Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-24

whatever else baptism does it initiates us
into the church of Christ 1t makes us
members of Christ. Baptism is an adoption
| in the family OF God. 1t makes US children
of God. Baptism is the bringing of q hu-
man soul into the midst of spiritual in
| fuences. 1t makes US inheritors Of the
| kingdom of heaven.
| Evidently, baptism is an entrance into
the church; and that is, in q real way, an
| entrance into new life. Whatever else
| regeneration may mean, it may very prop
| erly mean this. Initiation into this great
| spiritual society is being born again. 1t
| represents a new environment
The Influence of Environment.
1t is not easy to over-estimate the infu-'
ence of environment. The difference Is i'm
measurable which results from the birth of
| one child into one family and Of another
| child into another and very different family.
The chances are enormous that the family
environment will absolutely shape and de-
termine the child's destiny. In wider
field, see what environment does in the de-
| velopment of nationality. There is an
| actual difference, not to be accounted for
by any considerations of geograhy or of his
tory, between a Frenchman and an
Englishman, between an Italian and
Russian, between citizen of Pittsburg and
a citizen of Constantinople. This difference
is due to the influence of environment
Now, baptism puts child into certain
environment. The child is made member
of the Christian church. Henceforth he is
to be surrounded by Christian associations.
Promises are made, as a condition of ad-
mission, that all pains will be taken to
train him up in a Cody and Christian life.
The change which has come upon this child,
as compared with another, lett in the ire
ligious world, is like removal from Tim
buctoo to London, or like an adoption out
of the slums into a cultured home. or
course, the child may not be receptive of
these uplifting influences or there may be
some defect in the application of the in
fuences, the church or the child may be at
fault; but, in a majority of instances, this
change of environment, of which baptism Is
the sign, will and does amount to new
birth. 1t deserves the name regeneration.
The Symbol OF New Environment.
Some of the illustrations of baptism given
in the New Testament show how this mean
ing of it was in the minds of the earliest
Christian teachers. A company OF He,
brews, under cover of great storm, the
wind making way tor them through the
water, cross over from Africa to Asia. st.
Paul says that this is u good illustration of
baptism. What change did that flight
across between the two shores make? Evil
dently change Of environment. Upon the
other bank arrived the Hebrews, just the
same Hebrews, speaking the same language,
looking out of the same eyes, possessing the
same infrmities of temper-but changed in
environment. Behind them, Egypt with
its slave whips and idols; before them, the
free wilderness, Sinai rising up in the midst
of it.
Those Hebrews were saved when the Red
Sea closed in behind them. Yes; poten-
tially-salvation made possible for them;
but no salvation insured to them thencefor-
ward, no righteousness given to them with
out being first earned by hard endeavors at
ter it. In the end great proportion OF
those who were thus saved were lost-lost
because they did not make good use of their
changed environment.
Tho Church and the World.
Baptismal regeneration may mean great
deal more than this. The more we study
it the more meaning we will discover in it.
a good many hard sentences. As, for ex-
ample, that "All men are conceived and
born in sin and none can enter into the
kingdom Of God except he be regenerated
and born anew of water and of the Holy
Ghost, and therefore we are to implore
Almighty God "that of His bounteous
mercy He will grant to this child that which
by nature he cannot have" This is COM
parison of the two environments, the world
and the church, the kingdom Of sin and
the kingdom of God. By nature, that is,
out in the irreligious world, there are a
thousand graces and virtues that we cannot
have, any more than there can be culture in
slum. We want to bring this child
within touch of these spiritual influences
which are to be found in the environment
of the church.
Then, again, in such an address as this to
sponsors: "Dearly beloved, ye have brought
this child here to be baptized; We have
prayed that our Lord Jesus Christ would
vouchsafe to receive him, to release him
from sin, to sanctify him with the Holy
and everlasting life" The sponsors are
assured that their prayers will be answered.
But at once follow certain conditions.
1t tCarries With 1t Responsibility.
The sponsors must train up the child to
renounce the devil, to believe the creed,
and to keep the commandments. The bless
ings of baptism, accordingly, are potential
They depend upon the life. All this will
be given. if obedience and faith are given,
Baptism is an act of immense Importance,
because we attribute to it the possibilities
of the future, just as birth is an occasion of
rejoicing because we endow the child in our
thoughts with manhood or womanhood
The newly born has not attained to any
thing but the possibility of growth; neither
has the newly baptized. The words Of the
service are not the words Of attainment, but
the words of hope.
Fortunately the benedictions of baptism
do not depend upon the accuracy Of our
theological information. We get the bless
ing all the same whether we understand
what it is or not. All our study, all our
controversy. will not change the nature of
baptism. We may be sure that God has
here greater blessing than any of us
know. The doctrine of baptism and the
blessing Of baptism do not 60 of necessity
together. Doctrines depend upon mems
spiritual insight. AS we grow we come to
know more, and to see more, and our doc
trines change. That doctrine of baptism is
most in contradiction to the Christian spirit
which says: ''This is the one true and final
explanation" and leaves no room for any,
further Christian thinking.