CHRISTIAN EXPERIIENCE;
OR,
SINCERITY SEEKING THE WAY TO HEAVEN.
BEING A HISTORY OF THE CONVERSION OF AN INTER!ESTING
YOUNG MAN, AND HIS UNION WITH THE CHURCH.
DESIGNED FOR SUNDAY SCHOOLS, YOUNG
PEOPLE, AND ALL INQUIRING PERSONS.
CINCINNATI:
PUBLISHIED FOR TIlE AUTHI-OR BY E. MORGAN & CO.
1NO. l11 MAIN STREET.
1855.








CHRISTIAN  EXPERIENCE.
SINCERITY SEEKING THE WAY TO HEAVEN.
CHAPTER I.
SINCERITY, a young man of twenty-one years,
awoke one morning, and soliloquized with himself thus: "I have now arrived at manhood,
and feel surprised when I think that twenty-one
years of my life have fled, and I have not made
the first effort to seek God. I am astonished at
myself that I have lived this long without God,
and without hope. I will remain in this condition no longer. If there is a man in this town
who can show me the way to heaven, I will enter
upon it before the setting of another sun. I will
immediately cross the way to the residence of
Mr. H., the Presiding Elder of the M. E. Church,
an excellent man, who will readily show me
the way to heaven." In a few minutes our young
friend was rapping at the door of Mr. H. "Walk
in," responded from within. "Good morning,
Mr. S.," said the good man; "I trust I see you
well."  "Quite well, Mr. H., in body, but I




4             SINCERITY SEERING
have much concern of mind.  I am, sir, alarmed,
when I think that twenty-one years of my life
are gone, and I am not a Christian!  I have,
therefore, called upon you, as a friend, to show
me what I must do to be saved."
Honesty.  Do you desire that I should pray
for you?
Sincerity.  I am ignorant of the way of salvation. I desire you to point out what the Lord
requires me to do, that I may be saved. If it
is for you to pray for me, for me to pray for
myself, or anything else, I am ready to do it,
that I may find salvation.
-I. I will cheerfully pray for you, if you desire
it, or do anything else in my power for you.
S.  Thank you, sir; truly am I grateful for
your kindness.  You, no doubt, realize the importance of my pursuing the proper course. I
desire, above all things, to proceed according to
the will of -the Lord.  I would not, for worlds,
make any mistake where the salvation of my
soul is in danger.  If, therefore, the Lord
requires me to be prayed for, that I may obtain
the forgiveness of sins, I desire to do it.
II. I am truly rejoiced, my young friend, to
find that you are anxious to seek the Lord. The
Saviour says, "IHe who seeks shall find."  I




TIHE WAY TO IHIEAYEN 
trust, then, you will give up your whole heart,
and never cease seeking till you find rest to your
soul.
S. That is now my intention; but you are
aware that I am uninstructed, and do not know
where or how to seek the Lord. Knowing,
therefore, that you make it your business to
teach "those ignorant and out of the way," I
have, with the utmost confidence, come to you,
to show me what the Scriptures require me to
do, that I may obtain the forgiveness of sins.
H. I would advise you, my dear young friend,
to seek the Lord in prayer.  Give up your whole
heart to the Lord, and I trust he will have
mercy upon you. I would advise you to attend
our prayer-meetings and the class. These are
precious means of grace, through which thousands have been soundly converted to God.
S.  ~Mr. H., I have brought my Bible witll
me; and, if you please, turn down a leaf at the
place where these instructions may be found,
that I may read them when alone. I desire to
proceed according to Scripture.
H. I did not say that my advice was, in so
many words, Scripture; but, after many years'
reading and prayerful study, I give it to you as
Scriptural advice.




6            SINCERITY SEEKING
S. Of course there are Scriptures instructing
persons, in my condition, how to come to God,
from  which you deduced this advice.  Will
you mark some of the places, that I may consider them when in retirement?  You know
it is important that I should seek according
to Scripture.  I desire to proceed in such a
manner as to enable me to claim the promises
of God.
H. Yes, sir; but you need have no fears but
you proceed correctly; for prayer is so frequently
enjoined in Scripture, that you cannot fail to see
that it is right. Beside, the Scriptures say,
" Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall
be comforted."
S.  I have no doubt that prayer is right, for
I can recollect of reading of prayer in the Scriptures; but, not knowing where to find these passages, and especially where persons seeking the
salvation of their souls were commanded to pray,
or be prayed for, I desire you to turn down a
leaf at a few places. Is the passage you quoted,
"Blessed are they who mourn," etc., speaking
of conversion?
H. I cannot say it is; but, as you are what
we call, a "mourner," I thought the language
applicable in your case. As to prayer, the




THEE WAY TO HEAVEN.            7
Apostle says, "I will, therefore, that men pray
everywhere."
S. If that passage speaks of conversion, and
is intended for men in my condition, I desire
you to mark it here in my Bible. Was it
addressed to persons seeking the Lord as I am,
or Christians? I am desirous to have the
Scripture that relates to my condition.
H. You, my dear young friend, are a seeker,
and the Lord says, "I will be sought unto by
prayer."  Beside, you are a mourner, in anguish
on account of sin. It is right, therefore, that
you should seek the Lord in prayer.
S. No doubt you are correct. I have the
utmost confidence that you will give me the
proper instructions.  I have heard of great
numbers being converted in old times, but do not
know where in the Bible to find the account of
these cases. Will you, therefore, refer me to
some place where the people came to the
" mourner's bench," or the "altar of prayer," to
pray and be prayed for? I desire to be certain
that I am going according to Scripture.
I.. My dear sir, how can you have doubts
about prayer, when it is commanded in so many
places in Scripture?
S. I have no doubt about it, but I simply




8            SINCERITY SEEKING
desire you to point out some of those places
where we read of such great numbers being
converted, that I may read for myself where
such, great numbers were commanded to come
to the mourner's bench, or the altar of prayer,
to pray and be prayed for. I desire to read
these passages, because there are several things
about it that I do not understand..H. Perhaps you are unwilling to take my
word!
S. Certainly, my dear sir, I am willing to
take your word. If you tell me where I can
find these passages, I have no doubt I shall find
them as you say.
E. You seem to doubt, when I tell you that
it is your duty to seek the Lord in prayer, that
I am right, and, consequently, keep calling for
the Scriptures where prayer is required. I am
afraid you will not be converted soon, if you
continue to manifest such an unwillingness
to pray.
S. I trust, sir, you will have patience with
nim: I am aware that I am ignorant, but you are
able to enlighten me. Beside, I have not
doubted your veracity at all. I am desirous to
pray or do anything the Lord requires. But you
must perceive that it is of the utmost importance




THE WAY TO HEAVEN.            9
that, when seeking the salvation of my soul, I
should proceed according to the will of the Lord.
Now, while I do not doubt that you can and will
teach me correctly, and that it is my duty to
pray, there are several things in regard to it
that I consider it indispensable for me to know.
1. I desire to know who is commanded to pray
for me.
2. I desire to know whether there is any
promise that I shall be heard if I pray for myself.
3. I desire to know how often I should be
prayed for, before I have the promise of pardon.
It has occurred to me that I may be required
to do something else as well as pray, and I am
anxious to do my whole duty. Will you,therefore, point out to me those passages where such
great numbers are said to have been converted?
H. If you are not willing to use the means
of grace which I recommend, and which have
proved a blessing to so many thousand souls, I
fear, sir, that I cannot be of any service to you.
S. I am perfectly willing to use any means
of grace, and desirous to do so, required in the
Scriptur.es. But I am anxious to use the means
of grace according to Scripture.  Therefore, I
desire you to refer me to those Scriptures which
give us an account of so many thousands using




10          SINCERITY SEEKING
the means of grace, that I might proceed as
they did.
Ef. I presume, sir, you are acquainted with
our practice with those who seek salvation; and
if you believe in our way, and will go with us,
we will do you all the good and give you all the
assistance in our power; but if you have no
confidence in us, we can do you no good.
S. I have the utmost confidence in you;
but you have occasionally exhorted us to read
the Scriptures, and I cannot understand why
you refuse to refer me to those passages which
speak of the conversion of such vast numbers,
that I may read for myself where they were
commanded to pray and be prayed for, and
whatever else they were commanded to do, and
do the same. You believe they were converted
right, I presume?
H.  Certainly they were.
S. Please then, sir, refer me to the passages.
as I must now leave, that I may reflect upon
them till I see you again.
H. I would advise you to read the Psalms
of David, and attend our prayer-meeting on
next Thursday night.
S. I will do so. Good-by.




THE WAY TO HEAVEN.
CHAAPTER  It.
AccoRnDIN to promise, our young friend,
Sincerity, read the Psalms of David through,
and attended the prayer-meeting on Thursday
night following the time of the preceding conversation. In the place of the prayer-meeting,
(as Mir. Honesty, the Presiding Elder, had expected,) he found the church in the midst of a
protracted meeting. He said to himself, "I am
rejoiced to find such a meeting as this in progress, for I shall have the way to heaven clearly
pointed out to me." On entering the house he
was rejoiced to find Mr. H. in the pulpit, reading the following words, "He who seeks shall
find." "What precious words to me," said
young Sincerity to himself. "I will then seek
the Lord with all my heart."
Mr. H. divided his discourse as follows:
1. To show that it is the duty of all to seek.
2. That the way is plain.
3. That the promise is unequivocal-that all
who seek shall find.
Upon each of these heads he discoursed as
follows:
1. It is the duty of all to seek the Lord. This




1 2         SINCERITY SEEKING
is sustained by the clear language of Scripture'
"He hath made of one blood all nations of men,
to dwell on all the face of the earth, that they
should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel
after him and find him, though he be not far
from  every one of us."  Again: "I will be
sought unto by prayer." Thus we have shown,
from  God's written word, that all are commanded to seek the Lord.
2. The way is plain. This is proved by the
word of the Lord. The prophet says, "The
way is so plain, that the wayfaring men, though
fools, need not err therein." The gospel was
to be a lamp to our path, which shows that the
path was to be very plain. Thus you discover
lhe way is plain, so that man is left without
excuse.
3. The promise is unequivocal. "To him
who asks, it shall be given; to him who knocks,
it shall be opened; he who seeks shall find."
And again:" He who cometh to me I will in
nowise cast out."  "Now is the accepted time:
behold, now is the day of salvation." "Whosoever will, let him partake of the water of life
~rseely."
Having now proved from  God's written
word,



