cision; nor baptism either, without the faith which worketh by love.

But the fact that Jesus himself ordained such a rite, expressive of purification, for all who would declare themselves for him, and cleave to him, tells us loudly and forcibly enough what members ought to distinguish his church, and what is aimed at by these members of his church on earth. Bathing with water purifies! It reminds us of purification; the water alludes to sanctification, by which we must be born again for his kingdom; and that other baptism, which is to follow, and which is called in the holy Scriptures, 'the baptism of fire, and the baptism of the Spirit,' aims at purification and leads to sanctification. We must be born again, transformed and created anew by the water and the Spirit; we must believe in the Holy Ghost, in a holy, universal, christian church, and in the communion of saints.

A holy christian church! Holy is the Father who hath called us to be his children; and as he who hath called us is holy, so must we be holy in all manner of conversation; be

cause it is written: Be ye holy, for I am holy. And this is the message which we have heard of him, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. Such an high-priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. In this high-priest we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. So he writes to us, who wrote that we might not sin; and he adds: And hereby do we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with

another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit by which we come into communion with him and with the Father, which binds the Head and the members together.

They that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God, and cry by the spirit of adoption; Abba, Father: The same Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be

glorified together. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. So it is with the communion of the Holy Spirit. By this Spirit the bond between men, and Jesus, and God, is inseparable and forever knit together. For this reason are those who are Christians in name and deed, in spirit and in truth, called saints. For this reason is the union of Christians by this Spirit called a com→ munion of saints.

Behold, my beloved! the washing in water at baptism, and baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, all tell us, that Christ so loved the church that he gave himself for it, and that he sanctified it, and that this, his chosen, his beloved, should stand before him in glorious, lovely beauty, without spot or blemish, free from all that is hateful and makes hateful, disfigures and defiles, holy and blameless; united with him in innocence and pure love. Christ gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify

unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. This is what is declared to our hearts by baptism. He who has not the solemn will and purpose to become continually purer and better does not really understand what that means, Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it!' He comprehends it not, and knows not how to estimate how dearly Jesus has purchased his own peculiar people! His heart feels nothing of the love of Jesus, and takes no interest in his sufferings and death for us. He shows that he does not yet belong to Christ's peculiar people, to his church. No, he is not yet a Christian, though he may have been baptized unto Christ by the baptism of Christians.

He to whom has appeared this saving grace of God, which is and shall be offered to all, he to whom it has actually appeared, who acknowledges it as saving grace, and as such has accepted, embraced, and made it his own, will according to its nature, be infallibly chastened by it, and powerfully excited to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.