The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-04-23

- lsto w bhll wa I litko Al"
formed us that his Kingdom Is not an eXter-
nal Kingdom. 1t cOruCtll not with 0bscrrn-
ton, neither shall they say 10 here or 10
there, for behold the Kingdom Of God Is within
you. IL is not Il government OF tho world. 1t
consists in
RIGHTEOUSNESS, y JOY
In the Holy Ghost. 1t Is spiritual kingdom.
Its throne Is in the hearts of believers. Its
laws are to be found in the gospel. All those
beautiful and benevolent prccepts and doc
trinrs arc tn" law by which Christ governs
his disciples.
These laws are not merely placed before
them I'm the gospel but they are indelibly
inscribed un their hearts by the finger Of God.
The laws are the SAINT for all believers. They
ilrc all subjects Of the same government.
They have one Lord. The will Of Christ Is
the rule Of their life, and his glory Is the end
for which they live. 1t is not necessary that
man should live together under one political
government or belong to the same Christian
sect or denomination In order to be subjects
OF the saline spiritual government, but all in
all lands and in all churches who believe In
.lrhliS Christ arc subjects Of one and the same
Kingdom. daily governed by the SAINT laws
and yielding
CHEERFUL. OBEDIENCE To ONE LORD.
This Kingdom now has it's subjects in Asia
Europe, Africa. America and on tho Isles "
the StTl-SOinc in one Church aud some I'm an
other. However scattered and diversified ~
To external religious forms, they are all one
III NllIISt. III IL lIclT common lOTu anu LIN
Kingdom Will increase until the Kingdoms OF
This world will become the kingdom OF
the Lord and His Christ. All Christians are
not only under one governments; they
hot only have one Lord, but they have one
faith. BY one faith the Apostle doubtless
means the objective creed OF Christians. All
Evangelical Christians substantially believe
the S;Iiic things. The objects OF their faith
are the same. They may for convenience
have formula doctrines, such as confessions
and standards, and each denomination may
have its own books with the doctrines OF
grace arranged in IL certain order, but In Sc
tar rs they are taken from the Bible and
Christian, they arc
ALL VIRTUALLY TIE SABt.
They may differ In expression. and some may
laN more stress on one duCtrlnc than another.
just us lnrh may differ us To their plans OF
Turning and mode Of culture, yet they all
plant the same kind of seed, and gather sub
>tHnlihlly the same kind OF crop. They may
Tor his style OF fencing. and way Of plOughint.
Nc., yet they all observe the same general
laws and plant the same kind OF seed. so the
different denominations ma differ In some
of their views Of Bible truth; some may give
more prominence to one trnth than another,
but their minds and hearts arc all directed t.
the same great truths. The leading doctrines
Of grace are all the same. They all search the
scriptures with the same mOtlvc-tha they
may learn and do the Will Of God. They all
accept the Scriptures, the Old and New Tesla
nIrrl, rs
THE ONLY AUTHORITATIVE STANDARD
OF faith and practice. They are all constrnin'
ed by The Same principle. Their faith works
by love. They believe the sunle things con-
crrni. & God, tho Father, the Son and Holy
Ghost. They accept the same practical du'
ties that grow nut Of their thrccfOid relation
To God. In Il word. the truth as 1t is In Jesus
is practically and substantially the same &c
all believers. Hence they have one faith. Not
only have they one Lord and II faith. but
there Is but one baptism for all. Now what
is meant by one b;.pliSm ? Evidently not the
baptism merely with wafer. but the
ZEAL BAPTISM
Of the Spirit, Of which the baptism with wa.
tor il the external sign. Notice that the
Apostle is making mention Of the things that
constitute believers one body. Now the APP
plicali0n O! wafer to the body by any mode O
aprinkling, pouring Or immersion, can have
no efficacy in bringing men into II close fra
lcrnal organization. Let lis take tho !Apos'
Ties own Interpretation Of what he meant by
the one huptisll. In the Eth chapter U( Col
O~Ssians. where he Is writing on the same sub
jrrt-tlIc unity Of the Church-he defines tint
baptism thai makes believers one body. lie
rallk IL The baptism of the Spirit. He says
FOR rs lic body is one, and hath many mem
b"rS, and all the members OF that one body
being many are one body, So also is Christ
for by one spirit are wG all baptized into one
body, whether we br Jews Or Gcntilcs, whrth'
or wei bond or free. and iavcail been made t
drink into one spirit. The argument Ii this
The church of Christ is one "brcalsc by ONT
or til" same Spirit all believers have beer
baptized into one body" 1t Is the baptism q
the spirit that constitutes them one body. II
j. moi by baptism ;S an external rite, but by
.hr communication OF thu. Holy spirit, tina
We are marie members of the body of Christ
| nlu one body means So us to constitute ont
body. II matters not how greatly men may
have differed before conversion or rrErncr;.
firtt t..tItf tltI,Ns f,tt ll a., al rr.nl ~ tN;I
Is us Jews and Gcntlics, or AZ the Tree citizen
AMI lUud-Slavc, yet 10y the baptism III III,
spirit they are united into me organized
body Of which Christ Is llc Head. 1t Is tit
spirit that forms Il living. vital
UNION HETwEEH TIE HEAD And TIE ley
HERS.
