, 1875-03-01

I
which eeaneth from all sin,"
| tcrhhtH you arc wondering What all this has
TO DO with the subject OF Our cho1cn tc1t! IlIo
prophet, AncakinK ~ tho oracle OF ut,d, Hays II
viii spri'kio clehn wstcf upon yo,L md 70 shall
10 clean." hut while he apcaKn Of water, John
declares u blood that clcanAca from nin. Arc ve,
then. to believe thcro Ia any virtuo in water?
some SOM people do; and hasc, alas, no much faith
to fit them for Heaven. Water ia wonders
WORKERS 1t Is beautiful and expressive omb!c.n,
md its blessings ca1lnut he told Tie water
from tho old mosa"coscrod bucket that hnng In
Cling spring ~ tho roadside, tho green llloHa Of
tho sea, tho pcarIy dew from tho ambient air,
and tl'e white and e1npmfplod clouds Of tho axy,
Would each fnti'lsh = theino fer al evening Ice.
n'!l good purposes, If Buch m ine1!lauetibio and
delicious blessing. is MI absolute necessity 10
llto III lis world, and tho great purifier OF physi.
cal lncleanli1icas therc IL ITO virtue whatever In
water to cleanse from nin. h drop and al ocean
are alike, neither can remove tho stain Of one
| Hinglo Hfn! IT III tho blood of Josl,s Christ
that ctcansetll from all su."
1Iowt then, arc se 10 reconcile tho atstemcntn
spiration, And thcro should DO no contradiction
in their tcachsng. Tho 10y tint ub1ocka tlo df-
ticulty ia tue word 'tctean." In tho Hebtow tho
word has very different moaning from that
| water meaning puIo water, IL here means very
impHrc water. Let us turn to Eumbers, XIX,
and read tho Mosaic Law for tic puriacation OF
tho unceats l'y thls aw. the children at 1srae1
wcgo commanded to bring from thoir herds red
heifcr, without spot. Wherein there waa no blotn-
ut, md upon Which the yoke Of man never rest.
cd. Tile Innocent aud bcautfut creature was to
bo perfect, aud red, without n,ot from her horns
to her hoofe. The Priests Hfew thts ani,nol and
burned her body and blood will. cedar wood,
hyssor, and scarlet dye; 10 that nothing rc-
tnaincd but heap Of ro]-co1ored ashes. These
asos wefo carefully preserved - for the water Of
used, tho ahhcs wsro mixed with water, aud
thia blood-like water tho Jcwa called
"clcans!ng water," or ''clean water" It was
Bprinsled upon tho rnan guilty and defod. who
HnH then commanded 10 10 End battle himself in
fresh, pure water from tho crown Of hls hoad to
tla soles OF hiH feet.
Again. III Loytieus. xiv, We read in the rite
for cleansing the ieper, tho poor man brought
mantlo that ono Of tho birds aiouid bo killed In
an oarshen rosfel over pure mater. Then tho
priest ApriulIod thn mixed blond and water urun
the lepers and commanded lin TO waell l.ts
clothes aud hattie hia body that lie might bc
! c!cniised and lealed: But, strange spectacle!
slic priest tnmcsscd the other aud living bird In
tlb bloody hath. and then, holding Il Up, let It
ily nway to ita homo in tue ccdasB on the NOUN
tnn side. Tho lcifet and the bird killed wcro
typea of the crucibou Jcaua tho liTing bird waa
tho type 0f those rodocMed spirits in heaven
| whoso robes wcEc waahed and lna1e whito III tie
blood Of the Lamb.
