Earnest appeals : in a series of letters, on subjects relating to the present and eternal happiness of the soul.

Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Earnest appeals : in a series of letters, on subjects relating to the present and eternal happiness of the soul. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    is of very great importance what opinions we receive and hold respecting it. If we see that the being baptized with water does not prove that we have the Spirit, this view tends to encourage, in the sincere Christian, the humility which the gospel inculcates. If we ascribe undue efficacy to the external act, the natural tendency of this view is to lift us up, and lead us to think less unworthily of ourselves ;*—to re- gard sin as not so deeply rooted and deadly an evil as it is;—and to have lower views of the work of Christ. Hence arises a tendency to rely on works, outward purifications, and the acts of men; the exigency being lessened, other saviours are had recourse to. Hence also, in addition to pride, is induced worldliness,— carelessness respecting exact observance of the purity of the divine law,—impatience of the narrow way, when one is marked out by the world which does not present the same restraints;—indifference respecting sin, when there is a way of forgiveness, of man’s dis- covering, near at hand. I speak of tendencies : the wise flee from what causes them. Many are uncon- scious of the amount of traditionary knowledge which they receive early, and class with scripture truth: these are often very closely amalgamated, and few are found to meet the difficulty attending the effort to separate them; the more so, because such opinions are more congenial to human nature, and, also, it is humbling to allow that we have been in error. Many who do not believe that baptism is appointed as the means * The use of water in baptism reminds us that we are defiled, and should stop our pride, and all high thoughts of oiu’selves, and lead ITS to examine ourselves, and see whether we are clean. (See Proi>. XXX. IS.)