• Funeral Sermon of Jeremiah Mathes, by Elijah Goodwin.
• A Discourse, by Jacob Wright.
• A Discourse on Conversion, by James M. Mathes.

      BRETHREN AND FRIENDS,--We have convened to-day under very solemn circumstances. Death, that relentless disturber of all human affairs, has visited one of our Christian families, and torn from the fond embrace of many loved ones, a father in Israel. And although many months have passed away since this sad event occurred, still its melancholy effects linger in the memory of many bereaved, weeping friends; for this is one of those afflictions which are not soon forgotten. And how can it be? When one with whom we have lived, and toiled, and suffered, and rejoiced and worshiped for many long years, is taken from our midst, and is shut up in the low, dark, damp grave, who could withhold a tear? But still nearer--when a father, a beloved father, who has long given counsel to his children, training them in the way they should go, sinks to the tomb, from a large circle of filial, loving children, how can they soon forget the mournful scene? Once more--contemplate a blooming, youthful pair, led to the hymeneal altar, there [351] plighting to each other their hearts and fidelity. Thus they commence life's journey, as sharers of each other's cares and joys and sorrows. Time rolls on, until fifty years' constant and fond association has bound their hearts together in the strongest ties known to humanity--they have become one, not only legally and ceremonially, but really. Their views, their thoughts, their sympathies, their very nature, if not their being, have mingled into one. But alas! death, the monster death, visits the humble abode of these long-tried friends, and one is taken and the other is left. Surely such a bereavement would be long remembered by the fond friend who is left lingering on Jordan's shore, casting a long and anxious look after him who has thus passed away.

      Such, dear friends, are the scones which we commemorate to-day. A brother in the Lord--a father in the flesh--a kind husband, dearly beloved--has passed away from our midst, leaving eight great grandchildren, fifty grandchildren, eleven children, and an ancient bosom companion, by whose side he trod life's rugged path for more than half a century, to mourn over his departure. And we have convened to-day, dear friends, to pay a last tribute of respect to the memory of our deceased brother, and to "weep with them that weep."

      The friends of the deceased have selected as the basis of the discourse on this solemn occasion, the following words:

      "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a I crown of righteousness, [352] which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also who love his appearing"--2 Tim. iv: 6, 7, 8.

      This language was employed by Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles, but a short time before he fell a martyr to the cause of truth. The Divine record leaves Paul in Rome, when taken there by his own appeal unto Cæsar. See Acts xxxiii: 30, 31. During this imprisonment, we presume, he wrote his first epistle to Timothy. At this time he seems to have had strong hope of being delivered. Hence he said, "These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly"--1 Tim. iii: 14. But while writing this second epistle, he appears to have had no such hope. It would seem that the sentence of death was now upon him, and hence he says, "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand." I am about to be offered as a living sacrifice to the cause of truth for which I have so long contended, and for which I have suffered the loss of all earthly things. Thus, standing on the crumbling verge of time, just about to plunge into eternity's boundless ocean, as is natural, he looks back upon his past life, and exultingly exclaims--"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me at that day." Oh! what a happy terminus to life's toils and labors was this.

      It is generally believed that Paul draws this description of his life and its triumphant close, from the Olympic games, with which the world was so familiar at this time. With this conviction, I have concluded that, in order to fully understand this Scripture--to [353] see its beauty, and. feel its power, it will be necessary, briefly, to notice these games and the laws by which they were governed.

      The precise time of the commencement of these public exhibitions is lost in the dark shades of mythological antiquity; but they were revived in Greece about 884 years before the birth of Christ, some say only 828. They were celebrated every fifth year. "The exact interval at which they occurred was one of forty-nine and fifty lunar months; so that the celebration sometimes fell in the month of July, and sometimes in August." "They were celebrated at Olympia, a sacred spot on the banks of the Alpheus, near Elis."

      The exercises in these games, when first revived in Greece, were merely foot-races; but additions were made from time to time. Wrestling was introduced about 708 years before Christ. Leaping, throwing the quoit, and throwing the javelin, were introduced about the same time. Boxing was introduced about 688 years before the birth of Christ. Races on horseback and in chariots finally formed a part of these contests.

      Among all these various exercises, the apostle seems to have selected three by which to illustrate the Christian's life. These are running, wrestling, and boxing or fighting. These seem, according to Paul's conception, to bear the nearest resemblance to the mighty conflicts, and persevering efforts necessary to the obtaining of eternal life.

      These games were all performed according to fixed and well defined laws. The ground set apart for these exercises was called the stadium, from the name of a Greek measure. It was about six hundred feet long, [354] and about one hundred and thirty feet wide, of an oblong shape, being square at one end, and semi-circular at the other. On each side of the ground set apart for the exercises, were seats, rising one above another, so that those seated on the back seats could see the performances over the heads of those before them. During the games these seats were filled with persons of high rank from all parts of the kingdom.

      Persons intending to engage in the contest, entered their names as competitors, ten months before the festival, stating at the same time the prize for which they intended to contend. These ten months were spent in preparatory exercises; the last thirty days of which they were thus engaged in the Gymnasium at Elis. During this training they were under teachers, and paid strict regard to their dieting. To this the apostle refers, when he says, "They that strive for the mastery are temperate in all things." No person was permitted to engage in the contest who had ever been guilty of murder, theft, or any heinous offense.

      "When the festival arrived, their names were proclaimed in the stadium, and after proving that they were not disqualified from taking part in the games, they were led to the altar of Jupiter, the guardian of oaths where they swore that they had gone through all the preparatory exercises required by the laws, and that they would not be guilty of any fraud, nor of any attempt to interfere with the fair course of the games. Any one detected in bribing his adversary to yield him the victory was heavily fined." "This oath being taken, their relations and countrymen accompanied them into the stadium, exhorting them to acquit themselves nobly." To this Paul refers when he says to Christians, "Quit you like men, be strong." These [355] games were a part of the religion of the Greeks. "They were looked upon as sacred, and were originally established in honor of the gods, and were always begun and ended in sacrifice."

      These contests were all performed according to well defined rules, and even their preparatory exercises were performed according to these laws. While those who intended to engage in boxing were practicing for the contest, they were said to be beating the air. To this Paul refers when he says, "So fight I, not as one that beateth the air;" thus intimating that he was not merely practicing for a future engagement, but that he was already in actual conflict, having a real antagonist before him. Boxing and wrestling were sometimes combined; and he who threw his adversary three times was declared conqueror, unless he who fell could succeed in pulling his antagonist down, and then turn him under and hold him there. To this Paul refers when he says, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away." Dr. McKnight renders this passage thus: "I bruise my body, and lead it captive, lest perhaps, having proclaimed to others, I myself should be one not approved." We have already seen that in those Grecian games, proclaimers introduced the contestant into the stadium. These proclaimers went along the stadium, and proclaimed the names of the contestants, the prizes for which they were about to contend, and the laws by which they were to be governed. In the Scripture just quoted, Paul contemplates himself as a proclaimer. He had proclaimed the laws of the holy conflict; he had introduced multitudes into the Christian stadium; and had exhorted them to acquit themselves nobly; to [356] "fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life." But he considers himself as more than a proclaimer. He had also engaged in the same conflict; he too was contending for a crown. These things being so, he says, I bruise my body; I bring it under, and keep it in subjection.

      By the body, he means the old man, as he calls it on another occasion. In the Grecian games it was very common for those who engaged in boxing, to be very much bruised and mangled, especially about the face and eyes, which sometimes resulted in death. And when one of the parties leveled the other to the ground, he made strong efforts to keep him under, lest he should rise and overcome him at the last. So the apostle would represent himself. He had gained a momentary advantage over the body of sin; he had brought into subjection his unholy passions and desires, and he now says, I bruise this old man--this body of sin and death, and bring it under, and keep it in subjection to "the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus."

      The Roman Church, applying this expression of the apostle literally, established their whole system of penance, by physical tortures, supposing that by afflicting the body literally, they can the more easily keep the soul pure. But the apostle had another and a higher view of the subject. He bruised the old man, and kept under all his unholy desires and passions; and he says he did all this lest after he had proclaimed to others the rules of the Christian warfare, and had introduced many into the heavenly contest, he himself should be a cast-away, should be rejected and lose the crown. [357]

      In those Grecian games, if any one who had engaged in the contest should not contend according to the prescribed rules, he lost the prize. To this Paul refers when he says, "If a man also strive for the mastery, he is not crowned unless he strive lawfully"--II. Tim. ii: 5.

      In such a case, the judges of the games proclaimed aloud the name of the person, and the fact that he had forfeited the crown by violating the laws of the contest. This being done, he was driven out of the stadium with disgrace, followed by the officers of the exercises, pouring contemptuous epithets upon him. And even the spectators, from all parts of the amphitheater, would hiss at him and hurl after him the most withering reproaches.

