How much of the purposes of God must one understand in order to acceptably perform God's service? is a question practical in its nature and bearing, and in reference to it there should be, among those who are anxious to follow the teachings of the Bible, practical agreement. There is underlying this question certain great principles or truths necessary to all service to God thug ought to be Understood, and, when understood, will be helpful to the proper understanding of this question. To know and understand .all that God has revealed concerning his will and purpose in reference to any service that he has required would be helpful to man in performing that service. But if he waits to understand all of even the revealed purpose and will of God before he begins the service, he will never begin it. It is characteristic of the divine revelation and service that doing the service, obedience to the will of God, enlarges and schools the capacities for seeing and understanding more fully the things revealed, and opens up continually new and enlarged promises and richer blessings presented in that revelation.

No one in the flesh understands all the promises, compasses all the blessings contained in the promises of God or connected with the least service God requires at our hands. To do so would be to comprehend God, his purposes and designs. No mortal can do this. "Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, and which entered not into the heart of man, whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him." (1 Cor. 2: 9.)

Practicing what we know and still diligently seeking to learn his will enlarges and strengthens our capacities for [209] the fuller understanding of the constantly expanding truths and enlarging promises of revelation. To him that hath, or that uses what he has, shall be given, both in capacity to understand and in truth to be understood. No new revelation can be made. But we are better and better capacitated to see and know the truths and promises contained in the Bible. Faith is based on a knowledge of God's truth. As our knowledge increases, the breadth, length, and strength of our faith increases. Faith unused, unexercised, dies. Hence "faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself." (James 2: 17.) Faith, exercised, grows through the increase of both capacity and truths opened to the increased capacity. If man waits to understand all that is embraced in the promises of God connected with every service ordained by God, he will never serve. James says: "Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect.'' (James 2: 22.) Hence service must begin before faith is perfected or completed.

When Naaman was told to wash seven times in the Jordan and he should be healed of his leprosy, he acted on the understanding, faith, and persuasions of his servants rather than of his own. (See 2 Kings 5: 10-14.) With only a grain of weak faith on these rather than on a confidence in God or his promises, he obeyed, and in the obedience his grain of faith found strength and grew mightily. So God calls on man to act on very slight knowledge and a weak faith; but in using the knowledge and faith he has, his capacity and means of knowing are increased and his knowledge is enlarged and his faith grows strong in the service. Then if a man waits to know all that God has revealed concerning any service before he begins, he will never serve. Abraham followed God from his father's home, "not knowing whither he went" (Heb. 11: 8); much less did he know all that was embodied in the promise. Even the promises that were spoken to him he did not understand; but as he followed on, they became more open to his view and to the faithful of his children through the ages, and will continue "till we know as we are known" in the eternal world. Had Abraham waited to know all that was embraced in the promise, he would [210] never have left his father's home, never would have offered Isaac. Jesus refers to their failure to see what was promised when he said: "Many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not." (Matt. 13: 17.) And Paul explains: "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." (Heb. 11: 13.) Without knowing what was embraced in the promises, seeing things very dimly on account of their unfavorable surroundings, they yet trusted and followed on as though afar off; and that following was acceptable to God.

The Bible gives testimonies to produce faith, motives to prompt to action, and instruction to guide man. But Christ plainly teaches in the greater woes pronounced against Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum, in contrast with Sodom and Gomorrah, that he who under greater light and privileges rejects God is more culpable than those who rejected him with less light. Jesus, when reproving the Pharisees for waiting for more signs and more light, refusing to act on the light they possessed, said: "The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here." (Matt. 12: 41, 42.) Jesus Christ here clearly establishes the principle that he who, enshrouded in darkness, is willing with the smallest measure of light to come to him and obey him amid great difficulties is the more highly honored of the Father. It shows that the heart is more ready to receive the Lord as its God. The heart that is most ready to accept God is the one he loves. The queen of the south, with little light, came to seek more wisdom. She was honored and approved of God rather than those who, with much more light, waited for more signs, more knowledge, and greater light before they obeyed. This does [211] not mean that the best obedience in God's sight is that rendered without an understanding of its designs; but it does mean that the man who, involved in darkness and difficulties and having but little light, most readily obeys God, despite his inability to see the full truth, pleases God. It does not teach that a man should desire difficulties, or that darkness is an advantage, or that service rendered in ignorance is better for the ignorance; but if one is enshrouded in these, he who acts most promptly on the faintest rays of light as to God's will is much more acceptable to God than he who refuses to act, but waits for more signs and greater light and until all darkness is dispelled and all difficulties are removed. Especially is he more loved of God than he who, enjoying greater light, discourages those less favorably situated from obedience--from using the light they possess-by teaching that obedience rendered without full knowledge is void and displeasing to the Father. This directly contradicts and contravenes the whole spirit and all the examples of God's dealings with man. God encourages man to act promptly, to act at once, in spite of difficulties, to trust and follow on the first glintings as to the divine will. These principles accord with the whole history of God's dealings with the human family and the entire drift of revelation.

