Still the minister was looking at him. He thrilled with the thought of what had been said to him. Enter into a covenant with God!
“In the presence of God and this assembly, you solemnly embrace the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, as your God forever. You humbly and cheerfully consecrate your entire selves to His glory; to walk in all His commandments, assisted by His Spirit; to maintain secret and family prayer; to keep holy the Sabbath; to honor your profession by a life of piety toward God and benevolence toward your fellow man—”
The solemn vows unfolded before his intelligence with a newness that was startling, and yet they all seemed natural to him, these vows that he was asked to take.
He saw the rest of the congregation arise, taking vows to watch over these who had just joined themselves to their number. He wondered how long things like this had been going on, and why he had been so ignorant of them. And then the words of the solemn charge struck deep into his soul:
“You have now entered into perpetual obligations.” What tremendous words!
“These vows will abide upon you always. You must now be servants of God. Henceforth the world will take note of your life, to honor or dishonor Christ accordingly.”
Murray caught his breath, and looked about on the people from a new point of view. Then he was responsible for what they thought of him! He was dishonoring Christ his Saviour if he did not walk aright! Why, it was just a new family whose honor he must regard. His father had berated him often for dishonoring the old name of Van Rensselaer, and bitterly now he knew how he had dishonored it. Strange he had not seen it before, nor cared, nor tried to do differently. He almost trembled at the thought that his life was nothing but dishonor from beginning to end.
The minister was giving the new members the right hand of fellowship, and as he moved from one to another, taking each one’s hand in a quick warm clasp, he went repeating the Bible, giving each one a text. Murray listened to them, recognizing them as words of scripture, because for the last few weeks he had heard Mrs. Summers read the Bible every evening. But now he was hearing them as if they were just new, and handed down from the Lord that day, for the minister had a way of making a text of scripture speak to the soul as he repeated it. And when he came to Murray he grasped his hand and held it, and looked straight into his eyes as he said:
“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”
Murray stood as one transfixed while he heard these remarkable words. That they were sent direct from heaven for him he never could doubt. A new name! That was what he had been searching for. He had sinned and dishonored the old name with which he was born. There had been no hope for him. Then he had found a Saviour, and he had been born again with a new name! It was all too wonderful to believe! He wanted to shout in his joy.