      But how much greater the reproach that must fall upon him who has entered his name as a contestant for eternal life. In his baptism he has vowed to be true to the rules laid down in the Holy Scripture to govern the Christian warfare, and has thus engaged in the conflict; but after all, he permits the world, the flesh, or the devil to overcome him; or he turns aside from the holy commandments designed to govern the Christian life, and thus is rejected, and loses the crown! Oh what eternal, hissing, burning contempt must fall upon him forever!

      Now to avoid this, and to gain the crown at last, Paul bruised the body of sin; he mortified his "members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which is idolatry." Col. iii: 5. These he held under subjection, lest having proclaimed the Gospel to others, he himself should be rejected. Oh what [358] an example is this for Christians, and especially for all those who are engaged as proclaimers of the Gospel. Lord help us--Lord save us.

      While exercising for the Grecian games, those intending to engage in the foot-race wore heavy weights about their garments, and when they entered the stadium, they threw these weights off, that they might appear light, and run unincumbered, and then they had to run precisely on the track which was marked out, while thousands were gazing upon them. To these facts the apostle refers in the following Scriptures: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly"--"forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, I press toward (along the mark: McKnight's trans.) for the prize."

      But now the apostle, contemplating his Christian conflict as about ended, exclaims, "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand; I have fought a good fight--good because I have conquered--and good because I have conquered according to law. In every effort I have acted according to the holy commandments of Jesus Christ my Lord. I have not sought to please men, for had I so done, I should not have been the servant of Christ. Even the things which were so dear to me, I counted but loss, that I might gain the approbation of our Lord and Saviour."

      He then proceeds to contemplate his Christian life under the figure of the Grecian races, and says, "I have finished my course." As before stated, the track [359] was marked out on which the races were to be run. It was a straight and narrow path, and the whole length constituted a course.

      In our text the apostle regards himself as having run clear through the Christian stadium; the whole length of his race he had completed. He had all the time considered Him who had endured such contradictions of sinners against himself, and therefore he never grew weary, nor did he faint in his mind. He did not stop to confer with flesh and blood, that he might gain praise of men, but he pressed straight forward in all the work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope, fixing his eye upon the prize at the end of the race.

      Thus does the apostle reflect with joy upon his Christian course; and now, at the very close, he triumphantly exclaims, "I have kept the faith."

      Dr. Clark gives the following note on this phrase: "As the laws of these games must he most diligently observed and kept; for though a man overcame, yet is he not crowned unless he strive lawfully, so I have kept the rules of the spiritual combat and race, and thus having contended lawfully, and conquered in each exercise, I have a right to expect the prize." Thus you see that the Doctor supposes that by keeping the faith, Paul meant that he had kept all the rules of the Christian life as revealed in the Bible. No doubt this is all true, but I think he means more than this. He had kept his faith in Christ as the Son of God, who died for our sins and rose again; that he had held on to his faith in the Gospel, in the midst of all his trials and afflictions. He would seem to say--When I entered this holy contest, I did it under the influence of strong faith in Christ; I then believed that he was the true [360] Messiah of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write. Thus believing, I gave up my worldly honors and prospects; I renounced my former religious views and opinions; I laid aside every weight, and the sin which most easily beset me, and entered the contest, resolved on victory or death.

      Well, I have had a mighty struggle, I have had fightings, without and fears within. I have been awfully beset with the evil propensities of my own fallen nature. I have had to wrestle with flesh and blood; but not with flesh and blood only, but against principalities and powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places, or against wicked spirits in the air, against the rulers of the darkness of this world. I have made some narrow escapes. "Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one, thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck; a night and a day I have been in the deep;" I have been in "perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea," and worst of all, "in perils among false brethren" (See 2 Cor. xi: 24-26). But none of these things moved me--I have kept the faith--I have held on to my integrity--I have advocated the truth in private circles and in the great assemblies; in the market places and in the public schools; I have plead the cause of Christ in the prison, and before the judicial courts of the country; I have even dared to plead the cause of our holy religion before the Areopagus, or Grand Council of Greece--at all times, and in all places, and under circumstances the most trying, and afflictive, I have kept the faith. [361]

      But now I am ready to be offered--I have finished my course, I have fought the fight, and although it has been a hard fight, and a long fight, yet I have fought it well; I have conquered, and I have done it according to the Gospel of Christ; and therefore there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge will give unto me in that day, when the Judge of the contest shall decide the destinies of all.

      In the Grecian games the contestants do all to obtain a corruptible crown, composed of laurel leaves, which soon fades on the victor's brow, but I have contended for an immortal crown--a crown that fadeth not--a crown that shall outshine all the gold-bespangled crowns of all the kings and emperors of earth. And now that crown is laid up for me--it is laid aside for me, and the Lord, who is the judge of the contest will give that crown to me in the final day, for he is a righteous judge--he will make the awards according to law, according to the rule laid down in his holy Word for the government of God's people. Being confident of this, and knowing that I have kept all these rules, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, I know that I shall receive the crown of righteousness that fadeth not away.

      In the Grecian games, there were two hours set apart for the contests, one in the forenoon, and one in the afternoon. Those who succeeded in gaining the prize in the morning engagement, did not receive the reward until noon; and those who proved victorious in the afternoon, did not receive the crown until all who entered for that hour had finished the contest, till those who fought had closed the contest, and those [362] who run, had finished their course. Hence those who proved victorious in the early part of the engagement, waited until the appointed hour to receive the prize.

      To these facts the apostle compares his case. Hence, though he had fought the fight, and had finished his course, he did not expect to receive the crown at that moment. The conflict was not yet over with all; many were yet fighting; many were still running the Christian race. But the hour was appointed when the Judge of the contest, the Judge of the living and the dead, the righteous Judge, will pronounce upon the case of all men, and then, Oh then, said Paul, I shall receive the unfading crown.

      Such, Christian friends, seem to have been the reflections of the great apostle of the Gentiles at this trying moment; such his anticipations at the very door of death. Doubtless the sentence of death was now upon him; the hour of his execution was at hand--he was about to die for the religion of Jesus Christ, but in sight of a martyr's death, when the implements of his torture may have been before him, he calmly exclaims, I am ready--my time has come, and I am prepared--O what a happy death! what a triumphant close to the mighty struggle!

      But there is one expression, at the close of the text, in which we are more directly and personally interested. The apostle declares that there is not only a crown laid up for him, but also for all who love the appearing of Christ, that is, for all who fight the good fight of faith, and finish the Christian course according to the rules of the contest; or, to speak without a figure, this crown of righteousness is for all who love God and keep his commandments; who "serve God acceptably, with reverence, and godly fear." [363] Yes, brethren, for all who thus finish their course with joy, there is reserved in heaven, a crown of righteousness which fadeth not away.

      Here I must make a few remarks in reference to crowns.

      Crowns are worn by kings as emblems of power; hence the expression, "There is power in the crown." The word power, is not here used in reference to physical strength, but it signifies authority; hence the saying, "The crown must be obeyed."

      Well, Christians are said to be made kings and priests to God, and it is said they shall reign with him in life. Rom. v: 17; Rev. v: 10. All that is meant by these expressions we can not now fully understand, but eternity will reveal it; then shall be understood what is meant by our Saviour's parable, in which the Lord said to one servant, be thou ruler over ten cities, and to another be thou ruler over five cities. May not such redeemed persons bear upon their immortal heads crowns of glory.

      But crowns are also emblems of honor, hence the saying, "The crown must be respected." The crowns placed upon the heads of the victors in the Olympic games, were valueless in themselves, but still they were highly prized; men would strive and wrestle, and run with all the power they possessed, to gain these fading crowns; they would be temperate in all things; and in the hour of the contest they would exert every muscle and put all their physical energies to the utmost stretch to gain the crown. Now they did not do this for the real value these crowns possessed, but for the honor which attached to them. These crowns had a voice, the language of which was--Honor to the victor. Those who came off victorious [364] in these games were honored by all the spectators; their names were heralded by the public proclaimers, and in after life they were admitted to the highest honors--they received the smiles of the nation.

      From these considerations the term crown was adopted as a figurative expression to denote honor. When Israel had apostatized and the glory of God had departed from them, the prophet said: "The crown is fallen from our heads"--Lam. v: 16.

      Paul uses the term in the same sense when he says, "Dearly beloved, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord"--Phil. iv: 1. Again, "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his appearing?" I. Thes. ii: 9. The meaning of which is, that these churches and brethren were an honor to him. In their lives as Christians, and the order, harmony, influence and spirituality of these brethren was seen the efficiency of Paul as a teacher of our holy religion, and as a pastor, under Christ, of the sheep-fold of God.

