[DELAY IN TURNING TO THE LORD.]
IF a person has delayed turning to the Lord, till some hindrance comes, so that he can not take the steps, or do what the Lord has commanded, to become a christian, he has simply delayed till he can not become a christian. If he defers on any account, he simply defers becoming a christian. At some point, a man passes the possibility of becoming a christian. That point, or period, is generally thought to be at death. Some still sing, “While the lamp holds out to burn, the vilest sinner may return,” but this is not true. It is true that after death none can turn to God, but it is not true that before death all can turn to God. The apostle speaks of some men who were living in the literal sense, but whom he compares to “trees twice dead and plucked up by the roots. Such a tree as that never grows again.” He speaks of other men “past feeling,” and others, still living, for whom nothing remains “but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries,” and still others for whom nothing remains but “the blackness of darkness forever.” Some are given over to believe the lie and be condemned.
Our opinions are worth nothing in reference to those who can not do what the Lord commands. We do not know a thing about the salvation of any person only as the Lord has promised. He has promised that “He who believes and is immersed, shall be saved,” and commanded, “Repent, and be immersed every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins.” He who obeys the command has the promise. Outside of this we know nothing about it. Not only so, but if we give some charitable opinions for those who can not obey, or in reference to deferring, on account of hindrances, these cases will become more frequent, and these opinions will be applied not simply to cases where persons can not obey, but where they can not conveniently, and in a short time we have a system of salvation for those who never obey, and the gospel is set aside by our opinions.
There are but few sick persons that can not be immersed. We have immersed some half-dozen in the most critical situations, and some of them in less than two days of their death, without any physical injury, and with great relief to the mind. But we only allude to this to show that there are not many cases where it is not possible to obey the gospel, and not because this is the time to obey. It is not the proper time to be baptized, or to make a profession. The proper time is when persons first hear and believe the gospel; when their health, and strength, and reason, are unimpaired, and they can voluntarily yield themselves to the service of God. When we come to die, one promise of God is worth more than all the opinions of uninspired men put together.
[WIELDING THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT.]
“THE sword of the Spirit” is defined by the Spirit himself, through Paul. It is the word of God. “Why is it called the sword of the Spirit? Because the Spirit gave it, and not because he uses or wields it.” The Spirit gave it to men that they might use or wield it. There is not a more unsupported theory in this apostate age than the one that teaches that the Spirit wields the sword. He did not do this even in the age of miracles. Jesus said to his Father “The words that thou gavest me I have given them.” Given to whom? To the apostles. What did he tell them to do with these words, or, which is the same, the gospel? He commanded them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Preaching the gospel is preaching the word, or wielding the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. After Jesus died and rose and ascended into heaven, he sent the Spirit to guide the apostles into all truth; to bring all things to their remembrance. On Pentecost the Spirit came, and they spake as the Spirit gave them utterance. The history says, “When they heard this”—the word spoken—“they were pierced in their heart.” The Spirit brought the word to their remembrance, and the apostles preached it—spake as the Spirit gave them utterance. In Solomon’s porch, Peter preached, or wielded the sword—the word of God. Philip wielded the sword in Samaria. Peter wielded the sword at the house of Cornelius. Paul commanded Timothy to “Preach the word.” This was wielding the sword of the Spirit, the word of God.