THE WAY TO HEAVEN.            13
1. That it is the duty of all to seek.
2. That the way is plain.
3. That the promise is unequivocal-that they
who seek shallfind-the duty of all is manifest.
What, then, must the perdition be of those
who refuse to seek God! Let me exhort you,
then, to haste, as for-life, to the altar of prayer,
and seek God while it is called to-day. Come,
now, all things are ready; come, and give us
your hand, and we will do you good.
At the conclusion an invitation was given, and
a number of persons rushed to the altar and fell
upon their knees. But our young friend, Sincerity, kept his seat in the middle of the house,
and showed, from his countenance, that deep
trouble was upon his heart. He sat still, apparently in deep meditation, during some two
hours, while the usual exercises of a mourner's
bench scene transpired, and, at the close, withdrew in great sadness. As he walked away, he
said to himself, "I am  afraid this matter of becoming a Christian is a dark subject.  The more
I think about it, the thicker the gloom. What
does it avail to hear a man argue that the tway
is plain, who does not show me this very plain
way?  I will go to the residence of Mr Honesty,
and have another conversation."  In a few




14           SINCERITY SEEKING
moments he raps at the door. "Walk in,"
responded from within. "Good evening, Mr. S.;
I am happy to see you, and was greatly rejoiced
to see you at our meeting to-night.  Have you
read the Psalms of David?" said Mr. H.
Sincerity. Yes, sir, and find them extremely
interesting, but could not find, as I expected,
the way pointed out for me to become a
Christian.
Honesty. I labored to point out that to you
in my discourse to-night, I hope I have satisfied
you in regard to that matter.
S. I am sorry to be compelled to say, Mr.
H., that you shed no light on the main difficulty with me. I was satisfied before that it
was mrn duty to seek God, and I had supposed,
as you contended, that the way was plain. But,
from all you have said, I could not see that
you pointed out any way to come.
H. Did you not see how those others came?
S. Yes, sir; I saw how they came to the
mourners' bench, but I did not see or hear any
Scripture, as I hoped to do, requiring them to
come in tlhat way. If you  had shown the
Scripture requiring  such  procedure, I was
ready, at any moment, to have done as they did.
But seeing these conme as they did, and observing




TEIE WAY TO HEAVEN.           15
the whole procedure, has involved my mind
in such perplexities that I know not what to do.
-H. I don't see anything to perplex you,
unless it is your own unbelief.
S. It may be unbelief, for anything I know,
but so it is. I am a miserable being, and hoped
that you might relieve me. I cannot rest in
this condition.
H. I cannot relieve you unless I know
your difficulty. I trust, however, it is the work
of conviction you feel; and, if so, I hope it may
progress to complete regeneration.
S. My difficulty is this: you argued that it
was the sinner's duty to seek: that the way
was plain; and that those who seek shall find.
A large number came forward seeking, and
inquired what they should do to be saved. I
anxiously listened to hear you tell them what
to do. I heard the directions you gave them,
and saw them do what you told them to do, in
every particular, as it appeared to me, with the
deepest anxiety. Am I not right? Did they
not seek according to your directions?
H. They did, and I think did right in so
doing. You should have done the same.
S. Well, sir, here is my difficulty. After
they had sought according to your directions;




16            SINCERITY SEEKING
had done all you directed, you lecollect that
you passed along among them, and inquired of
them  personally, after which you arose and
reported that not one of them had got religion!
Now, I could not understand this. It was their
duty to seek. You said the way was plain, and
insisted upon the unequivocal promise, "They
who seek shall find." These persons did seek,
but, you said, did notfind!  How is this?
H. Perhaps they may find peace to their
souls on to-morrow night.
S. My dear sir, am I in all this anxiety, and
are all those persons, in their deep and intense
solicitude, as I saw them to-night, to depend
on a "perhaps " for the salvation of the soul?
If this is where I am to be left, I am in a worse
condition than if I had never heard the gospel.
H. My young friend, you are entirely too
impatient.  I was a seeker six months before
the Lord spoke peace to my soul. I have known
many to seek for years, and not find peace with
God. In some instances I have known persons
to join on trial, and seek as high as ten, fifteen,
and, in some few instances, as high as twenty
years, without finding.
S. And yet you tell them the way is plain,
and they who seek shall find. Alas! for your




TIEN WAr TO HRAV NE.        17
plain wuay, and your Bible promises, if a man
may seek fifteen or twenty years and not find 
H. Young man, I see that you have no
adequate conception of Christianity.
S. No, sir, I perceive I have not, and what
is more mortifying than all, is that I am not
likely to have any adequate understanding of
the subject; for nothing but clouds of gloom
and darkness rise before me. Am I to have no
Scriptural directions to guide me? Is there no
way laid down in the Bible, by which I can
come to the Lord?
H. I do not say that you must seek as great
a length of time as some I have mentionedmany get through much sooner. You may get
through, in a week, two weeks, or six months.
You might get religion the first time you came
to the mourner's bench. You should not
despair nor become impatient.
S. But, my dear sir, if the way is so plain,
as you have represented, and we have the
promise that they who seek shallfind, how is it
that you suspend the whole matter in doubt,
saying, "I may get religion," on the first
application, the second, etc.? Is there no
definite place where I can come to the unequivocal promise of God?




X 8         SINCERITY SEEKING.  I have already shown you the promise;
and, if you have any faith, you cannot doubt
the Lord's promise; but you must wait for the
Lord's own good time.
S. Does not the Scripture say, "now is the
accepted time, and now is the day of salvation,"
some place? Does it not say, " To-day, if you
will hear his voice," etc.? Did not many thousands anciently come to the Lord in a single
day?
H. There are such passages as you refer to,
and many did come, and obtain peace with God
in a single day in olden times, but it is not
so0 now.
S. Why is it not so now? Who has
changed the order?
H. Times have changed. The Scripture
says-,  I —I —If you desire to go with us,
we will do all for you we can; but, with your
notions, I can do but little for you.
S.. I have no notions, know nothing about
what is right, but wish you would show me
how so many turned to the Lord in a day.
Good night.




THE WAY TO HEAVEN.           19
CHAPTER III.
AFTER the conversation with Mr. H. in the
previous chapter, our young friend, Sincerity,
retired to his sleeping apartment, but not to
sleep. He laid himself upon his bed, and
soliloquized with himself as follows:
"I see that I am awfully deluded. I had
supposed it was a very plain matter to become
a Christian, and, therefore, indifferently put off
this important work, till, in all probability, a
majority of my days are numbered. I am
perfectly astonished and overwhelmed to find
that now I am anxious to seek the salvation of
my soul, the whole matter appears involved in
obscurity. Is it possible that the salvation of
the world is wrapped- up in so much mystery
and obscurity as this?  Is it possible that a
learned ministry, called and sent of God to
preach the gospel, can throw no clearer light
upon the subject than my friend, Mr. H., has
given me? I supposed, when he advised me
to read the Psalms of David, that I should
there find the account of the conversion of those
vast multitudes of whom I had heard the
preachers speak so frequently, and how they




20          SINCERrITY SEERIIN
were converted, but, to my utter astonishment,
I found nothing in regard to these matters, nor
anything showing how I might become a disciple
of Christ. I am equally astonished, that now
I am resolved to read the Bible through, and
have read the five books of Moses, I have been
unable to find anything relating directly to
myself, or showing me the way to heaven. I
found these ancient records filled with matters
of great interest; but how am I to know the
way to heaven from these lengthy records of
antiquity?
"I am perfectly confounded, and know not
what to do. It is certainly true that I am a
sinner, and must be lost if I am not pardoned.
I am equally certain that Christ is the Lord
and Redeemer of men; and that he invites all to
come to him is equally true. Why is it, then,
that no way is pointed out by which to come?
Would the Lord invite men to come to him,
knowing that they would be lost if they did not
come, and yet point out no way to come? He
certainly would not. He could not do this, and
then declare the way so plain that "the wayfaring men, though simpletons, need not err
therein;" nor could he, if no way is pointed out,
say that "he who seeks shall find."  Why is




THE WAY TO HEAVEN.           21
it, then, that I cannot find the way? I certainly
could see the way if it had been pointed out to
me. I certainly desire to find the way, and
know  the truth. I cannot see, then, why I
should be left in this state of despondency.
"I cannot understand Mr. IH. He has always
appeared to me to be a good man, and I have
tried to treat him kindly. Yet he appeared to
speak once or twice, in our conversation, as
though he thought I was uncandid. I cannot
see why he should be unwilling to refer me to the
passages that speak of mourners coming forward
to pray and be prayed for. I recollect that he
would not refer me to the place where I could
find an account of the conversion of such vast
multitudes. It appeared to me rational, as I
desired to come to the Lord, to read the accounts
of such vast numbers coming, and see for myself
how they came. Why, then, did he evade, and
fail to point out to me those passages? He
certainly knew  where they were. I cannot
understand this."
Such were the meditations of Sincerity, after
his retirement. Early in the morning, Mr. H.
rapped at his door. "Good morning," said
Mr. H., " how do you do this morning?"
S. My general health is good, but I could not




22            SINCERITY SEEKING
rest last night. I am in much anxiety and
greatly confounded in regard to my salvation.
I was surprised and confounded, Mr. H., when
you failed to point out to me, from the Scriptures,
how I should come to the Lord. Can you, my
dear sir, give me the source to which I am to
apply for the evidence of pardon?
H. You must have the evidence of pardon
within.
S. How am I to know that it is within?
H. You must feel that your sins are
forgiven.
S. What kind of feelings must I have, as
an evidence of the pardon of sin?
H. Good feelings-joyful feelings, as a
matter of course. You must feel that your
load of guilt is gone, and that the Lord has
spoken peace to your soul.
S. And that is the evidence of pardon!
H. Yes, sir. When the Lord converted my
soul, it appeared to me that a mountain had
been taken off of me. It appeared to me that
all nature changed, and that all the trees, the
green fields, the fowls of heaven, and the fish
of the sea-that everything in heaven and upon
earth, praised God, and I was enabled to say,
"I know that my Redeemer lives," and that




THE WAY TO HEAVEN.           23
"Jesus has power on earth to forgive sins."
This, sir, is the evidence of pardon-the witness
in myself that I am a child of God.
S. What is the cause of your rejoicing?
H. Because I have got religion, thank God!
S. What is the evidence that you have got
religion?
h. My joyful feelings.
S. Is that the way that matter stands in the
Bible?
H.  My young friend, I am afraid you are
skeptical. It appears to me that you are inclined
to doubts. I would advise you to pray that you
may be delivered from unbelief. The religion I
have, of course, is Scriptural.
S. I may be skeptical, but I do not think I
am. At all events, I desire to believe and desire
to be a Christian. But I cannot see how you
make my inquiry, whether you make feeling the
result of religion, or religion the result of feeling,
an indication that I am skeptical. I simply desired to know whether feeling is the Scriptural
evidence of pardon.
H. My dear young friend, I must say to
you candidly, that I have, from our first conversation, feared that you are skeptical, but shall be
happy to find that you are not. But that




feeling is the evidence of pardon, is manifest
both from Scripture and reason. Seek the Lord,
that you may find the salvation of your soul,
and feel the power of pardoning love. I must
see those persons who came to the molurner's
bench last night, and see if they have found
peace with God. Come to meeting to-night.
Good-by.
While Sincerity was reflecting on this conversation, a Romanist came in, to whom he said,
"Where do you find Scripture to prove that the
priests can forgive sins?'
Romanist.  I do not ask for Scripture to
prove that the priests can forgive sins; I know
that the priests can forgive sins.
Sincerity.  How do you know it?
R.  How  do I know  that the priests can
forgive sins? why, sir, when I am ladened and
pressed down with my numerous sins, I go to
the priest and humbly confess-unbosom my
whole soul to him, and the holy father forgives
me. I know that I am pardoned, because I
feel that the great burden-my oppressive load
of guilt-is gone. I feel that I am delivered,
and return to my home happy.
S.  But where is the Scripture for that?
R.  What need have I for Scripture?  Don't




