No
relation can be changed by believing,
apart from the acts to which that belief, or faith, induces
us
PROP. VIII.--The gospel has in it a command, and as such must be
obeyed. [165]
And here I need only ask, Who are they who
shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of
the Lord? Paul replies,
'They who know not God, and obey
not the gospel of his Son.'[2 thes 1.8] To 'obey the gospel,' and to
'become obedient to the faith,' were common phrases in the apostolic
discourses and writings.
'By whom we have received apostleship, in order to
the obedience of faith in all nations, on account of his name.'[Rom
1:5]
'By the commandment of the
everlasting God, the gospel is made known to
all nations for the obedience of faith.' [Rom
16:26]
'A great company of the priests became obedient
to the faith' [[Acts 6:7]
'But they have not all obeyed the gospel;' [Rom
10:16] and,
'What shall be the end of them who
obey not the gospel'? [1 Pet 4:17]
From these sayings it is unquestionably plain,
that either the gospel itself, taken as a whole, is a command, or
that in it there is a command
through the obedience of which
salvation is enjoyed.
[166] The obedience of the gospel is called the
obedience of faith compared with the obedience of law. Faith in God's
promise through Jesus Christ being the principle from which obedience
flows.
To present the gospel in the form
of a command is an act of
favor, because it engages the will and
the affections of men, and puts it in their power to have an
assurance of their salvation from which they would be necessarily
excluded if no such act of obedience were enjoyed.
Whatever the act of faith may be, it
necessarily becomes the line of discrimination
between the two states before described. On this side, and on that, mankind
are in quite different states.
On the one side they are pardoned,
justified, sanctified, reconciled, adopted and saved:
on the other, they are in a state of condemnation.
This act is sometimes called
immersion,
regeneration, conversion; and, that this
act may appear obvious to all, we shall be at some pains to confirm
and illustrate it.
That a relation or a state can be changed by an
act, I need scarcely at this time attempt to prove; especially to
those who know that
the act of marriage, of
naturalization, adoption, and their being born,
changes the state of the subject of such acts.
But, rather than attempt to prove that a state
is or may be changed by an act, I should rather ask
if any person has heard, knows, or
can conceive of a state being changed without some act?
This point, being [201] conceded to us by all
the rational, we presume not to prove. But a question may arise
whether faith itself, or an act of obedience to some command or institution,
is that act by which our state is changed.
PROP. IX.--That it is not faith, but an act resulting from
faith, which changes our state, we shall now attempt to prove.
No relation in which we stand to the material
world--no political relation, or relation to society,
can be changed by believing,
apart from the acts to which that belief, or faith, induces
us.
Faith never made an American citizen, though it
may have been the cause of many thousands migrating to this
continent, and ultimately becoming citizens of these United States.
Faith never made a man a husband, a father, a
son, a brother, a master, a servant, though it may have been
essentially necessary to all these relations, as a cause, or
principle preparatory, or tending thereunto.--
Thus, when in scripture men are
said to be justified by
faith, or to receive any blessing
through faith, it is
because faith is the principle of
action, and, as such, the cause of those acts by
which such blessings are enjoyed.
But the principle without those acts is
nothing; and [167] it is only by the acts which it induces to
perform, that it becomes the instrument of any blessings to
man.
Many blessings are metonymically ascribed to faith in the sacred writings.
We are said to be justified,
sanctified, and purified by faith--to walk by faith, and to live by
faith, &c. &c.
But these
sayings, as qualified by the Apostles, mean no more than by believing
the truth of God we have
access into all these blessings.
So that as Paul explains, 'By faith
we have access into the favor in which we stand.'
These words he uses on two occasions, [Rom 5:2; Eph 3:12] when
speaking of the value of this principle, contrasted with the
principle of law; and in his letter to the Hebrews, when he brings up
his cloud of witnesses to the excellency of this principle, he shows
that by it the ancients obtained a high reputation--that is, as he
explain, by their acts of faith in obedience to God's commands.
That faith by
itself neither justifies, sanctifies,
nor purifies,
........... is admitted by those who oppose immersion for the
forgiveness of sins.
They all include the idea of
the blood of Christ. And yet they seem not to perceive, that, in
objecting to immersion as necessary to forgiveness in connexion with
faith,
........... their own arguments preclude them from connecting the
blood of Christ with faith.
If they admit
that faith, apart from the blood of Christ, cannot obtain pardon,
they admit all that is necessary to
prove them inconsistent with themselves in opposing immersion for the
remission of sins; or immersion, as that act by which our state is
changed.
Peter's First
Sermon
The Apostle Peter, when first publishing the
gospel to
the Jews, taught them that they were
not forgiven their sins by faith; but
by an act of faith, by a believing immersion into the Lord Jesus. That
this may appear evident to all, we shall examine his Pentecostian
address, and his Pentecostian hearers.
Peter now holding the keys of the kingdom of
Jesus, and speaking under the commission of converting the world, and
by the authority of the Lord Jesus; guided, inspired, and accompanied
by the Spirit--may be expected to speak the truth, the whole truth,
plainly and intelligibly, to his brethren the Jews.
