Earlier text: General ArticlesTHOUGHTS ON BAPTISM—NO 5.
By Editor
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
AN argument in favor of pouring is supposed to be found in this baptism, because the Spirit was poured out, or shed forth. See Acts 2. But there are two decisive difficulties in the way of this conclusion: 1. The word ekcheo is never once used in the numerous instances in the New Testament where the ordinance of baptism in water is referred to. 2. Though the Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, it filled the whole room wherein the disciples were. If water were poured out into a room until the room was entirely filled, all the persons in that room would be entirely surrounded with or submerged in, the water. And this was the case in the pouring out of the Spirit. When speaking of the Spirit the word ekcheo is used, which is defined, poured out. But when speaking of the persons the word baptizo is used, which in all the lexicons is defined, immerse. This was literally accomplished by the Spirit filling the whole room wherein they were. The Apostle Paul twice speaks of baptism as a burial. This expression is just, according to the meaning of the word immersion. But the term is not well chosen if it is intended to represent sprinkling or pouring. It is likened to the burial and resurrection of Christ, to which the ordinance has undoubted reference. "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Rom. 6:4. "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." Col. 2:12. The most eminent scholars among those who advocate and practice sprinkling, have been constrained to admit that these illustrations have undoubted reference to the primitive practice of immersing in the rite of baptism. The reader will pardon us for noticing the effort that has been made to evade the force of these scriptures. Because this baptism is a burial, and cannot be made a sprinkling, it has been denied that it refers to water baptism. Perhaps, said the objector, it refers to the fact that the disciples were buried in the love of God! Were that the truth, it would not destroy the force of the statement that baptism is a burial. The meaning of the word is the same, no matter what element is used. But that cannot be true, for this consideration: In whatsoever a person is buried, when he is raised he is raised out of the same. If we are buried in the earth, we are raised out of the earth; if buried in water, we are raised out of water; and if buried in the love of God, we are raised out of the love of God! Said the apostle to his brethren, "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him." Were they raised out of the love of God? Would such a resurrection lead them to seek those things which are above? See chap. 3:1. Again we ask pardon for noticing such an objection. And we must express our astonishment that men of eminence and learning have presented this idea as against immersion. It is sometimes necessary to show how utterly idle is the effort to evade the force of the plain testimony of the word of God. And this shows what positions men are willing to take, and what conclusions they will risk, to support their theories against the plain reading and evident meaning of the Scriptures. Under this head should be considered 1 Cor. 10:2. Dr. Clarke sanctions the idea that the Israelites were sprinkled by the cloud over them, and that this indicates that sprinkling is baptism. It is to be deplored that one so ripe in scholarship—so able as a critic—should so suffer himself to be blinded by the theology of a church. The language and the facts do not admit of such a construction. Shall we read it, "Sprinkled by the cloud and by the sea?" We cannot. "Sprinkled in the cloud and in the sea?" That is impossible. Prof. Stuart is much more reasonable on this point; he says:— "The suggestion has sometimes been made, that the Israelites were sprinkled by the cloud and by the sea, and this was the baptism which Paul meant to designate. But the cloud on this occasion was not a cloud of rain; nor do we find any intimation that the waters of the sea sprinkled the children of Israel at this time. So much is true, viz., they were not immersed. Yet, as the language must evidently be figurative in some good degree, and not literal, I do not see how, on the whole, we can make less of it than to suppose it has a tacit reference to the idea of surrounding in some way or other." Granting that they were not immersed, certainly they were not sprinkled. And granting that the word baptize is used figuratively in some good degree, yet the figure must be so construed as most nearly to conform to the actual meaning of the word, i. e. immerse. And this is done by the idea of surrounding, as Prof. Stuart has it; and it meets the conditions stated far better than any other construction. John baptized in the river Jordan. Christ, our pattern, was baptized in the Jordan. The record says, "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water." Matt. 3:16. Alas, how many professed followers of Christ would be ashamed to go down into the water to be baptized; be ashamed to be seen coming up out of the water, as Jesus their Lord was seen! "John also was baptizing in Ænon, near to Salim, because there was much water there." John 3:23. The reason here given for baptizing in that place looks unmistakably