      And I may pause to say, that you may generally form a pretty correct idea of the character and efficiency of those who have the charge of congregations, by the general order and character of the churches over which they preside. When you see a church living in disorder and confusion, neglecting the ordinances of the Lord's house, and every thing apparently at loose ends, you may take it for granted that the elders or pastor of that church are, or is not very efficient; that they lack wisdom, or skill, or zeal, or interest in the cause of Christ. But when you see a congregation in which every thing is moving on in order and harmony; the members all in their places, [365] ready to every good work; you may be sure that that church is blessed with efficient overseers. Such a congregation is a crown that is an honor to those who have taught them the ways of righteousness.

      To this fact Paul refers in these Scriptures, saying that the brethren at Philippi and Thessalonica were his crown; they were an honor to him; and he carries the idea to the judgment-day, declaring that they shall be his crown of rejoicing in the presence of Christ on that solemn occasion. What a thought--when God shall judge the world by Jesus Christ according to the Gospel which Paul preached--when the long line of Adam's race shall stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, Paul will be there, and these brethren brought to the knowledge of the truth by his instrumentality, and trained for heaven by his godly admonitions and pious example, will be there, and in the presence of an assembled universe, will confer honor on this holy apostle--shall there be his crown of rejoicing.

      But this is not all that Paul had in an anticipation. A glorious immortal body, and an eternal life, formed a part of that honor which was laid, up for him. Union with God, and our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, and with all the holy angels, together with all those who shall have been redeemed from the earth by the blood of the Lamb of God. This crown--this eternal weight of glory Paul expected, and it gave him hallowed joy at the very door of a martyr's death. And this crown of glory, Christian friends, awaits every victor in the mighty conflict for heaven, for our text says, it is for all who love his appearing. In the Olympic races, "all run, but one obtained the prize;" but in the Christian race, all may run, and all may [366] obtain a crown; for the contest is not between Christians, but between the Christian and evil--between truth and error--between righteousness and sin. The Christian is engaged on the side of truth and righteousness, and if he overcome sin in all its various forms, and maintains his Christian character in despite of all the unhallowed influences which may be brought against him by the world, the flesh and the devil, he shall surely obtain the prize, for Christ, the impartial Judge of the contest, has said, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life."

      In those Grecian contests it would sometimes happen that a person would contend powerfully for a time, and seem to be just ready to conquer, and thus gain the prize, when his antagonist would make one more mighty effort, and overcome him, and win the laurels. And has it not often happened thus in the Christian contest? Persons have engaged in the holy war--they have fought well for a long time--they met the tempter in various forms and put him to flight. But finally the enemy took the advantage of an unguarded hour, and captured him, and led him into sin again. Sometimes Christians run well for a while, but they get hindered; perhaps some one puts a stumbling-block in their way, and they stumble and fall!

      Brethren, this is awful! See that soldier of the cross, who has fought long and hard in the combat for heavenly honors, and now, when the conflict is nearly over, for want of one final effort, he is overcome by the tempter and loses the crown; or, to use the figure of the race, he has entered according to law, he has run well for a time, all have hopes of his success--the eyes of the inhabitants of three worlds are upon [367] him--this world endeavors to turn his attention to the right or to the left--the devil tries to affright him out of the way--but he disregards all these things--the angels look on with delight, and Christ, the Judge of all, holds out the crown, saying, "Be thou faithful until death, and this crown is yours." But, alas! just before he reaches the goal, when almost ready to lay hold on eternal life, he stumbles and falls--he loses the crown, and in the last day is driven away from the presence of God and the glory of his power, pursued by all the withering reproaches of a guilty, self-condemned conscience.

      Brethren, shall this be the end of any one who hears me to-day? May God, of his infinite goodness and almighty grace forbid it.

      But I must now call attention to the brother's case whose decease occasioned our present meeting, and in whose memory this discourse is being delivered. Bro. Jeremiah Mathes has finished his course, and has gone to rest, until the great and notable day of the Lord shall come--the day in which all the victors in this holy contest shall be crowned.

      Bro. Mathes was born in Shenandoah county, Virginia, November 2d, A. D. 1777, and he departed this life on the 5th day of September, 1856. He emigrated to Kentucky at an early day, and located on Harrod's Creek, in Oldham county, near where the village of Brownsburg now stands. Here he entered his name as a contestant for the crown of eternal life--here he entered the Christian race. Believing it to be his duty to identify himself with the people of God in church membership, and knowing that the struggle for life eternal would be a hard one, and that he would need all the assistance which Christian association and [368] church ordinances could afford, he united with the regular Baptist Church. In this church he lived and maintained the character of a worthy member for many long years. Long did he fill the office of church clerk in this congregation. I presume that his handwriting, penned forty years ago, may yet be seen among the records of the Harrod's Creek Church.

      In 1816 he removed to Indiana, and after remaining a short time in Jackson county, he located in Owen county, near the present site of the town of Gosport. "While living here he became convinced of the errors of Calvinism and some other peculiarities of the Regular Baptist system, and particularly the impropriety of human confessions of faith, rules of decorum, and sectarian names, and, renouncing the whole, he united with the Christian Church upon the Bible alone. He rejoiced greatly in the freedom of the Gospel, and no man ever loved the cause of Christ, or the brethren more than he." (See his obituary in Ch. Record for Sept. 1856.)

      It was at a general meeting held at Old Union, near Bro. Mathes' residence in 1826, that I first saw him. And though I have seen him but seldom since, yet well do I remember his countenance, his sweet voice while singing the songs of Zion on that occasion, and certain conversations that I there heard between him and other brethren. I remember it was then said, "Bro. Mathes is a very good man, but he has some singular notions." But these same brethren have long since learned that what they then called "singular notions" are Bible truths.

      The truth is, although we had renounced all human authoritative creeds and party names, and had professedly taken our stand upon the Bible alone, still we [369] had among us some of the traditions of the fathers, and the customs of others, for which we had no Bible authority, such as mourning-bench conversions, and the telling of Christian experiences before, and in order to baptism, etc. Now, Bro. Mathes had learned faster than some others, and he was not backward to speak of the inconsistency of professing to take the Bible for our only rule of faith and practice, while practicing in the solemn. acts of worship, things for which we have neither precept nor example in all the writings of the inspired apostles. Still he was so mild, and spoke of these things with so much Christian kindness, that every body loved him.

      Bro. Mathes was truly one of Zion's sweet songsters. His voice was as clear as a nightingale's, and he loved to exercise it in singing praises to God, always, however, choosing such poetry as contained good sense and Bible ideas.

      In 1831 he met with an accident which came well-nigh taking his life. He and his son James M. were in the woods together, when a branch of a tree, falling with great force, struck him on the head, rendering him senseless and almost lifeless. James, not willing to leave his father in that apparently dying condition, in order to go for aid, carried him helpless and almost lifeless, on his own shoulders near a half-mile, and laid him on a bed all covered with blood. He remained two weeks unable to learn what had hurt him. From this tremendous shock his voice never recovered, but he still loved the music of Zion dearly.

      Bro. Mathes was a quiet man, and therefore seldom had any difficulty with a neighbor, and although he lived in this world of strife for more than seventy-nine years, I am assured that be never had a suit at [370] law with any man. He loved the name and worship of God, and always filled his place in the Lord's house when it was in his power to be there. Suffice it to say, once for all, he was a good man.

      He and his worthy consort, Sister Florence Mathes, who still lingers on the shores of time, raised a family of eleven children--six sons and five daughters--all of whom are now living, and all members of the Church of God--three of whom are preachers of the Gospel. J. J. W. Mathes, of Lawrence, who labors much in word and teaching--John C. Mathes, now of Daviess county, who is giving himself wholly to the work of an evangelist, and James M. Mathes, long known as one of Indiana's ablest proclaimers of the ancient Gospel, and the founder, editor and proprietor of that valuable periodical called the Christian Record--all belong to the family of him in whose memory we now speak. These facts speak volumes in favor of the family culture and moral training of our departed brother and his pious companion. Oh, what a world we would now have if all fathers and mothers, during the last seventy-five years, had been equally pious, equally devoted to the Bible, and equally careful of the moral and religious training of their children.

      But Bro. Jeremiah Mathes is gone--he has passed away from the busy scenes of this life, and is now at rest--for he died, as he had lived, a Christian. And that Divine Saviour in whom he believed, and whose religion he embraced more than fifty years ago, did not forsake him in the last trying hour. A short time before he expired, he said to those of his children who were present, "I have tried to raise you in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Then addressing his aged companion, he said, "If it is the Lord's will, [371] I am ready to go. I think the time of my departure is at hand; but I can say with the apostle, 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give unto me in that day.'"

      These blessed words were among the last he ever uttered, and it was this circumstance which prompted some of the family to request me to make these words the theme of this funeral discourse. Oh what a happy terminus to life's journey--what a triumphant close of the Christian warfare. Who can appreciate the sacred peace and holy anticipations of our beloved brother, when, with the last pulsations of mortal life, he could whisper, "I am ready to go; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."