Men's minds are differently constituted. The same evidence will not strike all alike. That which will convince one will not strike another with so great force. God has provided testimonies so varied in character as to meet the demands of the differing minds, and sufficient in strength to convince every honest heart anxious to know and do the will of God. It is not needful that each one shall know all the' testimonies that God has presented in his word to render that faith acceptable. The one whose heart most readily accepts the witness of God and acts on the fewest signs or testimonies is the most acceptable to God. While complete knowledge of all the testimonies would add strength to the faith of all and be pleasing to the Father, no mortal can have this, especially none can have it before he begins obedience. Yet one who believes and honors God on the testimonies he sees is accepted. Faith must rest on divine testimony. Fear taught by the precept of men is not pleasing to God. (See Isa. 29: 13, 14.) While the full knowledge of all the testi-[212]monies of God is desirable, a man cannot understand and know all these; so God is pleased with the man who accepts and acts on the few he understands and knows. He is much better pleased with this man than with him who stands off and refuses to believe until he sees all the signs and knows all the testimonies, or than with him who, knowing more of the testimonies, despises and discourages him who more trustingly believes and acts on a part of the testimonies.

Jesus was not pleased with Thomas, because he refused to believe until he had seen and thrust his hands into the pierced side and his fingers into the nail prints. His blessing was for him who would believe on less positive testimony. Jesus said unto Thomas: "Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20: 29.) Much less would he have been pleased had Thomas rejected all who had believed without the full testimony that Thomas required.

If a man believes from a consideration of the works and character of Jesus, that faith is not void because he is ignorant of the prophetic testimonies. Christ says: "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." (John 10: 37, 38.) He was willing to accept the faith based only on the works he did or on any class of scriptural testimonies. He knew that if they used the faith based on this testimony, it would enable them to see and accept other testimonies, and so faith used will grow and be strengthened by finding other testimonies. The Samaritan woman's faith was accepted when she believed on him because he told her what she had done, and some of the Samaritans believed on the report of the woman that Jesus had done this. Then the centurion, with but slight evidence and few opportunities, exhibited such faith that "when Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned and [213] said unto the multitude that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." (Luke 7: 9.) God loves the man that, under difficulties and despite clouds, yields a prompt and trusting faith on few testimonies. So, too, God places before men motives, incentives to obedience. Men differ constitutionally and by training and surroundings, so that the same motives do not appeal to all with equal force. One motive moves one man to action that will not move another of a different temperament. But God places before men motives sufficient in variety and strength for some one of them to move every honest heart willing to obey God.

If a man could know and feel all the incentives at once, it would be well and would powerfully move him to serve God with zeal and fervor; but man is frail and weak in understanding, and is so unfavorably situated that no one can see and feel all the incentives at once. In his frailty and inability and unfavorable surroundings, God is willing to accept one moved by any scriptural motive and is best pleased with the man who is willing to serve him most readily--that is, that will act most promptly on any one scriptural motive without waiting to see and feel all. The failure to see and feel all the incentives is not a blessing; but in the failure to see all, God is best pleased with him who acts most promptly from the divine incentive that he feels, however ignorant he may be of other promises. The yielding to this opens the way for his knowing and feeling others still. So he will grow in the knowledge of truth and in the earnestness of his service as additional blessings open up to him. God esteems the man who, seeing but one promise, acts promptly on it and renders the service readily, rather than the man who waits to see all the promises before he fearfully and grudgingly begins the service. So God much prefers the man who, although unfortunately enshrouded in darkness, is led, by the first scriptural motive he sees, to obedience, rather than those who wait to understand all, and especially than they who think they understand all the promises and scorn and pronounce the service rendered by others less fortunate in knowledge, but more grateful in heart, [214] vain service. They discourage the less fortunate from service for fear that their knowledge is imperfect and so the service not pleasing to God.

Then service to God, to be acceptable, (1) must be based on and spring from faith in God through Jesus Christ; (2) it must be what God has ordained for him who does it; and (3) it must be rendered from a scriptural motive. Then faith must be based on scriptural evidence. The more readily we believe on even a little testimony, the better. Christ was not pleased with the incredulity of Thomas, who refused to believe until very full testimony was produced. He was pleased with Nathanael, the "Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile," who believed on slight testimonies. (See John 1: 45-50.)

Motives or incentives to service in the Bible differ in character in another respect, too. Some appeal more directly to the selfish personal interests than others. The more selfish ones--that is, those that appeal to our own self-good--move the less spiritual class, or men in the less spiritual state. The unselfish motives are such as appeal to regard for the honor of God and good of man. Men with weak faith, men whose natures are not cultivated spiritually, are moved by the selfish; those more highly cultivated, by the unselfish. Before we are cultivated spiritually the fleshly nature is led by appeals to selfish good. As we grow in grace and develop spiritually, the unselfish nature gradually displaces the selfish, and we learn to act from the higher motive. Jesus Christ, the perfect spiritual man, did not think of good to self; but the honor of God and good of man were ever present and irresistible to him. So man in the more fleshly stage is moved by a fear of "the wrath to come." As he grows in grace, he loves to honor God and save man. God is better pleased when we act from the higher motive in service to him, as did Christ and Paul. But he uses the lower order of motives to educate sinful man, to move the fleshly man in the path of obedience, and so educate him up to appreciate the higher motive that moved the Son of God that he may be more and more transformed into his like-[215]ness. These principles need but to be stated to be recognized by every Bible student.