to the same action as we find indicated in Matt. 3, baptizing in a body of water. We may safely leave it to the judgment of every reader that this reason would never be offered in favor of the modern practice of rhantism, if it can even be called that; as we recently saw a minister barely touch the ends of his fingers in water, and lay them upon the head of a child. Water is not even sprinkled upon the child. Nothing of that kind is found in the language of the New Testament. The circumstances attending the baptism of the eunuch afford important evidence on this subject. First, we notice in this case the importance of baptism in the preaching of the gospel. Philip "preached unto him Jesus," and in the same interview the eunuch desired baptism, which proves that the preaching of Jesus included preaching baptism in the ministry of the apostles and evangelists. How different was this from the teaching and preaching of many at the present day. Secondly, we notice that they both went down into the water, and there Philip baptized the eunuch. And together they came up out of the water. This is not consistent with the idea of any administration but that of immersion. We only remark we find in Prof. Stuart on baptism which gives occasion to doubt his candor as a writer, is on this text. He says:— "If katabesan eis to hudor is meant to designate the act of plunging or being immersed into the water, as a part of the rite of baptism, then the sacred writer says that BOTH went into the water. Here, then, must have been a rebaptism of Philip; and what is at least singular, he must have baptized himself as well as the eunuch." These remarks are entirely uncalled for by the record; they are as unworthy of the man who wrote them as of the subject on which they are written. Going down into the water is a necessary prerequisite to baptism (but not to sprinkling); and katabesan eis to hudor expresses "the action of plunging or being immersed." We fear the idea sprung in the mind of a theologian rather than of a critic; for almost the next sentence says "kai ebaptisen auton," "and he baptized him." This excludes every possibility of obscurity. It is true that they both went down into the water, and this is always the case when immersion is practiced. The administrator and subject both go down into the water. But going down into the water is not and was not baptism. Does the record say they went down into the water and the water was baptized? No. "They went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch and he baptized him." It is no part of candor nor reverence for the Scriptures to raise a dust over such plain and unmistakable testimony as this. A doubt has been raised about there having been sufficient water for immersion in this instance, because verse 26 speaks of the country as being "desert." The word desert (eremos) does not necessarily mean a dry, barren place, destitute of water or vegitation, as may be supposed, but a solitary, uninhabited region. See Greenfield, and compare Matt. 14:13, 15, 19. This scripture says they were in "a desert place apart," and because it was desert, and the day was passing, the disciples requested Jesus to send away the multitude that they might go into the villages and procure food. But he commanded the multitude to "sit down on the grass," and he fed them there. So far the point is proved. In the case in question, Acts 8, they came to standing water, as is indicated by the sudden exclamation of the eunuch,—"See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?" Travelers who have passed "from Jerusalem to Gaza," say there were springs and pools on the route quite sufficient for the purpose. "The Bourdeaux Pilgrim, less than three hundred years after the event [A. D. 333], described with care its situation. His note is (as he advances from Bethlehem): 'Thence to Bethazsora is fourteen miles, where is the fountain in which Philip baptized the eunuch. Thence to the oak where Abraham dwelt, is nine miles.' 'Thence to Hebron is two miles.' Eusebius, on the word Bethsur, has the following note: 'Bethsur of the tribe of Judah or Benjamin. There is also now a village Bethsoron, twenty miles distant from Jerusalem toward Hebron, where also a fountain issuing from a mountain is shown, in which the eunuch of Candace is said to have been baptized by Philip.' Jerome in like manner says on the same word: 'Bethsur in the tribe of Judah or Benjamin. And there is at this day a village Bethsoron, to us going from Jerusalem to Hebron, at the twentieth milestone; near which a fountain, boiling up at the foot of a mountain, is absorbed by the same soil from which it springs, and the Acts of the apostles record that the eunuch of Queen Candace was baptized in this by Philip.'" These quotations are taken from a recent American traveler, Rev. G. W. Samson. The Lord Pitieth Them That Fear Him
"The Lord pitieth them that fear him." When sick, he comforts them; when they have fallen, he raiseth them; when they have offended, upon their submission he forgives them; and when they are wronged, his power rights them. The Treasure That Multiplies
God never gives us a treasure that we may selfishly hoard it. That treasure, like the bread that was broken on the hill-side of Galilee, multiplies in the hand that takes it to divide and distribute. TO THE OPPONENTS OF CHRISTIANITY.
