don't you leave it out when you sprinkle the babe! Would Would you leave out repentance? And the man says, "I would not. Then why would you leave out immersion? "Because I don't think it essential." But who made you a judge of the importance of Divine appointments? Besides, if it is not essential, it is nonessential; and what do you think of a being who can command a thing to be done that is entirely useless? This impeaches the wisdom of God, and dethrones Jesus Christ,

Each item in the Law of Pardon has its place, and its work, and cannot be dispensed with without wrecking God's righteous plan of saving sinners. The office of faith is to purify the heart (Acts 15:9). Repentance changes the life, as the meaning of the word indicates. Immersion changes the state (Romans 6:3). Without faith, then, our hearts would not be purified, and hence we could not please God (Heb. 11:6). Without repentance we would not turn away from our sins, and hence would perish in our sins (Luke 13:3). Without immersion we would remain out of Christ, and hence could never enjoy any of His promises, since all the promises of God are in Christ (2 Cor., 1 :20), and we could not become "new creatures in Christ Jesus" (2 Cor., 5:17). We have seen that each item in the "Law of Pardon" has its place by Divine appointment, and

hence no man can tell which is the most important since it is God's Law of Pardon,

Change the immersion to sprinkling, and it ceases to be the law of God, and becomes the law of the one who made the change, and God is no longer bound by it. Immersion is one of God's positive enactments. A positive law is the highest test of loyalty.

There is no reason why you should obey, only because the law-giver says so; and the man who will not obey, is a rebel against the government of God, and hence unworthy of its blessings. But some will say, suppose a man cannot see that he is required to be immersed? Then he cannot see that he is required to believe in Jesus (Acts 16:31), nor to repent of his sins (Acts 2:38), nor to confess His name (Matt. 10:32), for these are just as plainly taught as immersion (John 3:5, Romans 6:3, Col. 2:12). Such a person will be saved upon the score of irresponsibility. But suppose a man sees that it is his duty to believe, and repent, but cannot see that it is his duty to be immersed? The case is not supposable, since the same verse that tells him to believe, tells him to be baptized (immersed) (Mark 16:16), and the same verse that tells him to repent (Acts 2:38), commands him to be baptized (immersed). And so it turns out "that the way is so plain that the way-faring man though a fool, need not err therein."

CHAPTER XV.

DESIGN OF IMMERSION.

HERE is design in every law of God. The system of salvation given us from Heaven

is a reasonable service, hence there must be a reason for every part of it. The fact that I cannot understand the reason, and see the connection between the thing commanded and the promised result, does not for one moment prove that the reason is not a good one.

The Gospel of the New Testament is a system of redemption. It promises deliverance from sin to every subject. It contemplates a new man in Christ Jesus. It creates such possibilities as to enable poor, sinful man to become a new creature, washed, purified, and made fit to dwell in the paradise of God. This great remedial system has its parts, and every part its own peculiar work.

Faith and repentance cannot be made to exchange places. Faith is not holiness, but a means to this end.

Prayer, and a study of God's book are necessary to a full growth in Christ. But any one of these, to the exclusion of the others, would not obtain the desired end.

So of the positive institutions of the Gospel plan.

The Lord's Day, the Lord's Supper and immersion have their indispensable place in the Lord's redemption plan. Immersion is such an important part of the Christian system that it is spoken of and alluded to more than one hundred times in the New Testament. That it is a divinely appointed institution none can question. For what purpose was it designed? Let us make our appeal to the Apostles and Evangelists of Jesus Christ. What do they say about the design of immersion? Let us glance at the work of John the Immerser, who came to prepare a people for the Lord.

He preached the "immersion of repentance for the remission of sins.

Hence it was an intensely interesting subject and of infinite importance.

"For the remission of sins" is a simple form of expression, easily understood. It was not an accident that the Heaven-appointed messengers said that immersion was for the remission of sins.

They were commissioned to make just such a declaration.

Immersion was ordained by Heaven, to be practiced for the remission of sins, and for no other purpose.

The sacred writer says, "John did immerse in the wilderness and preach the immersion of repentance for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4); "And John came into all the country

about Jordan preaching the immersion of repentance for the remission of sins" (Luke 3:3). As certain as John's immersion was "the immersion of repentance," so certain was it "for the remission of sins."

Let us read the scripture on this subject.

"John did immerse, and preach the immersion of repentance for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4). "The people of Judea and Jerusalem were immersed by him in Jordan confession their sins" (Mark 1:5). (Mark 1:5). "Preaching the immersion of repentance of sins" (Luke 3:3). "Repent and be immersed every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). "Arise and be immersed and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).

In these scriptures the design of immersion is as clearly expressed as a thought can be expressed by simple words. In Acts 2:38, above quoted, the words "repent," and "be immersed" are tied together by the conjunction "and," hence both are embraced in the same command, and look to the same end. Does God command man to repent because his sins are forgiven, or, in order to their forgiveness? To say yes to the first part of the inquiry is to say that God can, and will forgive man before he repents of his sins. This God cannot do without offering a premium upon sin, which would be to wreck His moral government. No