full purpose of heart. Third, all were required to be baptized. “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (or pardoned), "baptizing them into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." Faith, repentance, and baptism are the steps or appointed way by which persons come into the Church of Christ. Nor is there any other way appointed. Without complying with these terms there is no testimony that any one came into the Church, and all who thus came were promised the gift of the Holy Spirit, and by continuing faithful unto death were promised eternal life. To deny that persons who had thus come were pardoned and added to the believers would be to deny the sacred record.

Third, how did they know that they were pardoned. The evidence was full and satisfactory. What is the evidence? "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." a "Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death?"ь "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." "For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."d "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." e

We would remark that the kingdom of the Messiah b Rom. vi. 3. c Gal. iii. 27. e Rom. viii. I, 2.

a Mark xvi. 16.

di Tim. i. 12.

away.

is a kingdom which cannot be moved, and a promise of the King is a promise that cannot fail. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass a The words then that shall not pass away are pledged for the pardon of the sins of those who obey. The stipulations made in the commission given by Christ were presented on the day of Pentecost when three thousand accepted them. They could not doubt without questioning the veracity of the Lord and His inspired apostles.

In addition to the promise that they should be saved we have the statement, “God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit." This was an additional evidence of their pardon and acceptance with God.

Paul to the Roman brethren thus speaks: "God be thanked that whereas ye were the servants of sin ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness." Here the apostle connects their being made free from sin with their having obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine delivered them.

C

The Lord promised penitent believers who would submit to Him in the ordinance of baptism the forgiveness of sins. This promise was the evidence to them before their obedience that they should be saved or pardoned. Upon this promise three thousand on the day of Pentecost were baptized. Did the promise

a Matt. xxiv. 35

b Heb. ii. 4.

c Rom. vi. 17, 18.

prove true or fail? The miracles which followed them showed that the Lord had received them. But in addition to these displays of divine power the apostles repeatedly and explicitly declared them pardoned, forgiven, justified, and saved.

Some want evidence of their pardon addressed to their senses something they can hear, see, or feel, that will give them, as they say, certain knowledge of the fact. But facts are believed on testimony. A court and jury declare innocent or guilty upon the testimony of others. Are those who have not visited the city of London just as certain of its existence as they are of the cities which they have visited and seen? We are just as certain of all the continents of the earth upon the testimony of others as if we had visited and seen them.

Again, as to certainty or knowledge, Peter says: "Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ." We ask, in what way did the hearers know this? They knew it then only by the oral testimony of the apostles. Again, the apostle Paul says: "We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Thus, Paul speaks of this fact as known. Again, John says: "We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." is sufficient to show that the apostles speak of knowing things which they did not attest with their senses.

This

CHAPTER XXXI

THE PROOF OF PARDON

Feelings not Evidence. The Testimony of the Spirit. Conscience. Sanctification. Revivals. A Sure Foundation. Penalty for Disobedience.

THE Lord appeals to the higher principles of our nature. And as they are spiritual things, not carnal, for which we hope, it is proper to make the principle of faith our assurance. Paul says: "We walk by faith and not by sight." John Wesley observed that sight is here put for all the senses. This is undoubtedly correct. Hence, when a person says, “I know my sins are forgiven because I feel it,” his religion is based upon the lower principle or carnal natureupon sight and not upon faith.

It is asked, is it not the design of Christianity to make men feel well? But good feelings result from assurance of pardon and not assurance from good feelings. Religious joy is the result of religious knowledge and obedience. The joy or happiness arising after pardon is not the evidence, but the knowledge of pardon produces the joy. Are persons pardoned because they are happy, or are they happy because they are pardoned? The happiness comes from the knowledge, not the knowledge from the happiness. Some who have "gotten religion" say they

are happy because they know they are forgiven, and they are forgiven because they are happy. This is circular logic, and, like the Catholic priest, when assailed by a Protestant, proved the infallibility of the Church by the Bible; and when assailed by the skeptic proved the Bible to be true by the infallibility of the Church. Making the feelings the proof of conversion, and conversion the cause of good feelings is what Paul calls "measuring themselves by themselves," and adds that such "are not wise.'

But how do persons know that their sins are forgiven? Because Paul says God has sworn "that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us." a We would say that they had full assurance of faith, "having their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and their bodies washed with pure water.”b That they knew they were pardoned, justified, saved, because God had pledged His immutable oath, and they had complied with the conditions and their assurance is based on God's word. They enjoy happiness then as a result of their faith, which gives them the full assurance of acceptance. This accords with the Scripture. The sacred historian informs us that after the jailer had been baptized "he rejoiced, believing in God." The Apostle Peter says: "Believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." The word contains the promise of pardon which we enjoy by obedience to the requirements.

a Heb. vi. 18.

b Heb. x. 22.