True service is acceptable to God that is excited by any scriptural incentive or motive, whether the individual understands all or any other motive presented by God or not. It is true that no service is acceptable to God unless it is performed from a scriptural motive, unless a scriptural end is sought. The end of all God's dealings with man is to train man to prompt, implicit, and unquestioning obedience to the will of God. Prompt, implicit obedience to God, whether we see the end or the good or not, is the result intended to be accomplished in man in all the revelations, dealings, and dispensations of God to man.

Then, to render service acceptable to God, these three things must characterize the service: (1) The service must be done from a principle of faith in God through Jesus Christ; (2) it must be what God has commanded to be done by the person doing it; (3) man must be led to do the service from a scriptural motive. Service thus rendered must be acceptable to God. Service lacking in any one of these qualities cannot be acceptable to God. It seems to me that this is ground that ought to be held by every child of God. It seems to me in perfect accord with the entire teachings of the Scriptures.

The conclusion is that any service, to be acceptable to God, must be done (1) from faith in God through Jesus Christ. This leads to do just what Christ requires to be done. (2) Just what is commanded must be done by those to whom the command is given or of whom the service is required. This means (1) that something else cannot be substituted for that which is commanded; (2) that which is commanded one character or class of persons cannot be transferred to a different class without vitiating the service; (3) it must be done from a scriptural motive or to accomplish a scriptural end.

Faith is based on testimony understood and accepted. No man can understand all the testimony concerning Christ; [216] especially he cannot do it before he begins to exercise his faith, whereby his capacities are enlarged and his opportunities of knowing truths are increased. Then the question presents itself: How strong must the faith be to render it acceptable? That resolves itself into the question: How much of the testimonies must one know and understand to make faith and the service growing out of it acceptable ? A rule must be adopted in practice, a line drawn that is accepted. As all the testimonies cannot be known and a perfect, undoubting faith cannot be required before we begin to serve, how much shall one have? How shall one know that he has enough to make his service acceptable? It is clearly shown that when a person has faith enough to prompt him to do what is required, his faith, acted on, is acceptable; and he whose heart most readily trusts on the fewest testimonies is best beloved of the Lord. This rule is exemplified all through the Scriptures. This necessarily implies that whenever a man knows and accepts sufficient scriptural testimony to create faith enough to prompt him to do the thing God requires, the faith based on that testimony, however small, is acceptable to God and grows by use. The obedience prompted by that faith is acceptable to God, provided it is prompted by a scriptural motive. Yet if it is done from faith in Christ, it must be prompted by a scriptural motive. Many motives, many blessings are promised to those who obey God. We never know and understand all the blessings and purposes God has revealed to move man to obedience while we are in this state. John said: "It is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is." (1 John 3: 2.) The blessings are promised as inducements to lead us to obey God. Obedience--prompt, unquestioning obedience--is the end to which God is aiming, in all his dealings with man, to bring him. The earnestness of man in serving is measured by his knowledge and desire for accomplishing the ends God has placed before him. But he cannot know all the blessings in store, all the promises and motives given to lead to obedience. How many of the blessings and favors, the ends of [217] obedience, and the promises or motives that lead to service must a man know and feel before the service is acceptable? He cannot know all. They are many and diversified. He must know enough to prompt him to do the service required; and he who is most ready to act on the fewest inducements is the best beloved of the Father.

Baptism is an act of more sacred import than other acts of obedience. It is the act which first manifests and declares faith in Christ Jesus and that consecrates man to the service of God. It is a more sacred act, just as the oath of allegiance that a foreigner takes to a human government is more sacred than the ordinary observance of the laws of the land. To violate the laws of the land is a misdemeanor; to violate the oath of allegiance is treason to the government. While, then, baptism is a more sacred act of obedience, inasmuch as it is the consecrating act and that in which man obligates himself to a life of obedience to Christ, in which he passes out of self into Christ as a member of his body, still it is subject to the same rules as other service. The same conditions render it acceptable or unacceptable as affects other service. Baptism, to be acceptable, must be submitted to (1) from faith in Christ; (2) the person commanded to be baptized, the believing penitent, must be baptized, buried with Christ into death; (3) it must be done from a scriptural motive, with a scriptural design or end in view.

There are many scriptural results, ends, and promises connected with baptism. A man cannot know and feel all these. How many must be understood in order to make the baptism acceptable to God? Enough to prompt him to do what is commanded--to be baptized. John preached "the baptism of repentance unto [in order to] remission of sins" (Luke 3: 3)--that is, the blessing of remission of sins would be enjoyed through the baptism to which their repentance led them. God alone can forgive sins. He forgave the sins when their repentance from sin was manifested in baptism. In other words, remission of sins was the blessing bestowed by God in the repentance manifested in baptism. The scriptural motive to lead to baptism hero was to "flee from the wrath to come" that they might re-[218]ceive the remission of sins. These converts were led by these motives. "Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about the Jordan; and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins." (Matt. 3: 5, 6.) The desire for remission of sins led them here and is a scriptural motive.

