Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-05-05
A Sermon BY Rev. F. S. Blckford Of La
moine.

A Sermon BY Rev. F, s. Blokford Of La
moine.
Published in connection with Ellsworth ser.
mons by request Of Ellsworth pastors.
PUTTING On CHRIST.
GALATIANS III 27.-For az many Of you
as tcere bdrtized into Christ did put on
Christ.
St. Paul's illusions to the baptism OF
the christians to whom his several epistles
were written, are such as indicate that he
though, of baptism as II it were kind Of
visible side of faif. 1t stands in the
choice and determination by which one be-
comes christian that putting on uni
form does toward making one soldier
The uniform indicates the choice which
its wearer has made aud what calling he
has adopted, and affords all others a GER
tain degree of Information. The uniform
cannot make soldier of a man who has
none of the qualities OF mind and heart
for the work of the soldier; the uniform
cannot certify whether the wearer Is
good soldier or poor one. SO In consid-
ering whether 1t is worth while TO wear a
uniform or not we leave out OF considera-
tion what matters the fashion Of the dress
WAS not intended TO declare. But any man
who assumes the dress Of the army there
That he Is subject TO the peculiar rules
that govern that Army that any one who
wears the like dress is his fellow in ser
vice, and that he must be distinguished
from all who do not wear the uniform.
Similarly We may say Of baptism into
fellowship with Christ, that the baptism.
being entirely voluntary as military ser
vice may not be, declares that the baptized
person is subject to the peculiar commands
of Christ; that any baptized christian We
recognize is in spiritual fellowship with
us, and that there is difference and sepa-
ration between the christian and the unbe-
lieving world.
/. ln the first place by baptism the
christian made acknowledgment that he
is subject TO the laws and judgments that
are peculiar to the life and service OF
Christ. What these laws are. whence
they come, by what power enforced. We
may learn from what the apostle says In
another place. Rom. 5 ;l4-"For as many
a. are led by the spirit of God these are
the sons OF God IL is the spirit Of God
that moves, guides and gives the law
to the christian, and it Is with the
christian, as 1t is with the soldier, his pro
fession has both a liberty that those who
do not wear his uniform do not enjoy, and
It Is subject to restrictions also that do
not blige others. The soldier is not ex-
pected 10 have the care of family, to
plant aud cultivate the soil. to carry oD
mercantile business, or TO earn q living In
competition with other toilers. He may
have interests of these kinds, but they are
not recognized in the laws that regulate
his military life, and so we may suppose
that he is free from all such responsible
ties. On the other hand he is subject to
restrictions, hemmed In by precise rules
that affect his personal liberty. as civil.
ian is not. Where he shall be at all hours,
what he shall do, how he shall conduct
himself toward others. what perils on the
march and on sentinel duty he must face,
are rigidly determined for him as they are
not for civilian. So he has, We may say,
another liberty and another bondage than
the civilian.
The christian enters into a state by bap-
tism that might be described by similar
words, but having. of course, a different
meaning. By baptism he became one Of
those whom the apostle designates, "sons
Of God" il indeed his baptism was the ex-
ternal and visible side of his faith. As to
the question whether he is made one of
the children Of God by baptism, without
regard to his faith, l should say that
would not be baptism. Mere immersion In
water is not baptism. any more than blue
coat with brass buttons Is q uniform. 1t
may be q uniform or not, that depends on
the station Of the wearer. Putting on the
same kind of clothes as q military COM
pany wears does not make one q member
Of that company, though it helps one to
imagine that he belongs to the company
of those who wear that dress, and espec.
tally it leads others to believe it. So
being baptized does not make one . child
of God, though that is the visible badge
and uniform Of the children Of God. And
as to the question also Of the utility of
baptism-whether one cannot be . child of
God without being baptized, suppose
that q soldier is soldier before he puts on
his uniform, and that he would be . SOL
dier If occasionally he put it OF and wore
plain clothes that would not distinguish
him from civilians. But it is . rule Of his
profession to wear . distinctive dress and
to resist that rule is to cefy authority and
act in q rebellious and unsoldierly manner.
II he is loyal after he enlists, although he
has not yet donned his uniform, it Is
through NO unwillinguess or intention not
to wear it; he is not making excuses sim
ply to postpone and avoid this dress. He
is without it only because he has had no
opportunity to put it on, and the unbap-
tized christian is or Is not true child OF
God on very similar principles. He knows
himself why he does not adopt the practice
that his profession prescribes. As to
questions about the form of baptism
whether one is not as good or as permissi-
BILE Is another, can only say that chris
tisns should be distinguished from others
BY being IS much as possible alike them
selves. The soldier who should Introduce
some departure from the cut Or color Of
his clothes In the exercise Of his own pri'
vase iudgmsut would give dseidsd ofsoss