or non-baptism will, no doubt, affect our individual
position in the Kingdom of God : and a spiritual position
once neglected or lost, cannot be regained. The Roman
Catholics meet the difficulty in dealing with unbaptized
infants, by inventing a fanciful place called " Limbo" to
which they are consigned.

432 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part VI., Chap. XLII.

Obviously, the first point to be considered in this
controversy on Infant Baptism, is What saith the Scripture?
All Protestants regard Holy Scripture as the final tribunal,
and to this we must appeal.

We may ask, therefore, does Holy Scripture contain any
command, any clear statement, concerning Infant Bap-
tism ? Does it ignore the rite ? Is it forbidden or is it
tacitly permitted ? A candid examination of Holy Scripture,
leads to the acknowledgment that neither an express com-
mand for Infant Baptism, nor any express prohibition of
it, can be found in the New Testament.

Many earnest and conscientious inquirers after truth,
have searched the inspired Gospels and Epistles, with the
view of ascertaining the Lord's mind on the subject : and
finding no command for the Baptism of Infants, and, acknow-
ledging the necessity for repentance and faith as pre-
requisites to Holy Baptism (which cannot be professed by
the infant personally), they have drifted into isolation or into
the sects of Dissenters, especially the sect of the Baptists,
The common principle, which unites the Baptists (both
General and Particular], is this : that it is not lawful to
baptize infants ; and that the proper mode of Baptism, is
by immersion, and by immersion only.

Absence of command does not necessarily amount to
prohibition ; and there are certain inferential deductions
from Holy Scripture, which may be adduced, in support
of the practice of Infant Baptism. The challenge is often
uttered, " Prove it from Holy Scripture, and I will
acquiesce."

Speaking generally, the affirmations of doctrine, in the
various Christian sects, are frequently right, while their
negations are frequently wrong ; and this holds good of the
truth which we are considering, for the Baptist is right
in his affirmation, but wrong in his negation. In the New
Testament, no direct command for Infant Baptism can be

Infant Baptism. 433

found (which is the strong point of the objectors), and
we would frankly admit this Scriptural difficulty, even
while considering some of the reasons and analogies which
may be advanced, to justify the almost universal practice
of Infant Baptism.

The following remarks are from a well-known, and
respected American minister, on the subject of " Christian
Nurture " :

" I need not stop to-day to prove that the seal of the
Christian Covenant ought to be applied to the children of
the faithful, and that it was actually so applied in the
primitive times. We know that the Jews were commanded
to circumcise their young children, and so to bring them
within the pale of the same covenant with themselves ;
and had Christ laid down a new law, shutting out children
from the blessing of the New Covenant, we should have had
some mention of it. Such an innovation, on His way of
dealing with households from the beginning of the world,
would have disturbed men's minds, and there would have
been some reference to it in the New Testament. Its
almost utter silence on Infant Baptism, instead of being
an argument against it, is a strong argument for it ; for
it shows that, as the old principle was still in force, there
was no need for any allusion to the subject. And the
oldest documents show the practice of the Church (as far
back as there is any trace of light), to have been the same
that it is now, and has been for ages, amongst the vast
majority of those who bear the Christian name.

" It is then of baptized children, that the Apostle speaks,
when he charges that they should be brought up in the
nurture of the Lord."*

I. Certain analogies may be found in the Scriptures,
and especially in the Old Testament, which cast light on
this vexata questio.

* Christian Xurture, p. 5. Rev. William Watson Andrews.

434 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLII.

If God's dealings with men in the past ages, contain
light and guidance for later times, they justify the in-
ference, that children were included with their parents
in all covenants from the beginning. The covenant with
Adam was not personal or for himself alone, but for his
posterity for all who should come out of his loins. Again,
the covenant of God with Noah, included not only his own
Gen. ix. 16. immediate family, but also " every living creature of all
flesh." In the dealings of God, with nations or with families,
as seen in the Old Testament, He does not ignore the children.
He rather regards them, for weal or woe, as partakers
of their parents' actions and experiences ; and as with the
jas. i. 17. Lord there is " no variableness, neither shadow of turning,"
it seems impossible that He should depart from this
principle of action in the New or better Covenant. Little
children cannot be separated from their parents, under
whom they stand, for the Divine truth of Headship has
always pervaded the dealings of God with men.

An analogy in favour of Infant Baptism, may be deduced
from the rite of Circumcision : it does not prove the point,
but offers a strong and presumptive analogy in confirmation of

Col. ii. 11-13. the same. St. Paul, with special emphasis, links Circumcision
and Baptism in close relationship ; he speaks of Baptism,
as " the circumcision made without hands " ; thus sug-
gesting that the obvious type and teachings of Circumcision
might have a primary application to the case of Baptism.
One lesson, which Circumcision plainly teaches us, is, that
it was obligatory for children to be taken into covenant with

Rom. Hi. i, 2. God, and if any spiritual benefit accrued (and who will dare
to deny it, forasmuch as the law was a shadow of
Heb. x. i. better things ?) why should that spiritual blessing, which was
granted under the Old Covenant be denied under the New ?
This would be a retrograde, and not a forward step in
God's purpose and dealings with men, which were an
impossibility. Since Circumcision was among the shadows

Infant Baptism. 435

" of good things to come," there must be some substance Heb. x. i,
answering to this shadow. Impartial candour compels us
to maintain, that there is only one probable or possible
act or rite, which can be the antitype of Circumcision in the
Christian Church, and that is the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.
Baptism is certainly a better covenant than Circumcision, See Chap. xx.
and is " established upon better promises." Jewish parents Heb. viii. 6.
were bound to bring their sons into covenant with God,
on the eighth day, through the painful and bloody rite of
Circumcision ; and so stringent was God's command to
Abraham that He said, " The uncircumcised man child, Gen. \\-ii. 14.
whose flesh ... is uncircumcised, that soul shall be
cut off from his people ; he hath broken my covenant,"
though, as a helpless babe, he was powerless in the matter.
Circumcision has been regarded, by many Divines, as a
type of Baptism affording more than a general analogy.
" By blood and water too

God's mark is set on Thee,
That in Thee every faithful view
Both covenants might see." *

To sum up, Circumcision settles this general truth :
that it is the will of God, that children should be taken into
covenant with Him. So far from this being a sinful, or
presumptuous act, it was, under the law, a compulsory
act, and one fraught with privileges and blessings.

Another Baptismal analogy may be found in the passage
of the Israelites through the Red Sea ; for St. Paul applies Cor. x. i-n.
the types of literal Israel to the Christian Church, and
uses these figures for her warning. He speaks of Israel
having been " baptized unto Moses in the cloud, and in the
sea." As there were thousands of children in the camp,
who, with their parents, received this symbolical baptism
unto Moses, the figure suggests more than an analogy or

* Christian Year. Hymn for the Feast of Circumcision. Rev. John
Keble, M.A.

43^ Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLII.

a mere type, rather a Divine purpose that infants in the
Christian Church should share in the blessedness of Holy
Deut. xxix. 29. Baptism with their parents. It is written, " The secret
things belong unto the LORD our God : but those things
which are revealed, belong unto us, and TO OUR CHILDREN
for ever."

With regard to the spiritual faculties of the little child,
we learn from Holy Scripture, that the capacity for faith
and hope, is a spiritual faculty, which the child may exercise.
Children may possess more spiritual life and faith than is
generally imagined, for the spirit is not identical with the
intellect. Faith and Hope are spiritual, not intellectual
faculties. The Psalmist when speaking prophetically for
Psa. xxii. 9. the Messiah, exclaims " Thou didst make me hope, when I
was upon my mother's breasts." Again, when Mary
Luke i. 41. saluted Elizabeth, her unborn babe, John the Baptist,
leaped in his mother's womb for joy. If the Spirit of God
can act, and did act, on an unborn child, a fortiori, can He
not, and might He not also act on a new-born infant ?

Hannah dedicated Samuel, as an unborn babe, to God's
service ; and when the LORD sent Jeremiah to fulfil his
Jer. i. 5. mission as a Prophet, He spake thus to him : " Before thou
earnest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I
ordained thee a prophet." Therefore, if the children of
Christian parents be deprived of the blessing of being
regenerated and sanctified in Holy Baptism, this must entail
spiritual loss to them and to the Church at large. Many
instances may be found in Holy Scripture, of the Holy
Ghost acting on the spirit of a little child, although the
intellect and reasoning powers may have been dormant.

II. May any corroboration of an indirect character, bear-
ing upon this topic, be deduced from the New Testament ?
Mark x. 13-16. It is written, that when the disciples rebuked those

who brought young children to Jesus that He should
touch them, the Lord " was much displeased, and said unto

Infant Baptism. 437

them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid
them not [or keep them not back]: for of such is the
kingdom of God." . . . "And he took them up in his Luke xvfiL 15-17.
arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." St.
Luke, in his corresponding narrative of this incident, uses
the word infants, or literally (as in the Greek Pp&fa) new-
born children ; and records the fact that " Jesus called
them unto him" and commended their innocence, sim-
plicity, docility, faith, and obedience, as examples for
our imitation ; and whereas He never exhorted children
to be like men, He did command His disciples to become
like little children.

We may ask the pertinent question : ' Would the Lord
have spoken and acted thus, if infants were to be debarred
from His New Covenant ? '

" In order to understand aright, the nature and purpose
of sacraments, it is claimed that we should begin by studying
it in the case of adults . . . and then proceed to study
it in its secondary application to such as are presented in
infancy. Our Lord's words and acts would appear to
suggest precisely an opposite view. In the indignation
with which he rebuked those who forbade parents who
brought infants to Him for blessing, He undoubtedly taught
that infants were to be regarded as proper candidates for
the reception of grace. (Mark x. 14-16.) In the words
which He then added, when He declared that ' of such is
the kingdom of God ' (the only entrance into which
is through the second birth ' of water and of the Spirit '),
He advanced, a step further and seems to indicate that not
merely are infants proper candidates for the reception of
grace, but that they, rather than adults, are the ideal Candi-
dates. This inference is confirmed by our Lord's words
on another occasion, when He took ' a little child * and
4 set him in the midst ' of His disciples, and said, ' Except
ye turn, and become as little children ye shall in no wise

438 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLII.

enter into the kingdom of heaven ' (Matt, xviii. 3). These
declarations, viewed in connection with our Lord's actions,
when He took up infants in His arms, and thereafter ' put
His hands upon them and blessed them,' . . . would
appear, to show that infant rather than adult Baptism
furnishes the most perfect type of the ordinance ; and that,
in order to a due apprehension of the doctrine of the ordinance
of Baptism, we should begin by studying it ... in
its applicability to the infant, who passively submits therein
to the operation of God."*

Light is cast on our subject by St. Peter's first sermon
on the day of Pentecost, after the gift and descent of the
Holy Ghost ; and his words are very significant, if we study
Acts ii. 38, 39. the whole passage with its context : " Then Peter said
unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise
is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off,
even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

Not only did this sermon of St. Peter, delivered ten
days after our Lord's ascension, connect the gift of the
Holy Ghost with Baptism, but he emphatically included
the children, when he said : " for the promise is unto you,
and to your children." What promise ? Presumably, the
gift of the Holy Ghost, since it is linked to the preceding
injunction to " be baptized," by the word "and" ; thus show-
ing the correlation of the gift to the precious sacramental act
of Baptism. Moreover, the Apostle encourages his hearers
to repentance and Baptism, " For [or because] the promise '*
of this gift had been made both to them, and to their children.
But how could this promise be fulfilled to the children, if
they were debarred from being baptized ?

Hence, it may be inferred that the children were (or

* The Divine Life in the Church. Section II. The Holy Sacrament
of Baptism, p. 159. Rev. John MacLeod, D.D.

Infant Baptism.

439

might be) baptized, and might become partakers of the greater
gift of the Holy Ghost, being regarded as inheritors of the
promise made to their fathers. This definite utterance,
on the day of Pentecost (the birthday of the Christian
Church), is the corollary to St. Peters doctrinal sermon,
being its practical application ; and we are thankful that
the Apostle, being full of the Holy Ghost, was moved to
make this declaration.

The Lord said to His Apostles, " He that believeth and Mark rri. 16.
is baptized shall be saved/' Without His previous instruc-
tions, they would not have understood the meaning of this
Sacrament ; for Baptism was an external ordinance, to
be observed and performed, and was comprised in the
Lord's injunction, to " teach all nations ... to observe M^-:. xxviii.
all things, whatsoever "' He had commanded them.

Some have laid stress on the Baptism of households, as
in the case of the jailor at Philippi ; and have argued that
there must have been children, in some of these households.
This is a circumstantial probability ; but it cannot be
regarded as offering any tangible proof of the truth of
Infant Baptism.

St. Paul, speaking of the standing of children (when one
of the parents was a Christian and baptized, and the other
was not), declares the vicarious blessing, which the Christian
parent might convey to the other : and then, applying it
to their children, he writes, " Else were your children i Cor. riL 14.
unclean ; but now are they holy/' As a modern Divine has
expressed it, " to be born of Christian parents is something,
for the truths or principles of unity and headship, come into
exercise. Christ does not change the relationship of children
to parents ; but rather sanctifies and intensifies the same/'

There is an inference, in favour of Infant Baptism, to be
found in the first Epistle of St. John : " I write unto you, little J<*n fi. 12, 13.
children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's
sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known

44 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLII-

him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young
men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write
unto you, little children, because ye have known the
Father " ; and he distinguishes them from young men.
How could they know the Father, unless they were sons ;
and how could they become sons, save by regeneration and
adoption, which blessings could only be conferred in Baptism ?

The practice of the Church Catholic, during the past
centuries, must surely count for something ; for the Holy
Ghost, though grieved and quenched, has not left the
Church. Infant Baptism was the universal practice of the
Church, up to the year A.D. 1500. Are the experiences of
fourteen centuries simply to be ignored, or cast away,
as if no valid Baptism had existed during that long period,
until the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century ? Then,
the human intellect became unshackled, and men began to
search the Scriptures for themselves, with the unbridled
and exaggerated right of private judgment ; the result of
this being, that many believers, finding no explicit com-
mandment about Infant Baptism in the New Testament,
repudiated its practice as being unscriptural and traditional.

At first, the children of Christian parents were baptized
according to the universal custom ; but if this Baptism
were invalid, then there has been no continuity in the life
of the Church. According to the theory of the Baptists,
there was no visible historical Church, after the Second or
Third Century ; but it is impossible to trace, through the
many centuries preceding the Reformation, any organized
Christian community, having Sacraments and Ministries,
which did not baptize little children. The Church cannot
exist without Baptism ; and if valid Baptism has ceased,
then the Church cannot grow, or even exist.

We may remark, in passing, that the practice of baptizing
children during the evensong or public worship in the
Established Church in this land, is a godly and a wise

Infant Baptism. 441

custom ; and this, for the two following reasons : first, that
it serves to remind the whole congregation of their own
Baptism with its vows and obligations ; and secondly,
because it testifies to the value of intercessory prayer both
on behalf of the candidate, for the congregation present, yea
for the Church Catholic, of which the candidate is now, by
the grace of God, made a member.

The following summary of the argument in favour of
Infant Baptism, may be quoted here :
. " The positive arguments for Infant Baptism are many :

"(i) Children inherit original sin; Baptism is its
appointed remedy (Rom. v. vi.) ; unless children are in-
capable of salvation at all. it is fitting that they should
early receive the medicine of their healing.

" (2) The simile of birth, used bv our Lord, suggests that
Baptism is particularly appropriate to infants, who are
thus born spiritually into the Kingdom of God as, physically
into the world, by no active will of their own.

" (3) The children of Jews were admitted into the covenant
as infants, and it would be unreasonable that the children
of Christians should be excluded because the New Covenant
surpasses the Old. The Covenant itself is ' an everlasting
Covenant * (Gen. xvii. 13), but the sign has changed with its
development. The analogy was thought so exact, that, in
the Third Century, some urged that Baptism ought to take
place on the eighth day. (Cyp. Ep. Ixiv. 2.)

" (4) The Rabbis baptized the children of proselytes
with their parents, on the ground that what is done by
their fathers redounds, to their good. (Talmud, Trad
Chet I.)

" (5) Our Lord's express command to His disciples, when
he took the infants in His arms and blessed them, saying,
4 Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them
not : for of such is the kingdom of God,' proves that He
not only thought them capable of being admitted into

44 2 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part vi., Chap. XLII.

covenant with God, but that such admission was His will and
purpose concerning them.

" (6) St. Peter said to the Jews, ' The promise is unto
you, and to your children ' ; and in the light of the prophecy
of Joel, it is, at least more likely that he meant actual
children, than merely posterity. (Acts ii. 17, 39.)

" (7) Children are addressed in the Epistle as members
of the Church (Eph. vi. i., Col. hi. 20), without any hint
that membership began only at the year of discretion.

" (8) The consistent usage of the Church is, however,
the strongest evidence of the will of Christ. ' The Church
received it ' says Origen, ' as a tradition from the Apostles,
to give Baptism to infants (in Rom. vi.).' Even Tertullian,
who with characteristic peculiarity was an advocate for
delay, implies that this was not the usual custom. (De B.
xviii.) "*

III. Many ancient authorities from the early Church can
be cited in favour of the practice.

In the Second Century, we learn that Infants were
considered to be capable of receiving Baptism.

When JUSTIN MARTYR (A.D. 113-165) says (i Apolc. 15),
" Many who have been disciples of Christ from childhood,"
this is not to be interpreted, as proving the practice of his
day, but rather the existence of the catechumenate : on the
other hand, he informs us that in his time, there were many
Christians who had been " made disciples of Christ when
they were infants"

IREN^US, who lived about thirty years after Justin
Martyr, has in his writings the following remarkable
expression : " He [Jesus Christ] came to save all persons
by Himself ; all, I say, who are regenerated by Him unto God ;
infants, and little ones, and children, and young men and
old men " (Adv. Hcer. 22, 4, compared with iii. 17, i). The
expression made disciples, or discipled, regenerated, and

* Dictionary of the Bible. Vol. I., part I., p. 351. Dr. Smith.

Infant Baptism. 443

baptized, were terms used synonymously by early Christian
writers.

TERTULLIAN'S unfavourable judgment of Infant Baptism
not only proves its existence, but that it was widespread.
(De Bapt. 18, A.D. 200). Further proof is afforded by
Cyprian's Epistle to Fidus. (Ep. 64.) (See page 376.)

CYPRIAN was Bishop of Carthage, and he called together
an assembly of sixty-six bishops, who unanimously con-
cluded, that children might be baptized as soon as they
were born, if their parents thought fit to do so (A.D. 256).

ST. AUGUSTINE (A.D. 354-430), who has already been
quoted, speaks to the same effect : " We say that the Holy
Spirit dwells in little children who have been baptized,
although they know it not."

In the Fifth Century, PELAGIUS affirmed that " Infants
were baptized for other reasons, and not because of original
sin" That even Pelagius assumed the administration of
Infant Baptism to be customary, is a powerful argument
in its favour.

ORIGEN says, in his commentary on the Epistle to the
Romans : " The Church received it from the Apostles, that
she should grant baptism to Infants."*

Again, he says : " Infants are baptized for the remission
of sins ; and if it be asked What sins, or at what time they
sinned ; our answer is, No one is free from pollution, though
his life should be but the length of one day upon the earth."

Jews used to baptize proselytes to their religion, men,
women, and children, many generations before St. John the
Baptist.

Thus, in the Talmud, we read that " a person is not a
proselyte until he be both circumcised and baptized."
(Talm. in Jebamoth, c. iv.)f

For several centuries, there was no controversy in the

* Translation, by Rufinus, b. V., c. 9. (Bohm, p. 114:1.)

t Baptists in Error. Rev. T. J. Lee, M.A., Vicar of Luton. 1864.