"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffereth him." (Matt. 3: 13-15.) John clearly thought remission of sins a leading object or design of baptism; and as Jesus was sinless, he needed not baptism. Jesus corrected this and gave a more general, wide-extended, and higher conception of the purposes of baptism. "It be-cometh us [all who are baptized] to fulfill all righteousness." Here was a higher, grander motive presented that appealed to all, even up to the sinless Son of God, as a reason for or motive to baptism. The desire to fulfill the whole righteous will of God is a scriptural motive. It is the one that moved Jesus Christ. It is an exalted and broad, general motive that embraces all special ones; but it is a legitimate, scriptural motive presented by the Savior as that which led him to baptism and that should lead us. If a man is led by the motive that led the Savior, surely his baptism is acceptable service to the Lord. When man, moved by faith in Jesus Christ, is baptized in order "to fulfill all righteousness "---to comply with the whole win of God--he is scripturally and acceptably baptized.

Next we find the commission, the general authority under which they were to go forth and disciple all the nations of the earth. It is to be expected that in a general commission to apply to all characters and people, for all times, the general end or motive that embraced all special ends or motives would be presented. "Make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you [219] always, even unto the end of the world." (Matt. 28: 19, 20.) "Make disciples of all the nations "--teach them that Jesus is the Christ. This involves their believing in Christ Jesus. "Baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." They were to be baptized into. Eis connects the baptism with the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit in just the same relation that it connects it with remission of sins in the scripture that says be baptized unto (eis) the remission of sins. It denotes the end or object to be reached in and through baptism-baptizing them that they may obtain or enter into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Entering into these names includes the obtaining all the blessings and riches to be found in these names or in Christ Jesus, here and hereafter. Here the true, comprehensive, full, and exhaustive object or design of baptism is set forth. In Christ remission of sins is found--in the blood of Christ; redemption, sanctification, and all the spiritual riches to be enjoyed here and hereafter are in Christ. If there be one scripture that sets forth the full end or aim of baptism above all others, it is this commission that declares that it shall bring them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The remission of sins is one of the chief fruits of coming into Christ. The great end of baptism is to put man into Christ that he may enjoy the fullness of all divine blessings in him.

Mark records the commission: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." (Mark 16: 15, 16.) Here the purpose, end, or promise is, "shall be saved" from all sin and condemnation, shall be saved in Christ.. Jesus unto the fullness and riches of all spiritual blessings. For many long years I have disliked the expression, "Remission of sins is the design of baptism," as if it was the only design or purpose of baptism. It is a result or fruit of entering into Christ. The end, purpose, or design of baptism is to enter Christ and in him find salvation. It is "to fulfill all righteousness." To this correspond the references to baptism in the Epistles. Paul says: "All we who were [220] baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death." (Rom. 6: 3.) "In one Spirit were we all baptized into one body." (1 Cot. 12: 13.) "As many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ." (Gal. 3: 27.) "Having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead." (Col. 2: 12.)

The figure of the new birth teaches clearly that the leading thought or purpose in baptism is to introduce into a new state or relationship. Birth does not impart life. Without a previous impartation of life there can be no birth. But birth introduces the life imparted into a state suited to the proper development of the life. Without birth there can be no development of the life, and the new principle of life must perish. So it is in the new or spiritual birth. Baptism does not beget life; it does not impart the principle of spiritual life. Unless one has been already begotten of the Spirit, there can be no spiritual birth in baptism; but when one has been begotten of the Spirit, there can be no true development of spiritual life without a birth--without baptism. The birth in baptism introduces the principle of life formerly imparted into the church or body of Christ, that in that body it may find the spiritual food and training needed to develop spiritual life. The leading purpose of baptism as taught by the new birth is to introduce him that is begotten of the Spirit into the body of Christ, that in entering into Christ he may be cleansed from sin, and that from "holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of God." (Col. 2: 19.)

The leading design or purpose of baptism as presented in the Bible, beyond all controversy, is to put men and women into Christ. Putting them into Christ, baptism brings them to all the cleansing and purifying influences needful to members of the body of Christ and to the full enjoyment of all the blessings and favors enjoyed in Christ Jesus. It puts the begotten soul into Christ, that, as a branch from the vine, from him it may draw life and sustenance. If one purpose or design above another should be understood or is [221] essential to acceptable service to God, it by all means should be that comprehensive, leading purpose that includes all others, that was announced in the world-wide commission given to the disciples for all times and all people and is embodied in all the teaching of Christ and the Holy Spirit concerning the purpose of baptism--to wit: We are to be baptized into Christ, or into the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We are "to fulfill all righteousness."

