Baptism
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tism of your children and then leave them to do as they choose, feeling
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no special duty to keep their feet in the straight path, you yourselves
are responsible if they lose faith and courage and interest in the truth.
The Pastor’s Work. Candidates who have grown to manhood and
womanhood should understand their duty better than do the younger
ones; but the pastor of the church has a duty to do for these souls.
Have they wrong habits and practices? It is the duty of the pastor to
have special meetings with them. Give them Bible readings, converse
and pray with them, and plainly show the claims of the Lord upon
them. Read to them the teaching of the Bible in regard to conversion.
Show what is the fruit of conversion, the evidence that they love
God. Show that true conversion is a change of heart, of thoughts and
purposes. Evil habits are to be given up. The sins of evil-speaking,
of jealousy, of disobedience, are to be put away. A warfare must be
waged against every evil trait of character. Then the believing one
can understandingly take to himself the promise: “Ask, and it shall be
given you.”
Matthew 7:7
.
Examination of Candidates
The test of discipleship is not brought to bear as closely as it
should be upon those who present themselves for baptism. It should be
understood whether they are simply taking the name of Seventh-day
Adventists, or whether they are taking their stand on the Lord’s side,
to come out from the world and be separate, and touch not the unclean
thing. Before baptism there should be a thorough inquiry as to the
experience of the candidates. Let this inquiry be made, not in a cold
and distant way, but kindly, tenderly, pointing the new converts to
the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Bring the
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requirements of the gospel to bear upon the candidates for baptism.
One of the points upon which those newly come to the faith will
need instruction is the subject of dress. Let the new converts be
faithfully dealt with. Are they vain in dress? Do they cherish pride
of heart? The idolatry of dress is a moral disease. It must not be
taken over into the new life. In most cases, submission to the gospel
requirements will demand a decided change in the dress.
There should be no carelessness in dress. For Christ’s sake, whose
witnesses we are, we should seek to make the best of our appearance.