      Yes, dear friends, Bro. Jeremiah Mathes has finished his course--he has run clear through the Christian race--he has fought his last battle. It was with him a long conflict--a long race--more than fifty years was he in the field of battle--more than half a century was he on the Christian stadium. True, he did not have all the trials to contend with which beset the Apostle Paul; he was never stoned or imprisoned for his religion. Still he had a long, hard fight. He had not only to wrestle with flesh and blood, but against all the allurements of this vain world, and the temptations of the wicked one. But he battled manfully, and, by the grace of God, he conquered. He ran long, but he ended the course in peace, and could therefore say in his expiring moments, I have kept the faith--the faith which first influenced him to engage in the holy war, strengthened him throughout the [372] mighty conflict, and gave him sweet consolation in his dying moments. Fain would the devil have wrested this shield from him--fain would he have torn from his heart that faith which sustained our brother in every conflict. The tempter well knew that faith is the Christian's "victory which overcomes the world," and therefore he no doubt often tried to rob him of whom we now speak of his confident faith in Jesus the Christ, and in his precious promises. But the tempter failed--the good man held on to his shield, and therefore could say at the very close of the race--just as the last vital spark was being quenched by the cold dashing waves of death--I have kept the faith--henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge will give unto me in that day. Thus saying, he calmly stepped aside--he walked out of his earthly tabernacle, and all of that good man which remained visible, fell asleep without a struggle or a groan.

      But permit me to say to you, my dear friends, children and relatives of the deceased, that was only the outer man you saw expire--it was only the earthly tabernacle which you laid away so carefully in the grave. The inner man, that is, the man proper, has departed to the paradise of God, to await that bright day when all the victors shall be crowned. And even now he is happy, for the Spirit saith, "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord"--and it was said of the poor beggar who died at the rich man's gate, "Now he is comforted." So we may say, dear friends, of our departed brother; and I speak it for your consolation--NOW HE IS COMFORTED. Then dry your tears, and resolve to fight the good fight of faith, that you may all finally lay hold on eternal life. Yes, Sister Mathes, [373] he by whose side you have so long fought in the Christian warfare, with whom you attended the house of worship for so many years, is now at rest, and it can not be long before you shall finish your course, and join him in the better land.

      And let me say in conclusion, to the children and relatives of the deceased, and to all others, Oh let us be faithful to God and his holy cause, that when our change shall come, we may be prepared to say, I am ready.

      "Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."

      The above reading we have in Paul's letter to the Colossians, 1st ch. 28th verse; and we present it as a foundation for a discourse. And in the examination of the above passage we propose to notice it in the following order:

      1. Who was the subject of preaching represented by the term "whom" in the text? 2. Who were the preachers referred to by the term "we"? 3. Were they capable? 4. Were they authorized? 5. What were the character and style of their preaching; and 6. What was the object of their preaching?

      In regard to the term "whom," a careful perusal of the context will satisfactorily explain who the apostle meant by the term; for in the previous part of the chapter he refreshed their minds with the fact, that they had been delivered from the power of darkness, and had been translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son--in whom they had redemption through his [374] blood, the forgiveness of sins. In whom also they had been equally (Jews and Gentiles) raised to such exalted privileges, that they fully represented the glorious influences of the Gospel of Christ among them.

      The apostle appeals to the fact of his being a minister of the Gospel; he also appeals to his knowledge of the mystery that had been hid from ages and from generations; but is now made manifest or plain to his saints, to whom (that is, to his saints) God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you (Gentiles) the hope of glory, "whom we preach." Showing clearly that Christ is the subject of proclamation referred to by the term "whom" in the text.

      In regard to the second point in our arrangement--Who are meant by the term "we"? It is evident that the apostle includes himself with others, by the use of a pronoun of the first person, plural number, we. Therefore, as it is clearly demonstrated that the Apostle Paul referred to himself as one of the preachers of our text, is it not reasonable to suppose that he classed with himself his fellow apostles, who were all equally with himself eye-witnesses, and prime ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ? Therefore, we think that it is clearly shown that the apostles are especially meant by the term" we" in the text. Having come to the conclusion that the apostles are referred to, we are now prepared for the third division of our subject.

      3. Were they capable or qualified for the work? We argue they were, for the following reasons; First, the twelve associated with the Lord Jesus all the time he went in and out among them, beginning from the baptism of John, until the day in which he was taken up into heaven, it period of some three years and a [375] half, during which time he was busily engaged in communicating to them the knowledge of his kingdom, and instructing them in its mysteries, concentrating all their energies upon that single subject; and it would seem that in that length of time, under a competent instructor, they ought to be well prepared for their work. And especially when we reflect that almost as soon as they passed from under the personal instruction and guidance of the Saviour, they were placed directly under the personal instruction and guidance of the Holy Spirit, who was to bring to their remembrance all things that Jesus had taught them, and guide them into all truth. Besides, he (the Spirit) was to furnish them with language and arguments to plead their Master's cause before kings, rulers, and governors of the earth, and all before whom they were permitted to stand. Is it not clear, therefore, that they were amply qualified for their arduous work?

      I have sometimes thought that the apostles of our Lord have been slandered (perhaps unintentionally) by some of our modern preachers calling them illiterate Galileans, ignorant fishermen, etc.; while it is clear to my mind, that no class of graduates upon earth were ever better taught, more thoroughly instructed into, or better prepared with language, and arguments to explain and defend the various arts and sciences into which they had been indoctrinated, than were the apostles of our Lord, to explain and defend the great science of human redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ, both before the ignorant and the learned. Therefore, we think their qualifications are abundantly proven. But we have said nothing about the qualifications of Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles, and author of our text. It may be said that Paul did not [376] associate with the Lord during the period above referred to, and consequently did not sit under the personal instruction of the Saviour while he was on earth. This is granted; but still it is argued that Paul was qualified for the work assigned him (not by Gamaliel, but) by the Lord Jesus appearing to him personally, and thus preparing him to be a witness of his resurrection, revealing to him his will, and placing him under the personal instruction and guidance of the same Holy Spirit under whom the other apostles had been placed.

      In proof of the above, we refer the reader to the 1st chapter, 1st verse of Paul's letter to the Galatians, where he affirms that he is an apostle not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father. Again, in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians ii: 1, Paul says, "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God." 2d verse, "For I determined to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." And again, 4th verse, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power." Now combining the above facts with the history of Paul's travels and labors, we have an unanswerable argument in favor of his Divine qualification. He commenced preaching in Damascus immediately after his conversion, as soon as he had taken some refreshment and was strengthened. From thence he went into Arabia and back again to Damascus; from thence, after three years, he went to Jerusalem, and remained fifteen days; at which time he saw none of the apostles, save Peter, and James, the Lord's brother. From there he returned to [377] Arabia, and after fourteen years he went up to Jerusalem, by revelation, an account of which we have in the 15th chapter of Acts, and also in the 2d chapter of Paul's letter to the Galatians. He there communicated to them the Gospel he had preached among the Gentiles. The most perfect harmony prevailed among the apostles and elders of the whole Church, when the preaching of the Gospel by Paul to the Gentiles, was compared with the preaching by Peter to the circumcision. (What a harmony if all the preaching of the present period were thrown into one general comparison!) And they gave to him the right hand of fellowship, and assigned to him the uncircumcision, or Gentiles, as a field of labor; thus acknowledging him God's chosen and qualified preacher to that field. From all of which we can clearly see that Paul was as competent to the work as the twelve. Having clearly seen that all the apostles were well qualified for their arduous task of preaching Christ, we are now prepared for the fourth and next division of our subject.

      Were they authorized? This fact is clearly shown by the following Scriptures: First--Mat. x: 1-15; Mark iii: 14-19; Luke vi: 13-16; and John xv: 16. All concur in showing that the Lord chose twelve from among his disciples, whom he ordained to the ministry of the Word, and sent them immediately into the work, under his own personal instruction. It is true, however, that he restricted their ministerial labors to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and thus they continued to labor under his instruction and at his command, until he had finished the work which the Father had given him to do on earth. At which time he suffered upon the cross a sacrificial offering for sin, triumphed over the ceremonial and carnal [378] ordinances of the law, broke down the middle wall of partition between the Jews and Gentiles, entered the domicile of death, grappled with the monster in his own dominions, wrested the keys of death and hell; and having spoiled him that had the power of death, that is the devil, he arose upon immortality's side of the grave, and appeared to his disciples, especially his apostles, and after lecturing them forty days upon the things that pertained to his kingdom, by consulting Mat. xxviii: 18-20; Mark xvi: 14-16; Luke xxiv: 36-51, we may clearly see that by the power or authority he had obtained in heaven, and on earth, in dying and rising again from the dead, just on the eve of his departure, in his valedictory address he enlarged their commission in two respects.--1st, In reference to their field of labor; and 2nd, In reference to the extent and character of their preaching. 1. Hitherto they had been confined to the cities of Israel, but now they are commanded to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature--teach all nations. 2. Hitherto they had been compelled to preach the kingdom of Christ, with all its privileges, prospectively; but now they are authorized to publish that he as king is crowned, and they, his prime ministers, are now empowered to act in his name--to assert the establishment of his kingdom, founded upon his Divinity; and throw open wide its doors for the reception of subjects from all the alien hosts on earth, who would from the heart acknowledge his Divinity, and upon their reception, to enjoy remission of sin, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. But they were not to commence for a few days; perhaps they had been silent from the death of Christ till that day, and they were to remain silent until Jesus sent the promise of his Father upon them, [379] which was the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In obedience to the command of their Lord and Master, they went into Jerusalem, and continued in prayer and supplication until the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came on them, and prepared them (though Galileans) to speak in all the various languages then present; and thus the Lord acknowledged them his authorized preachers. And if the Lord has testified to their authority, surely we ought to receive his testimony.