On the day of Pentecost the Spirit came to guide men into the church or kingdom of God. The persons taught were the crucifiers of the Son of God. The first point was to produce faith in Christ. The proposition that Jesus is the Christ and the testimonies concerning it were first presented. The truth to be believed was summed up in this proposition: "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified." (Acts 2: 36.) This was the thing to be believed--the subject-matter of faith. "When they heard this [and believed it], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2: 37, 38.) In this answer of the Spirit clear distinctions are made. First, the thing to be believed--that Jesus is the Christ of God. The effect of that faith is that the heart is convicted of sin, is changed from a bitter persecution of Christ to the humble, contrite heart seeking terms of pardon for the crime of crucifying the Lord. They ask: "What shall we do ?" The Spirit said: "Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you." That is what they were to do. They were to do this "in the name of Jesus Christ." "In the name of Christ" generally means "by the authority of Christ." This means more than by the authority of Jesus. En onomati means "by the authority." This is epi onomati,--. "upon the name of Jesus." Horatio B. Hackett, the learned Baptist scholar, says: "As the foundation of the baptism--i. e., with an acknowledgment of him in that act as being [222] what his name imports--to wit, the sinner's only hope, his Redeemer, Justifier, Lord, final Judge." It is a direction to look, in rendering this obedience, to Jesus as the only source of the blessings to which the obedience brings us. Hence, when understood, it teaches that we are brought to these blessings by coming into Christ for the remission of sins. This expresses the promise held out to these convicted murderers of the Son of God as at once an inducement to obey the commands given and a ground of comfort of their distress. Hackett says: "'In order to the forgiveness of sins' we connect naturally with both the preceding verbs. This clause states the motive or object which should induce them to repent and be baptized. It enforces the entire exhortation, not one part of it to the exclusion of the other." God only can forgive sin. He tells them: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." "Repent ye, and be baptized into the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins." "Repent ye therefore, and turn again [baptism is the turning act], that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3: 19.) "Shall be saved," "unto the remission of your sins," "that your sins may be blotted out "--these mean the same and promise the blessing to be received from God on compliance with the conditions prescribed. When the man is freed from sin, he is a fitted temple in which God through the Spirit will dwell; hence the further promise: "Ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." The remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit are two promises, the former fitting or preparing for the latter, both given as rewards to induce obedience and bring comfort to the distressed sinners.

But the order is: (1) The thing to be believed (verse 36); (2) the effect on them of believing (verse 37); (3) they were told what to do (verse 38); (4) while doing it, on whom to rely and to whom to look for blessing; and (5) then the promise or reward to lead to obedience. This is the order made by God. A clear distinction and separation was kept between the faith--the thing to be believed, the obedience to be rendered, the source of the blessing, and then [223] the promises or rewards to be bestowed on the obedience. The Spirit kept these separate and distinct, and he who destroys this separation and distinction confounds and confuses what the Spirit of God made separate and distinct and does violence to the revelation of God.

But here are three distinct motives placed by God before man to lead him to consecrate himself to God in baptism: (1) That which moved Christ--the desire of fulfilling all righteousness, or doing the whole will of God; (2) the general, leading design that includes all special ends, motives, and promises--the desire of entering into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; (3) the seeking of the remission of sins, relying on the name of Jesus Christ. These are all scriptural and divine motives. A person led through faith to baptism by any one of these is led by God. They are divine leadings; and when a person comes to baptism by a divine leading, that baptism is acceptable service. Unless one is brought to it by a divine leading, it is not acceptable. There are still other divine motives, other special ones, presented to lead man to baptism. These are really different forms of expressing the same leading motive. All the forms lead in the same path.

To be baptized "to fulfill all righteousness" is to be led by God into baptism, to be baptized from the same reason that Jesus was, and is acceptable service. To be baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is to follow the divine leading, and is acceptable baptism. To be baptized relying upon Jesus Christ, in order that he may forgive our sins, is to be led by God into baptism. Whenever man is led by God into baptism, the baptism is acceptable to God. God said to Saul: "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name." (Acts 22: 16.) To be baptized that God may wash away or separate our sins from us in baptism is acceptable baptism. Peter says: "While the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water: which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience [224] toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (1 Pet. 1:20, 21.) Baptism is the answer or seeking of a good conscience. It can be either of these only when the person understands baptism to be the command or requirement of God, in which he is consecrated to his service. His conscience demands that he should obey God in this requirement, and he does it in order to seek or find the answer of a good conscience toward God. When man is thus baptized to seek the answer of a good conscience toward God, he is following a divine leading to baptism, and that baptism is acceptable service to God. The two important, leading ideas are: (1) It must be submitted to in order to fulfill the righteous will of God; (2) it must be done to bring one into Christ. But these are different forms of expressing the same direction or guidance into the service of God.

The case of the rebaptism of the twelve at Ephesus is instructive. Paul came to Ephesus, and, finding certain disciples, he said unto them: "Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given. And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John's baptism. And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus. And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied." (Acts 19: 1-6.) This is often appealed to sustain the idea that persons who do not understand that baptism is for the remission of sins should be rebaptized. It does teach that their baptism was 'invalid or unacceptable to God. But they knew that baptism was for the remission of sins. John's baptism taught this equally with Christ's. The acceptability of their baptism did not turn on this point. But they were not baptized into the name of Christ. That was the defect. "When they heard this, they were baptized into [e/si the name of the Lord Jesus." The failure to be baptized into Christ rendered it invalid, even when they were baptized [225] knowing it was for the remission of sins. When baptized by the authority of Christ, they were baptized into Christ. It certainly is more important to understand that baptism is into Christ than that it is in order to remission of sins.

