exclusion of other requirements of the gospel. Thousands of sermons have been preached from this text, without regard to the context, to prove that faith only is required in order to salvation. While faith stands first in order, after hearing, as we have seen, yet this is the only case of pardon after the giving of the commission by Christ in which it is commanded before hearing. In other cases, it will be remembered, it was stated "that hearing they believed,” that “believers were added"; "If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest." But in this case alone it was directly enjoined first.

one.

We will now consider whether all the terms of pardon required in other cases were also enjoined in this When the jailer inquired what he should do, it is evident from the context that he had no definite knowledge of Jesus; hence, he was first commanded to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." But he could not believe in Him without knowledge of Him, for Paul himself says, "How can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" Hence, "they spake to him the word of the Lord and to all that were in his house." This brings us to the important inquiry, What is meant by "speaking to him the word of the Lord"? What does "the word of the Lord" embrace? If this is taught fully in the Scriptures we may know definitely and precisely what was required of the jailer and his house in order to salvation. Isaiah and Micah both, in prophesying of "the last days" of the Jewish reign, say that "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jeru

salem." a These prophecies had reference to the

proc

lamation of the gospel under Christ, and are referred properly to the same time spoken of by Christ when He said: "Thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem." We now remark that the expressions "the word of the Lord," "the word," and "the word of God," all frequently refer to the whole system of gospel grace; a few examples will suffice. Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, says, "For from you hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place." Again, to the same people: "Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified." "When the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God they sent them Peter and John." "And the apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also received the word of God." "Who shall tell f thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved." Sergius Paulus, "called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God." "God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel and believe." i "Being born again not of corruptible seed but incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth

a Isa. ii. 3; Micah iv. 2.

d 2 Thess. iii. 1.

• Acts xi. 14.

e

h

.C I Thess. i. 8. f Acts xi. I.

Acts xv.

7.

forever." a From these passages of Scripture, and many more to the same import which it is not necessary to quote, it is plainly evident that the word of the Lord spoken to the jailer and his house was the same as predicted by the prophets in these identical words when they said that "Out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord. . . from Jerusalem." They were the same words that were enjoined by Jesus in His commission and preached by all of His inspired apostles and ambassadors. If we should desire to know then what was required of the jailer in order to salvation, we have only to refer to the commission given by Christ and the preaching of the word of the Lord as predicted on the day of Pentecost, to the discourse of Philip at Samaria, to his instructions to the eunuch, to the conversion of Saul, to the discourse of Peter delivered at the house of Cornelius, to the preaching of Paul on any occasion where his discourses are reported, or to the proclamation of the word of the Lord to the unpardoned by any inspired ambassador of Jesus. From all these we learn that to preach the Word of the Lord to the unpardoned was to teach faith, repentance, and baptism in order to pardon. Then the jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?" He was commanded "to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." The reason for this was because he had not yet faith, but in order to produce this faith and present the gospel plan of salvation," they spake unto him the word of the Lord and to all that were in his house." That he was repentant a 1 Pet. i. 23.

is shown by his washing their stripes and setting meat before them. In speaking the word of the Lord, repentance was preached as well as faith. When Peter preached the word of the Lord on the day of Pentecost, three thousand asked at the close of the discourse the same question asked here by the jailer, "What must we do?" The answer in their case was, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." In their case faith was not enjoined, but it will be observed that they asked the question in deep anguish, after being convicted and convinced by hearing the word of the Lord, while the jailer asked the question in deep anxiety before hearing the word. The people on the day of Pentecost believed before they inquired. The jailer inquired before he believed. The reason for not requiring faith in the one case was because they believed. The reason for enjoining it in the other was because it was not possessed. The first step had been taken in the one case and it was required to be taken in the other. In harmony with this we have the example of the conversion of Paul himself, who had taken the first two steps; therefore Ananias only commanded him "to arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." That he believed is evident from the fact that he asked, "Lord, what wilt thou have me do?" That he had repented was shown by the fact that he was praying, hence he was only commanded to be baptized. In these three cases we have all the require

ments enjoined by Christ in His commission-directly and positively commanded. The jailer was first commanded to believe, when in speaking to him "the word of the Lord," repentance and baptism were enjoined as well as faith, because embraced in it. Hence, we are informed that "he was baptized and all his straightway and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." As all his house believed with him, all were capable of believing as well as rejoicing. The people at the opening of the kingdom were not commanded to believe, because they had already believed, but were required to repent and be baptized. Paul was only commanded to be baptized because when addressed he was a believing penitent. These persons, then, were severally addressed in accordance with their condition or the state of their mind at the time. There can be no better reason given for commanding an essential thing than that it has not been done; there can be no better reason for omitting to enjoin it than that it has been done. The history of pardon, as given in the New Testament, furnishes no example of an inspired teacher committing the folly of commanding an unnecessary thing to be done, or of enjoining a duty already performed.

It is a remarkable fact that in all the cases of pardon thus far given there is only one in which faith is first commanded. How strangely does this contrast with many scenes of modern revival, where faith is enjoined without regard to the steps already taken. And it is enjoined day after day, often week after week, and that, too, upon the same believing, sorrow