444 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLII.

early Church, as to the Baptism of Infants ; for it was
universally admitted, that they were proper subjects for
its administration ; and this may be inferred from the way
that the Church treats the *' Feast of the Innocents " who
were murdered at Bethlehem.

As bearing on the subject of Infant Baptism, we
quote from one of the principal Reformation Standards,
or authoritative formularies of the Church of Scotland,
" The Book of Common Order " (or John Knox's Liturgy)
which embodied the worship of the Church, from A.D. 1564
to 1645. The " Prayer before Baptism " embraces the
entire spiritual life of the infant presented for Baptism,
from that moment onwards, until he attains the " full
fruition" of divine joy in heaven; and, having regard to
Baptism as the first stage of that life, entreats God " to
sanctify with His Spirit, and to receive into the number of
His children, this infant to be baptized according to His word."

After baptizing the child, the Minister continues: "We
give Thee most humble thanks for Thine infinite goodness,
who hast not only numbered us amongst Thy saints, but
also of Thy free mercy dost call our children unto Thee, marking
them with this Sacrament, as a singular token and badge of
Thy love. Take this infant into Thy tuition and defence,
whom we offer and present unto Thee, with common sup-
plications, and never suffer him to fall into such unkindness
whereby he should lose the force of Baptism, but that he may
perceive Thee continually to be his merciful Father, through
Thy Holy Spirit working in his heart . . . that in the
end ... he may be exalted into the liberty of Thy
Kingdom. So be it."*

. An institution of human origin, viz., that of Sponsors,
exists in connection with Baptism, according to the rites
of the chief sections of the Church Catholic.

Sponsors or Godparents are called, in, the ancient writings

* The Book of Common Order, or John Knox's Liturgy.

Infant Baptism. 445

of the Church, patrini, and or susceptores. The earliest
mention of sponsors is made by Tertullian. It is not certain
whether during the first three or four centuries, the duty
of answering for the children, about to be baptized, per-
tained to the patrini or susceptores whom we now term
Godparents. The term " sponsor," used by Tertullian, would
certainly imply this duty.

Cyril of Alexandria (A.D. 612) alludes to the "susceptor"
saying Amen, for the child baptized.

From an early period of the Second Century, there were
attendants upon the children who were to be baptized,
whose distinct office was to receive them from the hand of
the priest ; and since renunciation of sin and profession
of faith were made, from the earliest periods, by adults ;
it is highly probable that these acts, in the case of infants,
were performed by the Sponsors or patrini.

Repentance and faith being acknowledged requisites
for Baptism, the problem arose, How to meet this difficulty
in the case of infants ? Hence, the office of sponsors,
sureties, or godparents was established in the early Church.
In heathen times, when there was a danger of the Christian
parents perishing by martyrdom, one of the duties of
sponsors was to be responsible for the children, and to
provide against the contingency of their relapsing into
heathenism ; which might easily occur, on the removal of
their natural guardians.

The office of Sponsors is a spiritual office and not to be
undertaken carelessly, or from worldly motives, but in the
fear and love of God. Sponsors cannot meddle with the
children if the parents are alive, but they can always take
a deep and lively interest in their spiritual welfare, and are
certainly bound to pray for them constantly, by name.

CLINICAL BAPTISM. This might almost be regarded as
the antithesis to Infant Baptism.

By clinical baptism (for 1X07? a bed) is meant baptism

446 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part vi., Chap. XLII.

administered to a person on his death-bed. Mention is made
of this custom by Cyprian, by Eusebius, by Epiphanius (in
Heres : Cerinth :) and by other writers of the fourth and fifth
centuries. The necessity for clinical baptism occurred when
a heathen, in his last sickness, was converted to Christianity;
but it more frequently happened, in consequence of the
prevalence of a superstitious notion, that Baptism washed
away all the sins of the past life ; and therefore, many
persons, convinced of the truth of Christianity, delayed
to receive Baptism until their last sickness ; hoping, thereby,
to die released from the guilt of sin, and to secure their
admission into heaven. Against this error, we find the
Fathers of the Church such as Gregory and Chrysostom
inveighing in powerful language. Two of the most remark-
able instances of this superstition, were the Emperor
Constantine and his son Constantius, who were both bapr
tized on their death-bed.*

The delay of Constantine's baptism may be justified
by the maxims and the practice of Ecclesiastical antiquity.
The Sacrament of Baptism was regularly administered by
the Bishop himself, with his assistant Clergy, in the Cathedral
church of the Diocese, during the fifty days between the
solemn Festivals of Easter and Pentecost ; and during
this holy term, a numerous band of infants and adult
persons were admitted into the bosom of the Church. The
discretion of parents often suspended the baptism of their
children, till they could understand the obligations which
they contracted ; the severity of ancient bishops exacted
from the new converts a novitiate of two or three years ;
and the catechumens themselves, from different motives
of a temporal or a spiritual nature, were seldom impatient
to assume the character of perfect and initiated Christians.
The Sacrament of Baptism was supposed to contain a full

* See also Bbhm's Lights and Shadows, &"c., p. 157.

Infant Baptism. 447

and absolute expiation of sin ; and it was believed that the
soul was instantly restored to its original purity, and entitled
to the promise of eternal salvation. Among the proselytes,
there were many who judged it imprudent to precipitate a
rite, which could not be repeated; or to throw away a
privilege, which could not be recovered.*

Of the submission (thus wrung from the convert under
fear of death) to the self-denying principles of Christianity,
the sincerity must have been doubtful. It was therefore
decreed by the Councils of Neo-Caesarea (A.D. 350) and of
Laodicea (A.D. 363), that no clinic should ever be admitted
to the order of a presbyter.

The Administration of Holy Communion to Infants.

If infants have received the grace of regeneration and the
impartation of a heavenly life, they ought to be permitted,
from time to time, to partake of the Lord's Supper, so that
their spirits may feed upon Christ, and that the Divine
life in them may be strengthened.

Newly-baptized infants were admitted to the Eucharist,
in the early ages of the Church ; and the practice was not
wholly discontinued in the Latin Church, in the Twelfth
Century. In some few places, as among the Helvetians,
it appears to have existed until the commencement of the
Reformation. In the Greek Church, the Eucharist is still
given to children.f

An important practical argument exists in favour of
Infant Baptism, in that it is notorious that when young
people, who have not been baptized, attain to years of
discretion ; many of them (from a sense of false shame
or from other feelings) refuse to present themselves for
Baptism, and thus many members are lost to the Church
of Christ.

* See Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. VoL IV., Chap. 20.
t Eadie's Ecclesiastical Cyclopedia.

44 8 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLIII.

CHAPTER XLIII.

ON THE DIFFERENT MODES OF BAPTISM.

ANALYSIS : There are three modes of Christian Baptism in use :

I. Immersion : which represents death, burial and
resurrection ; II. Affusion : which sets forth the same truths
as Immersion; III. A spersion. the least canonical mode.
Examples of Historic Fonts.

THE various modes of applying water in the Sacrament
of Christian Baptism, arrest our attention.

Again we enter the arena of controversy and touch upon
one cause of the great divisions in the Church.

At the outset, it is clear that what the Church Catholic
has always held to be necessary, to constitute a valid
Baptism, is the application of water and the use of the
holy formula given by our Lord Himself " In the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

Three modes of administering Baptism are current, viz.,
Immersion, Affusion, and Aspersion.

I. Immersion most clearly represents Union with Jesus
Christ, in His two cardinal acts His Death and Resurrection.

This mode excels the two other modes, of Affusion or
Aspersion, in dramatically representing these great acts of
the Lord ; it agrees best with the etymological meaning of
the word, baptize, and is no doubt the most ancient mode
of Baptism.

The following definition of the word is given by the best
Greek Lexicon : " pa.Trr%u (baptizo) is to dip repeatedly ; of
ships, to sink them ; as regards drinkers, to be soaked in
wine ; as regards debt, to be over head and ears in debt."

The word pavrtfa (rantizo), to sprinkle, is quite another
word, so also is the word eV^w (ekcheo), to pour out. But

On the Different Modes of Baptism. 449

the word fta-n-r^ became the technical, and current term for
the act of Baptism, in the early Christian Church. The
person who goes under the water, is figuratively drowned
and therefore dead. When the water closes over his head,
he is figuratively buried. In rising out of the water, drip-
ping, bathed, and cleansed, he comes forth, as it were, a new
man as one risen from the dead, yet with the marks of
death upon him.

Immersion is the most symbolic and dramatic mode, and
is the salient feature in the figures and types of the Flood,
the Cloud, and the Red Sea. That this \vas the primitive See Chap. xix.
mode, as set forth in Holy Scripture, may be inferred
(i) from Jesus descending into the River Jordan "to be
baptized" of John, and coming up " out of the water'" ; (2) Matt. iii. 13-16.
from John baptizing at (Enon, near Salim. because there was Jno. iii. 23.
much water there ; and (3) from the case of Philip and the
Eunuch, who " went down both into the water " and who, Acts viii. 38. 39.
after the administration of Baptism, both came " up out
of the water.' 1 ' 1

Dean Alford remarks, on Luke xii. 50, " The symbolic
nature of Baptism is here to be borne in mind. Baptism
is equivalent to Death. The figure in the Sacrament is the
drowning the burial in the water of the old man, and the
resurrection of the new man."

Trine Immersion is the practice of the Coptic, the
Nestorian, the Armenian, and the Greek Churches : the
Abyssinian Church baptizes by Immersion once, but the
act is performed in three stages. This was the original
practice of the Latin or Roman Church ; but in A.D. 862,
the Greek Church reproached them for innovation, in having
adopted Affusion. On the West front of the Cathedral
of Rheims, the baptism of Clovis, by Immersion, is among
the great sculptures of that marvellous facade.*

* Clovis was the first Frank King who became a convert to Christianity :
Dec. 25th, A.D. 496.

45 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLIII.

Immersion was the only mode originally contemplated
by the Church of England, although it has fallen into
desuetude, since the time of Queen Elizabeth. Thus,
the Office in the Prayer Book enjoins, "Then the Priest
shall take the child into his hands, and shall say to the
Godfathers and Godmothers, ' Name this child.' And then
naming it after them (if they shall certify him that the child
may well endure it), he shall dip it in the water discreetly,
and warily, saying [the Baptismal formula}. But if they
certify that the child is weak, it shall suffice to pour water
upon it, saying the foresaid words." This same idea obtains
in the " Publick Baptism of such as are of riper years and
able to answer for themselves " : " Then shall the Priest take
the person to be baptized by the right hand, and placing
him conveniently by the Font . . . shall ask the God-
fathers and Godmothers the name, and then shall dip him
in the water, or pour water upon him, saying, ' N. I baptize
thee,' " adding the prescribed formula.

The expression in the Prayer, " Grant that this child
now to be baptized therein," implies the same mode. The
Font, moreover, is ordered to be filled with pure water.
A new idea would not be introduced in the second case, of
adults ; nor alter the spiritual teaching set forth in the first
instance i.e., in the baptism of children.

Candidates for Baptism do not come up to be literally
washed in the Font ; for it would be an insult to God, if
they came up in an unclean condition, and without previous
bodily lustration.

We can glean historic instances of Immersion, even
in the case of our English Princes.

" The newborn infant [Margaret Tudor] was evidently
baptized by immersion, notwithstanding the cold usual
to our climate at the last day of November, for the words
occur ' When the babe was put into the font, all the tapers
were lighted." Indeed, all the illuminated MSS., both of

On the Different Modes of Baptism. 451

England and France, always represented royal infants
swimming in the fonts, as may be seen in the Beauchamp
MSS., and that of St. Denis, representing severally the
baptisms of Henry VI. and Charles VI. of France."*

II. The second method of administering Christian
Baptism is by Affusion, or by pouring water on the head
of the candidate. It may be asked, if, from exigencies of
health or of climate, Immersion has given way to Affusion,
in what light are we to regard the latter ? We reply
as representing Immersion ; but not as symbolizing any
other special truths, to the displacing of the two primary
truths of Death and Resurrection.

Affusion can only be adopted on the principle recognized
in Holy Scripture, viz., taking a part for the whole. It is clear
that God accepts this principle ; and therefore, it must be
true. Take, for example, the case of Circumcision ; this
act was, surely, taking a part in lieu of the whole body : for
its spiritual teaching was the death of the old man, as a
whole ; and not merely in part.

The consecration of the Jewish Priests, sets forth the
same principle. The blood of " the ram of consecration " Lev. viii. 22-24.
was put upon the tip of the right ear, upon the right
thumb, and upon the great toe of the right foot. This
indicates the consecration of the whole man by blood ; for
a man could not decently have received a bath of blood.
The same remark would hold good of the anointing of the
heads of Kings or Priests, with holy oil. (See page 199.)

As an illustration of this principle, we may cite the
woman with the alabaster box of very precious ointment,
who poured it on Christ's head and though only His head
was anointed, yet the Lord said, " In that she hath poured Matt. xxvi. 12.
this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial." In the
Lord's sight, His body and His burial were the two ideas
inherent in her action.

* Queens of Scotland, Vol. I., p. 4. Agnes Strickland.

452 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part VI., Chap. XLlll.

The Lord sanctions this principle, by saying to His

John xiii. 10. disciples, after washing their feet ; "He that is washed,

needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit."

The illapse of the Holy Ghost, when the Spirit in " cloven

tongues, like as of fire," rested on the heads of each of the

Apostles, affords another appropriate illustration ; and sets

forth the principle that a part may represent the whole.

Luke Hi. 16. This is termed in Scripture a baptism " with fire."

When, in some branches of the Church, the Celebrant
washes his hands before the Holy Eucharist, this act is
symbolic ; for the hands thus represent the whole body,
even as the Israelitish priests, when on duty, washed their
hands, and feet, before entering the Tabernacle. This
principle is also seen in the Burial of the Dead ; for during
the symbolic act of casting earth upon the body, the Priest
says the words, " Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to
dust " : this, indeed, is the burial of the person, by the officiating
Minister, though the grave is afterwards filled up, by the
sexton. Thus for our redemption, 'Christ the Head, died
for the whole body of mankind and He is accepted of God,
on their behalf, as their representative.

Likewise, the minor act of Affusion (or the pouring
water on the head) is symbolic, and is equivalent to the
greater act of Immersion. The whole body is appropriately
typified ; for if only one member be selected to represent the
body, that member must necessarily be the head which
is the citadel of the brain, and in which, more than in any
other member, the shechinah of spirit dwells, with its mystery
of personality, intelligence, sensation, and controlling will.
Whether the Candidate be standing in, or out of the river
or font, the water poured upon his head would flow down
and, trickling over his body, would practically represent
Immersion.

Hence, it would not be an untrue symbolism, to consider
the whole body as partaking in the baptism or mystic washing

On the Different Modes of Baptism,

453

of the head. When Jesus went down into the river Jordan,
even if He were not immersed by John the Baptist, yet
He would be standing in the water, and the water would be
poured upon His head. The action, in either case, being
equivalent.

From the use of Affusion* or the pouring of the water,
some persons, not seeing that this mode the taking a part
for the whole is to be regarded as the equivalent of
Immersion, have supposed that the main truth of Baptism,
is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit thus ignoring the
Divine purpose in Holy Baptism, viz., that we should be
baptized into Jesus Christ, and made one with Him in His
Death and Resurrection.

Immersion, though assuredly the better, and most
symbolic or dramatic mode of Baptism, is not essential to
the validity of the rite ; but these two modes symbolically
and spiritually agree : for there is a spiritual as well as a
literal connection between these modes of administering Holy
Baptism, whether by immersion or affusion, and they set
forth the same latent spiritual truth.

Inasmuch as climates differ, immersion which is perfectly
suitable in the tropics would, in most cases, be not only
unsuitable but dangerous in the Arctic circle.

III. Aspersion (or sprinkling) is the third method of
Baptism ; and is the least canonical. 'Paa-nlw (rantizo),
the Greek word for to sprinkle, is only used once, in the
Epistle to the Hebrews, in connection with the Ci heart Heb. x 22.
sprinkled from an evil conscience." Those who use Aspersion,
see in it, a symbolic allusion to the sprinkling of the blood
of Jesus Christ ; " the blood of sprinkling/' whereby alone Heb. xii 24.
we obtain remission of our sins. This implies the death of
Jesus Christ, which lies at the basis of Baptism ; but although
that cleansing, by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, is an
essential part, yet it is not the whole of the truth ; for the
reference to His Resurrection is therein omitted.

454 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLHI.

If the zealous Xavier baptized his Indian converts
en masse, or sprinkled water on them, by the aspergillum
wholesale; it must be admitted, that such an action seems
derogatory to the honour of the Christian Sacrament.

To sum up : Immersion is practised by the Greek or
Russian Church ; it is contemplated in the Office of the
Anglican Church ; and it is the only mode sanctioned by
the large body of Nonconformists, called Baptists. Affusion
is the most ordinary method in Christendom ; and is used
by the Roman, Anglican, Lutheran, and Presbyterian
Churches, and by most Dissenting bodies.

' Aspersion ' is often employed in a somewhat unintelligent,
ignorant and careless manner, without due appreciation
even of its more curtailed symbolism.

Perhaps the strongest illustration of the feeling of the
early Christians in this matter, is afforded by the story
told by Socrates and by Rufinus.* When Athanasius was
a boy, he was playing with some young companions, on the
sea-shore near Alexandria. The Bishop, Alexander by
name, happened to be looking at them as they played ;
and he observed, to his astonishment, that they were
imitating the ceremonial of Baptism, Athanasius acting as
boy-bishop (to use a phrase of mediaeval usage). " ' On
diligent inquiry ' we translate now the words of Rufinus
' both from those who were said to have been baptized,
as to what they had been asked, and what they had
replied (the CT-epwri/o-eis and the dTroKpio-eis), and from him
also who had put the baptismal questions, when the Bishop
found that all things had been duly performed according
to the observances of religion, he conferred with his clergy
in council, and is said to have decided to this effect : that,
as water had been poured on these persons, after the in-
terrogations and responses had been duly made, their

Socrates (His. Ecc. lib. ii., c. 16). Rufinus (His. Ecc. lib. i. ( c. 14).

On the Different Modes of Baptism. 455

baptism ought not to be repeated, but only be made complete
by the customary sacerdotal acts.' "*

The early converts attributed a great reality to Baptism ;
and in the life of Gregory of Nazianzus, f we read of his
great anguish, when caught in a storm at sea, from the fact
that he had not been baptized ; for it was the practice in
those days to delay Baptism, for fear of falling into post-
baptismal sin, which was considered dangerous and almost
beyond forgiveness.

With regard to the person who may lawfully administer
this Sacrament, it may be observed that in the absence of a
priest, a deacon may baptize ; in the absence of a deacon,
the father of the child (if its life be in danger) ; and even
female Baptism by a nurse, is held to be valid ; though in
all cases of private Baptism, the child should subsequently
be received into the Church, publicly.

The reasons and analogies that we have adduced from
Holy Scripture, do not favour the conclusion that the mode
of Baptism be it Immersion or Affusion is absolutely
essential, as some of our brethren affirm ; for our Lord,
in His grace and wisdom, has left no distinct command
concerning the mode of administration. Is it conceivable
that, for centuries, the Lord would permit His Church to go
\vTong on such a vital point, on which He gave no definite
instructions in the beginning ? Neither did His apostles
authoritatively determine the explicit details of the rite.

Further, what about the millions who make use of

* Smith's Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, p. 167.