      But again. It may be said that all this does not prove the authority of the Apostle Paul. Well, very true; but the following Scripture will. And 1st, Acts ix: 15, the Lord said to Ananias, he (Saul) is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name to the Gentiles. Again: Acts xxii: 14, 15, Ananias coming to Saul addressed him thus: The God of our fathers hath chosen thee that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just one, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth, for thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. Again: Acts xxvi: 16, 17. We here learn that the Lord appeared to Saul for the purpose of making a minister and a witness out of him, and said to him, I now send you to the Gentiles; and Paul claims before King Agrippa that he was not disobedient to the heavenly message.--From all of which it seems that Paul's authority for preaching Christ is as clearly presented, and as forcibly demonstrated, as the authority of the twelve.

      Having clearly shown, as we conceive, that in the text Christ was the subject of preaching, that the apostles were the preachers, that they were amply qualified for and authorized to the work; we are now prepared for an examination of the 5th and next point [380] to be considered, according to the division of our subject.

      5. What were the character and style of their preaching? And 1st. The did not preach themselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and themselves servants of the Church for Christ's sake. And 2nd. It is manifest from the language of the text, that they preached Christ in a two-fold sense; that is, they preached Christ, 1, warning every man; and 2, teaching every man. And as the apostle has divided their preaching into two heads, 1, warning; and 2, teaching; we shall not interfere with his arrangement, but will endeavor to examine the appropriate bearing of each of these divisions. And in the examination of the first, how different the course pursued by the apostles to that pursued by many preachers in the present day! They did not attempt to warn men by simply alarming their fears, without informing their minds, or preaching the Devil, hell, and damnation. All these they might have done, and not have warned them much either, in the true spirit of the language of the text. We presume the apostles impressed upon their hearers the knowledge of their guilty and ruined condition, and then pointed them to Christ (the anointed), in all his official character, in whom alone they could find redemption from all their guilt. This order of their preaching appears manifest; first, from the meaning of the term employed in the text. Second, from practical illustrations given in their preaching.

      1. Then we notice the meaning of the word employed. We have the word warn from the Greek participle nouthetountes, from the verb noutheteo, and according to Greenfield it means literally, 1, To place upon the mind; 2, To instruct; 3, To admonish; [381] 4, To exhort; 5, To warn; 6, To reprove; 7, To incite by admonition and counsel.

      What a beautiful illustration of the meaning of the above term is given in the Apostle Peter's discourse on the day of Pentecost--a discourse that ought to be read, studied, understood, and thankfully received by every honest inquirer after truth, for two reasons--1, on account of the official character of the speaker; 2, on account of the combination of circumstances surrounding the delivery of the discourse. And 1. The speaker was an apostle, a prime minister of Jesus Christ, and one to whom he had committed the keys of his kingdom. Would we not listen with great interest, and place implicit confidence in any speaker holding such a high and responsible station under any monarch upon earth? How much rather then implicitly confide in the information imparted by one of the prime ministers of Jesus Christ, on the affairs of his kingdom. 2. There never was I such a combination of important circumstances surrounding and giving character to any discourse ever delivered, either before or since. It was the first discourse delivered by the apostle after the reception of their new and enlarged commission--the first discourse delivered after the death of Christ--the first delivered after his resurrection--the first delivered after his ascension to heaven--the first delivered after Jesus was crowned King; and the first delivered after the descent of the Holy Spirit; delivered too under the guidance of the Holy Spirit--delivered in the presence of thousands of Jews that were in attendance, celebrating the feast of Pentecost--delivered in the presence of that large audience, in some sixteen or seventeen different languages--delivered on the anniversary of the giving of the law-- [382] delivered in the presence of all the apostles--delivered on the most sublime and exalted subjects that ever engaged the human intellect.

      And in the introductory part of this ever memorable sermon, we have a most vivid explanation of the term warn. In this discourse we not only have an illustration of the first meaning of the word, as given by Greenfield; but, singular as it may appear, it seems that in this one discourse we have an illustration of almost every meaning given to the word. It seems that the very first effort of the apostle, after gaining their attention, was with his spiritually-guided tongue, as a pen, to write in indelible characters upon the tablet of their hearts, the Lord Jesus Christ, in all his glorious and official character, as King, Priest, and Prophet. As King, to rule; as Priest, to atone for sin; and as Prophet, to teach them. And in this discourse of Peter we may see a fulfillment of the prophesy of Jeremiah, 31st chap., 22d v.: "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts." The apostle charged them with taking the Saviour by wicked hands, crucifying and slaying the Lord of life; he admonished them for their wickedness, warned them of their danger. His appeals were strong, his reproof severe, and his preaching was effectual to the awakening, and extorting the cry from his auditory, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" giving conclusive evidence that their minds were illuminated through the preaching of the apostle, sufficiently to see and fully appreciate their guilt and awful condemnation. In addition to all their previous sins, they had been proven, according to their own law, to be guilty of that unpardonable sin of shedding innocent blood. They also raw in Jesus, in the light of Peter's [383] preaching, the true and long-promised Messiah--that he was exalted at the right hand of the Father to grant repentance and remission of sins.

      But how such rebels as they were, under the unpardonable sentence of their own law, could be brought to enjoy remission in Christ, they did not yet see--they saw no lack on the part of Heaven--consequently they did not ask, what will God the Father do? or, what shall the exalted Saviour do? But the question was, What shall WE do? Therefore, when any one comes in this day, like these persons, to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with all their heart, and like the Pentecostians, their great desire is to know what they ought to do; like them, they are proper subjects of the second branch of this division of our subject--teaching.

      The apostles preached Christ, teaching every man. We have the word teach in the common version from two Greek words, in the commission given by the Saviour, recorded Matt. xxviii: 19, 20. When he commissioned them, to go and teach all nations, he employed the participle mathiteusate, from the verb mathiteuo, which means, according to Greenfield, 1, To be a disciple of; follow anyone as, a disciple; 2, To make or cause to be a disciple; and in this last sense the Saviour used it, Matt. xxviii: 19; but in the 20th verse, where he says, "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you," he used the participle didaskontes, from the verb didasko, which means to teach, instruct, to direct, to appoint. So we can see the propriety of the Saviour's using both these terms in the commission, for he sent his apostles into the world, 1, To make disciples to him; 2, To teach them in all things. And this last word [384] is the same that Paul used in our text, and he uses it in the same sense the Saviour did. The Saviour told them first to make disciples, and then teach. Paul says they first warned, and then taught.

      Now with this definition before our minds, let us turn back and see how the Apostle Peter taught those whom he had warned on the day of Pentecost; but inasmuch as all persons, now placed under precisely similar circumstances, ought to have precisely the same instruction, we will imagine some of our modern preachers taking part with the apostle in answering the Pentecostian's inquiry, and see how they will all agree. Well, when we imagine them in all the bitter anguish of their hearts, crying out and saying, Men and brethren, WHAT SHALL WE DO? one of our modern preachers responds, Why, gentlemen, do! do nothing at all; you can do nothing in this matter of salvation; you might as well think of trying to make a world, as to think of doing any thing in this great matter of your salvation. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure--just be quiet, he will perform the good work in his own good time, and in his own way. Therefore, stand still, and see the salvation of God.

      But the Apostle Peter, with all the information he had received personally from the Saviour, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, with all the responsibility of his office resting upon him, answers these inquiries in direct contradiction to this modern preacher. Says he, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And besides his capability and responsibility, every word of [385] this answer is directly drawn from the great commission he had received from his Lord.

      But another one of our modern preachers comes forward, and says to these honest inquirers, Gentlemen, do not be deceived by this last speaker; he is all wrong--indeed he (the apostle) is a Campbellite, and the doctrine he teaches is insufficient to save the soul. Therefore, do not be led astray by him.

