Counsels for Baptism
The principles of righteousness must be implanted in the soul. The faith
must grasp the power of Jesus Christ, else there is no safety. Licentious
practices are getting to be as common as in the days before the flood. Not
one should be buried with Christ by baptism unless they are critically
examined whether they have ceased to sin, whether they have fixed moral
principles, whether they know what sin is, whether they have moral defilement
which God abhors. Find out by close questioning if these persons are really
ceasing to sin, if with David they can say, I hate sin with a perfect
hatred.--Letter 26d, 1887, p. 6. (To "Brother Covert and those who hold
responsible positions in the Indiana Conference," September 27, 1887.)
Those who have been baptized can claim the help of the three great
Worthies of heaven to keep them from falling, and to reveal through them
character that is after the divine similitude. This is what we claim to be
--followers of Jesus. We must be molded and fashioned in accordance with
the divine pattern; and if you have lost your Christlikeness, my brethren
and sisters, you can never, never come into communion with God again until
you are reconverted and rebaptized. You want to repent and to be
rebaptized, and to come into the love and communion and harmony of Christ.
Then you will have spiritual discernment which will enable you to see those
things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. There
is enough to contemplate regarding heavenly things, to fill every heart and
mind, every congregation that is in the land, with rejoicing and praise and
thanksgiving to God.
. . .
As you arose from the watery grave at the time of your baptism, you
professed to be dead, and declared that your life was changed--hid with
Christ in God. You claimed to be dead to sin and cleansed from your
hereditary and cultivated traits of evil. In going forward in the rite of
baptism, you pledged yourselves before God to remain dead to sin. Your mouth
was to remain a sanctified mouth, your tongue a converted tongue. You were
to speak of God's goodness, and to praise His holy name. Thus you were to
be a great help and blessing to the church.
Sermons and Talks Volume
One, page 366
Manuscript Releases Volume Six, page 165