give countenance to the sprinkling of babies as Christian baptism, the whole tendency of the foregoing argument is to show that they are guilty of religious foolishness, of a type so palpable and self-evident, as to require no formal refutation; and their case must be dismissed with the remark that the doctrine of infant baptismal regeneration, like all the other absurdities of the apostacy, is indebted for its existence and support, to the one great central delusion which is the very life of orthodoxy-the doctrine of the immortality of the soul.

To sum up the whole matter, a person instructed in "the word of the kingdom," enquiring what must he do to be saved, has only one scriptural answer to receive:

Repent and be baptised into the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins" (Acts ii. 38). When he has yielded this "obedience of faith," he is "born of water" through the inceptive influence of the truth; and having entered "The Name,' his sins are "covered;" his transgressions "hid ;" his whole past life is cancelled, and he has commenced a term of probation in which he is a lawful candidate for that "birth of the spirit" from the grave, which will finally constitute him a God, being of the children of the resurrection" (Luke xx. 36), "waiting for the ADOPTION, to wit, the redemption of the body" (Rom. viii. 23).

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son of

But his ultimate acceptance will depend upon the character he develops in this new relation. If he bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, viz., moral results proceeding from the spirit-words (John vi. 63), which have obtained a lodgment in his mind, as the motive power, he will be approved by the Lord when he returns "to take account of his servants," as of those who "bring forth fruit, some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundredfold." But if he continue to perform works of the flesh," or actions, whether "" respectable" or otherwise, which are dictated by the

"the

mere fleshly instincts, apart from the enlightenment of the Word, of which his mind has been the subject -he will be adjudged of those "who, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection." "HE THAT SOWETH TO HIS FLESH, shall of the flesh reap corruption,

BUT HE THAT SOWETH TO THE SPIRIT,

shall of the spirit reap life everlasting" (Gal. vi. 8). The two classes are differently dealt with by the Father. "Every branch IN ME," says Jesus, "that beareth not fruit, He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.' The names of the former are "blotted out of the Lamb's book of life" (Rev. iii. 5), in which they had been inscribed at their immersion; while the other become the special objects of divine training, by means of the circumstances around them, providentially arranged-"all things working together for good, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. viii. 28).

"

"

"Teach them to observe all things WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED (Matt. xxviii. 20). This was Christ's parting instruction to his apostles. On another occasion he said "Ye are my friends, if ye do WHATSOEVER I command you (John xv. 14). Now there is a certain ordinance of which he has said "THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME (Luke xxii. 19); and this being one of "all things whatsoever he has commanded," it is demanded as a sign of our friendship, that we attend to it. The reference is to the "breaking of bread," or "the Lord's supper, ," in which we are informed the first Christians "'continued steadfastly" (Acts ii. 42). It was originally instituted when Christ and his disciples were met together for the last time to observe the

Jewish passover. We read that on

the occasion

"He (Jesus) took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them saying,

This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you" (Luke xxii. 19, 20.)

Here is an emblematic breaking of bread instituted by Christ for the observance of his disciples during his absence. It was to be attended to in remembrance of him," till he should return again, as is evident from Paul's remark in 1 Cor. xi. 26, "As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death TILL HE COME." The observance is a very appropriate one. The bread, according to the Master's direction, represents his broken body, and the wine his shed blood; and thus is the scene which human nature is most liable to forget-the exhibition of Christ's personal love and the condemnation of sin in the flesh -memorialised before the disciples in partaking of those symbols. The observance furnishes a common centre, around which the brethren of Christ may rally in that capacity, and be spiritually refreshed by the contemplation of the great sacrifice to which he lovingly submitted on their account, while it affords a tangible mode of expressing their love for him who, though absent, has promised to come again. Though simple in its nature, it is profoundly adapted to their spiritual exigencies, necessitating assembly which might rarely take place, and calling forth exhortation and counsel, which might never be uttered; thus creating circumstances pre-eminently conducive to their building up in the glorious faith and hope which they possess, and counteracting the secularising and spiritually-corrosive effect of the business life which they have to live in the world. Having been commanded, its observance is a binding duty which no really enlightened Christian will underrate in importance, or seek to evade. The Quaker runs to one extreme in the matter, discarding the use of all Christian institutions whatever; and the Roman Catholic runs to the otherexalting them into de facto vehicles

of spiritual virtue. But those who are intelligent in the Word will be preserved from both extremes.

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As to the time at which the ordinance is to be attended to, or the frequency with which it must be waited upon, there is no command; but the practice of the first Christians may be taken as a certain guide, considering that they were under the immediate supervision of the apostles. We read in Acts xx. 7, Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to BREAK BREAD, Paul preached unto them; and again in 1 Cor. xvi. 2, Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him." The first day of the week was the Jewish Monday, and therefore our Sunday. It was the day upon which Christ rose from the dead, and therefore, an appropriate occasion for the celebration of an event of which his resurrection was the glorious consummation.

"

It will be noted that there is no warrant in the facts and testimonies produced on this subject, for the stringent doctrine on the Sabbath as enforced in Christendom of the present day. The Sabbath was a Jewish institution. It was part of the yoke "which,' says Peter, "neither we nor our forefathers were able to bear.' It was no part of the Christian system. It was abolished with "the handwriting of ordinances that was against us ; and the fact of its incorporation with Christianity may be best explained by the fact, that in the days of the apostles, there were some who rose up and said "Ye must be circumcised and But this keep the law of Moses." doctrine was not a true one then, any more than it is now; for at a council of the apostles which was held to consider the matter, the following letter was adopted—

"The apostles, and elders, and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia. Forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with

words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law, TO WHOM WE GAVE NO SUCH COMMANDMENT; it seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you to tell you the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burdens than these necessary things: that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, aud from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well" (Acts xv. 23, 29).

Thus the apostles distinctly prohibited the imposition of any of the Mosaic enactments, except such as they specifically mention, upon the practice of the Christians of the olden times, and, therefore, the Sabbath amongst the rest, for, if it had been an exception, it would have been mentioned among the exceptions. But this authoritative prohibition did not extinguish the Judaising spirit which had crept in. Hence, we find Paul writing in the following strain to the Galatians

"Ye observe DAYS, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain (chap iv. 10, II).

"

Again, "Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath" (Col. i. 16).

His teaching on the subject of the Sabbath is, "One man esteemeth one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Rom. xiv. 5); as much as to say, it is a matter of so little importance, that every one must be regulated by private conviction. Popular views on this subject, then, as illustrated in pulpit inculcation,are obviously mistaken. It is the privilege of Christ's brethren to rest from labour on the first day of the week, and to engage more especially in spiritual meditation than is possible on a week-day, but they are under no bondage. They are free to engage

as expediency may determine, without the risk of infringing any law of God. Whatever is right to be done by him on a week-day, is not wrong to be done on Sunday, although it may not be expedient. He does not advocate the abolition of Sunday as a day of rest from secular labour, and attendance upon religion. He is only too thankful for the opportunity it confers upon him. He only protests against an error which binds a grievous burden on the backs of those who are its subjects, remembering that his Master hath said "It is lawful to do well on the Sabbath day," even if that well doing be the pulling of ears of corn in the field to gratify hunger, or the rescue of an unfortunate sheep which may have fallen into the pit on the Sabbath day.

In conclusion, let a man become acquainted with the truth expressed in the New Testament phrase "the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ;" let him then be baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, the great covering name provided in the Lord Jesus; let him thence-forward wait with those "of like precious faith upon the weekly memorial institution appointed by the absent master; and let him continue in the daily practice of ALL THINGS commanded by Christ, and in the daily cultivation of that exalted character which was exemplified in Christ himself, waiting and anxiously desiring the return of the Lord from heaven. If he put himself into this position, and faithfully occupy it to the end, he will certainly be approved when the Lord comes, and be invited as a "good and faithful servant,' to enter into the refuge provided for the Lord's people against the day of storm, and to inherit his glorious kingdom.

IN

IN the lecture last delivered, mention was made of the necessity disclosed in the Scriptures, of believers continuing in "the daily practice of all things commanded by Christ." Christendom which has gone astray from the doctrines, has also forsaken the commandments of Christ, if ever it made them a rule of life.

It has probably left the commandments as the result of losing the doctrines; for the force ofthe commandments can only be felt by those who recognise that salvation is dependent on their obedience. Popular theology has reduced them to a practical nullity. It has totally obscured the principle of obedience as the basis of our acceptance with God in Christ, by its doctrine of "justification by faith alone."