The purpose and end of all God's dealings with man is to train him to prompt, implicit, and unquestioning obedience to God. This being true, the leading thought on the part of man should be to obey God. And no motive can possibly be more acceptable to God than the simple desire of doing the will of the Father. It was the meat and drink of Jesus. to do the will of him that sent him, and he conceived of no higher or holier motive than to do the will of God. "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." (John 15: 10.) Christ Jesus knew no surer way of entering into and abiding in the Father's love, no higher or surer way by which man can enter into and abide in both his and his Father's love, than by keeping his commandments. No motive can be more pleasing to God than the simple desire to obey all he commands because he commands it, or, as the Savior expressed it, "to fulfill all righteousness "--the whole righteous will of God. "To fulfill all righteousness" and to obey God are the same.

In these motives presented in Scripture as leading to baptism, the general motives include the specific--that is, a person actuated by the general motive must also desire the specific ones, so far as he sees them. A man that is baptized to enter into Christ, or "to fulfill all righteousness," shows beyond a doubt that he would be baptized for every single specific blessing found in Christ if he were cognizant of it. But is it possible for a man to be sincerely desirous of obeying God with a loyal and true heart while failing to understand the relation baptism bears to the remission of sins? Baptism is clearly revealed as a condition on which the remission of sins is to be enjoyed. All the promises and requirements of God are plain when man looks at them from a favorable standpoint. But ofttimes man is so adversely situated, so blinded by surrounding darkness, his vision so warped by prejudice, that it is difficult to see many testimo-[226] nies and motives given. Some with difficulty see any. The man is not always responsible for these difficulties, for his prejudices, for the darkness that surrounds him, for the unfavorable angle of vision at which he is required to look at the revelations of God. A man is not responsible for being born in heathen lands. A woman is not responsible for being born and trained in Methodist or Presbyterian theories of religion. They are responsible for not seeing the light when presented to them and for not following the faintest gleamings of that light, which, if followed, will lead them to the standpoint whence they can see more light and with a vision less obscured by prejudice. But if they refuse to obey what they see to be the will of God, no more light will be opened to them.

Take the number of scriptures attributing salvation to faith and the emphasis laid on faith, without a clear and direct expression that faith must be manifested in works, and it seems to me that an honest heart would be as likely to be deceived on that point, considering the general misapprehension and false teaching on the subject, as on any other point connected with human duty and salvation. All agree that salvation comes through faith. It seems to me that all should, by a study of the Bible, see that faith must be perfected through obedience before it becomes a justifying faith. But those coming to baptism are not supposed to be very familiar with the Bible. A man who fully acts in accord with the spirit of the commission first believes and is baptized, then has to be taught "all things whatsoever I commanded you." The case I have before me is a man that believes in Christ and desires sincerely and honestly to obey God, but has not studied carefully all the teachings of the Bible, and, through false teachings, mistakes at what point in the pathway of obedience God has promised and does bestow pardon. Now, will a mistake at that point so vitiate the service as to deprive him of the blessing? Must man know at what point God bestows a blessing in order to receive and enjoy that blessing? No man with the Bible i~ hand dare affirm this. The spirit of the Bible is that if we trustingly follow God, not knowing whither we go [227] or what may befall us, the fullness of the blessings will be ours.

A woman was born in a Presbyterian family. She was sprinkled in infancy; was taught to believe that this was true baptism, that faith alone secured pardon. Her parents believed and taught it; her friends and the preachers she revered from childhood taught it. It had been so instilled into her heart from infancy as to become almost a part of her very being. She grew up believing these things as firmly as she believed in God. But in reading her Bible she saw it required believers to be baptized, and that they went to where there was much water; they went down into the water; they were buried and came up out of the water. She began to see the light. She suggested her difficulties to her parents and friends. They tried to satisfy her that infant sprinkling is baptism. She hesitated, but was not satisfied. She married. Her husband was a better reader than herself. She asked him to read at night, while she sewed and knitted. They read the New Testament through two or three times. She saw that it is God's will that the believer should be baptized. Moved by the desire of fulfilling all righteousness, of keeping the commands of Jesus, just as he desired to keep his Father's commands, she was baptized. She had failed as yet to see in this reading that baptism is for the remission of sins. She did see one great scriptural reason why she should be baptized. God required it. Led by that, acting promptly on the light she had, she was baptized. She was led by God to baptism. Who dare say that she was not pardoned because she did not see that baptism was for the remission of sins ? The man who says her baptism is invalid must take the position that, in order to render it acceptable, one must understand every motive given to lead to it, every promise connected with it, every blessing flowing from it, else it is not acceptable service. In so doing he condemns his own and every baptism that ever took place, save that of Jesus Christ. A man cannot select one motive, to the exclusion of all others, and say that it is essential, that the others are not. This woman followed the light she saw against opposing influences. Following the [228] light we have, we are led into fuller light. Acting on this, she was brought to see that baptism is a condition of remission, and that the disciples are right. Falling in with a little band of disciples, she sought fellowship with them as holding the truth. She had a clear conscience that she had been baptized, led by a scriptural motive, that which led the Son of God himself to baptism--the highest and holiest motive that ever moved a mortal to serve God. She was confident that she was baptized from faith in Christ Jesus, by his authority, into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and that it would be an insult to God, a slander on his high and holy character, to say that he had rejected one struggling out of the darkness and difficulties, because she obeyed promptly the first light she saw, and, in her anxiety to obey, did not wait to learn at what point each blessing was bestowed.

