The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-29

church and saved from eternal torture.
And those good wishes were certainly
commendable. even if unnecessary.
Subsequently immersion was de-
clared to be necessary and Sprink-
| ling became it's substitute with ALL
| The thought of preservation from eter-
nal torment thereafter attached to the
+, sprinkling. Although our minds have
| broadened, so that comparatively few
| believe ST. Augustine's presentation,
nevertheless the custom of infant
sprinkling continues with more or 'ess
| of fear to abandon it for the child's
sake.
| Who will dispute that st. Pauls
words of Romans vi. 3-5, are the clear
! est presentation of the import of bap-
| tism furnished us in the Bible? The
| passage is clted in proof of every the
| DRY of baptism, yet it supports only
| one-the true one. Notice that it does
not say, as many suppose, $50 many
| of us as We're baptized into Jesus
Christ were baptized into water 1t
does say, $50 many of US as were bap-
tized into Jesus Christ We're baptized
into his death" Is there not a diff
ference? That difference is the ex-
PLANTATION of all of our difficulty on
| this subject. The clearing of it away
between all; and not merely for har-
mony, but for union amongst all
classes of consecrated Christians.
| Consider the passage critically.
/
to the Justified believer his INNER
sion into, his burial into, the Body of
| Christ as a member of 1.-THE Church
which is his Body (Ephesians j. 22-
23). The apostle sets forth clearly a
distinction between the church and
the world and between the salvation
| of the church and the salvation of the
world. The church are the elect
of the Lord, called and chosen; and
| if faithful they will be members of
the glorious Church beyond the veil.
| Tt, as the Bride of Christ, will be his
companion and Queen during the mil
lennial reign of glory for the blessing
| of the world-for the blessing of the
non-elect considered last Sunday.
| st. Paul not only tells us of our
need to be thus immersed into mem
i bership in the Body of Christ, but he
proceeds to tell US how that member
| ship can be brought about. The
words, Baptism into his death" ex-
plain the matter. How strange that
we ever thought these words signified
water immersioni Our eyes are now
opened Plainly, now, we see that
Unto his DEATH signifies our partiei-
patton with our Lord Jesus in suffer-
! ing for righteousness. in self denials,
self sacrificings of the same charac-
| ter as those endured by the Master.
1t is true indeed that the whole world
suffers pain, sorrow, disappointment
ETC., yet our Lord suffered differently
from all others, and our dying must
Just for the unjust. The holy, harm
less, undefiled One laid down his life
sacrificially, voluntarily. joyfully. And
we, to share in his death, to be "bap-
tized into his DEATH must do the
same.
| True, Jesus was spctless, while we
are members of the fallen race. But
we are justified through faith in his
Divine sight through him a standing
of human perfection or justification.
This standing is granted to us or i'm
puted to us for the very purpose of
rights and earthly iterests as he sac
rificed his. The 'elect' are to be
dead with him,that in the resurrection
they may live with him and be like
him and share his glory; honor and I'M
mortality. BY conservation we present
our bodies living sacrifices holy and
acceptable to God, as the apostle. de-
clares (Romans xii, ID. Thus we are
Immersed into his death" and thus
we become members of his Body.
Whoever fails to be thus immersed
| into Christ 81 death will fail of the
membership into his Body-will fail to
be of his elect Church. his Bride. The
difference between being dead with
Adam and boing dead with Christ is
very great. BY nature we are all dead
| with Adam. He was sinner,
condemned We as his offspring are
| the same. 1t was necessary there
fore that we should by faith be lifted
out of this condition of death, with
/ Adam, in order that by conservation
of all earthly interests we might be-
come dead with Christ. Thus we share
| with him his sacrificial death and, by
participation in This resurrection. y
also become sharers of his Kingdom
glory.
Kidding ourselves, them. of the un-
scriptural theory of an eternal tor
ment awaiting the non-elect, may not
all Christians perceive the reason
ableness of the Divine proposition to
bless them through the elect? As
/ Jesus by his sacrifice was made Head
of the Church, SO all who will be his
members must share his spirit of self
y ica--da1fh he.