[THE PARDONING POWER IS ONLY IN GOD.]
IN precisely the same way, the appointment in the case of Naaman, in itself, had no virtue to cure leprosy. If another leper had gone to the place the next day, and dipped himself, he would not have been healed. Naaman did not go home praising the waters of Jordan, nor exulting in his dipping, nor his faith, but he said: “Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel.” II. Kings v. 15. The Lord purposely selected an appointment that had not in it, in itself, any curative efficacy, that the man might know the cure came directly from God, and might believe and put his trust in the God of Israel. The same is true of the appointment for the Israelites, bitten of the fiery serpent. The Lord wisely selected something that all men would know had no efficacy, in itself, to heal the bite of the serpent, that the glory might be given to God and not to the brazen serpent. It is no question about whether the Lord could have saved the Israelites in some other way. No one doubts that he could. But the question, in this case, is simply about what he did. The people did not heal themselves. Their faith did not heal them. Their prayers did not heal them. Their looking did not heal them. The brazen serpent did not heal them. God healed them. When did he do it? When they obeyed him. Where did he do it? In his own appointment.
The faith of the army of Joshua did not throw down the walls of Jericho. There is nothing in faith, in itself, to do a work of this kind. The marching round Jericho, did not throw down the walls, nor have any tendency to throw them down, if they had continued to march round till this time. The blowing of the trumpet did not throw down the walls. Nor did the shout of the army. God broke down these massive walls. When did he do it? When they obeyed him. Where did he do it? In his appointment. The work was just as much of God, as divine and miraculous, done in this appointment, as if it had been done without any appointment at all. The appointment was precisely such an one, as to direct the heart of the people to God, as the author of the victory. But had they refused to march round the walls, shout and blow the trumpet, though they might have prayed till now, the Lord would not have answered them nor saved them. In all these cases, they might have prayed for saving power till they breathed the last breath, and no saving power would have come. The saving power was promised, but promised in certain appointments—not because the Lord could not, but because he would not save in any other way, only as he had appointed.
The same is true of saving men in our time. We have no dispute about what the Lord can do. The only question we have is about what the Lord will do. The Lord will do precisely what he has promised, and no man in the world can produce one particle of evidence that he will do anything else, to save any man. If the Lord had said, “He that believeth and prays, and is prayed for, shall be saved,” every one that prays and is prayed for, would be saved. But such, it is admitted on all hands, is not the fact. Many pray, and are prayed for, who, it is admitted, are not saved or pardoned. The Lord’s appointment is, “He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved. Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Why tarriest thou? arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Here is the Lord’s appointment, and he who comes here, has the promise of the Lord that he shall be saved, or pardoned. This appointment is like those we have been looking at. It is evident to all, there is no virtue or merit in faith, in itself, to save a man. It is equally evident that there is no merit or virtue in repentance, in itself, to save any one. It must be equally evident to all, that there can be no virtue, merit, or efficacy in baptism, in itself, to save or pardon. It is God that pardons. Who does he pardon? Those who obey him. When does he pardon them? When they obey from the heart, that form of doctrine delivered to them. “Being then made free from sin, they have their fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life.” Where does he pardon them? In his appointments.
[THE ACTION OF BAPTISM.]
REFERRING to the position of the disciples on the action of baptism, a correspondent says: “That, in regard to the sacrament of baptism, the whole christian world have been in the dark, from the earliest history of the church until within three hundred years, and much the greater part are still behind!” He adds, “Not deceived, be it remembered, about some things not essential to the ordinance, but in regard to the very nature of it. And what is yet more singular, denominations possessing much the greater share of learning are most in the dark!” He proceeds, “Nay, even the christian fathers, who were, some of them, Greeks, and men of learning, and who certainly should have known something about their own language, were in serious error upon this very subject!”
All this is said, by our worthy friend, in reference to our position, that nothing but immersion is baptism. It contains several items, and to give them all possible conspicuity we notice them separately.