It is part of the modern restitution of primitive apostolic ways, to recognise distinctly, that while faith turns a sinner into a saint, obedience only will secure a saint's acceptance at the judgment seat of Christ; and that a disobedient saint will be rejected more decisively than even an unjustified sinner.

The rule or standard of obedience is to be found in the commandments of Christ. Christ speaks very plainly on this subject.

"Ye are my friends if ye do whatsover I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants but friends " (Jno xv. 14.)

"Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded" (Matt xxviii. 20).

"If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them" (Jno xiii. 17).

"Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom, but

he that doeth the will of my Father" (Matt. vii. 21).

"Be doers of the Word, not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James i. 22).

"He that saith 'I know him,' and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar " (1 John ii. 4).

These statements are summed up in the saying of Christ, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love" (Jno. xv. 10).

We shall look at these commandments with the result of seeing that they are neutralised by the traditions and practices of so-called Christians of the modern era. But let us first. realise that the commandments of the Apostles are included in the commandments of Christ. It is common to make a distinction. You will hear it said sometimes that while the commandments of Christ are all that is estimable and binding, the commandments of the apostles are marred by the weaknesses of the men who communicated them, and are by no means. to be placed on a level with the precepts of their Master, who was without flaw. This plausible distinction is not founded on truth. The commandments delivered by the apostles were not of their authorship. They were as definitely divine as those that came from the mouth of the Lord. Paul distinctly claims

this

forth to teach his doctrine after he should have departed from the earth, he did not leave them to their own resources as natural men for the execution of the work. He made specific promise of supernatural wisdom and guidance. This promise occurs in various forms, e.g.—

"I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist" (Luke xxi. 15).

"If I depart, I will send the comforter which is THE HOLY SPIRIT whom He shall

the Father will send in my name. teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you" (Jno xvi. 7; xv. 26).

"When they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you

in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you" (Matt. x. 19, 20).

cost.

The promise of Christ that he should send the Spirit to the apostles was fulfilled on the Day of PentiJesus told them not to begin their apostolic labours until the Spirit should come (Luke xxiv. 49; Acts i. 4). They were to 66 tarry at Jerusalem" till the promised "power from on high" came, by which they were enabled to give an effective testimony to the word. They had not long to wait. In ten days, while they were all assembled (the apostles and disciples to the number of 120), the Spirit came with sound of a rushing mighty wind, and filled all the place where they were, crowning each apostle with a visible wreath of flame, and manifesting its intelligent power in imparting to the apostles the power of extemporising the word in all the spoken languages of the day (Acts ii. 1-13). When the commotion caused by this wonderful occurrence had come to a head, Peter explained the nature of it to the bewildered spectators: He reminded the assembled multitude of the recent crucifixion of Jesus, which they were aware of. He then declared his resurrection as a fact within the personal eye-witness of the apostles, and added, "Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the pro

mise of the Holy Spirit, HE HATH SHED FORTH THIS WHICH YE NOW SEE AND HEAR" (Acts ii. 33).

The spirit which was thus bestowed upon them remained with them as a guiding teaching presence to the end. It was this that justified Paul's claim to divine authority for the things he wrote, as above quoted; for although Paul was not among the apostles at that time, he was added to their number shortly afterwards, and in every way supernaturally endowed as the other apostles were. It was this that enabled John the Apostle to take the same strong ground in his first epistle: We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God, heareth not us. HEREBY KNOW WE THE spirit OF TRUTH AND THE SPIRIT OF ERROR" (1 Jno. iv. 6). When John said this he said no more in substance than Jesus said himself concerning John and his fellow apostles: "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you (John xx. 21). "He that heareth you heareth me, and he that despisyou despiseth me" (Luke x. 16). Here is Christ's own authority for placing the word of his apostles on a level with his own. He said concerning his own teaching, "The word which ye hear is not mine but the Father's which sent me" (John xiv. 24). On the same principle, the apostles could say with Paul," The things which we write (and speak) are (not ours but) Christ's who sent us.' The principle is this: the Holy Spirit was upon the Lord from the Father without measure, making him one with the Father, who is the eternal and universal-filling Spirit; through which he was enabled to give commandments that were as truly divine as if proclaimed direct from heaven in the hearing of all the world (Luke iii. 22; John iii. 34; Acts i. 2). So the Holy Spirit was upon the apostles from Christ who is one with the Father, imparting to their words a divine authority equal to that which attached to his own words. Hence, it is a perfectly natural relation of things that Christ exhibits when he