      May we not, with propriety, suppose that these Pentecostian inquirers, filled with an anxious desire to know their duty, would ask this last modern preacher a few questions like the following: Well, sir, if this speaker is a Campbellite, and is wrong in his instruction to us relative to our duty, is the first one right in his instruction? No, gentlemen; he is wrong too; they are both wrong; for while the latter tells you to do some things that are entirely unessential to be done, the former tells you to do nothing at all. Now this is decidedly wrong; for while the latter tells you to do something that is unnecessary, you should not take the instruction of the former, and do nothing; for you ought to be up and doing while it is called to-day. Under such circumstances, we might expect those heart-smitten inquirers to push their inquiries a little further, and say, Well, pray, sir, if these teachers are both wrong, and you are sure of that, will you be so kind as to tell us what we must do? To which the preacher responds, You must give yourselves up to God. The inquirers say, We have already learned that; but the how we are to give ourselves up is the question. The preacher.--You must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with all your hearts, and Jesus has said, he that believeth shall be saved. The inquirers.-- [385] Well, if we do not believe now, how can we believe? The preacher.--Well, come forward in the presence of this congregation; show to the world that you are not ashamed, by coming to this mourner's bench, or anxious-seat, and bowing around the altar of prayer, and we will engage in prayer with and for you. The inquirers.--Engage in prayer! what for? Why that God may give you faith. (A singular idea, that men would come and give evidence that they desired salvation, and at the same time destitute of faith. That is to say, that men may be brought to desire salvation while in a state of infidelity.)

      Thus, gentle reader, you can at your leisure, with the Word of God, in your hand, especially the New Testament, sit down and compare all the preaching of the present age, and compare it all with those inspired preachers of the New Testament. And be assured that the latter are always right.

      Now in the case above referred to, if the question were asked, Which of the three preachers above referred to was right? perhaps the answer would be almost unanimous that Peter was right. And yet strange to tell, that man who will make his stand at this point, and make the language of the Holy Spirit as given by prophets and apostles his guide, both in warning and teaching, will be regarded heretical by many pious persons. And right here is the main ground of difference between us and those who oppose us. Having taken the Bible alone for the platform of our union, we feel under obligations to contend earnestly for every thing we honestly believe it to teach, and honestly reject every thing that we can not find taught therein. Hence we would be compelled to take sides (if you would call it taking sides) with the Apostle Peter, in [387] opposition to both the above modern clergymen. In the first case, the man who says Do nothing at all, is wrong; 1, Because such instruction is deleterious to the best interests of our race. 2. It, is contrary to the teaching of Christ and all the apostles, for we think there is not an instance on record, in the New Testament, where an individual ever honestly inquired either of Christ or his apostles to know what he ought to do, that did not receive from them an answer. In John vi: 27, Jesus tells certain characters to labor not for the meat that perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life. In the 28th verse they said unto him, What shall we do? In 29th, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he has sent.

      In the case above referred to, Acts ii: 38, Peter told the inquirers what to do. And Acts ix: 6, when the Lord appeared to Saul, Saul said, Lord, what will you have me to do? The Lord said, Go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee what thou must do. Again, Acts xvi: 30, the jailor said, Sirs, what must I do? They said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

      We have only given these specimens to show that the New Testament abounds with answers to inquirers, and they are always told something to do. Therefore, with the Word of God in our hands, we are constrained to believe the man in error that says we are to do nothing. Therefore we regard our first preacher wrong. Well, we strongly object to the instruction or teaching, of the last, in calling sinners up to a mourner's bench, or anxious-seat to be prayed for. But why do we object? Because we think it wrong for sinners to be penitent? No. Because we think it wrong for a penitent sinner to pray in the act of coming to [388] Christ? No. Because we think the advocates of this mourning-bench machinery, make too much of it? No. Because we understand them to teach that remission is in the bench; that the mourner's bench is with them the great sine qua non, and the only thing necessary to prepare them for heaven? Now were we to reason in this way, we should slander them, just about as badly as some of them slander us when they say we look into water for remission, and say that we teach that baptism does all that is necessary to prepare us for heaven. Therefore we file no such objections as these; but we do object because we think it has been pretty clearly set forth in the preceding part of this discourse, that the apostles were authorized, competent, and accredited preachers of Christ; and Paul affirms in the language of our text, that they preached Christ, warning every man, and teaching every man, IN ALL WISDOM,--Inasmuch, therefore, as we have never been able to find the introduction of a mourner's bench either in the teaching or practice of the apostles, we are forced to the conclusion that it is a tradition of men, and the offspring not of wisdom, but of ignorance and error. Therefore, we are constrained to reject every thing as a condition, or means of salvation, that may not be found in the apostles' teaching; and rely wholly on the agency of the Holy Spirit, through the means of its own instruction, for salvation.

      After the apostles had preached to sinners, warned them of their danger, instructed them into Christ, they taught them the all things--taught them to continue faithful in well doing, seeking for glory, honor, and immortality, and they should obtain eternal life. Peter taught them to add to their faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly [389] kindness and charity. And again, that the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. Thus we are prepared for the sixth and last division of our subject.

      6. What was the object of their preaching? The object of their preaching is expressed by the apostle in the language of our text--that we may present every man PERFECT in Christ Jesus. What a thought! to present every man perfect! Now on reflection there are two things apparent. First: that in order to accomplish this great object, their preaching of Christ in each division of our subject, both warning and teaching, was perfect, or no one could be made perfect by it. Second: that the preaching must be received into a good and honest heart, that it might exert its Divine influence in perfecting the life. In regard to the perfection of the apostles' preaching, perhaps all are agreed that their preaching was perfect. But are you, reader, aware of the attitude in which we are placed by this concession; for if it be true that their preaching is perfect, it makes their preaching just right. If we add any thing, to it, it will not be perfect. If we take any thing from it, it will not be perfect. They have said just enough and nothing over. Therefore we should reject all human traditions as being imperfect. But, second, in order that we may be perfected by this perfect preaching, it must be received into honest hearts, and when received by faith in its true character, it will perfect the mind, because through it the Holy Spirit writes the law of God upon the heart; and this law, full of the Divine manifestation of God's love, destroys the rebellion of the heart, and the law of God takes possession of it; and thus [390] we see the mind and heart perfected through their preaching. Again; we see the life or practice in life changed, or perfected by the repentance of their preaching. Again; our state or relationship is changed, and we are delivered from the power of darkness, brought into covenant relation with God, and thus our state is perfected, by attending to the requirements in their preaching. And by attending to the all things they have taught the disciples, in adding the necessary graces, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity, we are made complete or perfect in Christ. And if we from the heart continue faithful in all the apostolic instruction till death, we will be found perfect in Christ when he comes to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, and the great end or object of their preaching will have been realized by us, and we will be prepared for the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ to change these vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body, and then we shall be free indeed, or completely perfect in Christ. That this may be the happy lot of all the lovers of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the prayer of your humble servant.

MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS AND FELLOW-CITIZENS:

      I count myself peculiarly happy to-day, in having the privilege of addressing so many of you as I see before me. The subject which I have chosen as the theme of the present discourse is one of much importance, according to the acknowledgment of all. It is the great subject of CONVERSION.

      There is not I believe, a sect in, Christendom which [391] does not teach that sinners must be converted. We may differ widely about what it is, and how it is effected, and when and where it takes place; but as to the necessity of it, there is no debate. The Calvinist preaches that sinners must be converted; but he tells us that it is a miraculous work, wrought on the elect only, by sovereign grace, and this God will perform in his own good time; while the non-elect are passed by, and no provision made for them in the covenant of grace; and they, of course, can not be converted. Universalists admit that men must be converted, but some of them think it will take place in the resurrection of the dead, and that all men, without distinction of person or character, shall enjoy this conversion.

      And I would further remark, that from a pretty extensive acquaintance with the religious world, I am satisfied that this subject is not as well understood as it ought to be. We therefore propose to discuss it in a plain and familiar manner, so that every one may not only know what we mean by it, but understand the great doctrine of conversion, as taught in the New Testament. I intend to make it so plain that the little boys and girls in the congregation can understand it. They will of course give me their attention. As a foundation for what we shall say upon this subject to-day, we will read the following texts of Scripture:

      "For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."--Matt. xiii: 15.

      "And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily, I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little [392] children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."--Matt. xviii: 3.

      "Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."--Acts iii: 19.

      In the discussion of this subject, I shall observe the following order:

        I. We shall inquire, What is conversion?

       II. We shall inquire, How is it effected?

      III. Speak of the glorious privileges and blessings of those who are Scripturally converted to God; and the awful consequences resulting from a want of conversion, and a life of sin and rebellion against God.

      According to the order proposed, we are to inquire--

      I. What is CONVERSION?

      Now I suppose, if I were to ask every member of my auditory the question, What is conversion? I should receive diverse and contradictory answers. A large proportion of our co-religionists use the term as synonymous with pardon. How common to hear expressions like this, from a certain class of professors of religion: "Twenty persons were converted at the camp-meeting this week." By which they simply mean that twenty persons were pardoned; or got religion, to use a more common phrase. Now we expect to prove conclusively in a few minutes, that such a form of expression does not convey a Scriptural idea of conversion. Indeed, conversion is one thing, in which the sinner is active, and pardon is another and different thing, in which he is passive.

