rather, it is in harmony with God's order in the
creation of man, for him to desire to have a part and lot in all the
Lord does for him. He enjoys most the fruit of trees planted by his
own hands. A lady appreciates the garden or lawn arranged and set
according to her taste, and cultivated by her hands. God mercifully
favors us with similar feelings in making good, pure-minded,
truth-loving, faithful men and women of his intelligent creation. With
this intention he has given man special work and ways of manifesting
his will to work with the Lord. The only ordinance of this kind which
I will call your attention to to-day is that of baptism for the
remission of sins. It is also called the washing of regeneration. As
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, the three eternal and
infinite essentials of the Divine Trinity, all have part in man's
repentance, in the remission of his sins, as well as in the
regeneration of his will unto eternal life, BAPTISM in water, in each
of the three names, is enjoined in our Lord's great commission. "Go ye
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost."

As an order of Christian Brethren, we hold that a threefold immersion
of the body in water by a properly authorized administrator is
necessary to fulfill the requirement of the great commission. As
water, in its highest and divinest significance, symbolizes all the
holy means by which man is enabled to renounce and remit his sins, so
baptism symbolizes his heartfelt acceptance of and submission to those
means. From this it is called the baptism of repentance first, and,
later on, as the truth became clearer, it is called baptism for the
remission of sins. As additional light was still thrown upon man's
salvation, a light which Nicodemus could not see, baptism acquired a
new significance, described by Paul as "the washing of regeneration."

Almost unwittingly we now find a threefold significance in the
ordinance. It symbolized first, in the ministry of John, repentance
toward God the Father. But after the martyrdom of John no baptism was
administered until the day of Pentecost, when it received its full
significance. As Peter had experienced so much of the evil of sin and
the joy of forgiveness, it symbolized to his mind the remission of
sins. He was right. Paul was the unbelieving, educated Jew, whose
heart was so set against the Lord t