of our renunciation of sin and
our acceptance of Jesus Christ_. After telling his hearers to repent in
Acts ii. 38, Peter continues and tells them to be "baptized every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins." Heart
repentance alone was not enough. There must be an open confession of that
repentance, and God's appointed way of confession of repentance is
baptism. None of those to whom Peter spoke had ever been baptized, and, of
course, what Peter meant in that case was water baptism. But suppose one
has already been baptized, what then? Even in that case, there must be
that for which baptism stands, namely, an open confession of our
renunciation of sin and our acceptance of Jesus Christ. The baptism with
the Spirit is not for the secret disciple, but for the open confessed
disciple. There are many doubtless to-day who are trying to be Christians
in their hearts, many who really believe that they have accepted Jesus as
their Saviour and their Lord and have renounced sin, but they are not
willing to make an open confession of their renunciation of sin and their
acceptance of Christ. Such an one cannot have the baptism with the Holy
Spirit. Some one may ask, "Do not the Friends ('Quakers'), who do not
believe in water baptism, give evidence of being baptized with the Holy
Spirit?" Doubtless many of them do, but this does not alter the teaching
of God's Word. God doubtless condescends in many instances where people
are misled as to the teaching of His Word to their ignorance, if they are
sincere, but that fact does not alter His Word, and even with a member of
the congregation of Friends, who sincerely does not believe in water
baptism, there must be before the blessing is received that for which
baptism stands, namely, the open confession of our acceptance of Christ
and of our renunciation of sin.

4. The fourth step is _absolute surrender to God_. This comes out in what
has been already said, namely, that we _must accept Jesus as Lord_ as well
as Saviour. It is stated explicitly in Acts v. 32, "And we are His
witnesses of these things; and so is also _the Holy Ghost, whom God hath
given to them that obey Him_." That is the fourth step, "obey Him,"
obedience. But what does obedience mean? Some one will say, doing as we
are told. Right, but doing how much that we are told? Not merely one thing
or two things or three things or four things, but all things. The heart of
obedience is in the will,