The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1895-11-08
H,N.AYREs'
381 MAIN STREET,
Bridgeport, ct.

have been given unto sin, now receive
the baptism of repentance; if you have
been given unto the world, now receive
the baptism unto the service of the glori-
GUS Lord. Shall not we say unto our
selves, not only, will recognize Gods
loye and receive his forgiveness, but say
also, will seek for Gods presence, l
will receive the Spirit of God?
HOW ARE WE EXALTED, HOW UPLIFTED,
when the presence of one on earth whom
we have greatly loved or greatly ad-
mired is with us! You are a different
man, different woman, when you allow
the influence of this true heart or that
noble life to come over you; shall we
not be different men and women as more
and more we recognize and receive the
Spirit of God, allow his influence to
come over US and dwell within US, and
as loved one rule our lives?
Then there is the third class of New
Testament 4 baptismal texts, among
which our text of this sermon lies.
They refer not to the baptism with wa
ter, the baptism into purity of life and
character, nor yet to the baptism with
fire of the Spirit and power of God, but
they refer to the baptism of blood, the
coming upon us Of the spirit of self
sacrifice and service, of the spirit willing
to pour out the life unto death for the
glory of God and the service of man.
This is the baptism, not only into the
purity Of Christ, and into the spirit of
zeal in Christ, but it is the baptism into
the cross of Christ; of this the Lord
Jesus spoke as here he says, 81 have
baptism to be baptized with, and how
am straitened until it be accomplished ]"
Again of this he spoke when to the am-
bilious brethren he said, "Are ye able to
drink Of the cup of which Isshall drink,
and to be baptized with the baptism
wherewith I shall be baptized?" We
are to have come upon US, not only the
power of Christ's holiness and the power
Of his spirituality, but also the power Of
his love, the baptism OF the Jordan, and
Of the open heavens, and of the cruel
cross, ali for US to take, as they were all
for him.
Into the fellowship of this baptism we
enter peculiarly at the Lords supper.
The symbols of his body and his blood
We there partake, entering into the fel-
lowship of his sufferings and his death !;
and yet, in the sacrament Of baptism,
too, the church for centuries remem-
bered, and in many of it's branches still
remembers, that the whole baptism is OF
blood as truly as of water; for in the
sign of the cross the catechumen was
Baptized custom, it seems to me, not
Inappropriate in any day or in any
Christian church; for we truly are in
baptism consecrated to enter, not only
into the Fellowship of his purified life,
but also into the power and communion
OF his sacrificial death. But whether
we eyer in form or symbol signify that
In the Christian life there is baptism
into the cross, into the death of Christ
or not, in Christian fact we must take
upon our lives such baptism. We must
s.TAKE Up OUR CROSS AND FOLLOW HIM. .
1t is not all that we be forgiven and
purified; it is still not all that
we add to this that we be exalted
and energized, even inspired; it must
still further be given to Us chat we
bring our bodies living sacrifice, holy
and acceptable unto God, that we bear
in our bodies the marks Of the Lord
Jesus.
The Son OF God goes forth to wn, kinRly
crown to gain;
His blood red banner streams atar-who toll
lows In his train?
Who best can drink his cup Of woe, triumph
~ ant over pain
Who patient bears his cross below, he follows
In his trNin.
r may be that today, q aomel