A correspondent writes, perplexed, as many more have been, to reconcile the forgiveness which every believer has in Christ, and the baptism for the remission of sins which the apostle Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, and which Ananias pressed upon the repentant Saul of Tarsus :" Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

It is a point of real importance, and as to which many interpretations are given which disfigure the precious gospel of Christ, and even destroy its efficacy. The Romanist uses the latter class of texts in behalf of a sacramental system in which the grace of Christ flows only through the channels of church-ordinances. The ritualist of every grade agrees substantially with the Romanist. The so-called Disciple body, with many more heterodox, though making faith in some sort a necessary prerequisite, take otherwise the same ground, while one at least of the smaller and wilder sections of Adventists argue for them the necessity of the baptism of infants on exactly the Romanist ground, that without it there is no salvation. Many Protestants, on the other hand, overlook or practically deny this class of texts.

They become simple when we learn to separate the actual remission of sins through the blood of Christ to those who believe in Him, from that testimony of it upon earth which He has ordained to be preached, not only in the gospel to all, but individually to every one who owns Him as Lord in the day of grace. " Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" is the apostle Peter's text in the second of Acts. The application of it in both the cases mentioned is the same. The convicted Jews, repenting of their rejection of the Lord, are baptized in His name for remission of sins. Saul washes away his sins calling on the name of the Lord. But the cleansing by blood and the washing of water are distinct, and the latter saves in " figure " only :" The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us." (i Pet. 3:21.) It is a preaching in act to the individual who had received the word of the gospel -a beautiful, definite making over to him who believes in Christ of the effect of Christ's work.

But this is necessarily, on man's part, declarative and conditional only. Man cannot read the heart, nor has he heaven's treasury of grace in his hands. He can but witness to it. Hence baptism is but initiation into the kingdom on earth of which men have the "keys." Not of heaven, but of the kingdom of heaven. Baptism and the Word, as these two keys, are thus the means of discipling (Matt. 28:19, 20.) But the parables of the kingdom and the warning as to discipleship fully show that the blessing here is conditional, not absolute, as in the case of remission itself (Matt. 18:32, 34.) In this line, all the conditions and warnings of Scripture will be found.

Mischief will result to the soul who confounds this declarative remission of the disciple on earth with the absolute grace of Christ to the believer, which is apart from all ordinances, complete and eternal. Never is a child of God, justified and accepted in Christ, the possessor of eternal life, put as such upon any doubtful footing. And no rite or ordinance can impart these blessings.