"Well, then," said the minister, "if you do not feel satisfied, I will, at some convenient season, attend to the matter."
For several weeks Edwin anxiously waited for the "convenient season"; then on entering the chapel one Sunday morning, he noticed on a stand beside the altar a large bowl of water, and he wondered if it was in any way connected with his baptism. He was not kept long in suspense, for immediately after the morning exercises he was requested by the minister to come forward and to take his seat upon the altar. Edwin quickly obeyed, and the minister, after a short ceremony, took the bowl in his hand and with his fingers sprinkled a little of the water upon Edwin's head.
To Edwin it was a very solemn affair, for he was very sincere. At the close of the ordinance the minister said, "Now, whether you consider that your other baptism amounted to anything or not, I hope that your doubts will be forever gone." At the time Edwin thought they were, but later on when he read, "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead" (Col. 2:12), he thought that to be really baptized meant more than merely to have a little water sprinkled upon his head; and when he considered that John baptized people in the river Jordan and that Jesus, his example, walked down into the water, saying, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness," and that when Jesus came up out of the water the voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:15, 17), he felt that he should like to go down into the water as though he had been buried from the sight of the world just as his Savior had done.
As was his custom when perplexed over such problems, he went to Mrs. Kauffman that he might have the benefit of her judgment. She advised him to go to a body of people that believed in immersion and be baptized by their minister. Edwin followed her direction, and as soon as possible he was put under the water as a testimony to the world that he was dead to sin.
Thus, day by day God in his wisdom continued to be Edwin's teacher in the deep as well as in the simple things of life until the wisdom of the poorhouse waif was in many things far beyond that of many who professed to be leaders of men.
"For his God doth instruct him to discretion and doth teach him" (Isa. 28: 26).
"Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart." "Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear" (Psa. 119: 33, 34, 38).
CHAPTER XX
CALLED TO SERVICE
Walk
Boldly and wisely in that light thou hast;
There is a hand above will help thee on.