WHAT boon, what reward, have our opponents to offer for the renunciation of Christianity? To what would they convert us? What Heaven have they to propose? What immortality to reveal? What sublime views of a creation and a Creator? What authentic record of the past? What prophetic hope of the future? What account of our origin? What high ultimatum of our destiny? What terrors have they to offer to stay the torrent of corruption? What balm and consolation to the sons and daughters of anguish? To these and a thousand kindred questions they must and will answer, None; none at all. The promise to him that disbelieves the founder of the Christian religion; to him that neglects and disdains the salvation of the gospel; to him who tramples under foot the blood of Christ, and insults the Spirit of favor; to him who traduces Moses, Daniel, and Job; to him who vilifies Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John; to him who devotes his soul to the lusts of the flesh; who disdains Heaven; who deifies his appetite; who degrades himself to a mere animal and eulogizes philosophy:—to this man they promise an eternal sleep, an everlasting death. This is the faith, the hope, and joy for which they labor with so much zeal and care and pain. Divesting man of all that renders life a blessing and death supportable; denuding him of all the dignity and honor which have ever been the admiration of the wise and good; and reducing him wholly to the earth, is, by our opponents, the true philosophy, the just science, the valuable knowledge. In their estimation a colony of bees, co-operating in building of store-houses and cells, and afterwards stowing them full of animal life, humming from flower to flower, while the sun shines; and in its absence sucking the pieces which they have collected, is the grand model of what man would be and what he would do were he under the benign influence of just knowledge and sound philosophy.—Sel. THE whole character and influence of a Sabbath-school will depend largely upon the character and adaptedness of the superintendent. What the superintendent of a railroad, or the commander of an army is, each in his place, so is the superintendent to his Sabbath-school. It is not every truly good and pious man, nor even every talented or eloquent man, who will make a good superintendent of a Sabbath-school. Sometimes the modest and retiring person, who shrinks from the acceptance of so holy an office, makes the best superintendent. Neither is it always the wisest or most influential man whom the office wants, but the one who can the most readily command the confidence and co-operation of the pastor, parents, and church members, as well as the teachers and the children. The superintendent should have good executive, business talents; energy; perseverance; self-control; tact to govern; a love for children; devotion to the cause; a warm, sympathetic heart; a life-like, serious, yet cheerful manner; and, superadded to humble, ardent piety, an ability to think, and to set others to thinking; and withal, he should be able to express himself clearly, briefly, and forcibly. He should never allow the least harsh or irritable expression to escape from him, and he should repress every symptom of lightness, stiffness, or discouragement, remembering that his look and manner will give tone to the whole school. He should know personally, and by name, and as far as may be, the particular character of every teacher and pupil in the school; speak to them, and always treat them with confidence and the respect—neither too coldly, nor too familiarly—and assure them each of his personal interest in them, and respect for them all. He should be wise to discern, select, and adjust proper teachers to their places, classify and arrange the scholars, and in these things he should not be overborne in his judgment. He should be spiritually qualified for his work, and should become a holier man of God from the hour in which he first receives the "call." He should be in daily communion with God about the work, talking freely with him on all that concerns the school, about every teacher, and about every scholar, and humbly watching for answers to his prayers. He should also engage in the work with a good measure of scriptural enthusiasm. We do well to be very earnest and full of life, to be glowing and animated in our looks, words, and actions, if we would effectually reach the children, who are so full of life. He should maintain good discipline and order, both for himself and his school. Sometimes the most disorderly man in the whole school is the superintendent. The two elements of good order are self-control, and good temper. Let no man think he can control others unless he can control himself. It will be in vain for him to insist on order, punctuality, and regard to all the rules of the school, unless he himself is a living example of strict conformity to them all. Again: The Sabbath-school superintendent should always have a spirit and temper such as will be safe to diffuse throughout the school. Says the Rev. S. Martin: "If he stands at the desk like a cold, snow-capped mountain, or floats about the school like a majestic iceberg, the whole atmosphere of the school will be cold." If there is warm and genial, such will be the school. A cheerful superintendent spreads cheerfulness throughout the school. A light and trifling, or a gloomy and morose, infects teachers and scholars alike with the same spirit. Never should the superintendent allow the least impatience or harshness to manifest itself in his