He had that day declared the gospel facts, and proved
the resurrection and ascension of Jesus to the conviction of
thousands.
They believed and
repented--believed that Jesus was the Messiah, had died as a
sin-offering, was risen from the dead, and crowned Lord of all.
Being full of this faith, they inquired of Peter and the other Apostles
what they ought to do to obtain
remission.
They were informed, that though
they now believed and repented, they were
not
pardoned; but must 'reform and be immersed for the remission of
sins.'
Immersion for [168] the forgiveness of sins,
was the command addressed to these believers, to these penitents, in
answer to the most earnest question; and by one of the most sincere,
candid, and honest speakers ever heard.
This act of faith was presented
as that act by which a change in their state could be effected; or,
in other words, by which alone they could be pardoned.
They who 'gladly received this word were
that day immersed;' or,
........... in other words, the same day were converted, or
regenerated, or obeyed the
gospel.
Those expressions, in the Apostle's style, when
applied to persons coming into the kingdom, denote the
same act,
as will be perceived from the various passages in the writings of
Luke and Paul. This testimony, when the speaker, the occasion, and
the congregations are all taken into view, is itself alone sufficient
to establish the point in support of which we have adduced it.
Peter's Second
Sermon
But the second discourse, recorded by Luke from the lips of the same Peter,
pronounced in Solomon's Portico, is equally pointed, clear, and full
in support of this position. After he had explained the miracles
which he had wrought in the name of the Lord Jesus, and stated the
same gospel facts, he proclaims the same command--
"Reform and be converted, that your
sins may be blotted out;" or, "Reform and turn to God, that so your
sins may be blotted out; that season of refreshment from the presence
of the Lord may come, and that he may send Jesus whom the heavens
must receive till the accomplishment of all the things which God has
foretold," &c.
Peter, in substituting other terms
in this proclamation, for those used on Pentecost, does not preach a
new gospel, but the same gospel in terms equally strong. He uses the
same word in the first part of the command, which he used on
Pentecost.
Instead of "be immersed," he has here "be
converted," or "turn to God;"
instead of
"for the remission of your sins," here it is, "that your sins may be
blotted out;"
and instead of "you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit," here it is, "that
seasons of refreshment from the presence of the Lord may come."
Note: There is
no propriety in the common version of this member of the
sentence--when, instead of that, "seasons of refreshment." Some make
modern revivals "seasons of refreshment," such as these here alluded
to. Then it would read, 'That your sins may be blotted out
in times
of revivals'--when revivals shall come! The term is opos, which, in
this construction, as various critics have contended, is equivalent
to 'that' in our tongue.
To promise a future remission is no
part of the gospel, nor of the apostolic proclamation. All Christians
experience seasons of refreshment in cordially obeying the
gospel.
On Pentecost,
it was, 1st. "Reform." 2d. "Be immersed." 3d. "For the remission of
sins." And 4th. "You shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." In
Solomon's Portico, it was, 1st. "Reform." 2d. "Be converted." 3d. "That
your sins may be blotted out." And 4th. "That seasons of refreshment
from the presence of [169] the Lord may come;" that "you may have
righteousness, peace, and joy in a holy spirit." So read the
different clauses in those two discourses to the Jews, expressive of
the same acts.
The Third
Testimony
There is yet, in this discourse in the Portico,
a very strong expression, declarative of the same gracious connexion
between immersion and remission. It is the last period in the
discourse.
"Unto you, first, brethren of the
Jews, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you,
every one of you, in the act of
turning from your iniquities;" or, as
we would say, in the act of conversion.
Why the Apostle Peter should have used
"converted," or "turning to God," instead
of "be immersed," is, to the candid and unprejudiced reader of this
narrative, very plain.
After
Pentecost, the disciples immersed on that day, having turned to God
through Jesus, were spoken of by their brethren as discipled or
converted
to Jesus.
The unbelieving Jews, soon after
Pentecost, knew the disciples called the immersed "converted;" and
immersion being the act of faith which drew the line of demarcation
between Christians and Jews, nothing could be more natural than to
call the act of immersion the converting of a Jew.
The time intervening between these discourses
was long enough to introduce and familiarize this style in the
metropolis; so that when a Christian said, "Be converted," or "Turn
to God," every Jew knew, the act of putting on the Messiah to be that
intended.
After the immersion of some Gentiles into the
faith, in the house and neighborhood of Cornelius, it was reported
that the Gentiles were converted to
God. Thus, the Apostles in passing
through the country, gave great joy to the disciples from among the
Jews,
"telling them of the conversion" or
immersion of the Gentiles.[Acts 15:3]
Indeed, in a short time it was a summary way of
representing the faith, reformation, and immersion of disciples, by using one
word for all. Thus, "All the inhabitants of Sharon and Lydda
turned,"
or "were converted, to the Lord." [Acts 9:35]
The Fourth
Testimony
While on the subject of conversion, we shall
adduce, as fourth testimony, the words of the Lord Jesus to Paul, when he called
him. Paul
is introduced by Luke in the Acts, telling what the Lord said to him
when he received his apostleship.