THE WAY TO IEAVEN.            25
I know when I am pardoned, when I feel that
my load of sin and guilt is gone?
After the Romanist had gone, our young
friend said to himself: "Is it possible that
Romanists have the same evidence of pardon
as other people? I am unable to understand,
how this is. Iffeeling is the evidence of pardon,
for anything I can see to the contrary, this
Romanist has proved that a priest can pardon
him, just as Mr. H. proved that the Lord pardoned him. Am I to have no evidence of
pardon only such as a Romanist may have to
prove that a priest can pardon him? Have
Protestants no higher evidence of pardon than
Romanists?  This involves me in worse confusion than ever! Am I blinded by unbelief, as
Mr. H. seems to think, or what is the matter?
I am perfectly astonished at the condition of religious matters.  My confusion becomes worse
and worse the more I think upon the subject."
Our young friend passed along up the street,
and heard a man preaching in an old, dilapidated
house, with some three small windows, and he
seated himself in the h6use.  It turned out to
be an Anti-Means Baptist, preaching upon the
words, "Whom He will, I-e hardeneth," to
an audience of about fifteen persons, several of




26           SINCERITY SEEKING
whom were soundly asleep. He was pretty
much through his discourse when Sincerity
entered. But in summing up his discourse, he
insisted "that God passed by the non-elect,
made no provision for them; that Christ did not
die for them; that the Lord hardened them,
blinded them, sent them strong delusions that
they could not, in any event, turn to God, or be
saved."
Sincerity walked away, saying to himself,
"Perhaps I am one of the non-elect and blinded.
I cannot think that I am hardened, or that I
am given over to believe a lie. If I know my
own heart, I desire to know and believe the
truth. I thought preachers were designed to
enlighten the world; but if they are, I cannot
understand them. I fear that I am lost!"
CHAPTER IV.
As ouR young friend returned home, after
hearing the Calvinist Baptist, he met with a
Universalist preacher in conversation with a lawyer of his acquaintance, a skeptic; when the
following conversation took place:




THE WAY TO HEAVEN.           27
Lawyer. Mr. S., what is the matter that you
are following the preachers up? Are you
about being deluded by the noise and pretenses
of religion?
Sincerity.  I am greatly distressed in regardA
to my salvation. I had supposed that religion
was a very plain matter, and that one could
become a Christian at any time; but the more
I think about it the greater my perplexity.
L. Yes, sir; and the more you try to understand it the more you will be perplexed. In
my younger days I was in the same condition
with yourself. I listened to the preachers
several years, but found that I could not understand them, that they disagree among themselves; and, having turned my attention to the
law, I have found something tangible, and that
can be acted upon, and have, therefore, concluded to leave my salvation to God. I will
try and look out for myself in this world, and
leave God to take care of me in the next, if
there be any.
S. I am inclined to think-indeed, I am
compelled to admit-that so far as my experi-.
ence goes, what you say about the preachers
appears to be the case. But then they are good
men certainly.




-218         SINCERITY SEEKING
L. I admit, freely, that they are good men.
Here is our neighbor H., the presiding Elder,
is a good and a self-sacrificing man. He spends
his whole time in preaching, and visiting the
members of his church, and, I think, only
receives some three hundred dollars a year for
his services, while I make a thousand a year
with far less labor. Yet I have listened to him
trying to point out the way of salvation, and I
could see no plan or system that any man of
sense could act upon, or, in other words, I could
see nothing tangible that I could take hold of.
Not only so, but I have seen numbers of sincere
persons come to him in the church, and inquire of
him what to do, and have heard him tell them to
pray and be prayed for, and have seen him pray
for them, and they would still go away mourning
and lamenting that they were not pardoned.
S. I have seen the same, and have had
several private conversations with Mr. H., in
which he failed to give me any satisfaction in
regard to the way of salvation; and, as you say,
it does appear to me that he had no plan. I
think that, though he is a good, an honest, and
a sincere man, he does not understand the gospel.
L. No, Mr. S., you do not apprehend the
difficulty. He is, as you say, a good, an honest




THE WAY T'O HIEAVN.           29
and sincere man, but he is deluded, and the
preachers are all in the same predicament.
None of them  understand; and the reason is,
religion is all a delusion; it has no understanding
to it.
S. If I thought all the preachers were as
incapable of giving light as Mr. H., I should be
even more miserable than I am.  But it is
mortifying and discouraging to me to hear you
ascribe the blame to religion itself. My impression is, that the fault is in the incompetency of
some men to set forth Christianity, and not in
the obscurity in religion itself.
L. There is where you are mistaken; the
fault is not in the men, but in religion. If you
desire to obtain relief from your d~espondency,
you had better drive this gloomy subject from
your mind. Turn your attention to your business, and try to take care of yourself, for if you
do not take care of yourself, nobody will do it
for you. Come over the way and let us get
something to take, and not allow ourselves to
fall into gloomy despondency.
fUniversalist.  Mr. L., I think you have passed
but a poor compliment upon religion and ministers.  If you will allow me to explain toyou
the blessed gospel of God's universal paternity,




30           SINCERITY SEEKING
I can show how you can find comfort to your
mind, and how our mutual friend, Sincerity,
may find relief from all his troubles. I see
what it is, Mr. L., that has driven you, and will
drive you, Mr. S., into unbelief, if you are not
relieved. It is the Pagan notion of "everlasting
punishment" —'eternal damnation."  If you
once understood the blessed doctrine of a world's
salvation, your mind would be at rest.
S. Your idea is then, if I understand you,
that the source of my distress is in a misapprehension of mind, and not in any real danger.
U. I think, sir, that you are actually in a
dangerous condition, but the danger is not what
you fear. The only thing that will afford you
relief is the blessed  doctrine of a world's
salvation.
S. You consider then that I am really safe,
if I only knew it, and all that is necessary is to
show me and our friend here, Mr. L., that we
are in no danger, to make us happy.
U. Yes, sir; that is, there is no danger of
any  "eternal  damnation,"  or "'everlasting
punishment," as the orthodox teach.
L. Did you say, sir, that the orthodox
doctrine of "eternal damnation" and "everlasting punishment" is a "Pagan notion?"




THE WAY TO HEAVEN.          31
7:  Yes, sir, I did, and can prove it.
L. Well, then, sir, Jesus taught "Pagan
notions," for he used this identical language.
He spoke of persons whom he declared to be in
danger of "eternal damnation," and others
whom he declared should go into "everlasting
punishment."  This is the teaching of your
Master, and this you call "Pagan notions."
Is this the respect you show to the teachings of
Jesus?:. These passages do not mean that —the
fact is
L. The fact is, you do not believe your Bible any more than I do, nor do you any more
honor Jesus. He says, "He who believeth not
the Son, shall not see life."  Do you believe
this?
U. That passage means-I-I-I can prove
that all shall see life, and —--
L. And, as a matter of course, that your
Master did not tell the truth when He said,
"'He that believeth not the Son shall not seelife." How is this?
U. I can prove-I can show-the Bible
saysL. The Bible says, that you " strengthen the
hands of the wicked that he should not return




3~2,SINCERITY SEEKIING
from his wicked way, bypromising him bife." Still
you will dishonor the Bible in promising the
wicked life, and strengthen the hands of the
wicked that he should not return from his wicked
way, will you?
U. That means-I hold-I-I-I-if I talk
any more it shall be with a man who has some
sense, and not with you, sir.  Good-by.
L. You may have some sense, but there is
no sense in your doctrine. Friend Sincerity, let
me say to you, before we separate, that this
kind of treatment from preachers has convinced
me that religion is all a delusion. None of their
doctrine is true.  As I said before, I shall try
and take care of myself in this world, and trust
to God to take care of me hereafter. I must go.
Good-by.
Sincerity walked along homeward, ruminating
in his mind as follows:  " My trouble increases
upon me every day. In the place of finding
any relief, new difficulties rise before me. These
unfortunate men with whom I have been conversing have not one ray of light.  If there is
nothing better than they can present, the world
is lost. Is it possible that people in general
have no better understanding in regard to these
matters than those with whom I have conversed?




THir WAY tO UAVSEN           33
I am perfectly confounded! (Jan it be that Mr.
L. is right, and that religion is all a delusion?
I hope he is not, for then all must be darkness
and gloom. In this case, we must live in uncertainty, and die in doubt. The thought of giving
up all hope of finding any better instruction is
insupportable. I cannot endure it. I will go
home and read my Bible through, at all events.
I am wretched now, and certainly should be
miserable to die in this condition. I have now
found four classes of men, and neither of them
have afforded me the least satisfaction.
1. Mr. H. insists upon the necessity of seeking
the Lord. In this, he has satisfied me, that he
is right; but he has shown me no directions
from the Bible, pointing me the way to the Lord.
2. The Calvinist Baptist insists that I can do
nothing, and that if I am of the non-elect, I
never can come to the Lord, no matter how I
seek. This I do not believe, for the Lord
would not require me to seek him, knowing that
I could do nothing.
3. My neighbor, the lawyer, has become
disgusted with the whole matter, and has
resolved to engross his mind with the affairs of
the world, and leave the result with God,
believing that religion is all a delusion.
2




VT4.          83[SI'NCERITY SEEKING
4. As to this Universalist preacher, he is
trying to satisfy his own mind, and the minds
of others, with the notion that man is safe without any conversion, for there is no danger of
being lost, as there is no hell or lake of fire.
But this most ridiculous, absurd, and blasphemous doctrine gives the lie to the whole Bible,
for its whole spirit is, "'except ye repent, ye
shball perish."
In my opinion, these latter three doctrines,
if they are doctrines, are useless, as neither proposes to make the world any better, or do anything- for the world.  I could see propriety in
the position of Mr. H., if he could show what the
Scriptures require me to do.  But I must read
my Bible through, and see if I can find nothing
better.
C H A P T E   V.
OUR young friend was passing up Clinton
street, Cincinnati, between Western Row and
John streets, and he saw a Methodist minister,
accompanied by some ten or a dozen persons,
entering the basement of the chapel belonging




TIHE WAY TO HEAVEN.          35
to the "lChristians," or "Disciples of Christ,"
as they call themselves, their regular preacher
being present. Here a new subject presented
itself to the consideration of young Sincerity.
The little company approached the Baptistery,
the lids of which were folded back out of the
way, and all eyes were directed down into an
emblematical tomb, some ten feet in length, and
four feet lonog. The water was some two and a
half or three feet in depth. All stood in profound silence, with their eyes fixed upon this
solemn-looking place. Presently the Methodist
minister, and two respectable ladies, all dressed
in black, with countenances solemn as the
grave, made their appearance near this lowly
tomb, where the minister made the following
address:
" Dearly beloved, forasmuch as all men are
conceived and born in sin, (and that which is
born of the flesh is flesh; and they that are in the
flesh cannot please God, but live in sin, committing many actual transgressions;) and that our
Saviour, Christ, saith, None can enter into the
kingdom of God, except he be regenerated, and
born anew of water and the Holy Ghost, and received into Christ's holy church, and be made
lively members of the same." —Dis., p. 107.




