Backsliders called to repentance - hard to reclaim.

Pr. 14: 14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

Jer. 2: 19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

Hos. 6: 4 0 Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. 5 Therefore have

I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.

Zep. 1: 4 I will cut off the name of the Chemarims with the priests: 6 And them that are turned back from the LORD. Heb. 10: 38 The just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. [See 19.] 28. Backsliders called to repentance.

Jer. 3: 14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: 22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.

Hos. 10: 12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. 14: 1 0 Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. 2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.

Rev. 2: 4 I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.-3: 1 I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

29. Backsliders hard to reclaim need re-conversion.

Lk. 22: 31 The Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hatk

Backsliders sometimes repent-Mosaic baptisms.

desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Gal. 4: 19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you, 20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. [See 143, 166.]

30. Backsliders, when reclaimed, heartily repent and confess their sins.

Job 40: 3 Job answered the LORD, and said, 4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth. 5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

Ps. 102: 3 My days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. 4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. 6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. 7 ̊ I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house-top. [See 124, 356, 603.]

31. Mosaic wishings, &c.

BAPTISM.

Ex. 29: 4 Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with

water.

Lev. 8: 5 Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done. 6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.

Num. 8: 5 The LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.

Mk. 7: 2 When they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled (that is to say, with unwashen) hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they come from the market, except they wash [Gr. Baptisontai,] they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing [Gr. baptismous] of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and tables.

Lk. 11: 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed [Gr. ebaptisthe] before dinner.

Figurative baptism.

Heb. 9: 10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings [Gr. baptismois,] and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

32. Figurative cleansing, baptisms and circumcision.

Ps. 51: 2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Is. 4: 4 When the LORD shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion.

Mat. 3: 11 He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.- -20: 22 Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

Lk. 12: 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

Jn. 3: 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Ac. 1: 5 John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Rom. 2: 28 He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. - 6: 3 Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.

1 Cor. 10: 1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. -12: 13 By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit.

Gal. 3: 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.

Col. 2: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with

John's baptism-design of-nature of.

him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.

Tit. 3: 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

33. John's baptism, a token of repentance, inward purity, and preparation for Christ's advent.

Mal. 3: 1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me.

Mk. 1: 4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins.

Lk. 1: 17 He shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.- 3: 3 He came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins; 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. [Is. 40: 3.]

Jn. 1: 30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me; for he was before me. 31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

34. Was John's baptism in the name of the Holy Ghost?

Ac. 18: 24 A certain Jew, named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. 19: 1 And it came to pass, that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus; and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on

Baptism of Christ-Christian baptism-proper administrators.

Christ Jesus.

5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

35. Did Christ solicit baptism, to be introduced into the Aaronic priesthood, or to sanction the divine ordinance of John's baptism, and "be made manifest to Israel?"

Mat. 3: 13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Heb. 7: 11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. 13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

36. Christian baptism instituted, and enjoined upon believers.

Mat. 28: 18 Jesus came, and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

Mk. 16: 16 He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved but he that believeth not, shall be damned.

Ac. 2: 38 Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

10:

48 And he [Peter] commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.-22: 16 Why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

37. The proper administrators of Christian baptism.

Mat. 28: 19 Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Jn. 3: 22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples