Morris tribune., 1906-03-31
CHURCH; COLUMN
By j. c. shetland.

flows from the Lebanon mountains
through two lakes, over twenty seven
rapids, winding two hundred miles to
accomplish sixty miles of progress, till
it reaches the Dead sea, thirteen hum
dred feet below the level of the Medi-
teranean. The Jordan is not large
river in the same sense as the Anna
zon, or Nile or Mississippi; but is very
large in the notice that certain events
have brought it. Over that valley
Abraham and Lot pastured their herds
and there Lot traded his honor and
pitched his tent toward Sodom. By
one of these fords Jacob wrestled all
night in prayer. Over this the con-
ouering Joshua led his host. Here
David passed as a fugitive, then as a
victor and a king. Here the river
was redeemed with the blood of the
slain. Here Amelekite, and Saracen
and Crusader have marched with
their spears flashing above it's rolling
tide. And above all; here Jesus was
baptized.
1t is common to say Jesus is our ex-
ample, and Christian is one who fol-
lows the example of Christ. Shall we
apply that rule to baptism?
eve are made children of God by
BAPTISM" Was He made child of
God by baptism?" If any one deny
that the merit of Christ is duly con-
ferred by baptism, let him be occurs
ed" My friend, suppose there is
delay on account of the illness of the
child. Is the chilo's salvation delayed?
Then the mother is i'll and the cere-
mony is delayed. Is the child's SAL
walton delayed? The priest reads
slower than usual. Is the child's sal
walton delayed? Has any one power
by ceremony to exercise the Devil
and infuse Christ? Is that innocent
infant child of the Devil before the
ceremony and child of God the next
minute? This my friend is not Chris
tianity but sorcery. The medicine
man among the Indians, the witch
doctor among the Africans, the mas
ter of entertainments; may have faith
in this sort of thing, but early in the
history of christianity the sorcerers
brought their books and burned them.
| Baptism is not a charm, or an anu
let, or a fetish to keep the Devil off.
That child is safe whether baptised or
not. EsSuffer little children to come
unto me and forbid them not for OF
such is the kingdom of God" In the
dark ages you ascribed the virtue to
the ceremony which belong to the
Holy Spirit.
Baptism is the seal of the church,
! to be bestowed only after repentance,
confession of sin, evidence of chang
ed life." Did he repent? Didhe con-
fess sin? Did He furnish evidence of
conversion? My dear brothers you
have taught introspection of peoples
feeling till the talker in the prayer
meeting of fifty years ago usually be-
gan his few remarks with 81 feel"
They substituted emotions for prin-
ciples and facts. They we're as wrong
as the man who leaned against the
tree shivering, and said. II have
heard that a man chopping always
sweats. I will chop as soon as | be-
gin to sweat" Under that rule the
man who had no emotion had lost his
religion. But you continued to bap-
tie infants who gave no evidence of
repentance. Your practice was better
than your theory.
Hear me you dear extremists. We
are all the children of God. The Re-
deemer taught US to say "Our FATHER"
This human race has so much of good
in it that He thought it worth dying
for. What, that Samaritan child of
God? Yes. That publican. Yes.
Those outcasts? Yes, even the women
who is sinner, weeping cut her re-
pentance, and bringing her alabaster
box to show her love. The gentiles
children of God? Yes, and his sin
consists in living as if he were not.
Your mission is to tell the heather
| that he is Gods child not living up to
his privileges. Here is the mistake OF
both Roman and Reformed, that bap-
tism or faith can create fact. They
recognize what was fact. 1t is a
ceremony having the sanction and
authority of Jesus. Baptism recog-
Misses fact that we are the children
of God. 1t is symbol and that purity
BELTS he child of God, the heir of
Heaven? Baptism with water with
out the Holy Spirit avails nothing.
istExcept man be born of water and
of the Spirit he cannot see the king
dom of God" The symbol proclaims
fact which already existed. So the
coronation of Edward of England did