"I send you Paul, by the faith that
respects me, to open their eyes; to turn or convert them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; that they may
receive forgiveness of
sins, and an inheritance among the
saved." [Acts 24:17, 18]
[It is true that Paul said that
Jesus didn't send him to baptize but this was in the Corinthian
context where to be baptized by an Apollos meant that you were his
disciple rather than Christ's disciple. In practice, Paul didn't
baptize because it was Christ who was baptizing through Paul's
effort]
Every thing to be accomplished among the
Gentiles was to be effected by the faith or truth in Christ. The
Saviour connected that with opening
their eyes; their conversion from the
ignorance and tyranny [170] of sin and Satan; their forgiveness of
sins; and finally, an inheritance among the saved or sanctified.
First,
faith or illumination; then, conversion; then, remission of sins;
then, the inheritance. All these testimonies concur with each other
in preaching the act of faith--Christian immersion, frequently called
conversion, as that act, inseparably connected with the remission of
sins; or that change of state, of which we have already
spoken.
One reason why we would arrest the attention of
the reader to the substitution of the terms convert and
conversion, for immerse and
immersion,
in the apostolic discourses and in the sacred writings, is not so
much for the purpose of proving that the forgiveness of sins, or a
change of state, is necessarily connected with the act of faith
called "Christian immersion:" as it is to fix the minds of the
biblical students upon a very important fact, viz.;
that no person is altogether
discipled to Christ until he is immersed. It is true, that this view
of the matter bears strongly upon the question; but it bears upon
other great matters pertaining to the present and ancient order of
things.
Discovering that much depends upon having
correct views on this point, we have carefully examined all those
passages where "conversion" either in the common version, or in the
new version, or in the original, occurs; and have found a uniformity
in the use of this term, and its compounds and derivatives, which
warrants the conclusion, that no person was said to be converted
until he was immersed; and that all persons who were immersed were
said to be converted. If any apostatized, and were again converted,
it was in that sense in which our Lord applied the word to Peter,
"When you are converted, strengthen your brethren," or, as James used
it in his letter when he said, "If any of you err from the truth, and
one convert him, let him know that he who converts a transgressor
from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and hide a
multitude of sins."
The commission for converting the world teaches
that immersion was necessary to discipleship; for Jesus said,
"Convert the nations, immersing [171] them into the name," &c.,
and "teaching them to observe," &c.
The construction of the sentence fairly
indicates that no person can be a disciple, according to the
commission, who has not been immersed: for the active participle in connexion
with an imperative, either declares the manner in which the
imperative shall be obeyed, or explains the meaning of the command.
To this I have not found an
exception:--for example.-- "Cleanse the house, sweeping it." "Cleanse
the garment, washing it," shows the manner in which the command is to
be obeyed, or explains the meaning of it. Thus, "Convert (or
disciple) the nations, immersing them, and teaching them to observe,"
&c., expresses the manner in which the command is to be
obeyed.
If the Apostles had only preached and not
immersed, they would not have converted the hearers according to the
commission: and if they had immersed, and not taught them to observe
the commands of the Saviour, they would have been transgressors.
A disciple, then, according to the commission,
is one that has heard the gospel, believed it, and has been immersed.
A disciple, indeed, is one that continues in keeping the commandments
of Jesus.
Note: The following examples of the above general rule
illustrate its value and certainty:--
"Let us offer up the sacrifice of
praise to God, confessing to his
name." Heb. 13:15.
"Let us go forth to him out of the camp, bearing
his reproach." Heb. xiii. 13.
"Be an approved workman, rightly dividing the
word of truth." 2 Tim. 2:15.
"Guard the precious deposit, avoiding
profane babblings." 1 Tim. 6: 20.
"Observe these things without prejudice,
doing
nothing by
partiality." 1 Tim. 5:21.
"Pray every where lifting up holy hands." 1
Tim. 2: 8.
"Walking in wisdom to them that are without,
gaining time." Col. 4:5.
"Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God." Col. 3: 17.
"Speak the truth, putting away lying." Eph.
4: 25.
"Be not vainglorious, provoking one another.
Gal. 5: 26. "Convert the nations, baptizing them," &c.
&c.
Now, do not all these participles define their
respective imperatives, or show the way and manner in which this command
should be obeyed! Many similar examples may be found in all the
sacred writings.
This rule has passed through a fiery trial. I
have only been more fully convinced of its generality and value.
There is no rule in the English syntax more general in its
application. I would only add, that the participle does not always
express every thing in the command; but it always points out
something emphatically in the intention of the imperative, and
without which the injunction cannot be suitably and fully
performed.
We have, however, no need of this rule, nor of
anything not generally conceded, to establish the point before us:
for the New Testament and all antiquity teach,
that so long as the Apostles lived,
no one was regarded as a disciple of Christ
who had not confessed his faith and was
immersed.
Prop. X - I begins also on page
171
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