36           SINCERITY SEEKING
The minister then made the following prayer:
A" Almighty and immortal God, the aid of all
that need, the helper of all that flee to thee for
succor, the life of them that believe, and the resurrection of the dead, we call upon thee for these
persons, that they, coming to thy holy baptism,
may receive remission of their sins, by spiritual
regeneration. Receive them, 0 Lord, as thou
hast promised by thy well-beloved Son, saying,
Ask, and you shall receive; seek and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
so give now unto us that ask, let us that seek find,
open the gate unto us that knock, that these
persons may enjoy the everlasting benediction of
thy heavenly washing, and may come to the
eternal kingdom which thou hast promised by
Christ our Lord. Amen."-Dis., p. 107.
He then descended, with one of the ladies, into
the baptismal water, and lifting his eyes and
hands toward heaven, uttered in a strong, clear,
and solemn voice, the following most fearful and
awful of all the formulas ever uttered by human
lips: "I baptize you into the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
As he uttered this profoundly awful sentence,
with the little company standing round, and
breathing almost suspended, he lowered the




THE WAY TO HEAVEN.            37
candidate gently down, till the' waters closed
above, tlhus separating her from  the visible
world. In the next moment, she appeared
again, as the waters parted from above her, in
the form of a resurrection from the dead, and
an actual resurrection to a new life, and she was
joyfully received by those standing by. The
other lady passed through the same sacred
ceremony. The minister then ascended the
steps, or, as the Scripture expresses it, " came
up out of the water," and lifting his hands and
eyes toward heaven, said, " May grace, mercy,
and peace, from God, the Father, and our Lord
Jesus Christ, be with us all-now, henceforth,
and forevermore.  Amen."
The minister walked away, apparently as if
conscious of having done his duty.  Sincerity
stood by trembling, and the tears imperceptibly
trinkling down his manly cheeks. As he walked
away, he said to himself: "I thought Methodists did not believe in immersion! But this
man seemed sincere in what he did-how is
this? Beside, I have never witnessed any religious ceremonies that produced such an effect
upon my own sensibilities as this.  Possibly it is
my duty to be baptized! I certainly should
delight to do so, if I understood the matter, and




38           SINCERITY SEE KING
thought myself prepared. I will see my friend,
Mr.H., once more, and have a conversation with
him on baptism."
In a few minutes he was in the studio of Mr.
H., when the following conversation took place;
H. Well, Mr. S., have you become any
better reconciled in your mind?
S. No, sir; I am as much perplexed and
confused as I have been at any former period.
I have had several conversations, and heard
some preaching, since I saw you, but all without affording me the least relief. Did you know
of the baptizing by the Methodist preacher in
charge on.       street, in the baptistery of the
Campbellite church, on Clinton street, this
morning?
H. Yes, sir; I know all about it. Were
you present?
S.  Yes, sir; it was a solemn and interesting scene.
H. The facts in the case are these: There
were quite a number who joined our church,
as you are aware, and, as our Discipline requires all to be baptized before they are received
into full fellowship, it devolved upon myself to
preach a sermon on baptism.  This I did, and
satisfied all, except the two that you saw dipped




THE WAY TO HEAVEN.          39
this morning, that sprinkling would do, and
administered the ordinance to them in that way.
But nothing would do these two, but they must
be dipped; and, as my health is delicate, I cannot endure the least exposure to wet without
imminent danger of violent cold, probably terminating in consumption, I would not consent to
go into the water, at such a time as this, to
gratify the weakness of anybody. The truth is,
baptism is not a saving ordinance any how.
S. I am surprised to hear you say that, for
your preaching brother told us this morning that
our Saviour says that "None can enter into the
kingdom of God except he be regenerated, and
born anew of water and the Holy Ghost," and
exhorted those present to call upon God to
" Grant the persons to be baptized that which
by nature they cannot have." He also prayed
that they might receive remission of their sins,
and that the Lord would receive them, from
which, I thought, he regarded it as a saving
ordinance.
H. You must have misunderstood him-he
did not mean that.
S. But he had your book of Discipline in
his hand, and I understood him to be uttering
the precise words of the Discipline.




40          sSINCERITY SEEING
i. You do not understand this matter. We
do not believe that baptism is essential.
S. Is it true, as your preaching brother said
this morning, that our Saviour says that "None
can enter into the kingdom of God, except he
be born of water and the Holy Ghost?"
B.  Certainly it is; it is so stated in our
Discipline.
S. How can any be saved without it, then?
If none can enter the kingdom of God without
being "born of water and the Holy Ghost,"
and being born of water is baptism, as you
admit your Discipline implies, how can any be
saved without it?  Can they be saved without
entering into the kingdom of God?
H. None can enter- none can enter-the
kingdom of God there means-the fact is, the
mode is not revealed.
S. Am I to understand you, that the manner in which baptism is to be administered is
not revealed?
H. Yes, sir; no man can show from  the
Bible that any mode is revealed.
S. If it is not revealed how a thing is to
be done, how is a person to lnow how to do it?
or how can any man living know whether it is
done at all or not?




THE WAY TO HIAVEEN.           41
H. I regard it as valid when performed
either way, by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion.
S.  But, my dear sir, if the manner of
obeying the command to be baptized is not
revealed, it is wholly in the dark, and there is
no evidence that either sprinkling, pouring, or
immersion is baptism.
H.  I can prove sprinkling from Scripture.
It says, "I will sprinkle many nations."
S. I thought you said the mode is not revealed! If it is not revealed, how can you
prove it to be sprinkling?
H.  I am, sir, afraid your condition is lamentable. I fear you will turn into skepticism.
You produce nothing but difficulties.  The
mode of baptism is plainly taught in the baptism  of the Holy Ghost.  The Lord said, "I
will pour out my spirit."  This proves that
pouring is the mode."
S.  Mr. H., I hope I shall not become a
skeptic; but if I cannot find something  more
consistent, and that I can understand better
than what you have taught, I do not know
where I shall land.  You first tell me, of baptism, that no mode is revealed; then, in the
next moment, you are trying to prove that




42           SINCERITY SEEKING
sprinkling is baptism.  Then, again, you are
trying to prove pouring.  In the place of no
mode being revealed, you would have me believe that two or three modes are revealed!
As our young friend walked away, he said to
himself: " Is this the way ministers are enlightening the world?  Is there nothing in religion that I can understand? If there is no
clearer light than this, I am a miserable man?"
CHAPTER VI.
OuR young friend, Sincerity, shortly after his
late conversation with Mr. H., was at a funeral,
and, being detained by the failure of the under.
taker to arrive in time, his attention was attracted by the conversation of a very grave,
dignified, and thoughtful lady, in appearance,
who sat near him, and directed her discourse to
some ladies at her side. He soon found that
her remarks were of a religious character, and
of course was deeply interested in them.  But
he could not discover what religious party this
venerable lady was of; yet he was struck with
the sense and propriety of what she said. For




THE WAY TO HEAVEN.            43
the present, we shall call this distinguished and
interesting lady Priscilla.  When the conversation had terminated between her and those to
whom she directed her remarks, our young
friend approached hler as follows:
Sincerity.  May I ask you, madam, to what
denomination you belong?
Priscilla.  The Church of Christ, sir.
S. I supposed you belonged to the Church
of Christ; but what branch?
P.  I do not belong to a Branch, my good
sir, but am a branch myself. The Saviour said
to his disciples, " I am  the vine, ye are the
branches."  I trust, sir, that I am. one of these
branches, or a member of Christ's body-the
church.
S.- Well, but what do you and your brethren call yourselves?
P.  Christians, sir; Disciples of Christ.
S.  Nothing else?
P.  Sometimes we call the members of the
church  "brethren," " friends," " children of
God," "saints," etc., as they did in ancient
times. We apply to ourselves none but Scrip.
ture designations.
S.  Why, I am astonished!  How do you
distinguish yourselves from others?




44            SINCERITY SEEKING
P.  We do not wish to distinguish ourselves
from others who are satisfied with the simple
designations by which the people of God are
called in the Scriptures. But those who are
not satisfied with Scripture designations for the
children of God, by calling themselves by other
names, distinguish themselves from  us.  There
is, therefore, a distinction kept up where there
is a difference, and that is as far as there should
be any distinction.
S.  Well, this is a new idea to me.  You
say that you simply apply to yourselves Scripture names, as you find them in the Bible?
P. No, sir, not exactly as we find them in
the Bible, as we find them  in the.New Testament. We are not Jews, but Christians; not
under Moses, but Jesus; not under the law,
but the gospel; not under the letter, but the
spirit.
S.  If I understand, then, you call yourselves
Christians,: Disciples, etc., as the followers of
Christ did in New Testament times, and nothing
else.  Am I right?
P. Yes, sir. Is not that sufficient? If
you were about to die, and knew yourself to
be a Christian, a Disciple of Christ, etc., would
you not be satisfied?




THE WAY TO HEYAVEN.           46
S. I must confess that I would. That is
precisely what I have been desiring to know
and inquiring into for weeks. What doctrine do
you hold, madam?
P.  The doctrine of Christ, or Christianity.
S. Nothing else?
P. No, sir, nothing else.  The Lord has
given nothing else. We need nothing else.
Not only so, but the Lord has pronounced a
curse upon man or angel who shall preach anything else, or even pervert the gospel of Christ.
Are you not satisfied to receive Christianitypure and unadulterated Christianity, as the
Lord gave it, and nothing else?
S. Yes, if I knew how to receive Christianity as God gave it, and nothing else, and
how to become a Christian, or a disciple of
Christ, as you seem to think one may, it would
be a relief to me worth more than worlds.  But
this is where my trouble lies.  I have had
several conversations with Mr. H., but find it
utterly impossible for me to understand him.
Iec thinks I am blinded by unbelief. I confess
I am blinded by some means; I do not understand.
P. My dear sir, I have not an unkind
feeling toward Mr. H., or a hard word to say




46            fINCERITY SEEKING
of him.  He is evidently a kind-hearted man,
and is just about sufficiently enlightened  to
conduct a mourner's bench excitement, without Scripture or understanding, but he is as
ignorant as a new-born infant of the Bible plan
of salvation, and what is worse in his case than
that of an infant, he is so blinded by bigotry,
sectarian partisan zeal and self-conceit, that
there is even less hope of his ever being enlightened than an infant. The reason you could
not understand him  was that he presented
nothing tangible that your mind could take
bold of.
S.  That is what my fiiend, the lawyer, told
me in a conversation the other day, but he said
the fault was in religion-that there is no understanding it.
P.  I am acquainted with your friend, the
gentleman of the legal profession, and consider
him an honorable man of the world, but he has
been confused with sectarian difficulties and
absurdities, and is now a skeptic. But this want
of intelligibility is not in religion itself, but in the
confused minds of men, who have never learned
to take hold of religion at its beginning.
S. Madam, will you tell me what its beginning is?




