and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not
be your ruin." [Ezekiel 18:30] Nor does it appear that conditions had at all changed
in the days of the Apostle Paul for we find him declaring in the most
emphatic terms (Acts 17, 30th) "And the times of this ignorance God
winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." This then,
is the first grand step of preparatory work in securing salvation in
the Kingdom of God. But the question may arise, 'Wherein have I sinned?
In what have I done wrong? I have complied with all the requirements of
the decalogue, I have lived the golden rule, doing to others as I would
be done by; what have I to repent of?' Look abroad upon the face of the
earth, search i)n all the Christian world for the true Chruch of Christ
as organized and recognized by Him, and where do you find it? Like the
ship-wrecked mariner whose weary eyes scan the vast horizon with a ling-
ering hope that friendly salil will come to his relief, till his heart
grows faint and dies within him, so it is with many an honest-hearted
one, seeking the way to eternal life, anon as he listens to the various
creeds and examines the doctrines of the different sects, he discovers
discrepencies everywhere. No one has a perfect form of worship, all
have dwindled in unbelief; they have departed from the faith of the
ancients; they have turned away from the true and living God, as the
Apostle Paul said (2nd Tim. 4, 3rd) "For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they
heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn
away their hearts from the truth, and shall be turned into favbles." Hav-
ing a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. Preaching for
doctrine the precepts of men

Churches have been erected whose cloud-piercing spires rise in
every town and city, village and hamlet over all the land, in which men
preach for hire and divine for money, thus making merchandise of the
souls of men, having, as Isaiah says "Transgressed the laws, changed
the ordinances and broken the everlasting covenant" and "it shall be as
with the people, so with the priest" [Isaiah 24:5] [Isaiah 24:2] and as Jesus said in Luke "Can the
blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?" [Luke 6:39] We
answer by saying as the Apostles of old said: "REPENT AND BE BAPTISED
AND WASH AWAY YOUR SINS." Yes, for the fruits of repentance is a broken
heart and a contrite spirit; and it is provided that such a one should
walk in the footsteps of Jesus, down into the water, and like Him, be
buried beneath the liquid wave. This was the first act that Jesus did
preparatoryto His ministerial labors, and the very last command He gave
to His Apostles prior to His ascension up into heaven, (Mat. 28, 19-20)
"Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you." And what had He just commanded
them?—-to baptise all nations—The next witness testifies a little
stronger (Mark 16, 15-16) "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the
world and preach the Gospel to every creature, He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned."
Oh what an opportunity to secure eternal life, what a glorious promise,
and this too from the author of our salvation! We say that we believe
on Him, that we have faith in Him, and yet we persistently refuse to ac-
cept the conditions that He has offered for our salvation. Surely no

and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin." Nor does it appear that conditions had at all changed in the days of the Apostle Paul for we find him declaring in the most emphatic terms (Acts 17, 30th) "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." This then, is the first grand step of preparatory work in securing salvation in the Kingdom of God. But the question may arise, 'Wherein have I sinned? In what have I done wrong? I have complied with all the requirements of the decalogue, I have lived the golden rule, doing to others as I would be done by; what have I to repent of?' Look abroad upon the face of the earth, search in all the Christian world for the true Chruch of Christ as organized and recognized by Him, and where do you find it? Like the ship-wrecked mariner whose weary eyes scan the vast horizon with a lingering hope that friendly sail will come to his relief, till his heart grows faint and dies within him, so it is with many an honest-hearted one, seeking the way to eternal life, anon as he listens to the various creeds and examines the doctrines of the different sects, he discovers discrepencies everywhere. No one has a perfect form of worship, all have dwindled in unbelief; they have departed from the faith of the ancients; they have turned away from the true and living God, as the Apostle Paul said (2nd Tim. 4, 3rd) "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their hearts from the truth, and shall be turned into fables." Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. Preaching for doctrine the precepts of men

Churches have been erected whose cloud-piercing spires rise in every town and city, village and hamlet over all the land, in which men preach for hire and divine for money, thus making merchandise of the souls of men, having, as Isaiah says "Transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances and broken the everlasting covenant" and "it shall be as with the people, so with the priest" and as Jesus said in Luke "Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?" We answer by saying as the Apostles of old said: "REPENT AND BE BAPTISED AND WASH AWAY YOUR SINS." Yes, for the fruits of repentance is a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and it is provided that such a one should walk in the footsteps of Jesus, down into the water, and like Him, be buried beneath the liquid wave. This was the first act that Jesus did preparatoryto His ministerial labors, and the very last command He gave to His Apostles prior to His ascension up into heaven, (Mat. 28, 19-20) "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." And what had He just commanded them?—to baptise all nations—The next witness testifies a little stronger (Mark 16, 15-16) "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." Oh what an opportunity to secure eternal life, what a glorious promise, and this too from the author of our salvation! We say that we believe on Him, that we have faith in Him, and yet we persistently refuse to accept the conditions that He has offered for our salvation. Surely no