" The Church of Alexandria kept the Anniversary of the Martyrdom
of Peter their late Bishop, who suffered under Diocletian. Alexander, the
new Bishop, after the Service, saw children play at baptizing by the sea-
shore. He sent to inquire, and found the child Athanasius had baptized
several, unbaptized before. . . . The children were not re-baptized,
but confirmed the parents of Athanasius were sent for and charged to
educate Athanasius in a way to fit him to fulfil the place he had taken in
sport, i.e.. that of Bishop." Lives of the Primitive Fathers. VoL ii., p. 39.
\Vm. Cave, D.D. (1683).

f Life of Gregory of Narianzus, pp. 27, 28. Dr. Ullmann.

456 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLIIL.

Affusion ? Is their Baptism invalid and uncanonical ? Are
they unbaptized ? Many persons have been conscientiously
troubled by this question ; but the spiritual doctrine or
truth, connected with Baptism, is of more importance than
the particular manner in which the water is applied. It
has not been found that those children or persons who were
immersed, are really any better in character, spirituality,,
faith, or holiness, than others who received Baptism through
the mode of Affusion.

No doubt, the efficacy of the Sacrament does not depend
on the amount of the water used ; as may be inferred, by
comparing Baptism with the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

Nobody contends that the efficacy of the Holy Communion
is affected by the quantity of the bread and wine received.
All agree that the minutest crumb of bread, or the least
sip of wine, is sufficient for the validity of Communion. If
then we attach no importance to quantity, in the elements
of this Sacrament, why should we do so in the element of
the other Sacrament ?

In Baptism, if only a few drops of water were used,
the Sacrament would be valid, for one drop can, in miniature,
reflect a landscape, and break up the sun's light into its
seven rainbow-colours. The convert can be baptized by the
Acts viii. 36. roadside, as in the case of the Ethiopian eunuch be it in
a pool, or in some small hand-breadth from a passing shower.

The type, therefore, fully satisfies the purpose which
it is intended to serve, if even the smallest quantity of
water be poured over the candidate.

One common custom of bathing, among the ancients,
was the pouring of water from vessels, over the body ; as
we may see in ancient vase-paintings (compare Ovid's
description of Diana's bath, where her attendants " urnis
capacibus undam effundunt "). And it is remarkable, that
in almost all the earliest representations of Baptism that
have been preserved to us, this is the special act depicted

On the Different Modes of Baptism. 457

in frescoes. Such appears to be the representation in the
fresco, in the cemetery of St. Calixtus.

In the picture of our Lord's Baptism, in the Baptistery
of St. John, at Ravenna (dating, probably, from about the
year A.D. 450), our Lord is seen standing in the Jordan,
the water reaching to His waist ; and the Baptist is standing
near, as if upon a bank, and pouring water from a shell,
or from some small vessel, upon the head of our Lord.*

We may conclude this chapter with a few remarks on
Fonts ; which subject affords a wide field for investigation,
both to the Archaeologist, and to the Artist or lover of Art.

The word " Font " means Fountain. The idea is that
of fresh, living water ; as distinct from a dull, stagnant
pool, full of refuse and impurity. The Church, from ancient
times, used the word Font (not basin or lover} to express
the faith of her children, that in Holy Baptism they are
** born again " " born from above," through regeneration,
by the Holy Spirit of God.

Fonts were generally made of stone, lined with lead
or brass, or sometimes with silver ; and ancient Fonts were
large enough to allow of the immersion of infants. As the
mystery of the Holy Eucharist was celebrated at the East
end of the Church ; so the Sacrament of Baptism was cele-
brated at the West end, where the Font generally stood,
as being symbolic of the introduction of the Candidate into
the Church of Christ, by means of this Sacrament.

In early times, Baptisteries were often built apart from
the Church, indicating the same spiritual truth, viz., that
the Catechumen was not a member of the Church, and had,
as yet, no right of entrance.

This arrangement is seen in the Cathedrals of Florence,
Pisa, Ravenna, St. John Lateran, and other Churches.

There are a few historic Fonts which are known to us ;
and which have come down to modern times, laden with

* Vetera Monumenta, Ciampini, Roma, 1757. (In the British Museum.)

458 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms, [Part VI., Chap. Lill.

holy tradition, and with the sanctity of ages ; and some still
exist, as in the cities of Rome and Constantinople.

Generally speaking, Fonts remain in their original form,
untouched by the hand of the iconoclast.

In old days, a Church or Chapel was often built over
a spring or well of water which was used for Baptism, in
preference to water gathered for the purpose into a Font.

For the Baptism of King Edwin of Northumbria, a
Chapel was thus built, where he was baptized by Paulinus
on Easter Day, A.D. 627. Afterwards, York Cathedral
rose over the remains of that Chapel and the spring still
exists in the crypt.

At the ancient Oratory of St. Madern, in Cornwall, a
stream flows under its north-west angle, where a little basin
is excavated to form a Font.

The Holy Well of Fynnon Vair near St. Asaph, rises
at the West end of the Church and is conducted into the
South transept, where a Bath or Font is made to receive it.

Many of the Holy Wells dedicated to Celtic saints,
probably supplied water for the baptism of their converts,
such as the Well of St. Bruered, in Cornwall.

St. Martin's Church, Canterbury, is one of the oldest
Churches in England ; Queen Bertha, the Christian wife of
King Ethelbert, is said to have converted it from heathen
use, to be a temple for Christian worship. In this, there
is a Saxon Font, said to be the one in which King Ethelbert
received Baptism, at the hands of St. Augustine.

A few of the oldest Fonts (of the early Norman or Saxon-
Norman transition period), are to be found in Wales in
a group of old Churches in Gower (Glamorganshire), whose
Fonts date back to about the time of the Norman invasion.
Probably, many of these early Norman Churches replaced
those of the Saxons, having been erected on the same sites.
The Fonts are very similar ; chiefly octagonal externally,
the number eight was considered a mystical number, perhaps

On the Different Modes of Baptism. 459

in remembrance of the eighth day the day of Circumcision,
and of Christ's resurrection. The Chrism or consecrated
oil, blessed by the Bishop, and the oil for catechumens,
were mingled with the baptismal water. In order to
preserve this water, the bowls or Fonts were often lined
with lead, and had lids secured by a lock.

The ancient Fonts of the Winchester type (e.g., in the
Cathedral, East Meon, and St. Michael's Church, Southamp-
ton), are Norman, and differ in character from any others
in England. They date from the Xllth century.

Athelney, once hidden in a Somersetshire marsh, will
always be associated with the memory of King Alfred ;
for from this island then the only independent spot in
England the King, in A.D. 678, went forth and overthrew
the invading Danes at Ethandun. It was this victory that
saved England for the English and for CHRIST ; for the battle
of Ethandun permanently checked the tide of Danish
invaders and gave a blow to Paganism.

** After the battle of Ethandun, the Danish army
delivered to King Alfred hostages, with many oaths that
they would leave his kingdom, and they also promised that
the King should receive Baptism, and that they accordingly
fulfilled; and about three weeks after this King Guthrun
came to him, with some thirty of the principal men of his
army at Anlve (modern name Aller) which is near Athelney,
and King Alfred was his godfather at Baptism."*

There is also an old Font at Harlow, Essex, the legend
cut on it being vulnvavompavavnlnr, which may be rendered
" Wash (away my) transgression and not onl\- (my) face "
the inscription reading like a puzzle, from either end.
May not Christian Fonts remind us of the Lavers in the
Courts of the Tabernacle and Temple, at which the priests
were commanded to wash their hands and feet, before
ministering to the LORD, in holy worship that they died not ? Eiod. x*x iS-zo.

* Old Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon, tin. 1084-1 155.

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLIV.

CHAPTER XLIV.

ON THE BAPTISMAL NAME.

ANALYSIS : The importance and value of a name. The Name of God.
The names of persons given, or changed by God. A name was
given at Circumcision, as is now the practice in Holy Baptism.

Will our Baptismal names abide for ever ; or will the
Lord give us new names ? Christian names and surnames.

Ingenious nomenclature for classification of plants and
animals by Linnaeus.

" WHAT'S in a name ? " (Shakespeare).

History and experience prove that there is a great deal
in a name, and the teachings and illustrations of Holy
Scripture confirm this view. Names have immense value
and comprehensiveness : they embody truth, memories,
and varied associations. All these, and many other ideas,
may be enshrined in a name.

The Holy Name of God demands reverential considera-
Ex. iii. 13, 14. tion. " Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the
children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your
fathers hath sent me unto you ; and they shall say to me,
What is his name ? what shall I say unto them ? And God
said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM : and he said, Thus shalt
thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me
unto you/'

In this simple, yet majestic, answer, God reveals much
concerning His nature ; He asserts His eternity, His self-
existence, His independence, His omnipotence. Man cannot
of himself find out God ; God must be revealed ; and on
two occasions, when the saints of old desired to know the
name of their Divine visitant, a distinct reply was not
vouchsafed; as in the cases of Jacob at Peniel, and of Manoah.
(Gen. xxxii. 27-30 ; Judges xiii. 12, 18.)

On the Baptismal Name. 461

In the brief epitome of the Law, summarized in the Ten
Commandments, a special commandment, viz., the third, is
given to protect the sanctity of God's Holy Name, " Thou EX. xx. 7.
shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain ;
for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his
name in vain." Of this jealous vindication of the Divine
Name, an example is recorded when an Israelitish woman's
son " blasphemed the name of the LORD." " And the LORD Lev. xxiv. 11-16.
spake unto Moses ... he that blasphemeth the name of
the LORD, he shall surely be put to death."

The Name of God cannot be invoked without ensuing
spiritual results. Its solemn invocation in the Church, with
due reverence and prayer, will bring a blessing ; but if that
Holy Name be invoked in profanity, its adjuration must
injure the swearer (who incurs the guilt of blasphemy), and Psa. ixxiv. 18.
possibly the objects of the malediction. Moses, in his final
charge to the children of Israel, bade them " fear this glorious Deut. xxviii. 58.
and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD " ; and the
Psalmist thus expresses his awe for this holy name : " Let Psa. xcix. 3.
them praise thy great and terrible name ; for it is holy."
The Divine Name is the basis of power, both in the material
and in the spiritual world. "The name of the LORD is a Prov. xviii. 10.
strong tower : the righteous runneth into it, and is safe."
When the Name of God is invoked on any person, its
operation, though invisible, is real and irrevocable. When
the seventy, whom Christ sent forth, returned from their
mission, they said ; " Lord, even the devils are subject to us Luke x. 17.
through thy name."

That names cannot be unimportant, we may infer from
God's dealings with men. There are many interesting
associations with the Divine giving or changing of the names
of particular men, as related in Holy Scripture.

It is written, that when God created man, " Male and Gen. v. 2.
female created he them . . . and called their name Adam."

Adam designated his wife's sex as " woman " (Isha, Gen. ii. 23.

462 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Fart VI., Chap. XLIV.

Hebrew), as being taken out of " man " (Ish, Hebrew) ;
Gen. Hi. 20. but he called her name, " Eve " (living).

There are many examples in Holy Scripture of God
calling persons by their names. For instance, He says of
Ex. xxxiii. 12. Moses " I have known thee by name." The LORD called
i Sam. iii. i-io. the child Samuel, three times, by name.

Two most interesting cases of the prophetic anticipa-

i Kings xiii. 2. tion of names, are those of Josiah and Cyrus ; the former

Isa. xiix. i. being named 326 years before he was born ; and the latter,

about 176 years before he began to reign in Persia : the Lord

isa. xiv. 4. having said, " I have even called thee by thy name ; I

have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.''

Gen. xvii. 19. The Lord also indicated Isaac's name before he was born.

Names may have a prophetic meaning which is

announced beforehand, as in the case of the two sons of the

isa. viii. 3 . prophet Isaiah : " Then said the LORD [to the Prophet],

Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz," which in Hebrew

means, " In making speed to the spoil he hasteneth the

prey " (margin), and indicates the calamities under which

isa. vii. 3. Israel should suffer; while the name of Shear-jashub, the

other son, means, " The remnant shall return," alluding to

the subsequent restoration of Israel. Thus, these two

names give an epitome of Jewish history, and indicate the

Isa. viii. 18. fortunes of the nation. Well might Isaiah say, "Behold, I

and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs

and for wonders in Israel, from the LORD of hosts."

The name of John the Baptist was signified by the
angel Gabriel to his father, before the child was conceived
in the womb of his mother.

A prophetic meaning is true also of the most blessed
of all names, brought from heaven by the angel Gabriel,
when the Son of God became incarnate, as the Saviour of
mankind : which was announced before His birth, as follows :
Matt. i. 21. " Thou shalt call his name JESUS ; for he shall save his
people from their sins."

On the Baptismal Name*

463

Psa.cxlviL 4.

Dan.

There are millions, not to say billions, of individuals
belonging to the human race a great total, known only to
God ; but they are also known to Him personally, by then-
own particular names, whether Baptismal or not.

Of the Infinite God, we read : " He telleth the number of
the stars ; he calleth them all by their names " : these may
set forth not only the material stars, but also His saints
those who, having turned " many to righteousness, shall
shine as the stars for ever and ever." Such knowledge is
too wonderful for us : let us worship and adore our God \J

It is no slight benefit to have a distinctive name among
the millions of the human race, by which one may be easily
identified, and maintain the rights of the individual with
the corresponding advantages. From the very first, the
custom necessarily originated of identifying persons by
names, in order that they might be recognized individually.

There is something comforting in the thought that our
names are known in heaven. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd,
tells us that " He calleth his own sheep by name."

That the Lord in glory knows our names and our
dwelling-places, may be inferred from the fact, that out of
heaven He called Saul (afterwards Paul) by name, and Aosix. 10, n.
directed Ananias, by name, to go and minister to him in the
house of Judas, in the street of Damascus called " Straight"
It is a blessed thought that " the righteous shall be in ever-
lasting remembrance/' for the names of the saints are
" written in the Lamb's book of life."

But more than that, on several occasions, God has
intervened for the changing of a person's name, especially in
connection with His covenants. Of this, several remarkable
instances may be adduced. When the LORD made His
covenant with Abram, He changed the name of Abram to
"Abraham" The insertion of the aspirate might seem a
small variation, but it gave quite a different meaning to
the name ; for Abraham signifies " the Father of a great

John x. 3.

Psa. cxii. 6.

Rev. xxi. 27.

Gen.

ii. 5, 15
(margin).

4&4 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLIV.

multitude." So also in the case of Sarai, Abraham's wife,

Gen. xvii. 19. her name was altered from Sarai to " Sarah" (i.e., Princess).

Gen. xxxii. 28, 30. The name of Jacob was changed to that of " Israel " by the

Divine Person who wrestled with him. It may be, that the

name indicated an alteration in his character, and that

Jacob the supplanter had become worthy to receive the

name of " Israel," A Prince of God (margin). Jacob had

not undergone life's discipline in vain, as was evidenced by

his royal gift to his brother Esau, when they met after many

years of estrangement. Again, to Solomon the Lord gave

2 Sam. xii. 24, 25. the name of " Jedidiah," Beloved of the Lord (margin).

Dan. i. 6, 7. The names of Daniel and of the Three Children, were

altered at the caprice of the heathen king ; but the Holy

Scriptures recognize Daniel only by his Jewish name.

Mark iii. 17. The Lord Himself changed the name of Simon to " Cephas "

or "Peter"*; and named James and John, "Boanerges" (sons of

thunder), which was descriptive of their impetuous temper.

Some Biblical and Hebrew students have made an

interesting suggestion 'that the first ten Patriarchal names

may embody a prophecy and outline of the Gospel. In an

American periodical, they are explained thus :

" Adam (man), Seth (substituted by), Enos (feeble, mortal),
Cainan (mourner], Mahalaleel (the blessed God), Jared (came
down), Enoch (consecrated), Methusaleh (by his death sent),
Lamech (to the oppressed ones), Noah (comfort).
" Read consecutively, the sentence runs :
" Man substituted by (or having become) a feeble, mortal
mourner, the blessed God came down, consecrated, to send
by His death, to the oppressed ones, comfort.

" Here we have not only the Gospel, but also the cardinal
doctrines of Christianity :

(i) Man made a feeble, mortal mourner Result of the
Fall.

* See an interesting pamphlet, How Simon, the Son of Jonas, became
Peter. London: Norton, 1889.

On the Baptismal Name. 465

(2) The blessed God came down The Incarnation.

(3) Consecrated, to send by His death, to the oppressed

ones, comfort by His vicarious Death and
Redemption"*

It is only right to add that all Hebrew scholars do not
ratify this interpretation, as the meaning of some of the
names cannot be ascertained with absolute certainty.

Such are a few of the Scriptural associations, which cling
to names ; and it may be easily perceived that a special
interest must attach to names, under even* dispensation :
and particularly, when given in the initiatory Sacraments
of the Mosaic or Christian Covenants.

It was the habit of the Jews, as may be gathered from
the narrative of the circumcision of John the Baptist, to
name their children on the occasion of that rite ; it being
regarded as a fitting time for recognizing the individuality
and responsibility of the infant, and for giving him a name
by which his separate personality would be identified ; and
by which he should be reminded of his covenant standing.
An analogous act takes place in the Sacrament of Christian
Baptism. The child is brought up to the font, nameless.
Having received its first gift of natural life ; it is now to
receive the gift of spiritual life ; and also the gift of a name
whereby its personality will be distinguished from that of
others. In a certain sense, this name is the gift of God ; for
the child first formally receives his name in the House of God,
in the administration of the Ordinance of Holy Baptism.

Baptism is acknowledged to be an act of initiation into
discipleship. " Know ye not. that so many of us as were Rom. vj. 3.
baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death ? M
" For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ Gal. iii. 27.
have put on Christ." We are baptized " in the name of the Matt xzviiL 19.
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost/' St. Paul,

* Immanuefs Witness. January, 1905. St. Louis, Mo. See also
History of Christian \ames. VoL L, p. 42. C. M. Yonge.

4 66

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLIV

I Cor. i. 14, 15.

i Cor. x. i, 2.
Acts xix. 3-5.

Num. vi. 23-27.

while deploring the four great factions in the Church of
Corinth, thanks God that he had not fostered them by
baptizing any of his converts (" but Crispus and Gaius ; ")
lest " any should say that [he] had baptized in [his] own
name." He indignantly asks, " Was Paul crucified for you,
or were ye baptized in the name of Paul ? " He also speaks
of the Jewish fathers, who were all baptized unto Moses. In
like manner, St. Paul asked the Ephesian converts, " Unto
what then were ye baptized ? And they said, Unto John's
baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the
baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they
should believe on him who should come after him, that is,
on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized
in the name of the Lord Jesus."

When the Lord instituted the gracious three-fold blessing,
wherewith Aaron and his sons were to " bless the children
of Israel " in the LORD'S Name, he added these words :
** And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel ;
and I will bless them."

Hence, to be baptized in the holy three-fold Name of God,
and the putting that Name on our foreheads, cannot be an
insignificant act : surely, since it ushers us into the new and
better covenant, the Lord is ready to seal it with this
assurance, " I will bless them."

There is a power in words spoken in the Name of God,
which through Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, cannot
be ineffectual. When the Name of God has been invoked
on the child, it must leave its spiritual impress : therefore,
we must believe that it conveys grace and confers certain
privileges.

