CHAPTER
XXI
Our last chapter must be a kind of sequel to the preceding. The Baptist
inclined of Sterling sent an earnest invitation for Herbert and the aged
pastor of Thornton Baptist Church to pay them a visit and hold a meeting
in Sterling. About two weeks after the discussion closed a Baptist meeting
began in the courthouse of Sterling. The more bitter of the Campbellites
laughed and treated the meeting with contempt. But the masses of the people
would go; were eager to hear what this new doctrine was. The power of the
Lord was present from the very first, and soon souls pierced with a sense
of sin began to inquire, " What must we do to be saved? " The air
seemed charged with the Divine presence. Strong men broke down under conviction.
Many led to come by curiosity remained to surrender to Him who died
to redeem us. There were many scenes that will never fade from the minds
of Sterling. A little boy of twelve years was converted and became anxious
for the conversion of a schoolmate of the same age. One night the object
of his solicitude and prayer presented himself in trouble to ask Christians
to pray for him. He was bowed down with grief, his face buried in his hands.
Presently he lifted up his tear-stained face, which was now shining with
the strange, but glorious light of a new joy born within. The little fellow
stood up and when the eyes of the two boys met they locked in each other's
arms. The angels looked on with joy and many who witnessed that scene talk
of it still. There were many other fadeless pictures stamped indelibly
on the memory. The meeting grew in power for nearly three weeks and then
closed in glorious triumph. It was evident a signal victory was won for
God and truth. Many were converted. Mr. and Mrs. Clement were sweetly trusting
in Jesus. Mabel with difficulty restrained herself from shouting the night
her parents were converted from formalism to true and happy believers.
Her tear-stained face shone with celestial light and her whole being thrilled
with unspeakable joy. Mr. Tibbs was a bright convert. Brother Jones declared,
"I never knew what religion was before; that's so, sure." The large audience
was somewhat amused one night to see the long, lean form of the spectacle
man winding forward to the pew designated for penitents and converts. The
tears were coursing down his bony cheeks. He was very happy and had come
to confess his love for, and his trust in, the Savior. He explained afterwards
that his mother was a very pious woman, had lived and died a Presbyterian,
and that a Campbellite minister had preached her to hell because she was
not baptized. No wonder he was glad to see the false doctrine refuted.
It comforted him with the assurance that his mother was not lost, but was
happy in heaven. He proved to be a faithful member of the Baptist church,
always sitting in a certain corner and continuing to some measure his odd
maneuvers when pleased by what was preached.
Jeems and his party attended the meeting and sometimes seemed perplexed,
but the meeting apparently had no other effect on them. Jeems was, if possible,
more positive than ever. The overwhelming arguments to which he never gave
utterance still seethed and surged in his mind. Mrs. Morgan and George,
who trusted Jeems without reserve, adopted his conclusions and walked in
his footprints. These simple folk were left to wander on amid the blinding
errors of Campbellism and, perhaps, go down to death deluded. The meeting
continued until it was deemed wise to close it. It was reckoned that 65
or 70 had been converted. Sixty of this number were approved for baptism
by a company of brethren authorized to act for the Thornton Baptist Church.
There was great caution in receiving persons for baptism and membership.
The aged minister kept before the audience the fact that Baptists believe
in a converted church membership. Among those received were many of the
staple citizens of Sterling. The day set for the baptizing was a bright
and beautiful day. An immense audience assembled to witness the burial
in baptism of the new converts. A hushed stillness prevailed in the audience.The
angels hovered
over
the scene. The Lord was present to approve and bless. There was song and
earnest prayer and reading of the Scriptures. Then the venerable minister
led the candidates down into the water and buried them with Christ in baptism.
As he came up out of the water with the last candidate, a stranger met
him at the water's edge and said: " See, here is water; what doth hinder
me to be baptized? "
The man of God paused and, fixing his eyes upon him, said: "I do not know
my friend; it may be there is nothing to hinder. If you have the scriptural
qualifications for baptism, I shall be happy to baptize you."
Stranger: "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
Minister: "That is good so far, my friend; the Jews did not believe it.
Have you turned away from sin and worldliness and believed in Jesus as
your personal Savior?"
Stranger: "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
Minister: "Yes; did you ever have a feeling akin to that of the Pentecostians
when pricked to the heart with gospel truth, they said: 'What shall we
do?'"
Stranger: "No, I never did."
Minister: "They were happy before they were baptized, for
they gladly received the word. Were you ever made happy,
my friend?"
Stranger: "No, I never was, but I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God."
Minister: "Yes, that is good; but did you ever feel like the Publican when
he smote his breast and cried, 'God be merciful to me, a sinner?'"
Stranger: "No, I never did."
Minister: "Did you ever feel like the jailer who, convinced of his wickedness,
tremblingly fell at the feet of God's ministers, brought them out and cried:
' Sirs, what must I do to be saved? "'
Stranger: "No, I never did."
Minister: "It is said, ' Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord
shall be saved .' Did you ever do that?
Stranger: "No, but I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and I
demand baptism at your hands."