THa WAY TO HlEAVEN.         47
P. Its beginning and ending is the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. He is
revealed to the unconverted and unbelieving
world in the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John. Hence John says, "These things
are written that you might believe."  When
the inquirer has examined these divine testimonies concerning Christ, and believes on Him
as a divine person, the Saviour and Redeemer,
it leads him to inquire what he shall do to be
saved.
S. Allow me to say, madam, that that is
precisely where I am now standing. I believe
in the Saviour with all my heart, and love Him,
but cannot find how I am to come to Him.
P. You are then prepared to proceed to the
second division of the New Testament, the Acts
of Apostles, and read the inspired accounts of the
numerous cases of conversion there recorded,
that you may proceed in the same way they
did, to obtain pardon and admission into the
kingdom of God.
S. That is precisely the part of the Bible I
desired to find, but Mr. H. evaded and did not
point it out to me. I was at the protracted
meeting, held by Mr. H., and saw a number of
persons come forward to pray and be prayed




48           8INCERITY SEERINO
for, and requested him to point out to me where
the Scriptures mention such  vast numbers
turning to the Lord, that I might read for myself,
and learn precisely what they were required to
do; but, for some cause, he did not point out
the place to me.  Did you say I would find
this in the Acts of the Apostles?
P. Yes, sir: you will there find the account
of all the conversions recorded in the Scriptures.
But you will find nothing there, or any place
in the Bible, about coming to the mourner's
bench to pray and be prayed for. There was
no such procedure in the Apostles' times.
S. What then were they required to do?
P. You will find, Acts ii, 38, where a vast
number inquired what they should do, and where
the inspired Apostles answered them. Read
the case for yourself and the whole book of
Acts through, against 1 see you again, and you
can tell yourself what they were required to do
as well as any preacher in this city.




THr  WAY TO 1EAVEN.          49
CHAPTE   VI I.
Our young friend, Sincerity, after his conversation at the funeral with  ifrs. Priscilla,
returned to his room, and read the Acts of the
Apostles through once every day for a week.
Just as he had closed his seventh reading. the
Presiding Elder, Mr. H., rapped at his door,
and was soon seated with our young friend, by
his pleasant fire. After the usual compliments,
the following conversaition ensued:
R. Have you become any betterreconciled in
your mind in regard to the salvation of your soul?
S. Yes, sir; I have had a conversation with
Mrs Priscilla, andH.  And she is about to make a Campbellite
of you, is she?
S. No, sir: she said nothing about making
a Campbellite, or any other kind of an ite; but
she gave me more satisfaction about becoming
a Christian than all the other instructors I have
had.
H. I know her; she knows nothing about
religion; she is a woman I cannot endure. Did
she tell you that you would have to be dipPed,
or you could not be saved?




60          SINCERITY SEEKING
S. No, sir; she said nothing about being
"dipped," as you call it.
H. Well, that is surprising; she generally
makes immersion the great essential, and contends that unless persons are immersed they
cannot be saved.
S. She did not mention immersion to me;
and I think you are entirely too hasty thus to
prejudge her.
H. I have no patience with such women.
It is ridiculous for them to set up and discuss
doctrinal matters.
S. I never saw the lady before, but she
appeared unassuming, and certainly showed an
intimate acquaintance with the Scriptures.
H. I have seen such folks before, and found
that, though they showed an intimate acquaintance with the Scriptures, they knew nothing
about religion.
S. Do not the Scriptures treat of religion?
and if they do, how can a person have an intimate acquaintance with them and know nothing
about religion?
H. A person may understand the Scriptures
-a person may know-the truth is —what did
Mrs. Priscilla say that afforded you so much
satisfaction?




THE WAY TO HEAVEN.           51
S. I cannot now repeat over all she said,
but the main item from which I have derived
satisfaction was the simple direction, where in
the Bible I could find an account of conversions, and how sinners were converted.
Hf. She told you to read the second chapter
of Acts, I will vouch for; did she not?
S. She told me to read the whole of Acts
through, and see for myself what the Apostles
preached, andH.  I know her deception; do not let her
deceive you with any of her novel notions.
S.  It cannot be possible that she was trying
to deceive me, unless the Bible itself will deceive,
for she showed me where to read and learn for
myself. She claimed to be nothing but a
Christian; to belong to no church but the Church
of Christ, and did not attempt to explain to me,
but advised me to read for myself.
1E. All that is quite specious; it is plausible
enough, and well calculated to deceive the unsuspecting. But she did not come out fully.
I have heard her preacher deliver some discourses that were unexceptionable, but it was
at times when he did not come out fully.
S. Well, sir, I cannot see how there can be
any deception in her course. She instructed




SINCERITY SEEKING
me to read the sermons of the Apostles; believe
what they preached, precisely as those to whom
they preached did; and when I came to where
persons inquired what they must do to be saved,
under the preaching of the Apostles, I must
notice what they were directed to do, how they
did it, and do the same for the same purpose..H. I say, sir, it is all deception, and its
great plausibility is calculated to delude and
ruin men, and —---
S. There is Mlrs. Priscilla now, passing
through the hall; I will invite her in, and have
you explain this matter. iMrs. Priscilla, please
walk in. My friend, Mr. H., has given me a
friendly call, and I have been relating our conversation to him, and wish to hear him and
yourself converse upon the subject of our conversation at the funeral the other day.
H.  Madam, you are aware that I am  no
friend to controversy.
P. I presume so, sir, and I do not set myself
up as competent to discuss doctrinal points with
a gentleman who has made religion the study
of his life.
S. I was telling my friend, Mr. H., of your
recommendation for me to read the Acts of
Apostles through, which I have done seven




THEI WAY TO HEAVEN.          63
times over since I saw you, with great satisfaction. But lie thinks your instructions are
deceptive.
P.  Mi'. H., do you not believe that the
same doctrine the Apostles preached should be
preached now?
If. Undoubtedly it should.
P.  Should it not have the same effect?
HI.  Most assuredly it should.
P.  Where the same doctrine is preached,
and the same effect is produced, will not people
now, as they did then, cry out, "Men and
brethren, what shall we do?"
H.  Most certainlv, and many have cried out
the same way during our great revival.
P. Should not the same answer given in
such cases by the Apostles be given now to inquirers?
-I. They should be answered —I should tell
them-the Scripture says —the fact is, I am not
bound to answer your questions.
P.  No, sir, but you are bound, as a gentleman, but more especially as a Chzristian, if you
allege that I am a deceiver, to show wherein.
You have granted  that what the Apostles
preached should be preached now; that what
the first converts believed should be believed




64            SINCERITY SEEKING
now; that it should have the same effect upon
the heart now it did then, inducing the people
-to cry out, "' IMen and brethren, what shall we
do?"  But when I ask you if the same answer
should not be given to the inquiry now as given
to it then, you say you are not bound to answer;
but still allege that I am a deceiver. Am I
deceiving when I insist on following the exact
teachings of the Apostles?
fi. I do not mean that you designedly
deceive.
P. How can I be deceiving at all, either
intentionally or unintentionally, when I insist on
believing all the Apostles preached, doing
exactly what they commanded, for the same
purpose, that precisely the same effect may be
produced, and that the subject may have the
same enjoyments? I simply desire everything
as God gave it; nothing more, nothing less.
Is this deceiving?
H. Madam, I cannot subscribe to your
views; they are disastrou's to vital piety.
P.  I did not ask you to subscribe to my
views, but desire you to show how it could
deceive any person, to be directed to the first
teachings and practice of the Apostles after the
Lord ascended to heaven, to learn how persons




THE WAY TO HE.AVEN.         56
were converted, and insist on their being converted in the same way now. Do you believe.
those converted on the day of Pentecost were
converted right?
HI. I believe —I hold-I hold-the Scripture says, "Let every man be fully persuaded
in his own mind."
P. That is, if one man is persuaded to be a
Mormon, another a Universalist, another a
Romanist, etc., it is all right, is it?
H.  Madam, you have a peculiar method of
turning everything your own way. That passage, you must know, can have no such signification as that.
P. No, sir, nor does it have any such signification as you have given it, nor has it any
reference to the conversion of sinners, but it has
reference to things pertaining to our practice,
wherein we are entirely free, or where there is
no law binding in any way, as in reference to
eating meat, where we are left entirely free to
eat or not, as we may be persuaded in our own
minds. But, sir, did Peter answer the three
thousand on the day of Pentecost rightly, when
they cried out, "What shall we do?"
H.  Mrs. P., why do you ask that question?
You know that we do not hold alike, and you




56          fiINCOERITY SEEKING
can have your own opinion, and allow me to
have mine.
P. It is not a question of opinion, or whether
we hold alike; but did the inspired Apostle
answer rightly?
H. I tell you, madam, we cannot see alike.
S. Mr's. P., I have read the Acts of the
Apostles through seven times since I saw you,
and I am satisfied that Peter answered correctly
on the day of Pentecost, for he "preached the
gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down fiom
heaven, which things the angels desire to look
into." I have been for weeks making inquiry
what I should do to be saved; but I now believe
all the Apostles preached, and am determined
to do what they commanded.
H. I saw from the beginning that you would
have your own way. Good-by.
S. I intended to have the Lord's way, if it
was to be found, and, having now found it, I
am determined to walk in it.