The name received in Holy Baptism, is always called the
" Christian name " ; for it is given in the Name of Christ,
and is a constant memorial to us that we are baptized into
Christ, the Anointed One and the Anointer, whose will it is
that we the children of God should partake of His

On the Baptismal Name. 467

anointing, by the gift of the Holy Ghost. Each Christian
name should show forth some grace of Christ, some gift of the
Spirit. Hence, if we are not true to our name, our name will
I enhance our condemnation. To address one who may be
suffering under some abnormal spiritual excitement, by his t
Christian name, is occasionally found useful to calm his
spirit ; for it carries with it spiritual power, inasmuch as
that name, in the solemn Baptismal formula, was brought
into close contact with that of the Holy Trinity. It is an
anxious consideration, whether those who regard Holy
Baptism as simply a rite for admission to the outward and
visible Church, but deny its spiritual efficacy, do not take
God's Holy Name in vain.

The Baptismal name given in the House of God, is I
considered by man to be sacred and unchangeable ; and an
interesting question suggests itself : Will the Baptized
be known by their Christian names for ever ? When the
Christian name has been given sacramentally in Holy
Baptism, it may possibly have that indelible character which
pertains to all the acts of God. And yet. it must be acknow-
ledged that many foolish names (given by the caprice and
folly of parents) do not seem worthy of everlasting remem-
brance ; and the million examples of any given name, such
as the honoured one of " John," might suggest a cause
of perplexity. W T e are inclined to think that in the
resurrection, when all things are made new, that the last
Adam, the second Adam, after the type of the first Adam,
will re-name His whole new and glorified Creation.

Our " new name " in the resurrection, is an interesting
thought, on which we cannot dogmatize ; for, as in so many
other cases, we are absolutely dependent on revelation.

Our Lord Himself speaks of His new name : and yet, when Rev. Ui. 12.
He spoke from Heaven to the persecuting Saul, He said,
" I am Jesus " ; so in the last chapter of the Revelation, Acts ix. 5.
He says, " I Jesus have sent mine angel." We know that Rev. xxtt. 16.

4 68

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part VI., Chap. X LI V.

John xix. 19.

Rev. xix.

12, 13, 16.

Isa. Ixii. 2, 4.

Gen. ii. 19, 20.

the hallowed name of JESUS (with His title) was affixed on
the cross, although set there in mockery, " JESUS OF
NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS."

But it is the same Jesus, whom the Apostle John beheld
leading the armies of heaven on white horses, and who
" had a name written, that no man knew but he himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood : and
his name is called The Word of God. . . . And he hath on
his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING
OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

The LORD comforts Israel in these words : " Thou shalt
be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD
shall name. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken ;
neither shalt thy land any more be termed Desolate : but
thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah :
for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be
married."

How beautiful was the graciousness of the Lord God, in
bringing the animal creation to Adam, to see what he would
call them ; so as to exercise his intellect and to afford him
pleasure. One of the first gifts of God to man, was that of
language ; and its first recorded use, was when he " gave
names to all the cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and every
beast of the field." The character of the nomenclature
would no doubt indicate the nature, uses, and peculiarities
of the animals so named ; " and whatsoever Adam called
every living creature, that was the name thereof."

Many of the present scientific names of animals, plants,
and minerals are absurd ; for they convey little idea of their
habits or substance, being often called after some discoverer :
some, on the other hand, are self-explanatory, suggestive,
and easy of remembrance.

The prominence which the subject of names occupies
in the book of Revelation the most wonderful book in the
Bible is interesting and significant.

On the Baptismal Name. 459

Twice in his Epistles to the Seven Churches, does the
Lord allude to the subject of names in His promises.

To the Church in Pergamos, He says : " To him that Re*, u- 17-
overcometh will I give ... a white stone, and in the
stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving
he that receiveth it."

To Sardis, the promise to him that overcometh is this : Rer. fii. 5.
" I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I
will confess his name before my Father, and before his
angels."

To Philadelphia, the promise to the victor is : "I will Rer. m. 12.
write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the
city of my God . . . and I will write upon him my new name."

Of the glorified saints it is written : ** His name shall be R ~- L 4.
in their foreheads."

What a wonderful thought it is, that the name of our God
and Saviour not written in ink. nor in gold, but wrought
in characters of fire and glory into our living body shall
indelibly shine there for ever and ever ; for this name is con-
nected with the " Baptism of Fire." There is also a mystery
connected with the name of the beast (0ijpcW). even with
Antichrist, and with the number of his name, which is 666. Rer. xiii 17. is.

The king over the terrible locusts has a special name,
which in the Hebrew is " Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue Rer. i*. 1 1.
hath his name Apollyon."

What a mysterious and beautiful thought is that of the
catalogue of names " written in the Lamb's book of life," R~- - *7-
from the foundation of the world: and what a fearful thing
that the Lord of love and mercy should have to blot out of RCT. SL 5.
the Book of Life, any name after its having been once written
therein.

In modern days, there are two classes of names, Christian
names and surnames. Our Christian name is a token of
our being in covenant with God ; and our surname is a
family distinction pertaining to this world. Surnames may

47 Scriptural Studies on Baptism?. [Part VI., Chap. XLiv.

be changed. The wife takes her husband's name on her
marriage, but she retains her Christian name. Profound
and interesting books have been written on the origin and
meanings of names, which, like coins or fossils, embody a
great deal of past history.

We may here quote from the learned Archbishop Trench.
" Again, something may be learned from knowing that the
surname, as distinguished from the Christian name, is the
name over and above, not ' sire ' name or name received from
the father, as some explain, but ' isur ' name (super nomen).
That is, there was never a time when every baptized man had
not a Christian name, the recognition of his personal standing
before God : while the surname, the name expressing his
relation, not to the Kingdom of God, but to a worldly
society, is of much later growth, super-added to the other,
as the word itself declares. What a lesson, at once in the
growing up of a human society, and in the contrast between
it and the heavenly society of the Church, might be appended
to this explanation. There was a period when only a few
had surnames, while the Christian name from the first was
common to every man. All this might be brought usefully
to bear on the exposition of the first words in the Catechism."*

It has been observed, that the Christian Sovereigns of
Europe (most of whom used to be anointed in the name of
the Lord, to the kingly office) are generally known by their
Christian names, and have on their coins, D.G., " Dei
Gratia " ; whereas Presidents of Republics, who are not
anointed, but frequently set in their places by the popular
will rather than by the invoked grace of God, are in modern
days known by their surnames.

Names are not only interesting and instructive in the
case of persons ; but of places also, for in them we often have
embodied traditions and history. Canon Isaac Taylor has
pointed out that we can trace several historical layers, as it

* Study of Words, p. 310. Archbishop Trench.

On the Baptismal Name. 471

were, of inhabitants from the surviving names in the East of
England. After the Romans came the Jutes, then the
Danes, the Angles, the Saxons, who, like overlapping strata,
may be traced in the village names of Norfolk and Suffolk.*

In the matter of science and knowledge, a great debt is
due to the Swedish naturalist, Linmeus (A.D. 1707), who
materially assisted the progress of science by his nomencla-
ture for the classification of plants and animals. He hit
upon the idea of having two names to every object ; the
first, the generic ; the second, the specific name. The genus
being wider than the species, in this way it became easy to
identify with certainty an object out of nature's complex
labyrinth ; and by a simple series of subdivisions, order is
brought into the realm of nature, with its endless wealth and
its apparent disorder. What would science be without
systematic names ? Truly, without this magic wand and
clue, nature would appear a mass of difficult and inextricable
entanglements. Thus nature, as well as man, may answer
the question, " What's in a name ? " and confess, that
without names, the} 7 would be stranded in hopeless confusion.

Let us thank God for our Baptismal name, with its
associations and encouragements. O, that we may be
counted worthy to receive our new names from the Lord
Himself, in the day of His Kingdom and glory !

The Lord bade the seventy rejoice, not because the Luke x. 17-20.
spirits were subject to them, but because their names (were)
written in heaven, and those who enter the Holy City are
written in the Lamb's book of life. May this be true of us, Rev. xxi. 27.
and may the promise to the Church in Sardis be fulfilled Rev. iii. 5.
to us, that the Lord will not blot out our name out of the
book of life, but confess our name before his Father, and
before his angels.

" O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the Psa - vi -
earth" : " Hallowed be thy name " !

* Words and Places, p. 31. Isaac Taylor, M.A. Macmillan, 1873.

47 2 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLV.

CHAPTER XLV.

ON CATECHUMENS.

ANALYSIS : Definition of ' Catechumens.' They could not be present
at the Holy Eucharist. The Offices for their reception in the
Coptic and Apostolic Churches.

On exorcism. On the ' Sign of the Cross.' Its use.

Office for the Dedication of the Catechumen. Function
of Witnesses.

THE first prevenient, canonical Office, associated with
the Sacrament of Baptism in the Christian Church, is
connected with persons who are as yet unbaptized ; but are
desirous of being received into the fellowship of the Church
through this Sacrament. They are known by the name of
' Catechumens.''

" The Catechumens in the earliest ages of the Church
were those who were desirous of Baptism, and were candi-
dates for that Sacrament. The literal signification of the
term, according to its etymology (Greek), is one who is
caused to hear something.

" Catechumens were divided into four classes :

" The first class appears to have been those who were
still in the condition of inquirers.

" The second class consisted of those who, having been
privately instructed, were found worthy of being admitted
to the Churches for the hearing of sermons, and the reading
of the Gospel. These were called audientes hearers. They
left the Church when the reading of the Scriptures and the
sermon had been concluded.

" The third class consisted of those who had formally
demanded Baptism.

On Catechumens. 473

" These were called prostrati or genuflectentes those
who shared in the prayers of the congregation.

" The fourth class were the decti or competentes, who had
completed the period of their probation and were deemed
ready to receive Baptism, and only waited to do so on the
first occasion, i.e., at the following Easter or Pentecost.

" Catechumens of the third class might be present in the
more distant and lower part of the Church assigned to them,
during all that part of the Service of the Mass which precedes
the Offertory. It was then that the ' Ite, Catechumeni ;
missa est ! '* was pronounced, and that portion of the Service
was a ' Catechumenes' Mass.* They were not permitted so
much as to see the Eucharist. But in order that there
might be the bond of some kind of special communion
between them and the body of the faithful, bread was
blessed and given to them, and this bread was called Panis
Catechumenorum .

" On the demand of any person to become a Catechumen.
a strict and searching examination was made into the
previous conduct of the aspirant and the general tenor of
his life. Great caution was used also in ascertaining the
nature and earnestness of his desire to become a Christian.
The duration of the Catechumenate was originally fixed at
three months, but subsequently shortened to forty days.
A searching scrutiny into the mind and heart of the candidate
was made on seven different occasions. Previously to
beginning the first scrutiny, which usually took place on the
Wednesday of the third week in Lent, the Priest blessed
ashes, which he sprinkled on the head of the Catechumen.
He also touched his ears and his nostrils with saliva, saying
' Ephphatha, which is, be open to the odour of sanctity.
But thou, devil, flee hence, for the judgment of God is
approaching.' The neophyte was then asked if he renounced

* " Depart ye Catechumens. It is dismissed." This word ' missa '
is supposed to be the origin of the word " Mass."

474 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLV.

the devil and believed all the doctrines of the faith. Then
the Priest blew on his face, saying * Go out from him, thou
unclean spirit, and give place to the Holy Spirit of the
Paraclete ' ; and he concluded by making the sign of the
cross on his forehead, ' In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus
Sancti.' "* (See also page page 476.)

A Catechumen was, in effect, a candidate for Christian
Baptism, and there was a special Office for his reception;
for he was not allowed to advance without due preparation.
He was instructed ; and when duly prepared, he was allowed
to receive the Sacrament of Baptism ; and so became one
of the ' illuminated ' (ittuminati). We, who are living in a
Christian country, are not so familiar with the term
' Catechumen ' ; for, save in the occasional reception of an
adult to Baptism, the rite does not occur in our experience.

In looking through the Liturgies of Christendom bearing
on this subject, we glean the following particulars from the
Coptic rite for the admission of Catechumens ; and it is
remarkable what beauties lie hidden among the treasures
of Oriental Liturgies.

The priest shall anoint the forehead of the Catechumen ;
saying " The oil of catechesis of (here he names the candidate}
in the one Holy Catholic Apostolic Church of God."

The Priest shall anoint the breast, hands, and back of the
Catechumen, saying :

" May this oil destroy all the enmity of the enemy. Amen."

After further prayer, the Catechumen shall look towards
the West, and raise his right hand (or his sponsor shall raise
it for him), saying :

" I renounce thee, Satan, and all thy impure works and
all thy evil angels and all thy wicked demons and all thy
power and all thy vile service, and all thy wicked wiles and
deceits and all thy army and all thy authority and all the
rest of thy impieties."

* Catechumens. Encyclopaedia Britannica.

On Catechumens. 475

After this, the Catechumen shall turn towards the East,
and shall raise his hand upward saying, " I submit myself to
Thee, O Christ my God, and to all Thy saving laws and all
Thy life-giving service and all Thy life-giving works.

" I believe in One God, the Father Almighty, and His
only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, and the Holy
Ghost the Giver of Life, and in the resurrection of the flesh,
and the one only Catholic Apostolic Church. Amen.''

In " The Liturgy and other Divine Offices of the Church,"
there are two special Offices for Catechumens, viz., for
their reception and dedication before Baptism.

The first is " The Order for receiving a Catechumen,"
and the second is that for their " Dedication."

The former opens with a short address to the Catechumen,
expressive of the hope that God would fulfil his desire to be
admitted to Holy Baptism. This is followed by a prayer,
after which the Catechumen remains on his knees while the
Priest rises and, extending his right hand over each candidate,
utters an exorcism,* which is followed by the sign of the cross,
in the Name of the Holy Trinity. Then the Priest laying his
hand on the Catechumen's head, prays for him, and con-
cludes with the benediction.

Two or three points demand attention. First, concerning
the position of the Catechumen at the further end of the
Church where the Service takes place : the candidate is not
a member of the Church of Christ, but is seeking membership
through Baptism : and according to accepted symbolism,
the font is generally at the West end. Next, occurs a form
of exorcism ; the applicant being an unbaptized man, is not
in covenant with God ; nor, save through Christ's death
for all men, is he a recipient of the grace of God ; but having
been born in sin, he is more subject than the Baptized to the

* The hand of the priest is stretched out over the candidate, as a
symbol of the authority of the Lord over the Prince of darkness and all
his hosts. The text of the exorcism is given at the end of this Chapter.

47 6

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLV.

assaults of the Devil and his evil spirits. The Lord Jesus
has power and authority over evil spirits, and he gave the
same power to His Apostles to cast them out. Of this, many
examples occur in the Gospels, where it is recorded that the
Lord cast out devils, and that His disciples also cast them
Luke xi. 19. out ; and our Lord's words to the Pharisees, imply that they
likewise had this same power.

The seventy (whom the Lord sent forth after the call of
the Apostles) came back from their mission with great joy,
Luke x. 17. and said, " Lord, even the devils are subject unto us in
thy name." It is clear that the Church was endowed from
on high, with power to rule over evil spirits, by virtue of the
victory of her risen Lord ; and no doubt, if prayer and
fasting were more earnestly exercised (as the Lord Himself
intimates), we should in these days, be more familiar with
instances of spiritual power, and with the casting out of evil
spirits, in our ordinary experience. After His resurrection,
the Lord renewed this power and commission to His Church,
Mark xvi. 17. to " cast out devils " in His Name, as was exemplified in the
Actsxvi. 16-18. case of St. Paul, who cast the spirit of divination out of the
damsel, at Philippi. In the early Church, this action was
quite recognized ; and there were men who formed an
order, not an ordained Order (like Bishops, Priests and
Deacons), but more like lay readers, who went by the name
of " Exorcists."

A word may here be added on the subject of Exorcism.*
" The custom of attempting to drive out the devil from
possessed persons, was familiar to the Jews, as appears from
Matt. xii. 27 ; Acts xix. 13. For this end, they employed
magical forms, said to be derived from Solomon. Our
Lord gave to His disciples the real power of driving out
demons ; and in the earliest times, this power was exercised
by such persons (whether clerics or lay people, men or

* The following remarks are condensed from The Catholic Dictionary,
p. 362. Addis and Arnold.

On Catechumens, 477

women), as had received the special grace which enabled
them to do so. However, in the middle of the Third Cen-
tury, Pope Cornelius* speaks of the Exorcists, as a special
order of the Clergy : and the Council of Laodicea (can. 26)
forbids those who have not been ordained, to exorcize,
either in Church, or in private houses. The so-called
Fourth Council of Carthage (A.D. 396), prescribes a Form,
for the ordination of Exorcists the same in substance, as
that given in the Roman Pontifical, and which still obtains
in the Roman Church. The Bishop gives the book of
exorcisms into the hand of the person to be ordained, bidding
him to learn them by heart and receive the power of laying
his hands on the possessed. Innocent I. (Ep. I. ad Decent.}
prohibited Exorcists, from exercising their ministry on the
possessed, without express permission of the Bishop ; and
this law is still in force. The Order of Exorcists is the
third of the minor orders. Power is still given to drive out
the Devil ; but the exercise of the power is restrained ; and
the Order of Exorcists has come to be chiefly regarded as
a step to the Priesthood.

" Catechumens and the unbaptized, even if not possessed
of evil spirits, were regarded as still belonging, in a sense,
to the kingdom of darkness ; and from early times, exor-
cisms were employed by Priests in some current Ritual, to
snap the band between the soul of the Candidate for Baptism
and the Devil."

To this day, in some sections of the Church, exorcisms
are used by Priests, over inanimate objects : e.g., in blessing
water for Baptism, etc. This practice is also very ancient,
for Cyprian (Ep. 70) alludes to the custom. It does not
spring from any Manichean idea that matter is evil ; but
from the Christian doctrine, that all Creation, since the Fall,
has been marred by the powers of evil.

It is to be feared, that in these days of unbelief, and of

* Apud Eusebius. ' H. .' vi. 43.

478 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLV.

neglect of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, the Church has either
slept on her rights and forgotten the authority given to
her by her risen Head ; or has not sufficient faith to act
with authority, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and to
command the unclean spirits to depart out of a sufferer.

This exorcism is not meant to convey any reflection
on any individual ; but, as the Catechism says, we
are all " born in sin, and are by nature the children
of wrath," therefore, the first step preparatory to the
reception of God's grace, is to cast out the usurper, who
may have unlawfully taken possession ; and to make the
shrine the spirit of the man pure and clean, for its
proper occupant.

To revert to the order for receiving a Catechumen.
After the exorcism another significant act follows ; the
Priest signs the Candidate on his forehead with the sign
of the Cross, saying, " In the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, I sign thee with the
sign of faith, the sign of the Cross ; be thou never ashamed
of His Cross, but confess the faith of Christ crucified,
and continue His faithful soldier and servant unto thy
life's end."

This cannot be a vain, empty sign, when done solemnly
in the House of God, and in the name of the ever-blessed
Trinity. If it be not a spiritual reality, it becomes a
mockery, not to say a blasphemy.

It may be profitable to offer a few remarks on the ' Sign
of the Cross.' It is one of those usages that has been
abused, and to many Protestants, its use at any other time
than at Holy Baptism, is abhorrent.

Like many other external acts, it may be used in a right
or in a wrong way. It is an act which expresses a great
deal in a small compass. It has a direct reference to the
Cross of Christ ; and not only so, but to all the truth and
doctrine, which is embodied in the Cross. It is the sign

On Cit2chum2ns. 479

of faith, and of our profession, and has been found helpful
by many in their spiritual combat.

It may be interesting to remark, in this connection,
that some persons have thought that this was the mark
used by the man with the writer's inkhorn, in that marvel-
lous vision of Ezekiel, recorded in his book.

Among the six men, sent by the Lord to destroy the city Ezek. u. 2-6.
of Jerusalem, was one " clothed with linen, with a writer's
inkhorn by his side," who was bidden to go " through
the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads
of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations
that be done in the midst thereof " ; and the six men with
their slaughter weapons were bidden, in fulfilling their
deadly mission, not to come near any man upon whom the
mark had been set.

