The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-18

walton into the Christian religion. No one
peiieves immersion to be an innovation.
IL began with the beginning. Christ was
baptized, the Apostles were baptized. 1t
would be as reasonable to deny that Christ
hved on earth as to deny that lie requires
his followers to be baptized.
we might leave this question with the
general admission that Christ requires it
at our hands, for this is quite enough TO
know; but l desire to show that Christ is
reasonable and wise in all He asks us TO
90; that lie has purpose in all He re-
quires Of us.
You may ask why does He require the
use OF water in this initiatory ordinance.
We may not know just why this special
ordinance was chosen, but there is GER
tainly beauty and fitness in II that must
commend it to the thoughtful student of
the Scriptures.
The entire process OF conversion, from
its initial to its conclusion, is designed to
| purify,the soul OF man, and water is the
emblem OF purity.
Nothing could more fifty signify or SYM
bolize this inward purity of the soul than
this outward washing OF the body with
pure water.
Again: Water is essential to all the ma
terial forms OF lie, and II is not surprising
that 1t should be associated with the new
spiritual life into which the soul enters ON
emerging from the waters OF baptism.
There seems to be the same wise adher-
ence TO the eternal fitness of things in re-
quiring us to be immersed or buried in
the water, for in this the three great facts
OF the gospel 1.-THE death, burial and resur-
rection of Christi upon which the entire
Christian system rests receive especial
| .s.l. A. ...t -. q.
buried and arose from the dead, He asks
that man shall die TO sin, be buried with
Him and arse with Him to walk in n
new life. The death, burial and rcsur-
rection of Christ are the three great facts
upon which our faith is founded, and in
this initial, public act we confess our faith
in these facts IN most emphatic and im-
pressve manner. We also give special
emphasis before the world to the great im-
portance OF these facts.
This ordinance, administered in this
way, serves another important purpose:
IL gives special emphasis TO the doctrine OF
the holy Trinity. We are baptized into
the name OF the Father, and into the
name Of the Son, and into the name OF the
Holy Spirit. Here We have a trinity OF
persons. The administrator repeats the
baptismal formula, buries the candidate
beneath the yielding waves and raises
him to n new life. In this we discover
trinity of acts.
The candidate dies in sin, is buried with
Christ, and arises from the baptismal
grave-a trinity Of facts. And, taken to-
gether, we have trinity OF trinities. The
divine formula used in the administration
Of this ordinance is most significant: We
are baptized, not in the name OF God, but
| -. II 49,. -.
gestlve OF the new and intimate relation
established between the regenerate soul
and its maker. We are not baptized in
the name of Christ, but into the name Of
the Son, which also expresses relation. the
new relation the redeemed sustain to
Christ And being immersed into the
name OF the Holy Spirit brings US into
new relation to the Spirit OF God.
Taking this view Of baptism, which Is
the Scriptural view, itsecms not only beau
tiiul and appropriate, but very significant.
In all the world a more beautiful, appro-
pirate and expressive ordinance can not be
found. There is nothing in IL that should
cause the young TO reject 1t. 1t should be
genuine pleasure 10 be permitted 10 give
expression to our faith in the great facts OF
the gospel-to be buried with Christ, 10
arise with Him 10 new life.
But now we approach the second di-
vision Of our subject which we hope will
intensity our interest. / refer to the
LIFE II THE CHURCH.
Ths affirmative side OF this life, while IL
embraces volumes, may DO told in few
words
Continue steadias,ly in the Apostles
doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking Of
| hr,aI aud la ~
do unto others as you would have
others do unto YOU"
"Do good unto all men,"
"Fonake not the assembling Of your
selves together"
"Pray without ceasing aud In every.
thing give thanks
"llcar yc one ano,her's burdens and SO
fullll the law Of Christ"
Continue faithful in we'll doing, seek.
ing for glory, incorruphbiliiy eternal
liie."
These highly practical scriptures will in
dictate the character OF the things we will
be expected 10 do in this new life. As
Christians there are some things We may
do. some things We must do and some
things We must not DO.
The things we may do without SHINING
relate TO things indifferent under the
head Of things We must do, all the
specific requirements God makes OF Us.
In the third division We find the things
strictly forbidden, and such acts Of life Us
may lead us into sin, or influence Others
TO do wrong
In this second part Of our sermon We
want 90 direct attention moro especially TO
tho relation OF religious lilo TO the
pleasures OF the world.
Asa rule, young people look upon the
religious life rs being. by far, too austerc,
too very cxacting In its demands
To them IL has the appearance OF life OK.
islng In death, manlled In gloom, watercd
Ia tcau, measured by muscular elongaiion,
pcrpciuatcd by scli.hatrcd, bcautiiicd by
mingled shades OF sadness aud suffering
and estimated by the amount Of Voc
that can be infused into Il.
The origin OF such u misconccption of
the New Testament religion woshall not at
tempt to trace. II II sufficient iorour pur.
pose to assure you Il never reached US
through the life aud teachings Of Christ
This bullrush, iace-elongatcd, self-cruciiy-
ing, world-ha,ing. STRENGTHENING, holicr
than thou religion i the kind that drives
stakes, kindles fires, CONSTRUCTS thumb
screws, swings the axe and orccis mile
stones.
True, Christ requires seli.dcnial, but
not that Ills disciples shall deny themselves
Of al the plcasurcsand cnjoymcnti, placed
by the hand of infinite love within their
reach. The merciiu Rcdccmcr NJ once
; / CNplains what He means when lie says