THE WAY TO HEAVEN.           57
CHAPTER VIII.
A SHORT time after the foregoing interview,
Sincerity called to have another conversation
with Mris. Priscilla, which resulted in the following:
Sincerity. I understood you to say that in
the Acts of the Apostles we have the only
historical accounts of conversions to Christianity
found in the whole Bible. Am I right?
Priscilla. You are right, when the statement
is properly qualified. The Acts of the Apostles
contains all the accounts of conversions to
Christianity after the Christian institution was
complete, and the full gospel, in fact, was
preached.
S. Let me interrupt you. What do you
mean by the gospel being preached "in fact?"
P. I find a distinction made in the Bible
between the gospel preached in promise and
the gospel preached in fact. The gospel may
be preached in promise and be believed in
promise, without being understood. Paul says,
Gal. iii, 8, that "The gospel was preached to
Abraham, saying, In thee and thy seed shall
all nations be blessed." This was the whole




$68          SINGCX RRITY SEEKING
gospel, concentrated in a promise-the promise
that God made to Abraham. But Paul defines
the gospel, 1 Cor. xv, 3, to be "that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures."  The
language of the Almighty to Abraham  is a
promise. The death of Christ is the accomplishment of that promise infact.  The gospel
in promise is the promise of Clhrist, and the
gospel in him, many centuries before He came,
but the gospel in fact is the death of Christ
according to the Scriptures, and the full gospel
developed through him, as Paul expresses it,
"made manifest among all nations for the
obedience of faith." In other words, the
promise to Abraham  preached the gospel prospectively, or as something good to come; but
the Apostles, after the resurrection of Christ,
preached it in fact, or as something  good that
had come.
All the good things which God had in store
for the ages to come, or all included in the new
institutions, were embraced in the promise to
Abraham, but hid from the world —even from
the wise and prudent, and revealed to babesthe Apostles, that they might preach to the
nations the unsearchable riches of Christ.  The
whole history of the Bible-the dealings of God




THu WAY TO tIEAVEN.          69
with the patriarchs, with the prophets, with the
seed of Abraham, with all nations, and all the
promises, are clearly seen to be from the one
same. omnicient Ruler of the universe, all tending forward and pointing to the one great
fact-the death of Christ. All the prophecies,
all the promises, and all the revelations of God
to man, concentrate upon the person of Christ.
His death for our sins,- his burial and resurrection from the dead, according to the Scriptures,
for our justification, may be regarded as the
center of the whole spiritual system. God has
now exalted him to heaven, and demands the
attention of the world to him, declaring that to
him every knee shall bow, and every tongue
confess.
S.  Allow me again to interrupt you in your
interesting remarks. I am delighted with Christianity; it honors our Saviour. But I am surprised on reading the Acts of Apostles to find
that they did not explain their views to their
converts before baptizing them, nor do I find
where any related their experiences or gave
their views of the gospel.
P. I was going on to set that matter forth
when you stopped me. As Christ and all
Christianity were included in the promise to




60           SINCERITY SEEKING
Abraham, so Christ and all Christianity are
included in thefact that he died for our sins
according to the Scriptures. Therefore, he
who anciently received the promise received
Christ; so he now who receives the fact, receives
Christ and all that is contained in him. The
Old Testament and the New center in him.
God is in him. Heaven is in him. All the
blessings that God bestows upon his children in
this world are in him. The whole Christian
revelation concentrates itself in him.
S. I can see now what is meant by "preaching Christ," as mentioned in Scripture. It includes all that he authorizes.
P.  Precisely so; and on the other hand,
when Paul determined to "know nothing but
Christ, and him crucified," he determined to
know nothing except what Christ authorizes.
Hence, receiving Christ is receiving all that he
teaches, and rejecting him is rejecting all his
teachings.
S. In that view of the subject I can see how
people were converted immediately on hearing
the gospel.  They did not wait to understand
the whole system, but simply received the
Author of it, being assured that he was a divine
person, and could teach nothing wrong.




THE WAY TO HEAVEN.           61
P.  Yes, sir; and having such love for him
and attachment to him, as to receive him with
the determination to receive all he has revealed.
The first converts of the Apostles were not converts to a long train of doctrines, but to the
glorious and adorable person of Christ. After
they had received him, it was the business of
their lives to learn all they could of him and
his doctrine, and do his will.
S. This relieves my mind of what, for a
time, was a difficulty. I could not see how
Philip received the eunuch with so little ceremony. But I see now, that he received everything in Christ when he said, "I believe that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
P. It explains every case of conversion in
the New Testament.  The conversions all took
place at the time of the first interview the
Apostles had with the penitents. They never
sent one away seeking. As a matter of course
they did not indoctrinate them in any lengthy
system, but presented them the system, as a
whole, in the person of Christ. This is presenting the whole gospel in one proposition, so that
a man may receive or reject it, by saying yes
or no, and acting in conformity with that affirmation or denial. Your friend, Mr. H., has blamed




SINCERITY SEEKING
us for receiving persons as Philip did the eunuch,
upon his confession of his faith in Christ and
baptism; but this covers the whole revelation
of God to man-includes all that God has revealed to the world. He who makes confession,
repents of his sins and is baptized in his name,
receives him and all that he and his holy Apostles have taught, and binds himself, by the
highest obligations, to do his commandments.
S. Do we not receive remission of sins
through the name of Christ?
P. Most certainly, but you must come into
his nane.
S. Are we not justified by the Spirit of
God?
P. Undoubtedly, when we come to his
dwelling-place.
S. Are we not saved by his life?
P. Beyond all doubt, when we come to his
life.
S. And yet his blood cleanses us from sin!
How is this?
P. If you will examine every case of baptism, you will find that it is always to be administered in the name of the Lord. In baptism, then, the penitent believer takes upon him
the name of the Lord   he e blood of Christ




THE WAr' TO HEAVEN.         63
flowed in his death. When we come into his
death, we come to his blood. Paul says, "As
many as have been baptized into Christ, have
been baptized into his death. Baptism, then,
brings us into the name and into the death of
Christ, and consequently to his blood. Paul
says to the Corinthians, "Ye are the temple of
God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you."
This shows that the spirit dwells in the body,
church or temple of God. The life, also, has
the same dwelling-place. To come, then, to
the spirit and the life, we must come into the
body, or into Christ. The Apostle says, we are
"'baptized into Christ." The man, then, who believes with all his heart in Jesus Christ as the Son
of God and Saviour of the world, confesses that
faith with the mouth, and is solemnly baptized
in the name of the Lord, comes into the name,
to the blood, to the Spirit, and into the life of his
Lord and Redeemer, who alone can save him.
Not only so, but it is here, and here alone,
over the person who believes with all his heart
in the Lord Jesus Christ, has repented of his
sins, made confession of his faith in Christ, and
is about to be buried with his Lord in baptism,
that solemn and august formula is authorized
to be pronounced: "I baptize you into the




64           SINCERITY SEEKIING
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit."  Here, all Christianity concentrates itself in the great confession made by the
penitent; and here, in his first act of obedience,
he comes to the blood of the covenant, the
Spirit of Christ and his life, and the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit, is called upon him, as if to concentrate
the whole Divinity upon his poor soul, for its
deliverance from sin.
S. Mrs. P., what evidence will I have that
I am pardoned?
P. The Lord's own unequivocal promise:
"He that believeth and is baptized shall he
saved." You have also the evidence of the
Apostle, or the Holy Spirit speaking in him:
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in
the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of
sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit." His promise can never fail. Are you
not willing to rely upon the promise of God for
your salvation?
S. I certainly am, and truly thankful, too,
that I have found how I could come to the
promise of God, with assurance that I should
be received. Where shall I go to make confession of my faith in Christ, and be baptized?




THn  WAY TO HEAVEN.           66
P. Attend our church on next Lord's day,
and our preacher will baptize you without hesin
tation.
On the next Lord's day, at an early hour,
Sincerity was in the Christian assembly, for the
first time, to hear a man who preached nothing
but Christ, no doctrine but Christianity, and no
name but the name of the Lord. He listened,
with intense interest, to a clear and satisfactory
discourse on the great elementary principles of
Christianity. At the close, he went forward,
and in the presence of the assembly confessed
the Saviour of the world. In a few minutes
after, he and the preacher stood side by side
in the water, some three feet deep, and the
large audience standing in breathless silence,
while the following words were pronounced:
"I baptize you into the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."  When
these words had been uttered, the preacher
gently lowered his noble form beneath the
yielding waters. As he raised him  up, the
audience sang,
" How happy are they who their Saviour obey," etc.
Our young friend rejoiced, believing in the
God of his salvation, and the Saviour of the
world.
3




66            SINCERITY SEEKING
At three o'clock, P. Mr., of the same day,
"when  the disciples met together to break
bread," Sincerity was present.  An Elelder of
the congregation arose and read, in an impressive and solemn manner, the hymn commencing
with the words:
"And is the gospel peace and love,
Such let our conversation be," etc.
The whole conoregation arose, and united in
singing the hymn read.  The audience was
then seated, and the account of the Lord's death
was read fiom John's testimony.  The request
was then made, that if there were any persons
present who had confessed the Lord, and submitted to him as the Saviour of the world, who
desire to unite with or take membership in this
individual congregation, they would come forward while the disciples unite in singing the
song beginninog with the words:
":How sweet, how heav'nly is the sight,
When those that love the Lord,
In onie another's peace delight,
And so fulfill the Word," etc.
During  the singing, our young friend presented himself in front of the stand, and when
the song was ended, the Elder stood before him,
and addressed him as follows:




THE WAY TO HEAVEN,          67
"My dear young brother, I am truly happy
to have the. privilege of receiving you into this
congregation, and trust that the union we this
day form will prove both a blessing to yourself
and to the church. You have entered into
a solemn covenant with the Lord, and are now
bound by the highest and most important obligations that can rest upon a human being, to
follow Jesus, to learn of him, to regard him as
your infallible Teacher or Master, remembering
that he has said, "I will never leave you nor
forsake you, but will grant you grace and glory,
no good thing will I withhold from you." He
gave himself for you; He laid down his life
for you; He made his soul an offering for sin,
and in this has evinced his love to you. In
this great manifestation of his love to you he
has laid you under eternal obligations,to love
and serve him. Your conversion consists not
in receiving a long train of speculative doctrines
and notions, but in receiving him who came
from heaven-in an identification with him —in
placing yourself, as we all are, under him, as
our great Leader and the Captain of our salvation. Look to him, then; put your whole
trust in him. Read his blessed Word; call upon
him  every day, and do his commandments,




68 SINCERITY SEEKING TIHE WAY TO HEAVE.N.
that you may enter by the gates into the city,
and have access to the tree of life.".
After this address, the church united in
singing the song commencing with the words:
"Blessed be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love,The fellowship of kindred minds,
Is like to that above," etc.
The members of the church all came forward,
and gave him the hand, evincing his cordial
and Christian reception, while tears of rejoicing
flowed down his manly cheeks.  May he serve
God all the days of his life.