Now the question of interest is, What was the mark
that was to be put upon the foreheads of the mourners ?

In the original Hebrew, it is not " set a mark'' but a
" tau " on the foreheads of those who were to be exempt
from the general destruction.

There is an old suggestion, reaching back even to the
time of Jerome, that the sign or mark was a " Tan.'' which
is the twenty-second or last letter in the Hebrew Alphabet.
In the Septuagint it is translated (n;/-rov : and in the Vulgate,
*' Signa Tau super frontes." The crux ansata in the Egyptian
hieroglyphics, gives us an idea of a cross with a handle affixed.

"In the Catacombs, and in all the earliest records, the
Cross is constantly used in connection with the monogram
of Christ ; and this may point to the probable fact of a
double meaning, in the use of the symbol, from the earliest
times.

" As derived from, or joined with, the monogram,
especially with the monogram in its earliest or decussated
form (or St. Andrew's Cross), the Cross is a general or short-
hand symbol for the name and person of Christ.

480 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLV.

" As used with the somewhat later or transverse mono-
gram, or when separated from the monogram and used
by itself, it directs special attention to the sacrifice and
death of the Lord, and, as it were, avows and glories in
the manner of His death."*

The sign of the Cross was, without doubt, introduced
into the Christian Church, in early timesf ; but in some
sections of the Church it is regarded not only as a mark of
Popery and of Ritualism, but as a mark of pagan idolatry.
However, in the use of this emblem of the Cross, let us
bear in mind the injunction of St. Paul, and exhibit the
same spirit of Apostolic charity which he manifested :
Rom. xiv. 5. " Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind."
Let him that can use it with godly edification and spiritual
profit, do so ; and let him whose conscience is offended,
or whose prejudices would make it a stumblingblock to
him, forbear. But at the same time let him remember
the Apostolic protest : " Why is my liberty judged of
another man's conscience ? "

After the reception of a Catechumen to the prevenient
grace of the Church, the next Service that occurs in the
Apostolic Liturgy, is " the Dedication of Catechumens pre-
viously to their Baptism." This Service takes place within
ten days of the contemplated Baptism ; and it is directed
that the Catechumens with their Sponsors or Witnesses,
shall be present themselves at the lower end of the Church.

* Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, Vol. I., p. 494.

f " The use of the sign of the Cross is of great antiquity, and was very
frequent in the earlier centuries of the Christian Church. It was connected
with such passages of Scripture as Ezek. ix. 4 ; Rev. vii. 3 ; ix. 4 ; xiv. i.
. . . The sign of the Cross accompanied almost every action, sacred
or profane, in a Christian life, from rising in the morning until retiring to
rest at night. . . . (i) To denote that they were Christians; (2) To
put the Devil to flight ; (3) for reminding and encouraging themselves
and others under difficulties and trials ; (4) as a remedy against temptation ;
(5) as a charm against disease or mishap ; (6) for purifying places, Churches,
etc. . . Constan tine's use of it on his standards is well known."
fbid., Vol. II., p. 1895.

On Catechumens. 481

The Catechumens are exhorted to self-examination, purity,
and the dedication of themselves unto God.

Certain questions are then put to the Candidate as
to whether he is determined to renounce the world,
the flesh, and the Devil, and to cleave to Christ. After the
Candidate's reply, prayer is made at the Altar for his
acceptance.

There are many elements of spiritual beauty and
originality in this Service for the Dedication of Catechumens.
It is characterized by spiritual power, by tenderness, by
the spirit of welcome and fellowship extended to the
Catechumen, which must cheer his heart, increase his faith
and give him joy. .

Allusion has already been made to the subject of
Witnesses. They play an important part in Holy Scripture.
and in God's dealings with men ; and it is evident
that they occupy a solemn and responsible office. They
are observers of what takes place, and are ready to give
their attestation to the facts. In many cases, during the
persecutions of the early Church, witnesses testified to the
truth of what they believed, and sealed their testimony R e \. i. 5.
by their life's blood. One of the most glorious titles of
Christ, is that of 4i the faithful witness " ; for He is a Rev. iii. 14.
Witness to men of the invisible Father. The Law of Moses
stamped sanctity on the character of witnesses : and God
provided for their plurality or at least, for their duality
and decreed that in the mouth of two or three witnesses,
every word should be established.*

The act of dedicating a Catechumen in the House of
God, is made more solemn, by the fact that some persons
are present, in the character of Sponsors or Witnesses, to
attest ; albeit, the ideas connected with a Witness, though
allied to those of a Sponsor, are not identical.

* See The Church's Forgotten Hope, Chapter vra., on the subject of
witnesses and the ministries of the Two Witnesses. D. Hobbs, Glasgow.

4 82 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLV.

There is an interesting rite in the Apostolic Liturgy,
which has its affinities with the subject of Catechumens. It
is the Dedication of an infant, soon after its birth and before
its Baptism. There is no definite act of exorcism ; but
prayer is made for the mother and the infant ; then, after
affixing the sign of the Cross on the babe, special supplica-
tion is offered up, that God would vouchsafe the child the
privilege of being brought up to Holy Baptism.

Let us conclude this chapter on Catechumens with the
following comprehensive exorcism, and prayer :

" The Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who with his finger
did cast out devils, and came into the world that He might
destroy the works of the devil ; Deliver thee from Satan,
and from all his evil power ; and cause him to depart from
thee both now and for ever. The Lord deliver thee from
every evil and unclean spirit ; the spirit of deceit and guile,
the spirit of idolatry and covetousness, the spirit of false-
hood and of all uncleanness : that thou mayest be made
meet for the Holy Ghost, and that He may take up His
abode and dwell in thee for ever. Amen." *

" O most merciful Father, who hast ordained Thy
Church to abide in the midst of this evil world unto the
appearing and kingdom of Thy Son, that the full number
of Thine elect may be gathered out, and brought into Thy
fold ; Look down in Thy mercy upon all those who believe
in the Name of Thy Son Jesus Christ but are not yet
baptized into Thy holy church; and give unto them, we
beseech Thee, such increase of faith and understanding,
that they may believe with the heart unto righteousness,
and confess with the mouth unto salvation ; and being born
again in the fountain of baptism, they may be received
into the number of the children of Thine adoption. Amen."f

* Liturgy attd other Divine Offices of the Church. " The Order for Receiving
a Catechumen."

| Ibid. Service for Good Friday.

Connection of Christian Baptism with other Divine Acts. 483

CHAPTER XLVI.

THE CONNECTION OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM WITH OTHER
DIVINE ACTS IN THE CHURCH.

ANALYSIS : Truths, natural or spiritual, are correlated. Baptism is
connected: (i) With the daily Absolution in the Church; (2)
With the Holy Eucharist ; (3) With Confirmation or the Laying
on of Hands.

ALTHOUGH we have drawn attention to the connection
which exists between Baptism and other Divine Offices
or Acts in the Church ; yet, even at the risk of repetition,
the subject deserves a more detailed and pointed considera-
tion, inasmuch as all truths are correlated, and all the
acts of God in the Church are intertwined. This statement
may be regarded as an absolute truism ; but it is as absurd
to think of an isolated truth, as it would be to imagine a
detached act of history or of Providence : they must each
have relations to the past and to the future.

It is possible that the simple yet grand idea, of the
correlation of spiritual truths (that they spring from a
common centre and converge to the same) may not have
been intelligently grasped. The interest of the scientific
world was excited, when in 1846, Mr. Grove published his
book (sixth edition, 1874), on the " Co-relation of Physical
Forces," in which he showed how the forces of Nature were
correlated and mutually convertible. Natural and physical
truths are related, because they are rooted in the laws of
Nature, and the same law holds good, only in a higher
degree, with reference to spiritual truth.

Holy Baptism forms one of a series of Divine acts ; and
its relation to the central truth of the Incarnation of the
Son of God, was our starting point.

484 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLVI.

Let us now consider the connection of Christian Baptism
with the chief acts of our Lord in His Church.

I. The first act of God which arrests our attention is
that of the daily Absolution. Speaking generally, this act
takes place, in the chief branches of the Church Catholic,
in the Holy Eucharist and in the daily Services of morning
and evening worship or Matins and Vespers. It occurs
in the Greek (or Eastern), in the Roman (or Western),
in the Lutheran, in the Anglican, and in the Apostolic
Offices . That the worship which the Church offers to
God, should be daily, is indicated by revelation and by our
sense of Natural Religion, as the appropriate course and the
Acts xvii 2 & path of duty. In God, as our Creator, " we live, and move,
and have our being" ; and for this we owe Him daily thanks,
and " above all for [His] inestimable love in the redemption
of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ ; for the means of
grace and for the hope of glory." The necessity of sinful
man making confession of sin in all his approaches to God,
is enforced by the daily sacrifices of the Mosaic Law ; and
by the special confession and sin-offerings on the Day of
Atonement, which sanctified the sacrifice of the morning
and evening lamb, and all other services of the year
rendering them acceptable, and, in their measure, efficacious.
These were laws in Israel, and types and shadows of good
things to come, especially of the daily and weekly worship
of the Church. Although sin was acknowledged in the
death of the victim, yet a further act, of great spiritual
import, ensued. The blood which was the life of the
victim was sprinkled, and this, being accepted by God,
spake of forgiveness and remission, of absolution and
freedom.

The spiritual value of the act of Absolution, as ministered
in the Christian Church, is not generally understood. After
a brief reminder of our sins and shortcomings, and
an exhortation to repentance and confession, the formal

Connection of Christian Baptism with other Divine Acts. 485

confession and acknowledgment of sin is made ; after which,
the word of forgiveness and absolution is pronounced ;
and to the spiritual mind, this is a sacramental act, that
carries with it the grace and power which it signifies. The
power of the spoken word has been dwelt upon in Chapter XLI.
A word spoken cannot be recalled, and it may set hi
action a train of circumstances, which may not only affect
our present life, but have their effect on the life to come,
and cause results which reach into eternity.

The spiritual power of the word of Absolution, which
is antitypical to the sprinkling of the blood of the sin-
offering, is due to the death of Christ on the Cross ; to the
ministration and intercession of Christ as our risen High
Priest in Heaven ; and to the power of the Holy Ghost,
who makes every word spoken in the Lord's Name, efficacious
and sacramental.

In some of the Church's exhortations to confession
of sin, stress is laid on our broken Baptismal vows : viz.,
that we have not lived up to our covenant standing, that
we have been overcome of the world, have given way to
the sins of the flesh, and have been ensnared by the Devil,
that we have not exercised faith in God and in His revelation,
and have not kept His commandments. After this con-
fession, comes the word of Absolution, which means forgive-
ness of the sins confessed, deliverance from their power,
and restoration to a state of grace.

Thus, the connection between the Sacrament of Baptism
and the word of Absolution, is manifest. If the sins,
connected with our vows in Baptism and with our broken
covenant, be daily confessed ; they are then, by the word of
Absolution, forgiven. What is this, but God's daily restora-
tion to us of our Baptismal standing, and the constant and
indispensable renewal of our Baptismal innocence and grace ?

Absolution does not effect another grafting into Christ,
which act was wrought, once for all, in our Baptism ; but

486 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLVI.

it endows that act with daily spiritual freshness. Seeing
that by our sin and frailty, we have a natural tendency not
to gravitate to, but to fall from, God ; this centrifugal action
of man's sinful nature is constantly counteracted by the
centripetal action of the Holy Ghost, which draws us back
to God by the word of Absolution, and by His grace in our
hearts.

To change the figure : when the white garments,
given in Baptism, have been stained and defiled, they must
be washed and purified.

What other act but that of daily Absolution, in the
Church of God, can be adduced as so suitable, or so efficacious
for this end ?

If we, the members of Christ, are abiding by faith in
our place in the one spiritual Body of Christ, we share its
blessings; and even if we be absent from Church, nevertheless,
the word of Absolution may profit our spirits in and by faith,
as if we heard it personally in the House of God.

If Absolution be God's ordinance for remission of sin,

it is full of spiritual power and grace ; if it be not God's

ordinance, it is nothing a voice, and nothing more.

I. ixv. ii. i n Nature, the paths of the LORD " drop fatness," and this

is true of the spiritual grace in the Church of the living God.

II. We have previously dwelt upon the connection of
Holy Baptism with the Sacrament of the Eucharist or the
Lord's Supper. (See Chapter xxxi.) That these two Sacra-
ments must be related, in the nature of things, is an obvious
truism. If death be a pervasive factor in the Holy
Eucharist, as it is in Baptism ; so, also, resurrection is a
component factor in both the sacraments.

If Christ had not risen from the dead, our faith would
be in vain ; Holy Baptism would be a lifeless act ; and the
Holy Eucharist would be a delusive rite : but death is only
the sombre background to transcendant glories, for it is
a death that leads on to resurrection and eternal life.

Connection of Christian Baptism with other Divine Acts. 487

Hence, as the Incarnate Son of God is the " precious isa. xxvin. 16.
corner-stone " of His Church, so the cardinal facts of His
death and resurrection form the binding link of these two
Sacraments, which are both based thereon. Not until the
return and presence of the glorified King in His everlasting
Kingdom (which is the one hope of the groaning creation),
shall we comprehend " the breadth, and length, and depth, Eph. m. 18.
and height " of the love of Christ that is enshrined in these
great spiritual realities.

To feed by faith upon the Lord's Body and Blcod
spiritually (see John vi. 51-57). implies the reception of
these spiritual blessings through an external ordinance :
in fact, we may say that the Holy Communion depends
upon two external ordinances, viz., that of Holy Baptism
(for an unbaptized person cannot partake of it), and that
of the Holy Eucharist ; and their connection may be seen
in the fact of the first Sacrament finding its crown in the
second. But there are other means of grace which are also
indispensable, and which cannot be neglected without serious
or vital loss. (See Chapter xxxi., pages 301, 302.)

There is Prayer. Prayer is a duty and necessity, as
well as a privilege and a blessing. Without prayer our
spiritual life will flag.

The same may be said of Reading the Bible. If we
would grow in grace and in the knowledge of God, we must,
like the Bereans, search the Scriptures which are able to
make us " wise unto salvation, through faith which is in 2 Tim.'iii. 15.
Christ Jesus."

Public Worship is a means of grace ; and cannot be
neglected without loss. We must cherish Christian com- Heb. x. 25.
munion. But that which takes precedence of all other MaL iii. 16.
means of grace, is the Lord's Supper ; in which, the Flesh
and Blood of the Lord Jesus are received as spiritual food,
and without which, vigorous, spiritual life and progress
are impossible.

488 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLVI.

Our Lord's discourse in John vi., teaches us that the
Holy Eucharist is an indispensable means of grace ; and
in dealing with that chapter (as also with His conversation
with Nicodemus, John iii. 1-13, referring to the Sacra-
ment of Baptism), many Christians, even candid seekers
after truth, explain away the literal meaning, by simply
giving a spiritual interpretation to the Lord's words regarding
this Sacrament, the observance of which He commanded
with His dying breath.

III. We now consider the connection of Christian
Baptism with a further act of God in His Church, and that
is, with the rite of Confirmation. This subject has been
considered among " The Privileges of Christian Baptism,"
one of which was the being made " Partakers of the Holy
Ghost." (Part iv., Chapter xxix. ; see also Chapter xxxiv.)
The connection of Baptism with Confirmation is obvious
and inherent.

As the basis of our analysis, we will take the Anglican
Office. This, though very brief, consists of two parts :

(1) The Renewal of the Baptismal Vows :

(2) The act of Confirmation, or the confirming and
strengthening of Baptismal grace, by a fuller endowment
of the Holy Ghost.

(i) " The Renewal of Vows." When a child comes to
years of discretion, it should then, in its own person, under-
take the vows made at Baptism on its behalf by its proxies,
and thus release the Sponsors from all spiritual obligations
and responsibility.

Whatever the entrusted gifts and grace of God may
be, the necessity must always exist for our taking up our
responsibilities, in our own individual persons. To this
obligation, there is a witness in the Renewal of Baptismal
Vows, which brings us into direct contact with the Sacra-
ment of Baptism, and, indirectly, with Infant Baptism.
This action is a brief feature in the Anglican Office for

Connection of Christian Baptism witt other Divine Acts. 489

Confirmation. The vows made in Baptism are acknowledged
and referred to ; and, if we may so speak, the burden of them
is removed from the Sponsors, and is undertaken by the
Candidates, who have now come to years of discretion.
In effect, they then themselves confirm, or rather reneic,
the Vows which were made for them in their Baptism.
Like all words spoken in the House of God, the reply of the
Candidates to the Bishop's question is solemn, binding,
and irrevocable. We cannot do better than quote from the
Office itself. After a short preface, the Bishop addresses
the Candidates for Confirmation, and asks them : " Do
ye here, in the presence of God, and of this congregation.
renew the solemn promise and vow that was made in your
name at your Baptism ; ratifying and confirming the same
in your own persons, and acknowledging yourselves bound
to believe, and to do. all those things, which your Godfathers
and Godmothers then undertook for you ? " " And every
one shall audibly answer. I DO."

Here we confront the abstract idea of a Von : of its
existence and obligation, of its perpetual force and of its
subsequent renewal, under special circumstances.

In one Communion of the Church Catholic, this action
is held to be so important, that it forms a distinct Service,
which takes place some days before the Laying on of Hands :
and in the interim, the Candidates, being as it were, in a
transition state, do not partake of the Holy Communion.

It is a matter for regret that so little prominence is
given to, or emphasis laid upon, this act in the Anglican
Office, and that it was only at the last revision of the Book
of Common Prayer, that this addition was made to the
Service (A.D. 1662), by prefixing to it, a solemn renewal by
the Candidates of their baptismal vows in their own persons.*

* Authorities : Hooker, Ecclesiastical Polity, Book V., c. Lev. Bishop
Jeremy Taylor, A Discourse of Confirmation. A. J. Mason, The Relation
of Confirmation to Baptism. L. Duchesne, Origin** du Culie Chretien, c. iz.

49 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part VI., Chap. XLVI.

There is no such Service in connection with Confirmation
in the Roman Catholic Church. But a mission is usually
terminated by the renewal of baptismal vows. Young
people who have just made their first Communion are asked,
" Do you renounce Satan, etc.," and they reply, " I do
renounce."

The Author saw one of these services in Normandy ;
when the female Candidates, dressed in white, came down
the Church after Confirmation, and each touched a large
open book (probably the Bible), in one of the side Chapels.
This proceeding was explained to him as being the Renewal
of the Baptismal Vows of the Candidates.

(2) As the completion of this preliminary act, in the
renewal of the baptismal vows, the rite of Confirmation, as
it is usually called in the Church of England, now follows.

This rite, as administered in the present day, cannot
be regarded as the same, in kind or degree, as that of the
Laying on of Apostles' hands, during the first century.
Bishops, not being Apostles, cannot minister or impart
the fulness of the Holy Ghost, which is the birthright of
every baptized person (see Chapter xxix.), for this ministra-
tion pertains to the Apostolic Office, as God's appointed
ordinance for this purpose.

The connection, between Baptism and the rite of Con-
firmation, has also been witnessed to by various practices
and ancient rites of the whole Church Catholic, in which
there has been an unconscious testimony to the Laying on
of Hands being the necessary sequel to Baptism.