look, tone of voice, or manner in the school; for its effects will prove most disastrous. Ill-temper is a perfect barrier to religious improvement and usefulness. He should also be a decided, positive character; not fitful, obstinate, heady, but strong in purpose, strong in resolution, strong in the Lord. The boys in the streets never choose any but positive characters for leaders. A merely nominal superintendent is a curse to a school, as is a weak, foolish mother or father in the family. Further, he should study to gather hints and suggestions to help the teachers not only in the school, but also in the teachers' meetings and everywhere. Particularly should he observe the teachers during the teaching hour, and never interrupt them, but be ready at any moment to come to their assistance. He should always protect the teachers while teaching, and not allow the librarian, or secretary, or missionary collector to appear on the floor at that time. It will be seen from these points that the superintendent needs great general strength of character. Willow will do for a basket, but it requires oak and iron for a man-of-war.—S. S. Index. In the name of decency and for the sake of society, is it not about time check were put upon this semi-hero-worship of murderers? It is one of the curiosities of our civilization that the moment a man becomes a capital offender, or otherwise a criminal of sufficiently high degree, he is set up on a sort of pedestal and made the object of flattering care, attention, and almost admiration on the part of many persons, as if he had somehow earned a high place in the general esteem and regard. The upshot of this business, which is a reflection upon the moral sense of the community, is a morbid sentimentalism that serves to weaken character and ennoble crime. The case of Chastine Cox is in point. This worthless negro entered a house with intent to rob it, and ended by murdering its defenceless mistress in her bed. A strange title this to public favor. Yet when he had been caught, and had confessed his crime with the calmness of an inhuman beast, treating it more like a joke than the terrible thing, the God-accursed thing it was, there was an expression of admiration at his courage, as it was termed. Then the well-nigh incomprehensible folly began to show itself. Flowers sent in by ladies decked out the dastardly murderer's cell; letters of condolence poured in upon him; visitors cheered and comforted him; and the negro himself admitted that he enjoyed his position as a height of fame and popularity he had never expected to reach. This sort of thing continued up to and during the trial. Then curiosity and sentimentality waned for a time as the case went to the higher courts. Now the decision that the murderer must die revives his claim on the general interest and solicitude. The daily papers tell us that the visitors are again numerous, and detail minutely the mockery going on within the prison walls. The minister who attends the justly condemned criminal gives the press his conviction that the negro is not morally guilty of murder at all, and has good claims to push for a commutation of his sentence. Is this a proper part of the clergyman's duty as spiritual consoler? Ought the law thus to be pronounced harsh and unjust in the penalties which it inflicts upon criminals in the hope thereby of preventing other men from becoming like criminals? Society has grave interest in this matter, for it is subversive of society itself. Such courses as these will hardly compel respect for the law, and the records of our societies for the prevention of crime, of our State prisons, and of the police courts, prove that there is disrespect enough for it already. Besides, there is too little genuine, vastly too much sham, sentiment in the world now. We can ill afford to have what true feeling there is vitiated by such exhibitions of the false. The common sense of the community, once awakened, should put a stop to one-half of this adulation of criminals, and the law should see to the rest. When the murderer is made to die as a martyr, let the State give close heed to its morals.—Ex. and Chronicle. THE ONE PATTERN.
By Bishop Simpson
WHAT a glorious fact it is that there is one life that can be held up before the eyes of humanity as a pattern! There were lips that never spake unkindness, that never uttered an untruth; there were eyes that never looked aught but love and purity and bliss; there were arms that never closed against wretchedness or penitence; there was a bosom that never throbbed with sin, nor ever was excited by an unholy impulse; there was a man free from all undue selfishness, and whose life was spent in going about doing good. There was One who loved all mankind and loved them more than himself, and who gave himself to die that they might live; there was One who went into the gates of death, that the gates might never hold us in; there was One who laid in the grave to take its damp, its coldness, its chill, and its horror, and taught humanity how it might ascend above the grave; there was One who, though he walked on earth, had his conversation in heaven, and took away the curtain that hid immortality from view, and presented us the Father—God in all his love. Such an One is the standard held up in the church of Christ; it is a church that rallies around the cross and that gathers around Jesus; and it is because that He is attractive, and lovely, and glorious, that they are coming from the ends of the earth to see the salvation of God.—Bishop Simpson A SUNDAY-SCHOOL.