All Christians. true believers, however fal
apart they may he. though they belong To
different Sect and c"iIrfri"a. and speak differ
cil, tongues, all hy virtue vi thu same spirl1
dwelling III them all ut tn" saline tin0 lnti
imulriy and uyraniriliy united, as pnriakrr:
OF The >uilIr life. rs the human body, tliuugl
having many members, is one. BECAUSE per
r;'i"! hy one %" sou! or principle Of life. -
al! believers are one brral.e pcIvadcd by one
Spirit. 80 all who have been ba pIiKrd Will
the spirit az" really ami truly the inclnher'
Of li:r mystical body uitlirist, whether the!
belong to til" visible Church ar not. .tnu the!
who have not thu baptism of the spirit have
iluEVin. union with ( hrist though they MAY
~ wa - - ' 'tth f'iNA ~ = - ~ -
the external rite OF baptism with water. W.
must be born of the Spirit, otherwise ther.
can be no saving union with Christ.
We learn rom TINS that the Church o
Christ is Dnc-no by virtue Of visible head,
or any form OF government. "r tmcntlSr Of an!
external bonds or tr-bu al believers are
one body in Christ by virtue OF the
EI1.ING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,
and this Internal union shows itself In the
sam" faith and in all the acts nj christian lr'
lnw>hip. The indwcll;ng OF the spirit is the
common mark q! all believers III Christ. Kyle
says, 1T is the shepherds mark OF the flock
of the Lord Jesus. distinguishing them from
ihr resi- Of lie world. It IS the .nld>in!th's
stamp on The genuine sons OF God which sep.
lrIlrS them rom the druSS ard lp;SS Of falls
professors. IT j. the kings " seal on those
VIII" are His peculiar people proving them To
hr his own property. IT, Is the c:tfllcSt which
Iir l,rdrrIIrr gives 10 Ills DrlicNinGd disciples
wt:iIrthry are in the body, as u pledge of the
full redemption yet to come on the resource
ton morning." This is the case Of all BELIZE
crS. They have all the DaptiSiu Of the spirit
Finally, there Is not only one Lord, one faith
and one baptism, but the Apostle adds Ont
VOWED in The expression God and Father. By
one God is meant one object Of Worship.
ALI. BELIEVERS WORSHIP TIE SAME COD.
But the main thing is the. brotherhood OF
Christians. They are all the children OF God
This, perhaps. more than anything. else
makes believers one body in Christ. lie and
they are brethren in the same spiritual l2llli
~. Jesus Christ reveals tind to those who be-
lirvc as Father. In the first and last words d
Jesus He calls Tod, Father: "!As a Father God
thinks of Us, loves Us. works for us. cares fl
Us, protects us, provides Tor us in the future.
Father is
TIE MOST E~HDEARIEG APrELLAT1oH
in which God IS made known to us. Il should
have been II French Atheist" said John Ran
lpluIl t'lInl il NOT hppn tnr one recollection
and that WAS when my departed mother uscc
to take my little hands in hers and caused
me on my knees TO say, t,ur rather, "hlcn
says Zurn,lI, lispcd by faith in prayer by q
real Christian,
EXCEEDS TIE ELOQrESCE OF D~EMOSTHoSEs
Cicero, and all tho famous speakers In the
world. ] never fear, said Il little child, when
my father Is with INC. This relation to Coo
on the part OF believers Is Il reality. villa; Z
privilege" We cannot conceive OF Il greater
behold what manner Of love is this that wc
should be called the Sons OF God; and il chill.
drcn, then irirS-heirS'0f God II joint heirs
with Christ Ia Il glorious inheritance. Thi'
privilege is not attained by anything thRt We
are or have done. 1t has been purchased fol
mrnt. Such is the honor He confcrS upon al
who believe. They are invested with
the title Ofthc Sons Of God, and they have I'M
parted to them
TIE SPIRIT OF CHILDREN.
IL would have been an ncOncci cable favor To
have been delivered from tho sentence of the
law, but To be made the children o! Cor Is tn
be made glorious beyond thought. Think
what it is To have the Lord Almighty for
Father. What would an earthly parent do
for his children il he had the power? Then
what Will Coo not do for His children" How
happy, how honorable, how glorious ARE Gods
children. How immense their privileges
how rich their inheritance. Why arc they so
back ward to enter upon IT.