Thus, antiquity witnesses to the truth that it is God's
gracious purpose, and the privilege of every baptized man,
to receive the full endowment of the Holy Ghost in His gifts
and graces ; and it is only as we realize this, that we become
conscious of the existing, growing apostasy, in Christendom,
which has caused Christian men to become indifferent to
this, their great spiritual birthright, which they regard as

Connection of Christian Baptism with other Divine Acts. 491

unnecessary for their personal salvation. Hence, most of the
Baptized neither yearn for the Holy Ghost, nor pray that the
Lord would again send Apostles to His Church, through whom,
by the Laying on of their Hands, this gift may be received. ActsviiL 14-17.

The earliest allusion to the connection of Baptism
with the Laying on of Hands (or Chrism, as it is sometimes
called), is by Tertullian, about A.D. 200, who says, " as soon
as we come out of the waters [i.e., of Baptism], we are
anointed with this blessed unction ; and then we receive
the Imposition of Hands, invoking the Holy Ghost by a
benediction."

Some of the early Fathers regarded this rite as answering
to that which the Lord Jesus received after His Baptism ;
for Cyril of Jerusalem speaks of the newly-baptized receiving
" This Chrism or unction, with the Antitype of which, that
is, the Holy Ghost, Christ was anointed when He came
up out of Jordan."

Do those who fail to apprehend God's gift of His Spirit
at Holy Baptism, consider what occurred in the case of our
Lord ? When He was baptized by John the Baptist, and Ma-.:. Hi. 16.
had come up out of the water, the Spirit of God descending
like a dove, lighted upon Him.

Thus, in submitting to John's baptism. " for the remission Mark i. j.
of sins," the Lord Jesus, as Man, received the gift of the
Spirit of God ; for a witness to His brethren of their need
to be baptized, and to receive the Holy Ghost.

If it be said that this Baptism, which the Lord received,
was that of John ; we ma}* reply, that Christ could not have
received any other Baptism, for Christian Baptism did not
exist until He Himself originated and instituted it after His
resurrection ; and endowed it with spiritual reality, through
his own previous acts, viz., His Death and His Resurrection .

For many centuries, Chrism or Confirmation was not
made a separate ordinance from Baptism. Another early
Father, when describing the order of Baptism, says, " It

49 2 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI. , Chap. XLVI.

was the rule for the Bishop, after the child had received
Baptism with three immersions, to confirm him with chrism
on the forehead." The existence and long continuance
of this practice is not only remarkable, but it is a witness
to a truth much forgotten, namely, that the anointing with
the Holy Spirit, is the proper endowment of those who have,
in Baptism, been made one with Christ.

Hence, three spiritual ideas viz., those of life, of food,
of power or endowment are connected with the three great
acts of God in His Church, i.e., Baptism, the Holy Eucharist,
and Confirmation or the Laying on of Hands.

Eccles. ix. 7, 8. Let us hear the voice of the wise man : " Eat thy bread

with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart ; for
God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always
white ; and let thy head lack no ointment." Here may be
discerned prophetic allusions to Holy Baptism, to the anoint-
ing with the Holy Ghost, through the Laying on of Hands,
and to the joy of Communion in the Holy Eucharist.

The connection that we have been considering, between
Christian Baptism and other Divine acts in the Church, is
not merely doctrinal and theoretical ; it is practical and
personal ; for it implies that those who have been baptized
should come forward in due time for the rite of Confirmation
or the Laying on of Hands, that they should release their
Sponsors from the vows made on their behalf, which they
should now be willing to take upon themselves. It also
implies that the Baptized will come up to the Table of the
Lord and seek to nourish their regenerate life in the Holy
Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ ; in short, that
by the grace of God they should not allow their Baptism to
become a dead letter and thus increase their condemnation :
but rather, that they will take up the ordinance with all its
sequential obligations, and abide in the same unto eternal
life, when their Baptism shall have its proper antitypical
consummation in the glory of the Resurrection.

Brief Review of some Oriental Baptismal Offices* 493

CHAPTER XLVIL

BRIEF REVIEW OF SOME ORIENTAL BAPTISMAL OFFICES.

ANALYSIS : The administration of Baptism as deduced from the New
Testament ; from the Didache ; glimpses of Baptismal rites
in the second, third, and fourth centuries. Early Oriental
Liturgies : those of Jerusalem and Alexandria. The Office
as set forth in the ' Testamentum Domini Xostri.' The Graeco-
Russian rite. The Armenian Office. The Paulician Office.
The Coptic rite.

THE Order for the Administration of the rite or Sacrament
of Holy Baptism, as seen in some of the principal branches
of the Church Catholic, may now be briefly considered.
The Lord having commanded His Apostles to " Teach all Matt, xxviii. 19.
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," this basis of agreement
should therefore appear in all forms, even if they differ
in ritual and details.

The New Testament is the primary authority for the
administration of the Sacrament of Baptism, many instances
of which are given in the book of the Acts of the Apostles ;
for example :

On the day of Pentecost, three thousand converts were Acts ii. 41.
baptized ; but the mode and place are not recorded ;

Many persons in Samaria were baptized, as the result Acts viii. 12,
of the preaching of Philip, who was " one of the seven "
deacons. He also baptized the Ethiopian Eunuch by the
roadside, after profession of faith, " and they went down
both into the water," out of which, we read, they came up.

The baptism of Cornelius and his household, was probably Acts x. 47.
administered by one of Peter's companions, when Peter
expressly asked for water ;

494

Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLVII.

Acts xxii. 16. Saul was baptized by Ananias, who said to him, " Arise,

and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the
name of the Lord " ;

Acts xvi. 15. Lydia was baptized at Philippi ;

Actsxvi. 33. The jailor at Philippi seems to have been baptized

either in the prison, or in his own house, and his household
likewise ;

Acts xviii. 8. " Many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were

baptized " ;

Acts xix. 5. The Ephesian converts, after having received John's

baptism, were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
None of these Biblical examples afford any details as to the
mode of administration.

The Didach/, or ' Teaching of the Twelve Apostles '
(quoted in Chapter xvi. with reference to the doctrine
of Christian Baptism), dating probably from the end of the
first century, casts but little light on the administration of
the rite : but the Twelfth Chapter treats of Holy Baptism as
follows :

" Now concerning Baptism, thus baptize ye : having
first uttered all these things, baptize in living water, in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. But if thou hast not living water, baptize in other
water ; and if thou canst not in cold, then in warm water.
But if thou hast neither, pour water upon the head thrice,
' in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit.' As for him that is to be baptized, thou shalt
command him to fast one or two days before."

This is the only uninspired utterance of the Church of
the first century, on the manner of the administration of
Baptism. It adds nothing to the description of the
rite as given in Holy Scripture. The outward and
visible sign is water : living (i.e., spring or running) water
was to be preferred to stagnant (i.e., still) ; and im-
mersion to affusion ; but other water, or even warm water,

Brief Review of some Oriental Baptismal Offices* 495

or affusion instead of immersion, were lawful in cases of
necessity.

The following is a brief summary of how Baptism was
administered during the second, third, and fourth centuries.

SECOND CENTURY. Before the reception of Baptism,
there was a special preparation for adults, who were called
by various, names (see Chapter XLV.) ; and the times for
administering the rite were generally the Eve of the Passover,
i.e., Holy Saturday, and the Feast of Pentecost.

The Sacrament of Baptism was performed wherever it
was proper and necessary, viz., in fountains and rivers, in
a bed, in a house, or in prison ; and the Minister who per-
formed the rite was generally the head of the Church in
which the Catechumens received instruction. He was either
a bishop or a presbyter.

The most common form of Baptism was by the immersion
of the whole body in water. It was done thrice ; and
hence is derived the phrase " Three baptisms " : " Qui
baptizantur sub appellatione triplicis sacramenti *' ( ;c Men
were baptized under the appellation of the triple mystery").
This custom is retained by the Greeks. The invocation of the
Trinity was used according to the form prescribed by Christ.

Baptism was succeeded by the Anointing with oil. which
is noticed by Tertullian, but omitted by Justin Martyr.

The Communion of the Holy Eucharist followed the
rite of Baptism, but was administered only to adults : from
this circumstance, however, arose the communion of infants
in the time of Augustine, which spread almost universally
in the Church ; and prayers were offered by the whole
assembled Church, for the newly-received members.

THIRD CENTURY. Baptism had been administered in the
most simple form ; but additions now began to be made to the
rite. The general ceremonies included questions put, and
replies given, in prescribed phrases ; likewise fasting, watch-
ing, anointing, the kiss, the offering of milk and honey, and

496 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLVII.

the sealing. In the African Churches, a custom obtained of
re-baptizing those who had been baptized by heretics, and
Baptism was administered by laymen, in cases of necessity.

FOURTH CENTURY. To the rites adopted in Baptism
in the former centuries, others were now added : among
which we may mention the burning of wax lights, which
were given to the newly-baptized on the vigils of the feasts :
this custom gave rise to the terms by which this Sacrament
was afterwards designated. It was called a light, illumina-
tion, the mystery of illumination, the day of enlightening, etc.
Salt was placed in the mouth of the Candidate, who also
tasted of milk, honey, and wine. The imposition of hands,
their partaking immediately of the Eucharist, and wearing
a white garment for eight days, were customs which were
practised at this period.

The rite of Holy Baptism is not given in any of the
early Liturgies of the Church. The word ' Liturgy ' has
a special meaning, and properly speaking, denotes only
the service for the Holy Eucharist. Ancient Liturgies are
generally divided into four families :

(1) The Liturgy of St. James, or that of the Jerusalem
Church, which was adopted throughout the East ;

(2) The Liturgy of St. Mark, which was that of the
Alexandrian Church, of Egypt, and of the neighbouring
countries ;

(3) The Roman ;

(4) The Gallican ; also a Liturgy not included, viz., the
Clementine.

The Liturgy of St. James was used among the old Syrian
Churches, where Baptism and Confirmation are administered
in conjunction, and children communicate from quite an
early age.

Of Baptismal customs among modern Syrians, there
is little to relate, since they are the customs rather of Eastern
Churches in general, than of the old Syrian Church in

Brief Review of some Oriental Baptismal Offices. 497

particular. The infant is first signed with the sign of the
Cross upon the forehead with consecrated ofl, before being
baptized. He is then anointed all over with the consecrated
olive ofl and dipped in the water three times, in the Name
of " the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost " ;
then a white robe is put on the child, who is taken to the
sanctuary for confirmation by the priest.

As regards the ritual at Jerusalem, the Catechism of
Cyril of Jerusalem, compiled in A.D. 347, gives a tolerably
full detail of the Baptismal usages which were customary in
his time. During Lent, they assembled for catechizing
and inspection : and on the last evening, prior to Baptism,
they assembled in the Baptistery : and facing the West,
the place of darkness, with outstretched hand, made open
renunciation of Satan. Then turning to the East, the
place of light, they made profession of belief in the Trinity.*
Then they were anointed with oil. from head to foot, and
led to the font and interrogated as to their faith in God :
after which they dipped themselves thrice in the water,
and thrice lifted themselves up out of it : setting forth,
in symbol, the three days" burial of the Lord, and His
resurrection. On coming out of the water, they were clothed
with white garments, significant of the purity and brightness
of that spiritual vesture, with which they were ever henceforth
to be clothed : and, as Christ, on coming out of the Jordan
was anointed with the Holy Ghost, so they were anointed
with holy oil on their foreheads, ears, nostrils and breasts ;
and thus their spirit was sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
After this, followed the Holy Communion, of which all
the newiy-baptized were partakers.

* Note from Bishop Barry's Tf ackers' Prayer Boot. " The custom,
as peculiaily attaching to the Creed [that of taming to the East] may per-
haps be traced to the use of the Creed in the ancient Baptismal service,
in which the renunciation of Satan was recited towards the West as the
region of darkness, and it was then the practice to torn for the recitation
of the Creed to the East, as the region of Light. Tbi> custom has. however,
no renoiirai authoritv/'

49^ Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part VI., Chap. XLVII.

Customs connected with Baptism are recorded in the
ancient MS., found by Ignatius Ephraim II., Antiochian
Patriarch of the Syrians, in a valuable Codex preserved
in the Metropolitan Library of Mosul on the Tigris ; which
Codex contains eight books called Diataxeis Apostolorum ,
in the Syriac tongue, " compiled by Clement the Roman,
a disciple of Peter." First in order, amongst these eight
books, stands " The Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ " :
concerning which, the concluding inscription states that
" The Apostles John, Peter, and Matthew, having written
this Testament (given vivd voce by the Lord), sealed it,
and sent copies thereof from Jerusalem through Dositheus,
Silas, Magnus, and Aquila (whom they had chosen as
messengers), and sent it to all habitations."

The Antiochian Patriarch discovered the MS., and
translated it into Latin, in A.D. 1899. He states that
fragments of the Codex of Treves, of the Eighth Century,
inform us that the work had been translated into Latin,
at an early date. Its authority is confirmed by three
Oriental Churches, viz., the Antiochian Church of the
Syrians ; the Alexandrine Church ; and the Ethiopian
Church, which have been wont, for centuries, to make daily
use of its Liturgy.

So far, our information is from the Patriarch's preface.
As regards date, parts of the document indicate a very early
period, whilst others must be later additions. The best
clue to its date, rests on the fact that the ' Charismata '
were still in exercise in the Church ; persecution was
rife, and Christians were liable to crucifixion. That no
mention is made of Christmas is noteworthy, and that
the Epiphany was originally the Festival of the Nativity,
is distinctly an Eastern and early feature. This MS.
also shows that the Jewish Sabbath was fully acknow-
ledged and observed, in addition to the First Day of the
week.

Brief Review of some Oriental Baptismal Offices. 499

Baptism as set forth in the Testamentum Domini Nostri
J. Christi*

Exorcism was an important feature in the preliminaries
of Baptism.

Possession by evil spirits was then prevalent, and anyone
found to be under such a visitation, was constrained to
depart from the midst of the Brethren, and to submit to
be rebuked.

Candidates were to fast on " the sixth holy day "
(Good Friday) " and on the Sabbath " (Easter Eve).

On the Sabbath day, the Bishop assembled the candidates
and offered a solemn prayer of exorcism. After exorcizing
them, the priest breathed upon them, and signed them upon
the brow, nose, breast, and ears. Meanwhile, on this day,
the faithful watched in the Church until midnight.

They who were to receive Baptism, brought nothing
with them but a loaf for the Eucharist.

In approaching the water, which should be clean and
flowing, the children came first, then the men, and lastly,
the women.

After being anointed with exorcized oil according to the
appointed formula, the Bishop delivered the candidate
to the Elder who was to baptize him.

The candidate recited the Apostles' Creed whilst in the
water, and after profession of faith in the Father Almighty,
he was baptized once ; after the words " the quick and the
dead," he was baptized the second time ; and after professing
belief in the Holy Ghost and the Holy Church he was
baptized a third time. On coming up out of the water, he
was anointed with fresh oil, over which thanksgiving had
been offered. Then followed what was designated " The
Sealing of the Baptized."

* The Testament of our I*ord Jesus Christ (ancient MS. Diataxeis
Apostolorum) ; compiled by Clement of Rome, a disciple of St. Peter.

500 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part VI., Chap. XLVII.

The Baptized being assembled in the Church, the Bishop
laid his hands on them, and pronounced over them the
invocation of the Holy Spirit. After which, he poured oil
upon each one and laid his hand upon his head, saying :
" I anoint thee with the ointment of God Almighty in
Christ Jesus and in the Holy Ghost, that thou mayest be a
workman of perfect faith, and a vessel acceptable to Him."

The following is a description of the rite as administered
in the Orthodox or Grseco-Russian Church :

" The officiating priest goeth to the font, all the tapers
are lighted, and the priest cense th round ; the deacon calls
upon him to bless, which he does.

" Then the priest offers up prayer, he ' signeth the water
thrice, dipping his fingers therein and breathing upon it,'
then a prayer is offered. Then the priest breatheth thrice
upon the cruse of oil and signeth it thrice. Another prayer
follows.

" And when the priest hath anointed the body of the
candidate, the priest baptizeth him, holding him erect and,
looking towards the East, saying the prescribed formula.

" At each invocation he immerseth him, and raiseth him
again, and after the baptism, the priest washeth his hands.

" After the prayer he anointeth the baptized with the
holy myrrh, making the sign of the cross on the forehead,
and eyes and nostrils and lips, and both ears and breast,
and hands and feet, saying. . . .

" Then the priest maketh, together with the sponsor and
the child, a circumambulation."

Then " he looseneth the child's girdle and garment
and joining the ends of these, soaketh them with clean
water and sprinkleth the child."

In the ARMENIAN Church, the Office for the Administra-
tion of Holy Baptism is briefly as follows :

In this rite, as still celebrated, there is a curious relic
oi the primitive custom, in regard to the priest twisting

Brief Review of some Oriental Baptismal Offices. 501

the thread. The Catholicus (Bishop) Joseph, in his trans-
lation of this order of Baptism, enlarges on this rubric as
follows :

" While the choir sings (Psa. cxxx.), the priest takes two
threads, one white and the other red, in remembrance of
the water and the blood that flowed from the side of the
Saviour of the world."*

Three times they repeat the Psalm with prayer, in
the same manner, during which time they continue to twist
together the threads of the string ; at the end of the third
time, they sing the hymn over the twisted string ; after
which he recites a prayer over the Catechumen.

Having performed sundry minor formalities, the priest,
placing the neophyte near the font, recites a prayer over
the water of Baptism : then three drops of the holy oil,
in the form of a cross, are poured into the water by the
priest, who offers a suitable prayer.

When the Catechumen has been unclothed and made
ready for the holy purification, the priest, after offering
prayer, asks his name, and makes him descend into the font.
If he be a child, the priest, with his left hand, holds him
by the neck, and with his right hand, takes him by the feet,
taking care to keep the head turned towards the west and
the feet towards the east : the head up high, the face turned
up and the feet down. Then, with his right hand he dips
him into the holy water, and says as follows : " Bought
by the blood of Christ from the bondage of sin, by receiving
the adoption of son of the Heavenly Father, and becoming
joint-heir with Christ and a temple of the Holy Ghost. "|

Thrice he recites these last words, and thrice immerses
him under the water, burying thus the original sin : and
typifying Christ's sepulture of three days washing thus
the whole body.

* Smith's Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, Vol. I., p. 163, par. 64.
t Armenian Church. (E. F. K. Fortescue.)

502 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms* [Part VI., Chap. XLVII.

While saying the words, " And Jesus, being baptized,
forthwith came out of the water," the priest takes the
Catechumen from out of the font, and, giving him to the
godfather, continues to read the last words of the Gospel.

Then he recites the Lord's Prayer, for the Catechumen
has become a son of God.

In the PAULICIAN Church of Armenia, the form varies
slightly.

Christ was thirty years old, when He was baptized ;
therefore, they baptize no one until he is thirty years of age.

The word " Trinity " is nowhere used. In Baptism,
however, three separate handfuls of water are poured
over the head of each candidate the first " in the name
of the Father, the second in the name of the Son, and the
third in the name of the Holy Spirit." Because the Father
giveth release from bonds, the Son giveth hope to sinners,
and the Holy Ghost sheds love in the hearts of those who
listen, believe, and are baptized.

After various Scriptures, and portions of the Gospels
have been read, the Peace is pronounced in these words :

"May the Peace of the Father, the Peace of the Son,
and the Peace of the Holy Ghost come unto you. Amen."*

The COPTIC Church is the old Egyptian Branch of the
Church Catholic, which continues in Egypt to this day, but
is now somewhat stagnant with formality and indolence.

A Latin translation of the Coptic rite is to be found in
Denzinger Ritus Orientalium.

At a very early period, the Greek rites of Alexandria
must have been translated into Coptic for the natives of
the Interior, although later, Coptic itself must have gradually
died out of use : the latest Coptic bears date of A.D. 1210.