By Editor
BELOW we give the report of the "Golden Rule Sunday-school" for the quarter just ended. Unfortunately the report came in too late to insert in the general report for the past quarter. A Sunday-school is a novelty to Seventh-day Adventists. But we see no impropriety in holding such schools for the presentation of present truth, as it is a well-known fact that there are many people who are favorably inclined toward our faith, and are anxious to know more about us, but who are either unable or unwilling to lay aside their labors upon the seventh day to attend our Sabbath-schools, but who are ready and willing to assemble upon the first day for such purpose. We have always been decidedly in favor of holding Sunday-schools, believing that we should take advantage of every opportunity to hasten on the third angel's message. Bro. Frank Lamb is the superintendent of the "Golden Rule Sunday school," and we wish him success in his undertaking, and our prayer is that the Lord may bless him and his school, and impress upon the hearts of all the importance of preparing for the coming of the Lord. The report is as follows: Total membership, 33, average attendance, 28; per cent. of attendance 87. This school is in possession of all the fixtures which are to be found in a well-conducted Sabbath-school, viz., maps, record books, Song Anchors, contribution boxes, cards, lesson-books, etc. W. J. BOSTWICK, State Sec. Lessons on Prophecy, For the Bible Class. The lessons on prophecy, as issued with the Youth's Instructor for 1879, are neatly bound in pamphlet form. 10 cts. Lessons for Little Ones, No. 2. Designed for children who have completed the first book for little ones. It contains a year's study upon Bible history, from the birth of Moses to the time of Joshua. Flex. cloth. 15c. SABBATH-SCHOOL RECORD BOOKS.
The Complete S. S. Record and Register. These books are of several sizes, suited to the number of scholars in various schools.
Record B contains 175 pages. Price $1.20.
Record C. Same size as Record B. Price $1.00.
Record D contains 110 pages. Price 75 cents.
Record F has 56 pages, bound in press-sheet covers like the Class Record, and is suitable for a school of less than thirty members for one year. Price, 35 cents. COLTON'S SABBATH-SCHOOL MAPS.
No. 1. Eight-sheet map of Palestine.—With topographical plan of the city of Jerusalem, and a plan of the vicinity of Jerusalem. Size, 116x81 inches. This beautiful wall map is printed in such a large, clear, distinct style, that everything upon it is clearly distinguishable from every part of a large school-room. Price, printed on cloth, $12.50. No. 2. Map Illustrating the Travels of St. Paul.—Eight sheets. Size, 116x81 inches. This is the largest map of these countries ever published. The routes of St. Paul are distinctly shown by strong lines of different colors; the names of places visited in his various missionary tours are lettered very boldly to distinguish them from other ancient names; and the few modern names that are introduced to make the identification with places of present interest more easy, are in a still lighter style of lettering. Price, on cloth, $12.50. No. 5. Map of the Peninsula of Mount Sinai.—Illustrating the wanderings of the Israelites in their journey from Egypt to Canaan, with a plan, on a large scale, of the vicinity of Mount Sinai, 72x52 inches. This map exhibits the results of the researches of the English and American expeditions for the exploration of this interesting region. Its large scale, bold lettering, and skillful execution have combined to produce a map which fully meets the want long felt by those who have attempted to teach the narrative of the Exodus. Price, on cloth, $5.00. No. 6. Old Testament Map of Palestine.—Size, 58x41 inches. Price, on cloth, $3.00. No. 8. New Testament Map of Palestine.—Size, 58x41 inches. Price, on cloth, $3.00. Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal. THERE is the most perfect harmony between the teachings of the book of Revelation, and the view we have presented of Matt. 24. We refer especially to the seals of chapters 5-8. In the first eleven chapters of Revelation there are three series of sevens, which cover the entire gospel dispensation. Chapters 2 and 3 contain the letters to the churches. These embrace a history of the church of God from the first century to the coming of the Son of man to gather his people into his kingdom. The seven trumpets of chapters 8-11 cover about the same period of time, but give a history of the nations of the earth in their conflicts with one another. The seven seals of chapters 5-8 are intermediate between the other series, giving a history of neither the church nor the nations separately, but a history of the church in its experiences and conflicts with the wicked nations of earth. All these end together at the judgment, or introduction of the day of wrath, unless it be that the last trumpet, the third woe, may be considered to prevail upon the earth after the saints are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. That they all reach to the coming day of reward and retribution there can be no reasonable question. In chapter 6, the signs in the sun, moon, and stars are placed