      To prove this, it is only necessary to notice the form of expression in the text. "Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." [393]

      Now you will observe that the conversion takes place first, and the healing follows after. But what is the healing spoken of in the text? By reference to the parallel passage in Mark iv: 12, the matter is plain. Here it reads: "That seeing, they may not perceive; and hearing, they may hear and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them." The healing, then means forgiveness of sins. According to the teaching of the Saviour, then, men have to be converted in order that their sins may be forgiven them. But take another example. Peter says, "Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." The blotting out of sins is pardon or forgiveness of sins, as all will readily admit. It follows, then, with the clearness of demonstration, that conversion is a different thing from pardon. Men have to be converted in order that their sins may be pardoned. That the sinner is active in conversion is clear from the form of the command, "Repent and be converted;" literally, "repent and convert." That they are passive in receiving remission of sins, is clear from hundreds of Scriptures where the matter is spoken of. "And I should heal them," "that your sins may be blotted out," "It is God that justifies," "have received redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins."

      Well, if conversion is not remission of sins, what then is it?

      1. The Greek word Epistrepho, in some of its forms, occurs some thirty-nine times in the New Testament. And it is rendered conversion 1 time, converteth 1, be converted 6, again 3, turning 2, turn 10, returned 2, turned 10.

      Now, from these renderings it is evident that the word means simply to change, to turn. We use it in [394] this sense everyday. When we say that A has converted his farm into money, we simply mean that he has changed, his farm for its value in cash. The materials of which this book is composed have been converted. The paper was made of rags, and the process of manufacturing it was a conversion. The binding was once sheep skin; it was converted to leather, and then to a book cover.

      But the conversion of the sinner is a great moral change, by which he is translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son. In order to understand the nature of this great change called conversion, we will look for a moment at the moral condition of all unconverted men. They are represented in the Scriptures as rebels against God, and enemies to his moral government. At an early period in the history of our race, man rebelled against his God, and became a sinner. His sins separated between him and his kind Heavenly Father, and as a dark cloud shut out the light of his countenance from him. Doomed to death, and condemned to toil in the sun, a slave to his appetites and passions, without the ability to redeem himself from the dominion of sin, and the sentence of death.

      At the fall of man, Satan erected his empire on earth, and man became his subject, and was led away captive by the devil at his will. Satan, himself a fallen spirit, rejoiced in the degradation and misery of man, and bound him fast in the slavery of sin. Man thus degraded and depraved, could not look up to God and claim his Divine protection and love; all this he had forfeited by his voluntary act of rebellion.

      How fearful is that abyss of misery and woe, into which man was plunged by sin? God looked down from heaven and saw that there was none that did [395] good--no, not one! They had all gone astray. And Paul describes the condition of the sinner before his conversion, thus:

      "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world"--Eph. ii: 12.

      This sad state of things lasted some four thousand years, till the time of reformation. But deep as was man's helpless misery, he was not left without a promise of future good. The declaration of God, made to the serpent at the time of the transgression, that the seed of the woman should bruise his head, is generally understood to have reference to the great Messiah, and his triumph over the great enemy of God and man. And to Abraham he made a direct promise of Christ, which the Apostle Paul calls "the Gospel preached before to Abraham, saying, in thy seed shall the families of the earth be blessed."

      With the love of sin in his heart, and practicing it in his life, and without strength to save himself, the sinner must be regarded as ruined and undone. In this condition he must be lost forever. But God has provided means for his recovery. He must be converted, or he can not enter into the kingdom of God. This brings us to consider--

      II. How is the sinner converted to God, and by what means is it effected?

      In considering the subject of conversion under this head, I shall speak of conversion in reference to the heart, the life and state of the individual in this life, and his final deliverance from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

      1. The conversion of the heart. The heart being [396] the center of all our desires and labors, must first of all be converted. "The heart is desperately wicked, and deceitful above all things; who can know it?" And the Psalmist says, "The wicked work wickedness in their heart"--Ps. lviii. The heart may be regarded as the great laboratory or workshop of the mind. In the heart thoughts are matured, and plans and purposes of future action are conceived and arranged. In the heart sin reigns as a tyrant, bringing the whole man in subjection to his unholy rule. On this subject the Apostle Paul remarks:

      "I speak after the manner of men, because of the infirmity of your flesh; for as you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity, unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness, unto holiness"--Rom. vi: 19.

      Before any one can become a Christian, then, the tyrant sin must be dethroned in the heart--his reigning power must be destroyed. How is this to be done? We answer, the heart must be converted--that is, it must be changed from the love of sin to the love of righteousness. How is this conversion of heart effected? To this question several diverse answers are given. The Predestinarian says, that God, having foreordained whatever comes to pass, has fixed the time irrevocably, at which each one of the elect shall be converted, and that when the time comes, he will convert them by his Almighty power, without any condition being performed on the part of the creature.

      To this theory of conversion we have several objections. 1. It makes salvation unconditional, while the Scriptures every where represent the whole matter as conditional. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be [397] damned." "Men and brethren, what shall we do? Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." "Sirs, what must I do? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house."

      2. It destroys man's moral agency. For if God has foreordained whatever comes to pass, it extends to all the actions of men, and if no man can act differently from what he does, he acts not from choice, but from necessity--he has no choice in the matter! But the Bible every where teaches us that men are moral agents, and act freely under the influence of their own choice, in receiving or rejecting the mercy of God. "Come to me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Again: "Ye will not come to me that ye might have life." "Look unto me all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved." "Whoever will be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me."

      3. But worse than all, it makes God the AUTHOR OF SIN! For if God has foreordained whatever comes to pass, the wicked acts of man are as much the subject of his predestination as any thing else. For if man is not a moral agent, but acts under the law of necessity, he is not to be blamed for any wicked act, since he could not in the nature of things avoid it. And we ask, why are not all men converted? The answer is, God withholds the Divine power necessary to the conversion of the elect, and they can do nothing to superinduce those Divine operations so necessary to their conversion, and consequently the are living in [398] sin. Now I ask, who is to blame? Not the sinner, for he could not do otherwise than he does; and consequently, if the theory be true, God must be the author of all the sin in the world! How monstrous!

      4. But the predestinarian theory also destroys the doctrine of forgiveness altogether! Pardon always looks to the act of the creature, and recognizes man's moral agency. But if the doctrine be true, man has no moral agency--performs no voluntary actions, and of course is just as incapable of sinning as a horse or an ox; and therefore he can commit no sin to be forgiven! But the Bible teaches us that God pardons the believing penitent, obedient sinner. Indeed the text affirms this. But I need not elaborate this point, as we suppose but few, if any, of our hearers are troubled with this doctrine.

      But Arminians generally give a very different answer to the question. They tell us that Christ died for all men, and thus opened the way for the salvation of all; but no man can be converted, or changed in heart, without the direct personal agency of the Holy Spirit.

      Now this is but little less objectionable than the former. If we ask, why are not all men converted? the answer is, according to this hypothesis, sinners can not convert themselves, and God has not afforded to them the immediate gracious influences of his Holy Spirit; and therefore they remain in their sins. And suppose God should never send to them these direct influences, and they should die in their sins and appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, might they not excuse themselves thus: "Lord, I am here in my sins; but I have done what I could to avoid it. I was willing to be converted, but had no power to effect it. I have waited all my life for the direct agency of the [399] Holy Spirit to change my heart; but it came not." Now it seems to me that such an excuse, if it can be fairly made out, would be taken at the judgment of the great day. But the Scriptures abundantly teach that man has something to do in his conversion, and that he must be active in coming to Christ.

      But I shall now undertake to show briefly, but clearly, how the heart is converted. According to the text it is effected by seeing with the eyes, hearing with the ears, and understanding with the heart. God has given us our eyes to see, our ears to hear, and our hearts to understand, and our judgments to decide, and our reason and conscience enlightened, to guide us in obedience to the law of the Lord. The heart is affected by what we see and hear, and understand; this no one will deny. God has therefore given us his Word; and the effect, which it produces upon our heart is the same, whether we see it or hear it. It is like this: Suppose at this moment a well-known friend from the city of Indianapolis should step into this house, and announce to me the death of my wife, since I left home; if I believed the report, it would immediately affect my heart, and sorrow would be depicted in my countenance. Or if I should receive a letter from the city in the well-known handwriting of my son, giving me the same sad intelligence, it would have the same effect upon my heart; of course, in either case, I must understand the communication, and believe it too.

      Now God has addressed to us, through our eyes and ears, the sublime and wonderful truths and facts of the Gospel, designed to affect our hearts, and work in us a great moral change. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes." Again: "It [400] pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe." And as the conversion of the heart is the very first step in our salvation, it follows that the heart is changed, or converted, by the Gospel preached in its simplicity.