The Coptic Baptismal Office is briefly as follows :
The Order of Baptism is composed of three parts admission

* More details of the office are given in The Key of Truth, a Manual
of the Paulician Church of Armenia ; translated by F. G. Conybeare, M.A.

Brief Review of some Oriental Baptismal Offices. 503

to the rank of Catechumen, to Holy Baptism proper, and
to Confirmation. As throughout the East, Baptism is
immediately followed by Confirmation. The name is not
given at Baptism, but on the eighth day after birth.*

After his admission and anointing as a Catechumen,
the deacon shall turn him that is to be baptized to the
West, after which he shall bring him to the East, i.e., to
the left of the priest. The priest shall ask his name and
shall baptize him three times. Then he shall raise him
up and breathe in his face, saying :

I baptize thee, N., in the name of the Father. Amen.

I baptize thee, N., in the name of the Son. Amen.

I baptize thee, N., in the name of the Holy Ghost.
Amen.

The priest shall anoint the neophyte with the Holy
Chrism.

Then he shall clothe the neophyte with a white garment,
saying :

" The garment of life eternal and immortal. Amen."

The simplicity of the rite of Baptism soon became
overlaid with additional ceremonies in the East ; but the
great antiquity of these rites makes them the more interesting,
although superstitions and errors may have crept into them.

Forasmuch as the Sacrament of Baptism comes down
to us hoary with the veneration of over eighteen centuries,
and as it is a Divine thought and act, let us thank
Almighty God for the faith of our fathers in Christ, through
whom such blessings have come to us in the dispensation of
Christ's Gospel. As " where sin abounded grace did much
more abound," so we trust that, notwithstanding the over-
lying debris of ignorance and superstition, the crystal water
of God's grace still flows through all these ancient
formularies of the Eastern Church.

* Extracts from The Rites of the Coptic Church ; translated by B. T.
Evetts.

504 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Pan VI., Chap. XLVIIL

CHAPTER XLVIII.

BRIEF REVIEW OF SOME OCCIDENTAL OR WESTERN
BAPTISMAL OFFICES.

ANALYSIS : The Order of Baptism as set forth: I. in the Stowe Missal;
II. in the Roman Church ; III. in the Anglican Church ; IV.
in the Lutheran Church ; V. in the Catholic Apostolic Church ;
VI. as administered by the Baptists and Nonconformists.

HAVING glanced at the Baptismal Offices of some of the
Oriental Churches, a brief review of some of the Occidental
or Western Baptismal Offices will not be out of place.

I. The earliest surviving Baptismal Office, known to
have been used in any part of the Church in the Islands of
Great Britain and Ireland, is that of the CELTIC Church.
This is found in the Stowe Missal, an old Irish manuscript,
and there seems little reason to doubt that this Office was
in use in the Irish Church, in the tenth century, while the
older portion of it may date from the ninth century.*

It has four clearly marked divisions :

(i) The Rite of receiving Catechumens, in which six forms
were usually observed :

(a) Sign of the Cross on the forehead.

(b) Imposition of hands with prayer.

(d) Insufflation. (Exsufflatio.}

* The Stowe Missal was probably transferred to the Continent A.D.
1 130, where it was discovered in the eighteenth century by an Irish officer,
from whom it passed into the possession of the Duke of Buckingham.
At the sale of his library at Stowe, in 1 849, it was bought by the Earl of
Ashburnham, among whose literary treasures it is still preserved.

Brief Review of some Occidental Baptismal Offices. 505

Of these rites, c, d, and / are found in the Stowe Missal,
but there is no mention of a, b, or e.

In addition, there is the blessing of salt and its beine:
put into the mouth of the Catechumen.

(2) The blessing of the Water.

Psalms xli. and xxviii. are recited, followed by the Roman
form of Consecration.

(3) The Rite of Baptism proper differs, both in language
and ritual, from any extant Or do Baptismi, and is especially
remarkable for the Pedilavium or washing of the feet,* and
the ceremonial crossing of the right hand of the candidate ;
but for the omission of the verbal formula of Baptism and of
the presentation of the lighted taper.

(4) The Communion of the newly-baptized, in both
kinds, conjointly with thanksgiving, collect, and antiphons.f

II. The order of Baptism in the ROMAN Church (falsely
called " the Catholic Church "), next demands consideration.

In this section of the Church, the following are the Bap-
tismal ceremonies, though all are not of universal obligation.

(1) The Officiating Priest holds the child, without the
Church, signifying temporary exclusion from the kingdom of
Heaven.

(2) Uttering certain prayers, the Priest blows three times
in the face of the child, signifying that Satan is exorcized
by the power of the Holy Spirit.

(3) The Sign of the Cross is made on the forehead and
on the breast of the child, appropriate words being said at
the same time.

(4) Salt is put into the mouth of the child, this signifying
wisdom which shall preserve him from corruption.

(5) The child is exorcized.

* The ceremonial washing of feet, or pedilaviuin, is not found in any
Roman Baptismal Office, but is common to the early Galilean Ordities
Baptismi, and was in use in France in the eighth century.

t Liturgy and Ritual of Celtic Church. F. E. Warren.

506 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLVIII.

(6) The Priest touches the mouth and ears of the child,
with saliva, saying, Ephphatha.

(7) The infant is unclothed, signifying the putting off
the old man.

(8) The child is presented by his Sponsors, who represent
the Church.

(9) The renunciation of the Devil and his works, is made.

(10) The child is anointed with oil.
(n ) The profession of faith is made.

(12) The child is questioned whether he will be baptized.

(13) The name is given.

(14) He is dipped thrice, or water is poured on his head
thrice.

(15) He receives the kiss of peace.

(16) He is anointed on the head, to show that by Baptism,
he becomes priest and king.

(17) He receives a lighted taper, to indicate that he has
become a child of light.

(18) He is folded in the white alb, as an emblem of his
baptismal purity.*

The ceremonies subsequent to the actual Baptism are
commonly reckoned (Bellarmine de Bapt., lib. I., cap. 27)
to be five in number : viz., the Kiss, the Unction of the
Head (distinct from the Unction in Confirmation), the lighted
Taper, the white Robe, and the tasting of Milk and Honey.
To these may be added, the Washing of Feet and the placing
the Chaplet on the Head, which are found in the Ritual
of some of the early Churches. f

We must not think because the rite of Baptism, in
modern times, is shorn of many of these adventitious cere-
monies and additions, that it is less valid than in ancient
times ; for its essence abides ever the same, in the invocation
of the Trinity, and in the use of water according to the

* Delineation of Roman Catholicism. Charles Elliott, D.D., Vol. I., p. 241.
f Smith's Dictionary of Christian Antiquities. Vol. I., p. 163, para. 56

Brief Review of some Occidental Baptismal Offices. 507

commandment of the Lord. Although many of these
ancient ceremonies (which may have been symbolic and
edifying) were discarded at the Reformation of the Sixteenth
Century, nevertheless, simplicity does not invalidate the
acts of God.

III. The form in the CHURCH OF ENGLAND calls for
no special remark, since it conforms to the general
usage of the Church Catholic. After reading the appointed
Gospel and giving a brief exhortation, the Priest prays
as follows : " Give Thy Holy Spirit to this infant that he
may be born again, and be made an heir of everlasting
salvation.'' He calls upon the infant to promise by them
" that are his sureties " to renounce the Devil and all his
works, the world, and the flesh. The Sponsors also.
in the child's name, confess belief in the Articles of
the Christian faith. The child is then asked (through
them) if he will be baptized in this faith, and will
undertake obediently to keep God's holy will. The ques-
tions are addressed to the child himself, who is supposed
to be speaking by his proxies. Then prayers are offered
for the candidate, and that God would sanctify tht nater
to the mystical washing away of sin. After naming the
child, the Priest shall dip it in the water discreetly and
warily, pronouncing the prescribed formula of words :
but if the child be weak, it shall suffice to pour water upon
it, repeating the same words. Then the Priest says : " We
receive this child into the congregation of Christ's flock,
and do sign him with the sign of the cross . . ." and
he calls upon all present to give thanks to Almighty God
that the child is now " regenerate and grafted into the body
of Christ's Church." The Service then concludes with a
hearty thanksgiving to God the Father for the grace given,
and with a short exhortation to the Sponsors.

The Reformers excised the Romish additions from
the Baptismal Office, and reduced the Service to great

50-3 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part VI., Chap. XLVIII.

simplicity ; but in so doing, they curtailed some of the
spiritual beauties of the ancient rite.

IV. There are great divisions, in the LUTHERAN Church,
whose teachings and formuke vary in different countries, so
that no one standard of Lutheran Ritual is recognized in
Germany, Holland, Denmark, or Scandinavia, to which an
appeal can be made.

The following outline of the German Baptismal Service
is taken from the Liturgy of the Lutheran Church, as estab-
lished in Hanover :

The Invocation of the Holy Trinity ;

Exhortation (ex tempore) ;

These words are then spoken to the Candidate : " Receive
the sign of the holy Cross both on thy forehead and in
thy heart. ' %

Prayer (ex tempore) and Lesson, Mark x. 13-16, followed
by the Lord's Prayer, during which the Minister lays his
hands on the Candidate.

The Candidate is then brought to the font, and these
words are addressed to him by the Minister : " The Lord
keep thy coming in and thy going out, from henceforth and
for ever. Amen."

The rite then proceeds in the following three-fold manner :

(1) Dost thou renounce the Devil, etc. ?

Dost thou believe (the articles of the Apostles' Creed

being repeated) ?
Wilt thou be baptized ?

(2) An address to the Sponsors embodying the points
mentioned above under (i).

(3) The Apostles' Creed and the question or address to
the Sponsors are followed by the uniform conclusion :

" N.N. I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The Almighty God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath born thee again
.by water and by the Holy Spirit, and who hath forgiven

Brief Review of some Occidental Baptismal Offices. 509

thee all thy sins, strengtheneth thee with His grace unto
eternal life. Amen."

After the words, " Peace be with thee, Amen," there is
a prayer of Thanksgiving and the Benediction.

V. There is a small community belonging indiscrimi-
nately to all the Baptized which is known by the name of
the Catholic APOSTOLIC Church, whose Liturgy is second
to none in Christendom. Liturgical students have been
struck with its catholicity, for it has been framed from
the most celebrated ancient and modern Liturgies Oriental,
Greek, and Latin. In the Baptismal Office of this Com-
munion of the Church Catholic, many special beauties are to
be found, of which only a brief summary can here be given.

The various places in which the service is conducted, are
full of spiritual meaning, and appropriate symbolism.

The place where the principal part of the service is held.
is not the Church ; but the Baptistery. This is usually
situated in the porch or in a detached building (as in many
of the Churches in Italy) as far west as the West entrance
of the Church, where the font is usually placed : as is the
general custom in England. This symbolizes that the
entrance into the Church of Christ is through the Sacrament
of Baptism, and that the Candidate is not yet a member of
the Church.

The first special point in the Service that calls for
remark, is where the Priest rises and extends his right hand
over the Candidate, and says : " The Lord Jesus Christ
our God, who with His finger did cast out devils, and came
into the world to destroy the works of the devil, Preserve
thee from Satan, and from all his works, and from all his evil
power, and cause him to depart from thee, both now and
for ever." This is an exorcism, and claims attention.

We notice that while this act is recognized in the Greek
and Roman Churches, it is ignored in the Anglican and in all
Nonconformist Offices. Perhaps the feeling existed that

5 i Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. | Part VI., Chap. XLVIII.

such exorcism involved coming into too close contact with
the spiritual world and with the acknowledged action of
evil spirits, and, taking this high ground, it was therefore
expunged by the English Reformers. The next significant
act is the signing the Candidate on the forehead with the
sign of the Cross, after the exorcism has been pronounced.
Another symbolic action then takes place : the Priest,
having received the Candidate from the Sponsors, turns
towards the Altar, and with the child in his arms repeats
the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer. This signifies the
solemn committing to the child of those holy formulae, or
symbols of the faith once delivered to the saints the Creed
embodying the principal objects of our faith connected with
the Incarnation and the acts of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and
the Lord's Prayer, which our Lord gave to His disciples,
as the model or pattern of all prayer . These holy formularies
hallowed by the association of ages as sacred deposits

2 Tim. i. 13. may have been integral parts of " the form of sound words,"
which St. Paul bids Timothy to " hold fast."

The next portion of the Service answers to the bringing
up of a sin-offering under the Law, which was always
necessary in the sinner's approach to a holy God. The
Priest having restored the Candidate to the Sponsors,
all present are reminded in the exhortation of their sinful
condition by nature ; and are bidden to humble themselves
before God, and to confess their sins, original and actual ;
after which the Priest pronounces the reassuring word of
absolution, declaring God's forgiveness through the sacrifice
and merits of His Son Jesus Christ. This takes place in the
Mark x. 13-16. lower choir, where also the Priest reads the appointed

johniii. 1-8. Gospel, or Lesson. This is "the washing of water by the

l - word," even as our Lord said to His disciples, " Now ye are

clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."

The Gospel ended, the Minister proceeds to the Baptistery

(where the Candidate has been waiting), when another

Brief Review of some Occidental Baptismal Offices. 511

important act in the service takes place. The Sponsors
are addressed, and, in the child's name, are asked if they
believe in the sinful condition of man by nature, in the
mercy of God, and in the efficacy of the Sacrament of Baptism.
Then follow the questions to, and answers by, the Sponsors
in the name of the child as in the Anglican Office. The
Sponsors then, as proxies for the child, are called upon to
worship and adore the living and true God.

After this, prayers are offered on behalf of the Candidate,
that the grace of Baptism may be fully manifested in him,
even unto life and glory everlasting.

The Priest now turns to the Font to bless the water
therein contained, by the Word of God and prayer : it thus
becomes holy water, i.e., water, separated to the use of
God and of His Church, and which, therefore, should not
henceforth be put to any profane or common uses. The
Baptism of the child immediately follows. Whereupon,
the Priest carries the child through the chancel or Sanctuary
up to the Altar, where the Holy Eucharist is celebrated.
Having through Baptism, been made a child of God by
adoption and grace, the child is there received into the
Church, and the Priest lays his right hand on the head
of the child, saying in an audible voice, " We receive this
child into the congregation of Christ's flock, and do bless him
in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. And be thou blessed and kept unto everlasting
life. Amen."

This formal reception of the child into the Church,
and this emphatic blessing are worthy of notice among the
varied features of this Service. After these benefits, which
God has vouchsafed, thanks may well be rendered to
Him ; and this is the character of the prayer that concludes
the Service before the final benediction.

The act of Oblation of presenting the child before God,
of laying him as it were upon the Altar, like Isaac is an act

512 Scriptural Studies on Baptisms. [Part vi., Chap. XLVIII.

that symbolizes consecration, devotion, and self-sacrifice.
A company of Baptized persons, represents those who have
had the Name of Christ put upon their brow ; and who, in
many instances, have been brought up to the Altar of God,
in the arms of God's minister, in token of their dedication,
to do the will of God, even unto their lives' end.

VI. The general practice of Baptism, by the Noncon-
formists, is simple, and calls for no special remarks ; but
a few words will not be inappropriate regarding the views
held by the sect called ' Baptists,' whose peculiarities about
Baptism, mark them off as a particular body.

They practise immersion, once only. Profession of
faith is required from the Candidate, who is to give credible
evidence of his conversion, and then is immersed in the
presence of the congregation. They hold that immersion is
the right form for the administration of Baptism, and that
it is the only practice sanctioned by Holy Scripture.

In their jealous desire to witness to Christ's death and
resurrection, which they consider are set forth in this manner,
they do not realize that there is something deeper and
more spiritual than this, viz., the truth which is involved
or hidden therein. Its essence consists in men being made
partakers of Christ's death and resurrection, as spiritual
realities, and this is not done by the water, but by the
Holy Ghost. There are no special forms before, or after
the Baptism of the candidate, save the public profession
of faith, and the being received into the Church afterwards,
with the right hand of fellowship.

As Christian Baptism has been the cause of so much
strife and bitterness, the Salvation Army have decided to
discard this Sacrament of God's appointment, and have
substituted a special service for the Dedication of children
" in the name of the Lord and of the Salvation Army."
If the statements concerning Christian Baptism in this
treatise, are orthodox, true and spiritual ; we, without

Brief Review of some Occidental Baptismal Offices. 513

condemning others, must deplore any departure from the
revealed will of God, as practised in the Church Catholic,
with which the Lord has promised to abide, even unto the
" end of the age."

In conclusion, we implore the blessing of God, in all
humility, on our attempt to expound the "doctrine of
Baptisms " and especially that of Christian Baptism, in
the light of Holy Scripture ; desiring above all things to
set forth " the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth," according to the " mind of Christ," the Head of His
Body the Church ; according to the Word and revelation of
God ; and the doctrine and traditions of the Catholic or
Universal Church. In setting forth the mysteries of God.
even if we had the " pen of a ready writer " or " the tongue
of men and of angels," our efforts would be " like sounding
brass or a tinkling cymbal," without the grace of the
Holy Ghost, whose light and truth we have earnestly and
continuously sought. " If any man speak, let him speak as
the oracles of God ; if any man minister, let him do it as
of the ability which God giveth : that God in all things
may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise
and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

" Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Heb. vi. i, :
Christ, let us go on unto perfection ; not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith
toward God, of the doctrine of Baptisms, and of laying on
of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal
judgment." We cannot restrict ourselves, for ever, to the
contemplation of the foundations, however necessary they
may be. On these, the TEMPLE must arise the " habitation Eph. ii. 22
of God through the Spirit," of which, the Lord grant us all
to be living and glorified members, for ever and ever !

(Blors be to tbe ffatber, ano to tbe Son, ano to
tbe tiols Obost ; Hs it was in tbe beoinnins is now
ano ever sball be, worlo witbout eno. Bmen.

APPENDIX.

NOTE i. ADDITIONAL NOTE ON OUR LORD'S DISCOURSE TO NICODEMUS.
SEE CHAPTER XIV., p. 101.

IT has recently been asserted, in an Anglican evangelical pulpit, that Our
Lord's discourse to Nicodemus could have nothing to do with Baptism, because
Nicodemus could not have known anything concerning Christian Baptism, which
was not instituted until after Christ's Resurrection. Our Lord was stating a new
doctrine, connected with a new fact, in the development of God's purpose with
man. There are many instances, in Holy Scripture, of the present tense being
used by prophets, when speaking of coming events. In like manner, when
the Lord asserted the great need of a spiritual change a birth from above
(&v<06fif, Gk.), He declared that the instrumentalities, through which it
should be effected, were water and the Spirit, which was Our Lord's own
explanation of His previous expression, "born from above" (again, A.Y. ).
Were these two propositions so new and unintelligible to Nicodemus, that they
justified his question, " How can these things be ? " Or were not the types and
shadows, in the Law of Moses, sufficient to prepare him for the reception of the
new doctrine, and to elicit our Lord's quasi-rebuke, ' ' Art thou a master [or
teacher} in Israel and knowest not these things ? " What things ? The working
of the invisible Spirit of God, in contradistinction to the exercise of the natural
powers. Nicodemus was a teacher of the Law, to a Covenant people, who should
have known this vital distinction.

Luke xxiv. 44. Are there any hints in the Law, in the Prophets and in the Psalms (Christ's

three-fold division of the Old Testament Scriptures) on this point ?

Even the Law teaches the necessity of some spiritual change. Thus, we
Deut. x. 16. rea d : Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-
necked." The Psalmist, in his distress at having been overcome by sin, acknow-
Psa. li. 10. ledges this truth, crying : " Create in me a clean heart, O God ; and renew a
right spirit within me " : and the prophet Ezekiel proclaims this promise of the
Ezek. xxxvi. 25, LORD : "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within
2 ^- you : and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you
an heart of flesh. And / will put my Spirit within you."

