Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-05-23
every rue follower Of tte Nase.e must

undergo lmmerston 81 ones own Will
Inte-thht'6f the Heavenly Father. Tue
water baptism Ia symbol ol that bap.
tism. but the real baptism Of Christ was
His immersion Into death-fully. COM
pletely. giving M His life to do the Fa-
theirs will
Whoever would lie with the Master
In His Throne must I've 81 fully CON
secrtel to do the Divine will. so ready
to drink our Lords cup. that he will
accept Whatever the Father may per
NIT 10 come TO him. He Is not TO pour
his own cup. and say that he viii do
thus and 50; nor Is he to bury himself.
This is beautifully pictured In the wa
ter baptism There the candidate gives
himself into the hands of tie admins
traitor. and submits his will to that of
the other Symboically he says. Lord.
into Thy hands | commit myself. Take
me. bury me-in whatever way Thou
dost think best"
Figurntively. the Lord lays hold on
one thus consecrated and let's him
down into death; AMI ii is of His pow
er that this one will be raised up to
the perfect life beyond the veil-to
glory. honor and Immortality, sharing
His resurrection. the First Resurrec-
ton. But only those who are buried in
the likeness Of His death will be raised
In His likeness. Thus this picture Of
baptism corresponds exactly to the
Scripture which reads. II beseech you.
brethren. by the mercieS Of God. that
ye present your bodies a living sacri-
fee, holy. acceptable unto God-your
reasonable service"
The Pastor went on to explain that
this is something more than merely
the Golden Rule, which calls only for
Justice, not sacrifice, Those who drink
Of the cup of Christ must ignore self
and its preferences. They must sub
nit to inJnstice for the sake of Christ;
they must sacrifice also If they> suf-
Ter with Him they shall Also reign with
iIim; ana the SufleringS Of the present
time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed
IN the Lords saints.
The Importance of the Symbol.
Pastor Russell considers the sym
ho!lc bnptism Of great Importance. He
ucknowlcGged that great confusion ex.
lSts among Christian people Un this
subject. but holds that the real bap-
iSm of the human will into the Divine
will Is the aIl-impOrtant matter. But
whoever knows about the true symbol
and then refuses to be immersed, there
by proves that he is not fully dead to
his own will. Those who have never
perceived that immersion in water is
the only true symbol are not under OBJ
igutlon. however. Thus 1t has been
with many true Christian people who
have had the real immersion into
Christ. But when these come to see
the matter us the Scriptures present it,
they are responsible according to their
knowledge.
Contrary 70 his custom the Pastor
here Gigressed ana related hi personal
experience in regard to baptism. Born
Of Christian parents. he had been Hprin
kled in infancy nut when. years after
ward, he came to see tlr subject in the
light OF the Scriptures. he had Il So
we're tlyht with himself before he be-
anne Ohedient 10 the Word Excuse
lfirr excuse presented itself to hi
nind-ppOple would think him turn
Oat, etc. Finally the matter so trou-
led him that he SO, tied it once for all
n favor Of what he saw was right
ne plain teach ng Of the Scriptures.
The point the speaker made was that
( he !lHd refused to he obedient in this
esrn t, II wcud have meant the stop
m~e Of his progress in the way of the
ord IIe needed to take that very
tcp to prove that his heart was right /.
+ re hNd not done 80. his refusal
Vorld hnrr proven that his will MS Il
human hcing was not wholly dead. .
When he Snw this point clearly, he
gave all over to the Hendship Of the
Lord
The Pastor hclieyes that many Of
,he Lords people are stumbling in
list the same way He did not wish .
to be understood MS meaning that wn
Ter baptism is the n,l-importnnt thing: /
for he painted cut That sanity people .