Minister: "But you do not have the scriptural qualifications for baptism."
Stranger: "I believe what the Eunuch did and Philip baptized him."
Minister: "But that Eunuch was a devout praying man, a proselyte to Judaism
who had been all the way up to Jerusalem to worship. Your only reason for
demanding baptism is that you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I
suppose you always believed that. Let me see," and turning to a tall, fine-
looking gentleman who stood nearby, the minister inquired: "My friend,
are you a Christian?"
Gentleman: "No, sir."
Minister: "Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?"
'Gentleman: "Yes, sir; I am not conscious that I ever had a doubt of it."
Minister: "Do you love God? Do you love Christ?"
Gentleman: "I think not, for Christ says, 'If ye love me ye will keep my
commandments.'"
Minister: "That is correct." Then turning to the stranger:
"You see a man can believe all you do and have no love for God, or Christ,
or Christians. Yea, devils believe that Jesus is the Son of God and have
confessed it. Do you have a new love for God and Christ that prompts you
to ask baptism?"
Stranger: "I confess I feel about as I always have, but I thought it would
be a good thing for me to obey the Savior in baptism. I have always been
taught this is obedience and the one thing necessary to salvation."
Minister: "This is one act of obedience and only one. Many other things
are necessary. The Book says: " If any man be in Christ ..."
Stranger: "But how do we get into Christ? Are we not baptized into Christ?"
Minister: "Yes, formally. But really by creation. Paul says: ' We are
His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them .' ( Ephesians 2:10
) Baptism is one of the good works we do after creative power has put
us into Christ."
Stranger: "Can I not put myself into Christ, then?"
Minister: "No more than you can create a world and whirl it into the sublime
march of worlds. This is God's work and He alone can perform it. But let
me finish my quotation: ' If any man be in Christ he is a new creation:
old things are passed away; behold all things are become new .' ( II
Corinthians 5:17 ). Is this your experience? Is there anything new
in your heart, or in the world around you?"
Stranger: "I confess not."
"Minister: "My friend, you are not a Scriptural subject for baptism. The
Lord lead you to repent and savingly believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Then if thou wilt come we will be glad to receive you and baptize you."
There was profound silence and perfect attention while this interesting
colloquy was going on. The stranger and the audience seemed convinced he
lacked some things necessary to make him a Scriptural subject for baptism.
He turned away thoughtfully and strode off in silence as if he were alone
in the world. An arrow had reached his heart, and, like the wounded deer,
he sought some secluded place to weep and die. Though entirely unknown
to the venerable man of God, he was well known to many of the audience.
Some months after this he presented himself to the Baptist congregation
in Sterling and craved baptism again and membership with them. He had fought
against impressions made and convictions wrought in his heart at the baptism
mentioned above. But it was to no purpose. His mind was clouded, his heart
was sad, his conscience troubled him, his happiness was gone. After a long
and hard fight he yielded. His conquered soul cried out:
"I can hold out no more;
I sink by dying love compelled, And own Christ conqueror."
He told a genuine Christian experience, answered all questions satisfactorily,
and was gladly received for baptism and after that for membership. He was
very happy and proved to be one of the substantial members of the Baptist
church at Sterling. He always contended it was a great mercy he was not
baptized when he first demanded baptism, saying his mind accepted gospel
truth but his heart was unchanged and untouched; that he believed in Christianity,
but had not felt its power. He fears that many thousands get in as he tried
to get in, i. e., unconverted.
It was announced that the meeting would probably close that night and that
a sermon would be preached to the new converts.
The meeting resulted in the organization of a Baptist church of 70 members.
Mr. Clement, Mr. Tibbs and Brother Jones were chosen and set apart to the
deaconship. Arthur was chosen superintendent of the Sunday School. He acquitted
himself creditably. Mabel took charge of one of the ladies' classes in
the Sunday School and was an active member of the church every way. The
aged pastor at Thornton ministered acceptably to the church for one year,
after which Herbert was settled as pastor and preached with great zeal
and power for years. One of the favorite theories of the church was that
church members should be thoroughly indoctrinated and its members were
all well posted in Bible doctrines.
It is five years since occurred the foregoing events. In passing through
Sterling we come upon a very attractive home. We pause to look. Everything
is tastefully arranged. Beauty and elegance are crowded into the premises.
We enter the gate adorned with costly moulding. We pass up the paved walk
way. The yard is filled with flowers of the choicest classes. The green
soft sward sets off the banks of small flowers and the rich hues of the
many colored roses. The air is loaded with fragrance delicate to the smell.
Ornamental urns of exquisite mould bedeck the verdant yard. A few trees
promising shade stand here and there. How sweet must life be here! As we
draw nearer the house there is a sweet little child playing with toys on
the verandah. It is the picture of health and happiness. It is strange,
but have we not seen that face before? We look through the door ajar: There
sit two persons, the father and mother of the child. We see at half a glance
they are content in the light and love of home. No happier companions are
to be found in Sterling. Who are they? Reader, they are Arthur and Mabel.
THE
END
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