ore, disciple all nations, baptizing them into the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." And the whole is rested
upon a declaration of kingly authority, viz: "All power in heaven and
upon earth is given into my hands," going _therefore_,--you see the
connection.

Go to the Acts of the Apostles and read for yourselves and see how they
turned men to God. Paul says, "That he showed first to them of Damascus,
and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to
the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn, convert, to God, and do
works meet for repentance." Some disobeyed under the preaching and
teaching of the Apostles. Some under the teachings of Christ. And many
"rejected the council of God against themselves in not being baptized of
John's baptism." Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." Paul was preaching at
Corinth; many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized,
and Jesus appeared unto him in a vision by night, and said, "Speak
boldly and hold not thy peace, and I will let no man set on thee to hurt
thee."

Christ gave the commission and Paul was carrying it out. The Savior's
visit to Corinth, in vision, was to encourage Paul to go on. Would all
the preachers in this country encourage such a work by speaking well of
it? Would they say, Go on? If I was preaching in a great city under the
same circumstances that surrounded Paul in Corinth, and the days of
miracles were not past, I might rationally conclude that Jesus would
encourage me in the same manner. Be that as it may, one thing is
doubtless true, viz., the same work is the Lord's work yet, and his
visit to Corinth to encourage Paul is a great source of encouragement to
us. The primitive Christians were all baptized believers; all converted
to the service of God; none of them on probation, but all in the
fellowship. All were "sanctified unto obedience," all had "purified
their souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit." Many reverse the
order thus: "Get your souls purified and then obey the truth." But
Christ has become the "Author of eternal salvation unto all those who
obey him." Heb. v, 9. Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God." Whatever this
language may mean _it_ is accomplished when the sinner is begot