Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1851-05-15

Illus had asked to know what,o do When Pc
ter csme, what did he command him To do /?
He preached TO those who were present, but
had no, yet commanded hrm what to do. The
Jewish brethren, seeing that the Holy Ghost
lel on the Gentiles also, were astonshed. Then
Peter answered, "can any man forbid water,
that these should not be baptized, which have
received the Holy Ghost, as well as we? And
he commanded them to be baptized in the name
of the Lord" Cornelius had said, when Peter
came that he was ready to do whatever lie might
be commanded. lie was commended to be bap
sized, and was baptized. Afterwards, when Pc.
ter was called TO account by the Jewish brethren
for his course towards the Gentiles, he quotes
from Cornelius account of his vision, xplain-
ing and commenting upon it, An angel had
SAID 10 Cornelius "send men 10 Joppa, and call
for Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall
tell thee words, whereby thou and all hy house
sh, be saved" Notice they would not be sa
we'd, I'LL Peter told them whatto do. The pray-
er of Cornelius had gone up, to know how he
should be saved, God told hir tina, he heard
it, and answered by directing Linn to send TO
IJoppa, for Peter, and he would tell him what to
DO. When Peter came, he told him TO be bap,i-
zed.
! have thus given you four arguments in IA
,or Of my posiion; my fifth argument is, that
baptism Is essential to the regeneration Of the
Ircpen,ant believer. 1t shows the separation Of
the sinner from his sins. 1t marks where the
former and the latter forever part We must
be born Of love, born Of faith, born OF God,
born Of the spirit, born Of righteousness, born
iof icater. understand the Bblo to mean Just
what il says: that these are all essential. Not
by works ofrighteousness which we have done
but according tu his mercy he saved US, by the
washing Of regeneration, and renewing of the
Holy Ghost" The washing Of regeneration
spoken of by Paul, and TO be born Of water, nre
different forms Of expression to convey the
same idea "lIe that Jelleveth and is baptized,
shall ho saved" lie must be saved both by
rene wing and washing The amount of Nico-
demus' enquiry, was, "Lord, how can enter
the Kingdom with you?" Said the Saviour,
"you must bo born again" How? Except a
man be born Of water and of the Spirit, he can
not enter into the Kingdom of God" 1t is my
duty to believe that the Bible means what it says,
The Bible says we must be born both of water
and of the spirit, and believe there must be IL
birth OF both. There is much power in the
word except" To Nicodemus, our Saviour
says" Except man be born of water and Of
the Spirit. he cannot enter into the Kingdom
IofGod." "EIceW ye repent ye shall all like
wise PERISH understand TO nean-y you must
repent; YOU will certanly perish without it, and
"ercepi man be born Of water and o. the spirit,
he cannot enter the Kingdom Of God,' is as
strong an expression. Unless we assume Sex
cent" to mean nothing, there is no escape from
the conclusion, that those who are not born ol
water cannot enter the Kingdom Of God.
Mr.. CAPLES. Those who ara uuacquain-
ted with the gentleman's theory, must have bad
Al b,. To
mind would have been, but for twelve years
study,
/ will notice q few of the gen,leman's priu-
cple.; bn, before doing this. it is proper 20 say
something Of the system Of salvation.
! Man is fallen. He is under sentence Of
condemnation, and exposed to the wrath of God.
Goi's compassion moved him 70 provide Sa-
vior; he chose the partner Of his throne and
offered him as n ransom for the world. IL Is
the prime attribute Il .he system of salvation,
tha, it ha, the po'ver, through the death and
sufftrings of Christ, to make man partaker Of
the benefits of Gods Church. Ho gives us
his Word, he has established his Church; he
has prescribed the ordinance of Baptism in
that ordnance, we behold a means Of Grace:
these are all calculated for the restoration to
:he favor of God. Whatover tends to facilitate
that work, may be denOmina!cd means of Sal
walton, Salvation is incom plete, till God pro
nounces us saved; and, in another sense, till
the restoration ut the last day. There j, avost
difference between n mean of salvation, or grace,
ia Penitent Believer, and pardon of the sim
ner pr guilty. If works are condition of iusi'
fication Of the sinner, who is guilty, how is tho
sinner who cannot work, to be accepted oil God?
The question is not how the worst sinner is 10
he saved, bit how one who walks in deser,
Of crime. can find acce ptance with God? Good
men are dependent on God. They said To
be justified by their works; but This is a very
different thing from approval of the sinner
Every quotation Of scripture applied TO the SIN
ner in the sense in which it is used in tho con-
text, could not argue that he is saved by bis
works; that because the good are justified by
their works, the sinner is saved by his works
The gentleman assumes Faith, Repentance
and Baptism. as conditions Of salvation; but says
if he has the two former, and lacks the last he
lacks pardon. Ga ,h. we join ISSUE When
| read the word of God, lie, mo interpret it as
believe, that baptism is not condition of par
don, but means Of Grace. Resting on bap.
tism for pardon, he may hlunder into that ruin
which awaits unpardoned men, In reference
to this, it is said prayer is a means of grace
but it would pervert scripture, to say that nj
YOU have to do is to pray. 1t would deceive
that sinner who is wicked enough TO pray a
night, and sin in the day, Acts H. 81. "Who-
sSever shall call on tho name of tho Lord shal
be saved" This is a promise to tho believer
he may use it as means of grace; but II h'
relies upon it as a condition Of pardon hn vii
be lost. II is said the gospe! saves. Snppos'
, man shoul' go and hear sermon preached
and upon that fac. base n claim 20 salvation J.