APPENDIX.
IF the reader doubts that Sincerity was converted according to the Scriptures, let him read
the following list, containing the Lord's own
account of all the principal cases of conversions
under -the apostles and evangelists, recorded in
the sacred writings, from the ascension of Christ
forward:'
"When they heard this, (Peter's discourse,)
they were pricked in their hearts, and said unto
Peter and to the rest of the Apostles, Men and
brethren, what shall we do?  Then 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. For the promise is unto
you, and to your children, and to all that
are afar off, even as many as the Lord our
God shall call. And with many other words
did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then
they that gladly received his word were baptized;
and the same day there were added unto them
about three thousand souls."-Acts ii, 37-41.
(69)




70              APPENDIX.
In Solomon's portico, at the close of his discourse, Peter said, " Repent ye, therefore, and
be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out, when the times of refieshing slhall come
from the presence of the Lord."-Acts iii, 19.
"Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And
the people, with one accord, gave heed unto those
things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing
the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits,
crying with loud voice, came out of many that
were possessed with them; and many taken with
palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And
there was great joy in that city. But there
was a certain man, called Simon, who, beforetime in the same city, used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that
himself was some great-one; to whom they all
gave heed, fr-om the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And
to him they had regard, because that of long
time he had bewitched them  with sorceries.
But when they believed Philip, preaching the
things concerning the kingdom  of God, and
the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,
both men and women. Then Simon himself
believed also; and when he was baptized, he




APPENDIX.              71
continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and sigons which were done."
-Acts viii, 5-13.
"And the angel of the Lord spake unto
Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the South,
unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem
unto Gaza, which is desert.  And he arose and
went; and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a
eunuch  of great authority under Candace,
queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge
of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem
to worship, was returning, and sitting  in Ilis
chariot, read Esaias the Prophet.  Then thle
Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join tlyself to this chariot.  And Philip ran, tlhitlher to
him, and heard him read the Prophet Esaias,
and said, UnderstandesLthou what thou readest.?
knd he said, How can I, except some man
should guide me?  And he desired Philip that
he would come up and sit with him.  The place
of the Scripture wlhich he read was this: He
was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a
lamb dumb before the shearer, so opened he
not his mouth; in his humiliation, his judgment
was taken away; and who shall (leclare his
generation? for hlis life is taken fiom  thle
earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and




72              AIPPENDIX.
said, I pray thee of whom speaketh the prophet
this? of himself, or of some other man? Then
Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same
Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And
as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch said, See, here is
water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
And Philip said, if thou believest with all thy
heart, thou mayest. And he answered and
said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God. And he commanded the chariot to stand
still, and they went down both into the water,
both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized
him. And when they were come out of the
water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away
Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more; and
he- went on his way rejoicing."-Acts viii,
26-39.
"While Peter yet spake these words, the
Holy Ghost fell on all them who heard the word,
and they of the circumcision, who believed,
were astonished, as many as came with Peter,
because that on the Gentiles also was poured out
the gift of the Holy Ghost; for they heard them
speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then.
answered Peter, Can any mani.1 forbid water, that
these should not be baptized, who have received




APPxNDIx.              73
the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the
Lord."-Acts x, 44-48.
"And on tile Sabbath, we went out of the
city, by a river side, where prayer was wont to
be made; and we sat down, and spake to the
women who resorted thither. And a certain
woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the
city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, heard
us; whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of
Paul. And when she was baptized, and her
household, she besought us, saying, If ye
have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come
into my house and abide there."-Acts xvi,
13-15.
"And at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed,
and sang praises unto God; and the prisoners
heard them. And suddenly there was a great
earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the
doors were opened, and every one's bands were
loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors
open, he drew out his sword, and would have
killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had
been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice,




74              APPENDIX.
saying, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here.
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and
came trembling, and fell down before Paul and
Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what
must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt
be saved, and thyhouse. And they spake
unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that
were in his house. And he took them  the,
same hour of the night, and washed their
stripes; and was baptized, he and all his,
straightway. And when he had brought them
into his house, lie set meat before them, and
rejoiced, believing in God with all his house."
-Acts xvi, 25-34.
"And it came to pass, that while Apollos
was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through
the upper coasts, came to Ephesus; and find.
ing certain disciples, 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.
And he said unto them, Unto what, then, were
ye baptized?  And they said, Unto John's
baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized
with the baptism  of repentance, saying unto
the people, that they should believe on him




APPENDIX.               75
which should come after him, that is, on Christ
Jesus.  Whlen they leard tlhis, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."-Acts
xix, 1-5.
"And it came to pass, that as I made my
journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus,
about noon, suddenly there slione from heaven
a great light round about me.  And I fell unto
the ground, and heard a voice saying' unto me,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I
answered, who art thou, Lord?  And lhe said
unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou
persecuteth.  And they that were with me saw
indeed the light, and were afraid; but they
heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
And I said, What shall I do, Lord?  And the
Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things
which are appointed for thee to do. And when
I could not see for the glory of that light, being
led by the hand of them that were with me, I
came into Damascus.  And one Ananias, a
devout man according to the law, having' a
good report of all the Jews who dwelt there,
came unto me, and stood, and said unto me,
Brother Saul, receive thy sight.  And the same
hour I looked up upon him.  And he said, The




76              APPENDIX.
God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou
shouldst know his will, and see that Just One,
and shouldst hear the voice of his mouth; for
thou shalt be his witness unto all men, of what
thou hast seen and heard. And now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized, and wash
away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."
-Acts xxii, 6-16.




SCRAP DOCTORS.
IT is unnecessary for the reader to ask what
ancient manuscript I translated the following
from. It exposes Scrap Doctors, and that is
sufficient for our purpose at present.
It once happened, in a neighborhood where
there was a public meeting-house, free for all
denominations, that four preachers, belonging
to different churches, each made an appointment in said house, at the same hour, without
knowing of each other's appointment. Consequently, the preachers and members of the four
parties, and a goodly number from the world,
met at the same time and place, making an extraordinary assembly. The preachers being,
or appearincg to be, in an uncommon good humor, soon amicably agreed, that brother A.
should address the audience, for a short time,
first. Brother B. should follow him, then brother C., and finally old father D. should be
permitted to speak; and it was understood that
they were to preach on the following text:
" Sire, what mrnst I do to be saved?"
(77)




78               APPENDIX,
The audience being convened, the speaker
having ascended the pulpit, the usual form of
singing and prayer was devoutly attended to.
Brother A. proceeded to read his text, after
which he said:
Dear Brethren and Friends:-I am  aware
that there is a great variety of sentiment in this
audience, and that I cannot declare my conscientious views without crossing some of your
opinions, yet " wo is unto me, if I preach not
the Gospel;" and I may add, as an ambassador
for Christ, that I cannot violate the convictions
of my own conscience.  I, however, pledge
myself to prove my doctrines, by the word of
God.
I am now to answer the important question,
" What must Ido to be saved?"  I will come
at once to the subject, and take the position
that salvation is by repentance and baptism
alone. This position is proved by the express
word of God, Acts ii, 38.  On this occasion,
the question was asked, "AMen and brethren,
what shall we do?"  Now hear me prove emy
doctrine.  The Apostle says, in answer to this
question, " Repent and be baptized, every one
of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the.
remission of sins."  Here, you perceive, they




APPENDIX.               79
were simply commanded to "repent and be
baptized," and there is not one word aboutfaith,
prayer, or anything else. I therefore take it
that salvation is by repentance and baptism
alone, and I defy the world to refute my position. Do not, therefore, suffer yourselves to
be carried about by every wind of doctrine,
but accept the doctrine which I have just established by the word of God.
Broth:er B. next arose and said: I am happy
to appear before you to address you on the
great subject of salvation, but I am truly sorry
that I cannot accede to the discourse you have
just heard. And, although I always. avoid
controversy, I look upon the doctrine just delivered as extremely dangerous; and professing
to be an ambassador of Christ, I feel that I
should not do justice to my own conscience
were I not to lay before you the truth. Without further preliminaries, I will proceed to state
and prove my doctrine.
I take the position that salvation is by Baptism and calling on the name of the Lord alone,
and that there is neither faith nor repentance in
the plan.  You remember the conversion of
Saul.  He inquired, "Lord, what wilt thou
have me to do?" The messenger of Jesus




80               APPENDIX.
said to him, "Arise, and be baptized, and
wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the
Lord."  Here is the proof of my doctrine.
This individual is told what to do to be saved,
and not one word about faith or repentance, but
he is simply commanded to be baptized, calling
on the namle of the Lord. No man can get
around this proof. Here is the true plan of
salvation, proved by the word of God.
Brother C. then arose, and said: I am always
anxious to avoid controversy, but I consider
the doctrine you have just heard entirely unsupportable, and of most dangerous tendency,
and should consider myself an unfaithful witness of Jesus, were I not to give my testimony
against it. I pronounce the whole of it delusion. But, as I only have a short time to address you, I will state and prove my doctrine.
The brethren who have spoken are both wrong,
in connecting repentance, baptism, or prayer
with salvation, for we are all saved by faith
alone, as I will now proceed to prove from
Scripture.  The Philippian Jailor inquired:
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"  The
Apostle answered: "Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved."  There is not
one word about repentance, baptism, or prayer




APPENDIX.               81
in the text, but he was simply commanded to
believe, and was, therefore, saved byffaith alone.
Here lies the truth, and I defy the world to get
round it.
Finally, old father D. arose and said: I am
truly sorry, my dear brethren, to find you differing so widely, and defending your peculiar
notions with such a ranting dogmatism.  If
you will be so sober as to reflect. a few moments,
you may easily see where the difficulty lies.
You have never yet learned how to take all the
Scriptures, together. Each one selects his scrap,
and detaches it from the other things standing
in connection with it, and makes his system of
Divinity out of one detached  remark, not
remembering that all the items found in the
New Testament make up the one great system
delivered to man, by the Author of his being.o
As for brother A., when speaking of the conversion of the Pentecostians, hle forgot to tell
you that they already believed, when Peter
commanded them to "repent and be baptized;"
and brother B. was very careful not to tell
you, when speaking of Paul's conversion, that
he already believed, and had been repenting
three days, when the messenger of God was
sent to him, and commanded him  to garise




82              APPENDIX.
and be baptized;" and brother C. was very
careful not to mention, when speaking of the
conversion of the Jailor, that he went the same
hour of the night, and was baptized. Peter,
on Pentecost, did dlot command the three thousand to believe, because they already believed,
and Ananias did not command Saul to believe
or repent, because he had done it. Paul did
command the Jailor to believe, because he had
neither believed, repented, been baptized, or
called on the name of the Lord, all of which
he had to do to be lawfully saved.
Let Brother A., then hold on to his repentance and baptism, and brother B. to his baptism
and calling on the name of the Lord, and brother C. to his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
and let each one put the whole of these together,
and teach the sinner to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of all his sins, and be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord. Then
exhort the disciples to be faithful in keeping all
the commandments of the Lord, until death —
to " look diligently, lest any man fail of the
grace of God."
May God bless you all. Amen.
After the meeting was dismissed, A., B.,
and C. were invited to a neighboring house to




APPENDIX.              83
take dinner, where they had the following conversation:
A. Brethren, what did you think of the way
that old man rounded off things to-day?
B. I declare I did not know what to think.
C. I thought he had a mighty way of
smoothing things, and making false doctrine
appear like the truth. I am sorry that my
brethren were there to hear him, for they appeared to swallow every word with a devouring
appetite. What did you think of it, Mr. Landlord?
Landlord. I thought it appeared very reasonable.
A. Brethren, there was something artful in
the old fellow's speech, and 1 saw that about
one-half of our best members were almost taken
in with his notions. Do you not see how plausible he made his doctrine appear? Now there
must be something done to stop him, or he
will be constantly getting our members. Now,
I recommend that each one of us start round
on our respective circuits, and prayerfully and
solemnly tell our brethren that D. believes in a
water Saviour, and that, if a sinner is only
dipped under water, all is well; and by thus
warning our brethren against his dangerous




84              APPENDIX.
doctrine, we will keep the people from hearing
him.
At this moment, D. stepped in, and said: I
am truly sorry to. hear you making arrangements to misrepresent the truth. The doctrine
which I have the happiness to vindicate, is the
only safe doctrine in the world; which I am
now prepared to show. If even the Atheist
could prove right, which, however, is not possible, then we are entirely safe; for he is bound
to admit that we are as happy as he in this
world, and stand equally as good a chance for
all beyond. But, if we should prove right,
where will the Atheist appear? He is- the
man who stands exposed to danger.
Again:  Suppose the Deist could possibly
prove right, and we could find the Bible to be
no Revelation from God, even then we are safe,
for the Deist is bound to admit the morals of
the Bible to be good, and those who obey its
dictates are as happy as he in this world, and
stand as good a chance for hereafter. Then,
if it were possible for him to prove right, he
gains nothing, and we lose nothing, here or
hereafter. But should he be found mistaken,
as he most certainly will, eternal consequences
are involved. Here we are safe.




