child, and he was clean." Now, in my view, baptism saves us as this
sevenfold dipping in Jordan saved Naaman. Not the water, but the
spirit of obedience, is what saves. It saves us as going through the
door into the ark saved Noah and his family. It saves us as passing
through the Red Sea saved Israel from the host of Egyptians that were
in pursuit. This passage of Israel through the sea is called a
baptism.

And what shall I say more? For it looks as if this ought to be enough.
But I would like to send my voice around the globe laden with the
truth that "faith without works is dead," and that baptism is the very
first outward work of obedience the believer is required to do. This,
with the other ordinances of God's house, in connection with a good
life ornamented with the fruits of love and good will toward men,
gives life to faith and proves that it is a living reality in the
soul.

Saul of Tarsus was a believing convict;

"Borne down beneath a load of sin;
By Satan sorely pressed--"

for three days and nights, in which he did neither eat nor drink.
Ananias came to him with instructions direct from the Lord, saying:
"Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name
of the Lord." Can we suppose that Saul would have become the happy
convert that he was, had he refused to obey?

Some think that baptism is nothing, or so nearly nothing that it is
hardly worth taking into the account of Christian life. May it not as
truthfully be said that faith is nothing, and that repentance is
nothing, and that obedience is nothing? Where is the difference?

In all love, with my heart moved in good will toward every one in this
house, I do here say that for the life of me I cannot see how any one
can hope for salvation while living in open disobedience to the only
Savior, Jesus Christ. Can any plead ignorance? From this hour forth
you shall not bring that in as a plea for neglect of duty, for I now
repeat in your ears the words that fell from the lips of Jesus
himself: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Have I a
right to say that you will be saved without baptism? I claim no such
right. You may say the penitent thief on the cross was saved without
baptism. So he was; all things are possible with God; and
notwithstanding all that God has said in his Word about baptism and
its blessed followings, I boldly say to you that if you die knowing as
little about it as the thief on the cross did,