I wish you now to note well that in tho Old
Tastamel. dispensation tl,eta was always 1,rtt
| srrinkting Of blood or bloody water; and then
| bathlng,--a literal immersion Of the wholo
body i'll wafer. " these types nc must find the
| aHttyros in tJo New Testament, Here. too,
there ID invariably both srrinkliug md an in1-
| taersion. LII Hetrowa T., 2... Paul says: "1.es
liz draw nnar with trua heart III. full nsauraacs
Of failh. having our heasts sps1nkied from m
evil conEc;euce, and our bodies washed With puro
water" In I: Peter, l., 2, no rcad OF s'rhc
spr1nklins of tho huod Of jesus CArist.' The
ablest commentators agree that such pasaegcs
tcaet. that tue hcasts Of those who will bo saved
must in somo way rcceiyo the effect Of tho blood
Of Christ. sized for Tho remission Of einH; and
their bodies must hayo in baptism tho sym
bolio waslinl: which means q separation from
tho state Ut nin. Before Any einncr can
kaye strength and courage. To- begin
s.ropy ass,.rance If parlon aud feoi' FREQ from
the guilt Of his part flns.-ha must he givan
great absorbing thought, 9 soul-insplrng mo-
tive; ho muHt liare now hoart and new
spirit: he must te born ugain. And aftcr ho
persuasion OF help FROM on 1lleh, that he may
untaltcr!ngly walk In ntwnees OF lifo. Christ
died for our sins Ills blool-tho sacrifice Of
that lifo all glorious win human and Divine nor.
forgive all who accept tho Gospel. And what is
tic Gospel but Qods own powerful means for
ore c1iIfor purifying; men ,9 snl making IL poa-
screntcd Of ain, when We hare upeuIy confessed
ths Lord; when wo hare baen Aymholicaliy
buried NTH Him. and have risen With Him, thun
in effect our hearts hayo becu sprinked with tho
blood TINT caused angels 10 sludder at thought
Of sin. aud to wonder at tho surprising love Of
God,-thcn our bodies, onr Whole beings, have
bcon waelctl FREQ from detlloment.
y. Let dnubters ncor aud labble as they will
Thousands Know tho Joy, thu swcet peace, tho
fcrrons gratitude and The mighty strength that
oo1nes to them who have becn thus sprinkied
aud washed. There Ia grand truth iu that
speec4 of Aunnias to 6aul OF Tarsus. Poor,
ncorcted by the splundor OF the glory of tho Sun
OF 1&iohtaonsnobA, but hB awalUnod COINCIDENCE
now Ghzcd with horror upon tho pals faco Of the
dying Stephen. Lie know that his hands wero
really baon lighting against God. that lo llad by
hia couduet ranked himself chief OF sinuers,
What unuttorable tronbio OF couscloncs was his,
and how like music Of 21cayon must hays SQUAD
r,ost thou ?---ariso, and bo baptized and wash
away thy sins, calling on tic name OF tho
Lord" Could friend and ambassador
OF Jesus cali hin, brother2 and in tho
be par.loned !? No woutlot that. alter taie, Paul
became tho noblcyt illustration OF tho faithful
and loving ChrlatIan soldier: that ho kopt the |
faith aud fought good tight
baptism but let, uH neyor 50 sadly 1aisappro-
hcnd tho whole nature OF thu C,riBian religion AZ
to tAInk TINT tl,oto IL my virtue in baptism to |
Eavo ~. Jeaua came into the world, not to gath |
or church OF flesh and blood. Of bieoted bap-
TIED ltoEIdfings, bnt church OF purified spirits.
OF unS!nniuE men aud women. 1lo ca.ao not to ]
save I'd iu cur sin. but from slu. His gracious
work Is to preparo.uA for that exalted fellowship
With 0od and Bat1tr. anl angels,
In tho workings Of Nature. the bursting Of the
socds blc!l but allows tho Germ to coma OUT into
tie sun and rain, that tho p!ant may grow, thu
tres may bloom. aud ths fruit be maturcd. Hn
our baptism docs but tree tls from tho body Of
the old man Of sin. md permits III to begin lifo
ANEW, that by alt the means Of grace wo may
grow up iu tho spirit aid character OF Christ,
men and women without hpo! or blcnainl.
Oh. beloved, II VIC hayo xny ScriPtursl and nd
e9uhta conception Ut tl!at beautiful lIfs youler;
of lhs life Gods chillren should 1.-Two hero, We
will 10 worry anxious to put away III! sin, W. will
most prayarfu!ly stryo to live tint rtire aud un-
dehlca religion, which ~ 10 look after the faith