under the sixth seal, which reaches to the end of time, as the seventh seal barely announces a single fact connected with the ushering in of the advent of the Lord. The harmony of this with our location of the signs in Matt. 24, is at once apparent. In Rev. 6, after the darkening of the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars, the record says the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and the nations of the earth vainly endeavor to hide themselves from the wrath of the Lamb, for the day of his wrath then has come. In Matt. 24 exactly the same facts and the same order are given. The sun and moon are darkened, the stars fall, and the powers of heaven are shaken, and then the tribes of the earth mourn, because they see not only the sign of the Son of man in heaven, but they see the Son of man himself coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. They mourn because, as John says, the great day of his wrath is come. Paul also says in 2 Thess. 1, that he shall come to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel. But the Lamb does not take vengeance in his hands until his advocacy and intercession for sinners ceases. At the time spoken of by these prophecies his intercession for sinners will have ceased, for "the great day of his wrath" will have come. Not one of them will call for mercy, for they will then be made to realize that their probation is ended, and the time for the offer of mercy to them is past. They then only seek to be hid from his terrible presence. And in Rev. 14, after the warning of the third angel is given, the Son of man appears, and the harvest of the earth is reaped, (Matt. 13), or as the clusters of "the vine of the earth," to be cast into the winepress of the wrath of God. Can anyone say this is in the past, and yet profess to maintain respect for the Bible as a revelation? But the Universalists reject the future application of these scriptures, believing, as they profess, that the mercy and love of God forbid the execution of vengeance as here described. And this is virtually indorsed by many others, for they, too, deny the "flaming fire," the coming of the Son of man to take vengeance; these are made to be figurative expressions,—they do not by any means indicate that any such things will ever take place. They do not believe that the wicked will be devoured—burned up, root and branch—in a lake of fire, and that the earth and the elements will melt with fervent heat. And yet they do admit of some vengeance in the Divine dealings with man, but they have a singular method of applying it. But all the direct threatenings of the judgments of God, in the Bible, they place to the account of the Jews. To the Jews they are or have been literally fulfilled. And yet they are supposed to be so exceedingly benevolent and kind-hearted that they cannot reconcile with the innate kindness of their natures and system that of universal salvation and universal good-will. But we look upon their benevolence as being very questionable in its nature. While they freely give all the threatenings and judgments of the Bible to the Jews, they take all the promises and mercies to themselves! We do not, however, believe that they are universally better than the Jews. We do not find them so blameless in life and character as to justify such an appropriation of the divine awards. True benevolence—the absence of selfishness—would lead them at least to divide with the poor afflicted Jews; to give them some blessings, and take some of the threatenings to themselves. Poor Jerusalem! it is very convenient as a scapegoat to accommodate the selfishness of all those who deny that the Lord will ever come to take vengeance on his foes. The ordinance of the Lord’s supper—a commemorative institution of the gospel—is a witness to the doctrine of the future coming of the Lord. In "the great commission" Jesus told his disciples that he would be with them in the preaching of the gospel, and the practice of its ordinances, until the end of the world, or age—the gospel age. But Paul says that, in the celebration of the Lord’s supper, we do show forth the Lord’s death till he come. When the Lord instituted the supper he pointed their minds forward to his coming and kingdom, and said he would not thenceforth drink of the fruit of the vine till he drank it new with them in his kingdom. If Christ came at the destruction of Jerusalem, it is remarkable that, of all the apostles and servants of God, no one has yet found out that the ordinances of the gospel have been obsolete since the year A. D. 70! And if that be so, then the commission of the gospel—the authorized preaching of the gospel to every creature, also expired in A. D. 70. And thus by logical sequence we have the blessings as well as the curses, the promises and the threatenings, all confined to that generation which lived in the time of the Saviour! Some may be willing to risk this conclusion in order to save their premises, but we shall take no part with them. To us the coming of the Lord is still "that blessed hope;" to meet our friends in the resurrection still comforts our hearts while we sorrow for them that sleep in Jesus. And still we pray, "Come, Lord Jesus." Rev. 22:20.