What was true of the generation was true of the individual, and what was true then is true now, which places sign-seekers in a most unenviable position, but doubtless where they justly belong. Faith is not produced by sign-seeing, but in the words of Paul, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10:17.)
After the death and resurrection of Jesus, He left this grand test of faith upon record, to serve as a guide for all future generations: "And these signs shall follow them that believe" (or have faith); "In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:17, 18.)
"But," says one, "was it not intended that these gifts and blessings should be limited to the days of the apostles, and to the apostles themselves?" Read again, "shall follow them that believe"; and again, the preceding verse reads, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." If you limit the signs following the believer to the day of the apostles, you must also limit salvation to that day. But it is to-day as it was in the day Paul wrote to the Hebrews: "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." (Heb. 4:2.)
The cultivation of this principle of faith is the first step in our duties in this life. The second step is that of
REPENTANCE.
"Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions: so iniquity shall not be your ruin." (Ezek. 18:30.) "Let the wicked forsake his way." (Isaiah 4:7.) "Repent * * * every one of you." (Acts 2:38.) "Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:3.)
We understand that repentance does not consist in mourning over sins committed, and then repeating the same sin or one equally heinous, but that Ezekiel meant for the people to cease from doing wrong, to quit their evil practices, and walk in the paths of rectitude, virtue and true holiness. "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death." (II. Cor. 7:10.) We believe that the "sorrow of the world" here alluded to, is the too prevalent practice of crying, groaning and moaning over our wrong-doing, and then continuing the same practice.
The third step for man to take in this life to secure salvation in the eternal world, is to be
BAPTIZED.
"He that believeth" (that is, he that hath faith) "and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16), was the emphatic assertion of our Savior. Again we find that man came under condemnation by refusing obedience to this commandment; "But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him." (Luke 7:30.) So the world of to-day will, in the end, find themselves under condemnation for refusing to obey this principle of the gospel. "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5.)