      In the Gospel we learn that we are undone and helpless sinners; but that "God so loved the world that he sent his Son into the world, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Brought to see ourselves sinners, we look into the Gospel, and there we contemplate with astonishment the philanthropy of the heavenly Father, in the rich provisions made for our salvation in the Gospel. We approach the cross of Christ, and behold a demonstration of the love of God to man. And while we contemplate the wonders of the cross,

      The enmity of the heart is slain, and with John we can say, "We love him because be first loved us." The love of sin in our hearts is destroyed, and in heart we are turned from the love of sin, to the love of holiness.

      To prove that I am correct in this, let me bring forward an example or two. Go to the day of Pentecost. Peter stood up with the eleven, and preached the Gospel to the astonished crowd. He told them of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and of his exaltation to the right hand of God. "And when they heard this, they were pierced in their heart." What was it that affected their hearts? Why what they heard. When Christ was transfigured upon the Holy Mountain, the voice which came from the excellent glory said, "This is my beloved Son, HEAR ye him." [401]

      But perhaps some one is ready to object, and say, that this view of the subject gives the sinner too much to do in his own conversion, and certainly the Saviour says, "No man can come to me, except the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day." Yes, and so say we; but how does the Father draw men to Christ? Jesus tells us in the succeeding verse (John vi: 44-65), "As it is written, and they shall be TAUGHT of God; every man, therefore, who hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." So then, men are drawn to Christ, by being taught of God--by hearing and learning of the Father. God teaches men by his Word, and thus prepares them to come, and draws them to his Son.

      But, says another objector, the Holy Spirit certainly has something to do in the conversion of a sinner to God; for Jesus promised his disciples that "When he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he shall convince the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment."

      Very well; and so he did, and so he does now; upon this point there is no debate. The question is, how does the Holy Spirit do the work? We answer, when he came on the day of Pentecost, he was in the apostles, and gave them utterance, and the words which they spake were the words of the Holy Spirit; and what they preached on that occasion was the Gospel. Then, the matter may be stated thus:

      The Holy Spirit is the AGENT, and the Word of God, or Gospel, the instrumentality employed for convincing the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and hence it is that Jesus commanded that the Gospel should be preached to every creature; and hence it is, also, that no man was ever convinced of sin and converted to God, without hearing the Gospel in some way. [402]

      Thus it will be seen, that our faith in the crucified Redeemer destroys the love of sin in our hearts, and prepares us for the obedience of faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please God," but with faith, which is a firm belief of the truth with all the heart, we may please God by obeying him as our heavenly Father.

      I am aware that most of our religious friends and orthodox neighbors would consider a man thus changed in heart, as a converted and pardoned man. So you see that we contend for all that the sects do, and more too.

      2. A man thus converted in heart, before he can be pardoned Scripturally, must be converted in life. For this purpose, "God has commanded all men every where to repent." This Gospel repentance which changes or converts the life, may be considered in reference to two or three particulars. 1. Repentance signifies a change of purpose. In this sense it frequently occurs in the Old Testament. It is sometimes said that God repented. "If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will REPENT of the evil that I thought to do unto them." "If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will REPENT of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them"--Jer. xviii: 8-10.

      Now we can not suppose that God repents in the sense of sorrow; but in the sense of changing his purpose, it is easily understood. In this sense too it occurs in Paul's letter to the Hebrews. He says, "For you know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of REPENTANCE, though he sought it carefully with tears." Heb. xii: 17. That is, Esau was not able to effect a change in the purpose of his father [403] Isaac, concerning the blessing of Jacob, though he carefully sought to do so with tears. (See Gen. xxvi: 31-38.)

      But repentance also signifies reformation, or amendment of life; and this reformation grows out of a change of purpose, and sorrow for the past wrongs of our lives. It occurs in all these senses in the following passage: "But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first and said, Son, go work to-day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not; but afterward he repented and went." Matt. xxi: 28, 29. Here you see, this son purposed in his heart not to obey his father, but afterward, upon reflection, he became sorry for his wickedness, in saying, "I will not," and he changed his purpose; and as a result of this, and as evidence that he was sincere, he reformed--that is, "he went." So it is with the sinner. God has been saying to him, "Go into my vineyard and work." But the sinner has said no, "I will not go." But upon reflection, he sees the evil of his way--is sorry for his past sins; and this leads him to amendment, or reformation of life, and his change of purpose is proven by his going forward in obedience to the commands of God. In the sense of amendment of life, it often occurs in the Christian Scriptures. Take one example: On the day of Pentecost, the three thousand were pierced in their hearts, and cried out and said, "Men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, REPENT," etc. Now these persons were evidently penitent--sorry for their past sins, which led them, to inquire what they must do. Peter's command to them to repent, was therefore equivalent to "Reform--amend your lives every one of you."

      But there is still another view of the doctrine of [404] repentance that we consider quite important. It is the idea of restitution. We have no confidence in any man's repentance who does not, as far as maybe in his power, make restitution for any injuries he may have inflicted upon any one. Suppose a man has defrauded his neighbor to the amount of fifty dollars, or any other amount, and afterward he repents; he will surely make restitution to his neighbor. And this doctrine is recognized by the Lord himself. Take an example:

      "And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him four-fold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham." Luke xix: 8, 9.

      Now every one can see that a sinner that truly repents is converted in life. That is, his life and character are so completely changed that. he no longer purposes to do evil, and therefore he does not practice it; but he now purposes to do right, and therefore he breaks off his sins by righteousness, and his iniquities by turning to the Lord. The things which he once loved he now hates, and loves the things which he once hated. He is no longer willing to continue in the state of sin, and he inquires, How shall I escape from the state of sin?

      3. A man thus converted in heart and life, is prepared for a conversion of state. That is, he must be "translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Gad's dear Son." How is this effected? I answer, by Christian immersion. Now the audience will not mistake me; I do not say that Christian immersion will change the heart or life; far from it; indeed, unless a sinner's heart and life are changed or [405] converted, he is not a Scriptural subject for baptism. But what we affirm is this: The sinner who has believed the Gospel with all his heart, repented of his sins, and confessed the Saviour before men, is changed, or converted in heart and life, and is a fit subject for baptism, in which ordinance he puts on Christ. As evidence of this, Paul says:

      "Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death"--Rom. vi: 3. And in the same connection, alluding to this baptism, as the "form of doctrine," he says to the Roman brethren, "But God be thanked, that though you were the servants of sin, yet you 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." It follows, then, with the clearness of demonstration, that every penitent believer, who obeys from the heart the form of doctrine here referred to, namely, Christian immersion, puts on Christ, and enters into a new relation with God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says of every such person, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus," etc.--Rom. viii: 1. And this change of relation we call a conversion of state. And every person who comes into this new relation has the promise of REMISSION OF SINS." Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." The phrase "be converted," comprehends all that we have said of the change of heart, life and state; and every such individual is prepared to enjoy the remission of sins. To prove this, we may only quote a text or two.

      "Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he can not see the kingdom of God." "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according, [406] to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit." "That he might sanctify and cleanse it [the Church] with the washing of water by the Word." "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." "And why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." "And Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." The application of these Scriptures is easy, and I need not further elaborate this point now.

      One objection we must consider before we leave this part of the subject. Some persons who do not understand the Gospel, think that we undervalue the blood of Christ, and place too much reliance on water. Now it is only necessary that I should say, it is the blood of Christ that gives efficacy and virtue to faith, repentance and baptism. Without the blood, neither would secure for us the pardon of sins. "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanses us from all sin." Those whom John saw standing before the throne, who had come up through great tribulation, had "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

      III. Every such converted person, being wholly dedicated to the service of God, and sanctified in soul, body and spirit, enters upon the enjoyment of new privileges and blessings. They now have the privilege of crying "Abba, Father!" in a sense in which they dared not approach him before. And what a glorious [407] privilege is this; to call God our Father. When way-worn and sad, persecuted and despised, to be permitted to come to the mercy-seat in the name of our great High Priest, and there present our petitions, with the Divine assurance that we shall be heard. "Ask, and you shall receive; seek, and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you."

      We have the glorious privilege, also, of being associated with the family of God in heaven and on earth. All Christians are our brethren and sisters. Angels are our ministering spirits, and Jesus Christ is our elder brother. What a noble companionship! How honorable the station! All children of a King, and belong to the royal family! But it is also our privilege to come to the Lord's Table, and openly publish our faith in his death and coming. But we have not time to speak of all the blessings and privileges of the children of God. They are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, and can rejoice with joy which is unspeakable and full of glory. They know that they have passed from death unto life because they love the brethren. Paul speaks of the valuable inheritance of the Christian thus: "All are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's"--I. Cor. iii: 22. Again, he declares that we are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. Indeed, all the substantial pleasures, blessings and enjoyments of this life belong to the Christian, and he has the promise of a "crown of life" beyond the grave. In a word, "he is rich in faith, and an heir of the kingdom." [408]

[WEBWS 351-408]