APPENDIX.                85
And again:  Suppose it were possible for
the Universalist to prove right, then we are entirely safe, for if all are to be saved, it most
certainly will include us. " But," says a Universalist, "if I live a Christian life, I will be
saved anyhow. God will not send me to hell,
if there be any, simply because I believed, and
plead for Universalism."  A strange "Christian life," truly, that any man can live who, at
the same time, believes and pleads for a lie,
which will be the condition of all Universalists,
if the wicked should go into everlasting punishment in the world to come. The Universalist
is on the dangerous side of the question.  He
hazards everything, without the possibility of
gaining anything.
Once more: If faith alone will save us, we
are safe, for we have as strong faith as any
people living.  But if "faith without works is
dead, being alone," as James teaches, what will
become of faith alone folks?
Still further: If faith and repentance will
save us, we are safe, for God would not condemn
us for obeying any other commands, in addition
to these. But if faith and repentance alone will
not do, what will become of those who have
trifled with other commands of God?




86              APPENDIX.
Last of all:  The only safe ground, is to believe all God has said, and do all he commands,
while we live in this world. If we do this, the
ever-blessed God will be with us while we live,
and comfort us when we shall fin'd ourselves
being cut loose from all our earthly friends,
and every worldly consideration, and sinking
into eternity. There is a day coming when we
will not quibble, and when God will judge
between us-to that day I appeal, in view of
the course you intend to pursue. "He who
knows his Master's will, and does it not, shall
be beaten with many stripes."




ADDRESS  TO  THE  READER.
DEAR READER:  There is no subject upon
which it is so highly important that we make
no mistake as upon the subject of our personal
deliverance from sin, guidance, under the
divine will, through. life, and salvation in
Heaven. The object of the writer of this little
book has been to illustrate the difference
between being guided by the confused notions
of these times, as seen in the practice of many
of the teachers of religion, and the plain and
infallible teachings of the Divine Scriptures.
The guidance of the word of the living God,
as recorded in the Bible, is the only sure directory to purity, holiness and happiness in this
life, and eternal blessedness in the life to come.
Your only choice for a guide to eternal happiness, lies between the Lord, the prophets and
apostles, on the one hand, and no guide at all
on the other-between the Bible and nothing.
For if the Lord, the prophets and apostles fail,
if the Bible fails, then all teachers and all books
must fail. The Lord, the prophets and apostles
(87)




8 8               APPENDIX.
are true teachers, or we ]lave none.  The
Bible is eemplhl;lically tile guaide to he.ave_, or we
have none.  Tihe Clristian religion is the true
religion, or we have none.  No other has any
claim upon mankind, any credibility, or any
intrinsic merit.
There is, therefore, no reason, no possible
ground, for any person to hesitate one moment
in accepting the only Lord, the only true prophets and apostles, the only infallible book, and
the only true religion. In Christ, in Christianity,
as set forth in the predictions of the prophets
and the preaching of the apostles, is the only
hope of the world.  If this fails, all is lost.
But, thanks to the giver of every good and
perfect gift, it never has and never can fail.
The Bible has been the guide and the hope of
the best men and women that have ever lived.
It has afforded them  the highest comforts in
life, as well as the strongest, most permanent,
and gracious assurances of acceptance with
God in death. It has never dceeived one; it
has never disappointed one, nor led one astray.
No one has ever lamented  adhering to it,
imbibing its spirit, and obeying its holy precepts; but millions have lamented, mourned,
and wailed in most bitter anguish, in deep




APPENDIX.              89
afflictions and in the hour of death, their indifference, negligence and carelessness, in reference
to the requirements of the Holy Scriptures.
Who has a pen to describe the horrible lamentation, cries and confessions from the lips of the
sinful in the hour of death, that rise up to
Heaven, in consequence of their inattention to
the Bible? We have no pen for such a description. We are wholly unable to describe
one such scene, and would to God we might
never witness another. Nor can we any more
describe our own feelings, on witnessing such
a scene! To hear such an one inquire: "Why
have I so wasted my precious time? Why
have I. been so stupified? When the lowly
Redeemer said,' Come unto me all you that
labor and are heavy ladened, and you shall
find rest;' when the Spirit says,'Whoever will,
let him come, and take of the water of life
freely,' what was it that blinded and deluded
me so that I did not accept the invitation?
When the Lord says,' All the day long have I
stretched forth my hand to a disobedient and a
gain-saying people,' why did I not flee to him
as for life? Why did I not, when in health,
seek God?"  We say, to hear one in death thus
inquiring' is enough, one would suppose, to




90               APPENDIX,
cause a whole community to repent in sackcloth and ashes. But will it lead persons to
repent?  Not often. They will hear all this,
and much more, and weep over it, but pursue
the same indifferent course as before.
We have witnessed scenes, and heard the
declarations of dying sinners, that they were
lost, ruined and undone, dying without God,
and without hope. Nay, more-we have seen
the hardened and abandoned, and heard their
horrid curses in death, and declaring that they
already were suffering a foretaste of the future
burnings. Such horrid and awful deaths are
occurring in numerous instances, and have
been witnessed by almost every person of any
considerable age and experience. What deep
and inexpressible grief such a death causes in
a community! But where did any one devoted
to the Lord, the prophets, the apostles, and the
Bible, die such a death?  No where. Never
was there such a thing since the beginning of
time.  No! when the righteous die, we can
say, "Let my latter end be like his."
Do you desire, dear reader, to live in peace
with God and man, to die happy, and leave
no clouds over the minds of your friends, in
regard to your future prospects?  If you do




APPENDIX.             91
let me place one single question before you. It
is a question asked by our Saviour. It is this:
"What think you of Christ? whose Son is
he?"  In meditating upon this question, you
should be guided by the Almighty's own
account of his Son, as found in the historic
records of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
These are the divine testimonies of God's own
witnesses concerning Christ.  Consult these
testimonies carefully and prayerfully, from beginning to end, with the simple question before
you, " What think you of Christ? whose Son
is he?" Do not try to prove or disprove any
doctrine. Do not give yourself any trouble
about any doctrine, or any man's views of doctrine, but simply keep your mind upon the
person of Christ, and prepare yourself to say
from the heart, what you think of Christ, whose
Son he is, and how you desire to act in reference to him. If, when you have examined
those testimonies, you resolve to deny him,
hate him, and oppose him, it is useless to go
any further. But if, on the other hand, from
all you can learn of him from those testimonies,
you love him, have confidence in him, solemnly
believe from your heart that he is the Son of
God, and the Saviour of the world, and are




9        2       APPENDIX.
willing to receive him, you are ready to open
another part of the [New Testament, that you
may learn how to receive him.
This brings us to the second apartment of
the New Testament, commonly called the Acts
of the Apostles. In this book you will find the
first preaching of the Apostles after the ascension of Christ, and the descent of the Holy
Spirit to guide the Apostles into all truth; the
first conversions to Christianity, the organization of the first churches, and their efforts to
carry into practice the New Institution. From
this book you can learn how the first converts
to Christianity received Christ. If you wish
to know that you have received him, according
to the will of God, you must receive him as
they did. You need nothing more, and must
not stop with anything less. When you have
received him as they did, and united with the
people of God, you wish to know your duty as
a disciple or learner of Christ. For this purpose, the Lord has arranged another important
apartment of the New Testament.
This introduces the new convert to the third
apartment of his heavenly and infallible guide,
the epistles-the letters of the Apostles addressed to those already converted, beginning




APPENDIX.               93
with the letter to Rome, and embracing all the
letters, to the Book of Revelations.  These
holy and infallible letters, dictated by the Spirit
of all truth, are to engage the attention, direct
the energies, and comfort the child of God
through life. He has now only to direct his
attention to these holy teachings, and follow
them while he lives, and they will guide him
to heaven. Here he finds his duty in all the
various relations in life clearly and explicitly
laid down. Here he finds all the hopes and
fears, all the rewards and punishments placed
before him. Here he finds his infallible guide
from  this world to the land of eternal rest.
But when he has followed his Lord and Redeemer many long years, according to the
directions laid down in these holy lessons, begins to lean upon his staff, and bow toward the
grave, his spirit pants for a more vivid representation of the future prospects of the saints
than he has found in any of the portions of the
New Testament yet referred to in this little
book. He opens the Book of Revelations, and
follows John in his splendid vision in the island
of Patmos. Here he has a view of the holy
city, New Jerusalem, the tree of life, the river
of the water of life, the immortal and glorified




94              APPE'NDIX.
inhabitants; where there is no sickness, sorrow,
pain and death; but-where praises to God and
the Lamb ascend forever and ever. Here he
beholds golden streets, and jaspar-walls clear
as crystal. In his body, bending with infirmity,
and but dim mortal eyes, by the aid of Revelation, he sees the land of immortality, and
the inhabitants of the world of bliss.
What a book, then, the New Testament is!
a book adapted to the unbeliever, containing
an apartment filled with the sacred testimonies,
leading him to believe in his Saviour; a second
apartment following, showing him  how  to
receive his Lord, in his conversion to Christianity; a third apartment, guiding him through
from his conversion to his death, in humble
submission to the divine will, and at the close
a full representation of the eternal glories of
the redeemed, directing his attention to the day
when he shall join with all the pure and holy
of the companions of his youthful days; the
good and virtuous of all ages; the prophets
and the Apostles, with Jesus his Redeemer,
and God the Almighty Father.
Many thousands who shall read this little
book, we shall never see in this world, but,
through the grace of God, we trust we shall in




APPENDIX.             95
the holy city, the New Jerusalem that John
saw descend from God out of heaven. The
hope of seeing those we love, and Jesus, who
loved us, and gave himself for us; of being
like him, and dwelling with him in the presence
of his Father, is the anchor to the soul that
enters to that within the vail, and bears up the
drooping spirits of the children of God.
To him who loved us, and washed us from
our sins in his own blood, be honor and power
everlasting. Amen.