And I say she was right. It is a slander upon God and an insult to his character to say that he rejects one who is involved in darkness and sees only one ray of light, and who, moved by the desire to fulfill his righteous will and anxious to serve him, follows and obeys him without waiting to see all the light and to understand and feel all the motives before starting, because he misunderstood the point at which God bestows the blessing. When I heard of this case, I said: "I would a thousand fold rather risk myself with God in that woman's place than in the place of one who pushed back and discouraged a believing soul striving through difficulties and darkness and evil surroundings to obey God." Had she not acted on the light she had, followed the motives she saw, she never would have seen more light. From him that hid his one talent was taken even that he had. Only to him who used his talent was it increased. Well, why not the woman be baptized and satisfy every one ? Because that would have been an insult to God, a gross reflection on his character. Such a baptism would not be by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. It would not have been to obey God, to fulfill righteousness, but to please man. It would have been service based on the commandments of men. It would have been to act a lie. The preacher would [229] have said: "I baptize you in the name or by the authority of the Lord Jesus." She would have made him tell a lie in the name of the Lord God of heaven and earth, for God authorized no baptism to please men.

Some years ago a preacher left the disciples and joined the Baptists. A Baptist preacher baptized him. He afterwards published that he had no doubt as to the validity of his first baptism, but that he was baptized the second time to satisfy his Baptist brethren. I know not what the Baptist preacher thought of it when he published this, but I should have felt that I had been grossly imposed upon and made to tell a lie professedly in the name of Christ. I take it that had the Baptist preacher known the motive before baptizing, he would have scorned to say, "By the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, I baptize you in (or into) the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," when he knew that he had no authority to baptize a man coming to baptism from such a motive. That was not a scriptural baptism, because the person was not led to it by a scriptural motive. And no baptism is acceptable which is led by the desire of entering any church or pleasing any human. Man must come to it from a scriptural motive. Baptism is an important consecrating act. It is to be guarded that it is not to be approached without proper motive. It is not to be repeated on light grounds. It is a sin to be baptized the first or second time to please men.

Those who contend for a necessity of understanding that baptism is for remission of sins adopt the proper rule, but err in applying it. They seem to think that remission of sins is the only scriptural design or end or motive to lead to baptism, while there are others just as scriptural that embrace this. Because this has been opposed and they have been compelled to defend it, it has been unduly magnified as the only or leading motive. The constant defense of it from the attacks of others has placed us in an unfavorable position to view it as compared with others not attacked. To unduly magnify it is as unfavorable as to unduly depreciate it. One leads to the losing sight of other scriptural motives; the other hides this motive from us, The failure to [230] see the other motives does not vitiate our service in baptism any more than the failure to see this vitiates the service of those moved by other scriptural motives.

1. Why cannot any one see so clear a promise as "for the remission of sins?" We are creatures of habit. We get thoughts and theories in our minds that hinder our seeing. To illustrate, I heard one of the best biblical students known to me, in discussion some years ago, explaining why faith was not mentioned as requisite in Acts 2. I wrote him a note, saying that it is required in the words: "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.'' (Acts 2: 36.) I heard another one of our best preachers in preaching do the same thing. Neither had ever seen it. Why? It is as plain as "be baptized unto the remission of your sins." I have studied the Scriptures with fair diligence for fifty years. I have studied and occasionally preached on the case of Simon Magus. While writing on this case only a few weeks ago, it struck me for the first time in life that the circumstances indicated clearly that Simon had been recognized as a Christian by Peter and John and had received by the imposition of their hands the gift of the Holy Spirit. I read it to two preachers, as close Bible students as I know. They both at once accepted the position as true, yet had never seen it before. I never read the Bible, with my heart and mind on it, that I do not learn something that surprises me that I never saw it before. Because I have been so dull in seeing much of my Master's teaching that I ought to have seen plainly, I have a very tender fellow-feeling and sympathy for those who are anxious, but slow, to learn the Master's will. I know Jesus, from the examples given, has pity, compassion, and a very tender sympathy for all who desire to serve him, but are encompassed with human infirmities and frailties. He partook of our nature that he might be touched with a sense of our infirmities. If he did not, I cannot be saved. I do not yet know all the promises connected with and blessings [231] pledged in baptism. We are baptized into Christ; we put him on in baptism; we are introduced to all the fullness and riches of God's love by baptism into Christ. But for those who presume to know all of God's purposes and designs and push back as unworthy those less fortunately situated, who, led by only a ray of divine light and knowing only it is a command of God, ignorant of many blessings coming through it, still do what God commanded to honor the Master and please the Lord by doing his will, I much fear. It is for the presumptuous sin of those wise in their own esteem and self-sufficient in their service that God makes no allowance.

2. If it is not necessary to know and understand that baptism is for the remission of sins, it is not necessary to teach it; and, as a matter of conciliation and harmony, we had better drop it out of our teaching. It does not follow by any means that, because it is not necessary to understand all testimonies and motives in order to render the obedience acceptable, it is not necessary for those who understand it to teach all. To understand the evidence and know the motives is to strengthen the faith and increase the zeal; but it is not necessary that the faith should be perfect or the zeal at its highest possible pitch in order to begin the service. As we learn more and more, it strengthens faith and increases zeal. So all testimonies and motives should be presented, because some persons will be moved by one class and others by another. Hence, if only one class of testimonies or motives is presented, some honest heart will fail to be reached by testimonies or motives that would move it. It is the duty of the preacher or teacher to teach the whole will of God, because a full knowledge would be helpful to all. It is not necessary or possible for a man to understand the full know-edge of God before he begins to serve. So I think this objection is based on a misapprehension of Heaven's order of work and Christian growth and development. But the apostles themselves, in their failure to perceive the character of the mission of Jesus and the nature of his kingdom and the meaning of his promises during the whole lifetime of the Son of God, are perhaps the most striking ex-[232]ample the world affords of honest men, from preconceived opinions, failing to understand plain teachings delivered them. They were honestly desirous of serving the Lord. The idea of an earthly kingdom had been so inwrought into their thoughts that it prevented their seeing the plain teaching of the Savior. He did not reject the service rendered because they did not see the plain teachings he revealed so long as they were willing to follow on and obey him, for he knew that if they followed on in obedience they would come to the place, would so have their eyes opened and light revealed to them, that they would be brought to see the truth.

Jesus said, "if any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself" (John 7: 17)--that is, if a man sincerely desires to do the will of God and goes forward in the path of obedience, he will be brought to know of the teachings of Jesus; but if he fails to go forward, truth will be closed to him. The essential condition, so far as motive is concerned, is that it should be done with a sincere desire to do the will of God and so "fulfill all righteousness."

The apostles, because the eyes of their understanding were holden by their preconceptions, failed to understand the plain language of the Savior that he must die, be buried, and rise again, up to his crucifixion. The failure to understand deprived them of a blessing. It carried them into that eclipse of faith that occurred with the death of Jesus. It caused them to suffer doubt, disappointment, and the days of sorrow and affliction that came upon them during the trial and rest in the grave of the Son of God. Had they understood these promises, their days and nights of sorrow and despair would have been seasons of hope and rejoicing. While their failure to see and understand cut them off from joys and hopes that might have been theirs, it did not vitiate their service; and the service rendered with beclouded vision brought them to the light of the rising sun. God has never yet rejected the service of a single soul that obeyed him with the honest purpose of honoring him, because he did it through lowering clouds and under hindering difficulties.

A failure to perceive the whole truth involves us often in [233] trouble and harassing doubts, and cuts us off from joys in the pathway that might be ours; but they do not vitiate or turn service rendered into sin. Mind, we say obedience and service. Something done instead of what God commands is not obedience or service, no matter how sincere the motive that led to the doing. Only what God commands is service.

3. As a final and conclusive objection, it is asked: "If a man were to come to you and say, ' I believe God has for given my sins in believing, but I wish to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness, to obey God in all his commandments,' would you baptize him?" Were he to tell me that, I would certainly try to convince him that he was mistaken as to the time of God's forgiving sin; that he only promised it in a faith that is manifested and embodied in baptism. But, as I have said, I do not believe a mistake as to the point at which God forgives or remits the sin will prevent his doing it if we travel in the road he directs. And a belief that sins are forgiven on the exercise of faith is a mistake as liable to be made, and hence as excusable by God, as almost any one connected with salvation. I do not believe it vitiates the service. And if I failed to convince him just at what point God pardons his sins, but was satisfied that he was sincerely led by a scriptural motive---the desire of fulfilling all righteousness--I would baptize him. I believe that God would bestow the blessings of the state into which he had entered, just as a man who crossed the line from Kentucky into Tennessee would be entitled to the protection of the laws of Tennessee, even though he might be mistaken as to when he crossed the line

Peter, who delivered the terms of remission offered by God to man, made two promises--" the remission of sins" and "the gift of the Holy Spirit." "For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him." (Acts 2: 39.) The after life of Peter shows plainly that he did not himself understand the application and reach of this last promise. He did not understand that the Gentiles were embraced in the call and would be entitled to the promises. [234] The other two promises---" the remission of sins" and "the gift of the Holy Spirit "--are closely and inseparably connected together. They are connected by the same word that connects "repent, and be baptized," in the preceding clause. One grows out of the other. If to understand one is essential, I cannot see why it is not equally necessary to understand the other. It would distress me much to think my acceptance with God depended upon my understanding the promise of the Holy Spirit. I think I understand it; but so many good and honest men, my equals in all the elements of scriptural intelligence, differ with me in this point that it would distress me to think my salvation depended upon my understanding being correct, lest I be mistaken.

These things are presented to show that God has not made the understanding of the promises, the results, the whys and wherefores of his commands, essential to acceptable service in the command. He has not revealed his ways to the wise and prudent, but to babes. Whoever, then, comes through faith in Christ and obeys from the heart the thing God commands him to do, led to it by the desire of doing the will of God or fulfilling all righteousness, is accepted by God.