Nicodemus must have been familar with these words of the Scriptures, and
with certain other facts recorded therein. Abraham believed in God, who raised
the dead ; and he received his son again as from the dead. Ezekiel, in a vision, saw
the resurrection of the great army of Israel's dead through the power of the
Spirit typified by the winds of heaven. Isaiah prophesied that Messiah should
be a Virgin's Son, being conceived of the Holy Ghost. These fundamental
truths, concerning the action of the Spirit of God, should have been known by
" a master in Israel."

Again, were not some of these spiritual changes, even under the Law, connected
with water ? The passages, dry-shod, through the Red Sea and the river Jordan,
should have taught Israel God's mode of salvation by water, as ihe introduction
to a new condition of life. The Flood, also, taught that water is an important
factor in God's dealings with men : therefore, the knowledge of these typical
events should have prepared Nicodemus to apprehend our Lord's teaching :
although its full spiritual comprehension could only be attained (as with the
Apostles) after the reception of the gift of the Holy Ghost.

515

" The water of purification * " the water of separation" used under the Law, Nam. win. 7.
teaches the same troth * ; to which also the prophets bear witness saying : " So Norn. MX. 9.
shall he sprinkle many nations " : and again. il Then will I sprinkle clean water Isa. liL 15.
upon yon, and ye shall be clean : from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, Ezek. xxxri. 25.
will I cleanse yon."

Had " Moses and the Prophets'' been received in faith and taught without
the admixture of Jewish traditions or bias, the reception of Christ's teaching
should hare been an easy matter to men of faith the true children of Abraham.

Catechumens are taught concerning Christian Baptism and the mystery cf
regeneration, before they receive it as a gift from God. The understanding, the
knowledge concerning these things, which the Lord required of Nicodemus. was
not that which comes from spiritual experience ; but from the spiritual
preparation of heart and enlightenment of mind, through the written and spoken
Word of God. There can be little doubt, that our Lord did rtfer to Baptism in
His words to Nicodemus ; especially as he addressed one who was conversant
with the baptism of proselytes, with the " Baptism of John," and with the
action of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, although our Lord spoke of something
higher and greater, than had been previously known, viz., a birth of the Spirit,
and stated that that "which is boin of the Spirit is spirit" ; yet, when He
connected it with the element of water, it should not have been a stumbling-
block to Nicodemus. Certainly, Nicodemus knew nothing of Christian Baptism ;
which did not exist, and could not exist, until Christ made it a possibility and a
spiritual reality by His death and resurrection, as stated in Chapter vn., p. 47.
But if, as a student of the Scriptures, Nicodemus had understood their teaching,
he would have grasped the truth that our Lord's words were a further revelaticn
from the living and unchangeable God.

NOTE 2. Ox FONTS. SEE CHAPTER XLIII.. PAGE 457.
Ancient fonts are often supported by jh-e columns, which (according to
tradition) symbolize the five wounds of Christ ; setting forth the connection of
with the death of Christ ; and the connection of water, with blood.

NOTE 3- Ox THE "MAKK" (OR TAD). SEE CHAPTER XLV., PAGE 479.

" A cross with a kind of handle is to be found among the Christian memorials
of the Roman catacombs. The learned are of opinion that a species of cross
without a handle or ring attache'!, was the mark described in Ezek. ix. 4: 'Set
a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abomina-
tions that be done.' This was to distinguish them Irom those who were to be
slain for their idolatries. Hence, it was the custom with heralds to signalize
persons who had survived a battle, by this figure, which was accordingly accepted
as a symbol of life, as the letter Tbeta was of death." *

The modern Hebrew letter Tao does not resemble a cross, but the original
character in the ancient Hebrew alphabet was in the form of the cross of
St. Andrew.

* See Chapter xxi. Baptismal Purification, foreshadowed by the Law of
Moses.

t Popular Historr of Christian Art. page 18. E. Oilier.

ADDITIONAL NOTES.

Chap, xli., p. 426. An additional illustration of the subject of this chapter
(on the significance of insignificant things) may be drawn from the familiar
practice of drawing a cheque on a bank. The value of the paper and of the drop
of ink is infinitesimal, and the signature is the act of a moment and costs no
effort ; yet the result of the cheque is the production of a given amount of solid
gold. What is the explanation ? Simply that there is a reality behind these
apparently trivial acts, viz., that there is a balance at the bank to the credit of the
person who draws the cheque. In like manner, the reality which iies at the basis
of Baptism is the death and resurrection of Chiist. and the simple, t.xteinal mode
of Baptism is chosen by God, in His wisdom, to effect these great results, i.e.,
uniting us with Christ, and magnifying the power of the Holy Ghost

After note i, page 515. Baptism, in its spiritual aspect, was a difficulty to
Nicodemus, and it is remarkable how the spiritual realities which lie at the base
of both the Sacraments were stumblingblocks to Christ's hearers. For after his
discourse on the eating His flesh and drinking His blood (which is generally
allowed to refer to the Holy Supper), '' many of his disciples went back, and
walked no more with him." The Divine Teacher gave the clue to the right
interpretation of His words when he said " It is the spirit that quickeneth ; the
flesh profiteth nothing : the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and
thty are life." John vi. 47-68.

BIBLIOGRAPHY;

or a Short List of some leading Works on Christian Baptism since the

Reformation of the xvith century.

Martin I. uther : Sermon on Baptism ... ... ... ... ... '535

|ohn Calvin : Institutes of the Christian Religion. Book iv. Of Baptism 1536

Bishop Hooker : Works ' " 1592

Bishop Jeremy Taylor : Liberty of Prophesying (\\\\\.') 1647

Life of Christ (1675)

Herbert Thorndike : Laws of the Church 1670

Isaac Barrow, D.D. : Of Baptism 1700

Rev. W. Wall : History of Infant Baptism 1705

(best edition with Gale's reflections and Wall's Defense, 1862)

Rev. J. Bingham : A ntiqn ities of the Christian Church 1726

Daniel Waterland, D.D. : Regeneration 1740

Bishop Mant : Bampton Lectures ... ... ... ... ... ... 1812

Bishop Bethell : Doctrine of Regeneration ... ... ... ... ... 1816

Rev. Edward Irving, M.A. : Homilies on Baptism 1828

Lenoir : Essai bibliqne, historique et dogmatique sur le Bapteme dcs en f ants 1856

Canon Sadler : The Second Adam and the Netu Birth ... ... ... 1860

,, ., The Sacrament of Responsibility ... ... ... ... (1870)

Canon Mozley : Review of the Baptismal Controversy 1862

R. Ingham : A Handbook of Christian Baptism ... ... ... ... 1865

,, Christian Baptism : its stibjects (1871)

De Rossi: Roma Sot teianea 1864-67

Smith and Cheetham : Dictionary of Chns/ian Antiquitits 1875

J. Martigny : Dictionnairc des Antiqnites Chretietines ... ... ... 1877

J. B. C. : Readings upon the Liturgy 1878

Dean Stanley : Christian Institutions iK8l

Jules Corblet : Histoire dogntatique, litttrgique et archceologique dii

Sacrament de Bapteme 1881

Rev. Warwick El win: The Minister of Baptism 1889

(a History of Church opinion from the time of the Apostles)

Canon A. J. Mason : T!:e Relation of Confirmation to Baptism ... 1891

Sir Wm. Smith, D.C.L., L.L.D. : Dictionary of the Bible 1893

Rev. C. F. Rogers: Baptism and Christian Archeology (Part IV. of

Stitdia Biblica et Ecclesiastica, by Members of the University of Oxford) 1903

I N D E X.

PAGE

Abraham, The Covenant of God with ... ... ... ... ... 322

The Prophetic Vision of ... 323

Absolution, The spiritual value of ... ... ... ... 77.484

Baptism connected with ... 484

restores Baptismal grace ... ... ... ... ... 485

Acts of Christ, The (His Death and Resurrection) used for our sanctin-

cation by the Holy Ghost 48

Act of God. Sonsliip due to an ... ... 266

Adam. By Resurrection. Christ constituted the Second ... ...23,31

Analogies between the first, and the last ... ... ... ... 24;

The first, our natural, federal head... ... ... ... ... 253

under the Covenant of Works 321

See also Second Adam.
Adoption, Men are the sons of God by ... ... ... ... 266,267

Advancement of humanity. Man's dreams 01 the ; are \\iui ... ... 410

Advent of our Lord. Salvation connected with the- ... ... ... 312

Affusion, a mode oi Baptism ... ... ... ... 451

equivalent to Immersion ... ... ... ... ... ... 453

Alfred. King, the godfather of Guthrum 459

Altar .The Decalogue wrongly placed over the ... ... ... ... 327

The Brazen, The spiritual meaning of the nve implements of ...86, 87

a witness to a Baptism of Fire ... ... 209

Analogies between natural and spiritual lif e ... ... ... ... 9

drawn from the Jigure of grafting ... ... ... ... 140-147

Ananias, The Baptism of St. Paul by ... ... ... ... ... 109

Andrews, The Rev. W. W.. on Christian Education ... ... 549. 350

Angels, the sons of God by creation ... ... ... ... ... 267

Anglican Church, The order of Baptism in the... ... ... ... 507

Anointing. The, of the Holy Ghost - 280

: a sequel to Baptism 495. 497, 500, 506

Antichrist, the 4i Wild Beast " 410

Apocalypse. Prominence of the subject of names in the ... 4(^-469

Apollos instructed in " the way of God more perfectly "

Apostlesi Repentance and Faith preached by the ... ... ->o

Christ's last commission to the ... ... ... ... 104

constituted " Fishers of men " ... ... ... --- 189

baptized with Fire at Pentecost ... ... ... ... --- -09

address the Baptized as " holy." and as " >?.;nt* " ... 559, 361

God's centre of union ..." 594

Apostolic Church, The rite of Baptism in the 59

Apostolorum. The Diattxeis ... ... ... ... --- - 49*

Aquinas, Thomas, cited .... ... ... - - *93

Ark of Noah. The. a type of the Church 15 *

The division of beasts into clean and unclean, on entering the 353

Armenian Church. The rite of Baptism in the 500-502

Aspersion, the third mode of Baptism ... ... ... 453

Athanasius. St. Anecdote of the childhood of 455

Aagnstine. St.. The doctrine of, on Baptism ... ... ... i-4

Babylon, the type of Christendom 412

Baptism, Sacramental views of 31.44,383,384

the Ordinance (together with faith), for union with Christ ...35. 37

518 INDEX.

PAGE

Baptism, The doctrine of, an elementary principle ... ... ... 57

The, of the Ethiopian eunuch " 80

- The, of the jailor at Philippi 100

The, of Cornelius ... ... ... ... ... 107,275

- The, of St. Paul by Ananias 109

The, of disciples at Ephesus ... no

the "circumcision made without hands" ... ... ... 164

White robes used in 250

a protest against sectarianism

makes us sons of God ... ... ... ... ... 261-271

the title-deed to the Kingdom of Heaven 291

the introduction into the New Covenant 326. 358. 359

Simplicity of the act of 424

- Two schools of thought concerning 3 86

an important factor in Education ... ... ... 34**. 349

the demarcation between the Church ami the world 358

Wilful sin after . . 363

Seven practical duties arising from ... ... ... 564-374

A new brotherhood created by ... ... ... ... -- 365

The duty of unity flows from ... ... ... . . 367

Clinical 445-447

The, of Guthrum 459

connected with other Divine Offices in the Church ... 483-492

Examples of, in the New Testament ... ... ... 493,494

Infant. Sec Infant Baptism.

The Order of, during the Hnd. and Illrd. Centuries 495

during the IVth. Century 496

in the Liturgy of John Knox 352

Lutheran Church 379. 58

Ancient Liturgies ... ... ... 496-506

Armenian Church ... ... ... 500-502

Paulician Church $02

Coptic Church ib.

Celtic Church 54

Graeco-Russian Church ... ... ... ... 5<x>

Roman Church ... 55

Anglican Church ... ... ... ... ... 57

Apostolic Church ... ... ... ... 59

Sec also Christian Baptism, Divisions, Doctrine, Regeneration.
Baptistery, The, often built apart from the Church ... ... ... 457

the proper place for the Decalogue ... ... ... ... ... 329

the most suitable place for the three symbols of Faith ... ... 330

Baptized, The, Fish symbolic of ..." .89.190

made members of Christ ... ... ... ... ... 252-260-

sons of God ... ... ... ... ... 261-271

partakers of the Holy Ghost 272-284

heirs of the Kingdom of God, but not yet possessors 285-295

The royal priesthood of ... ... ... ... ... ... 293

only, admitted to the Lord's Table 296

placed by God's act in a state of salvation ... ... .. 305

separated to God ... ... ... ... ... ... 35$

addressed as " holy," and as " saints " ... ... ... 559-361

danger of the relapse of, into Paganism ... ... ... ... 405

Barnabas, St., The doctrine of Baptism according to ... ... ... 120

Bible, Reading the, a means of grace ... ... ... ... ... 3 OT

The, contains no express command concerning Infant Baptism 432

See also Scripture, Old Testament, New Testament.

Birth, The New, " from above "... ... ... ... ... ... 97

not due to faith 13*

Blessings, The, sacramentally imparted in Baptism ... ... ... 71

INDEX. 5IQ

PAGE

Blood, the life of the creature -... ... 193

Blood, The Baptism of 192-206

Martyrs endured ... 192, 196

acknowledged by the Church ... 194

Unique historical example of ... 197

Christ underwent 198

The Earth's final baptism of ... ... ... ... 202, 204

Blood and Water, Symbohsm of ... ... 187

out of Christ's side A.

Body of Christ, The mystical, a wonderful creation 256

See also Church.
Bond of Union. The Hope of Resurrection should be a... ... ... 391

Bread of Life, Christ the 298

Bride of Christ, The, cannot apostatize ... ... ... ... 415

Brotherhood, A new, created by Baptism ... ... ... ... 365

Buddhism and Occultism, Spread of ... ... ... ... ... 405

Buliinger, Dr. E. \V., on Covenants ... ... ... ... ... 320

Burial symbolized by the Flood and by the Red Sea 148-158

The. of Christ, a necessity ... ... ... ... ... ... 22

Burning Bush. Moses and the ... ... ... ... ... ... 209

C
Calvary and Sinai, Contrast between ... ... ... ... ... 329

Campbell, Rev. J. M., on Forgiveness ... ... ... ... ... 235

Candidates for Baptism. Vows" taken by... ... ... ... 5 54- 3 3 s

Canterbury, The Archbishop of, General invitation to prayer of ... 59$
Can terbury. Font at St. Martin's Church ... ... ... ... 458

Capadose. Dr. Isaac, on Christ's Faith ... ... ... ... ... ^4j;

Catechism. The. of Cyril of Jerusalem ... ... ... ... ... 497

Catechumens, Definition of ... ... ... ... ... ... 472

Article on, from " Encyclopaedia Britannica " ... ... 471-474

Office for reception of ... ... ... ... ... ... 474

Dedication of ... ... ... ... ... ... 4^0.48:

Catholicity of Baptism. Dr. Macleod on the ... ... ... ... 255

Celtic Church. Baptism in the ... ... ... ... ... ... ^04

Ceremonies. Baptismal, increased in the Hlrd Century ... ... 495

Charismata. The, of the Spirit ... ... ... ... ... ... 271

Children admitted to Holy Communion in the early Church ... 503. 447

fit subjects for Covenant with God... ... ... ... ... 455

welcomed by our Lord ... ... ... ... ... ... 437

Christ. The flesh of, like ours in everything except sin. . . ... ... 6

necessarily stopped to our present level ... ... ... ... 10

justified by His faith ... ... ... ... ... 17, 24^, 245

The sacrifice of fallen flesh by 22

offered Himself to God, through the Eternal Spirit ... 24, 299

the first saved man ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28

the new federal Head of the human race 30, 253, 254

the Head of the new and glorified creation ... ... ...^3. 54

The life of, at Nazareth 239

The righteousness of the Law wrought out by ... ... ... 240

the Head of the Church, imperfect without His members ... 259

The action of , in instituting the Holy Supper ... 299

The Body and Blood of, our spiritual meat and drink ... ... 300

the pattern of salvation perfected 313

The union of the Baptized with 35-37

in eight of His principal acts ... 38

in His burial and Resurrection ...42, 43

in His life of obedience upon earth 49

in His Circumcision... 50

5^0 INDFX.

PAGE

Christendom, Divisions of, concerning Baptism ... ... 375. 384

Religious statistics of . 388

The present divided condition of ... ... ... ... 389, 407

Association for promoting the unity of ... ... ... ... 395

an armed camp ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 409

Babylon typical of ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 412

Christian Baptism founded on the Incarnation of the Son of God ... 3

not possible before Christ's Death and Resurrection 47

more excellent than that of John ... ... ... 67

The great blessings of ... ... ... ... 71

- The grace of, is retrospective ... ... ... 72

Historical Types of ... ... ... ... 148-158

Forgivt ness a necessary grace in ... ... 229,230

Justitication a grace in ... ... ... ... 248

Connection of the Holy Ghost with... ... ... 274

Practical lessons of ... ... ... ... 364-374

Three modes of ... ... ... ... 448-456

" Christian Name," The, Meaning of ... ... ... ... 466,467

unchangeable ... ... ... ... ... ... 467

" Christianus " on Sacraments ... ... ... ... ... 428-430

Chrysostom, The doctrine of, on Christian Baptism ... ... ... 124

Church, The, Types of 151

God's eternal secret ... ... ... ... ... ... 256

the mystical Body of Christ ... ... ... ... 257

formed of a number of units ... ... ... ... ib.

The complex constitution of ... ... ... ... 258

the masterpiece of the New Creation ... ... ... 260

the household of God 276

the temple of God ... ... ... ... ... ... 277

rilled with the Holy Ghost ib.

to be perfected collectively ... ... ... ... ... 311

The shortcomings of ... ... ... ... 376, 377, 390-392

divided into three great sections ... ... ... 397,398

The ultimate unity of, not hopeless ... ... 397-399

Our Lord's prayer for the unity of ... ... ... 129,377

Circumcision instituted by God ... ... ... ... ... ... 159

Symbolism of ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 161

Connection between Baptism and ... ... ... ... ... 162

of the heart ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ib.

The death of the flesh the teaching of 163

" on the eighth day," The meaning of ... ... ... ... ib.

Baptism the, ''made without hands " ... ... ... ... 164

Renewal of, at Gilgal ... ... ... ... ... ... 165

Resemblances between Baptism and ... ... ... 167, 168

Differences between Baptism and... ... ... ... 169. 170

the token of a Covenant ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 2 4

The analogy between Infant Baptism and ... ... ... 434

Cleansing, Rites for the, of the leper ... ... ... ... ... 177

associated with water ... ... ... ... ... ... 184

Clement of Alexandria, cited ... ... ... ... ... ... 123

of Rome, Doctrine of, on Baptism ... ... ... ... 120,121

Cloud, Baptism unto Moses under the ... ... ... ... ... 153

Communion, Christian, a means of grace ... ... ... ... 302

Communion, Holy, Only the Baptized admitted to ... ... ... 296

Difference between the Holy Eucharist and ... 296

- Neglect of , " ... . *.. 304

Children admitted to ... 447

the greatest means of grace ... ... ... ... 487

Condemnation of sin, by the Cross of Christ ... ... ... ... 370

Confession of sins, necessary for John's Baptism ... ... ... 60

INDEX. 521

PAGE

Confession of the sins of all men, by our Lord ... ... ... ... 66