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4. The man himself is turned upside down. I once had a dear Christian brother; I have stood side by side with him thirty years ago; we were pleading in our Master's cause. He was so humble, good and devoted. This brother, Thomas Bailey, of Decatur, Indiana, [if he is still living, I hope he will pardon me for using his name] had been wrong side up; when intoxicated he would fight at the drop of a hat. Behold him as he goes staggering home from the saloon, that cess-pool of iniquity. His wife may well stand trembling at the door, while the children hide from fear. The gospel got hold of him and turned him upside down. See him now; Sister Bailey meets him with a smile, a glad shout goes up from his two boys and his little girl, Father is coming. He could formerly sing of a flowing bowl; he now sings of a fountain filled with blood. Suppose on Lord's day while returning from church with his family, he should meet his former self, red eyes, and oh! what a face; but I'll not introduce him, but let him pass, for he would fain forget his former self-and let us forget the past and press forward to the things before; for the things before are of far more importance than anything of the past.

FIRST PETER-i: 22, 23.

"Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart, fervently. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever."

HIS is one of the most interesting and in

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structive epistles, breathing humbleness and love. It was written at or near Babylon and sent by Silas to the churches in Asia Minor, confirming what they had been taught by Paul, and exhorting them to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called, that by their daily walk they might convince the world. And he offers the strongest inducements and the ablest arguments why they should submit to the persecutions which then prevailed [A. D. 66] that their faith was more precious than gold that is tried with fire. Your faith must also be tried that it may be found to the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

When he comes to the 22nd. verse, he says:

66

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart, fervently." How did they purify their souls? Peter answers: "In obeying the truth." If you wish your soul purified, the way to obtain that much desired object, is by obeying the truth, "thy word is truth." Heb. v: 9, "He became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him." Heb. vii: 25, "Wherefore he is able also to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him." Rom. vi: 17, "Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you, being then made free from sin." When were they made free from sin? Paul answers: When you "obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine delivered you."

The purity of the heart is made manifest by the unfeigned love of the brethren. 1 John iii: 14, " We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren, he that loveth not his brother abideth in death." Verse 23, "Being born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever." As a descendant of Adam, you were

born into the natural world of corruptible seed. Verse 24, "For all flesh is as grass, and all glory of man as the flower of grass; the grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away, but the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." All the descendants of Adam must perish as the grass, all worldly honor, learning, fame, and even morality, unless you are born again of incorruptible seed. John iii: 3, "Except a man be born again he connot see the kingdom of God." Verse 5, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." This is from our Lord and Savior, the great law-giver himself, and you will observe there is no exception to the rule; every one who enters the kingdom of God must first be born of water and of the Spirit and Christ makes it without limit as to time; it will be as true in the day of judgment, as when he uttered it. Were you, my brother, born of water and of the Spirit? Titus iii: 5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." What does it mean by the washing of regeneration? Regeneration

means a new birth, hence it means he saved us by washing, a new birth and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. God works by means and it has always required, on the part of man, a visible act to enter God's visible church. You must enter by the door into the sheepfold. A child cannot exist in nature's kingdom until it is born. So a new birth must precede a spiritual life. As the unborn child cannot enjoy natural life, so no man can enjoy spiritual life until born again. It is only when he has been born again that he can return good for evil. I saw it once exhibited in a ludicrous manner by Brother L. B. Wilkes whose wisdom is only equaled by his wit. He saw that I looked for him to resent a remark that was made at meeting. He gave me a comical expression as he remarked, "Brother Frazee, there was a man in Iowa by the name of Porter; he was about seven feet tall and his hand as big as a saddle skirt; his little wasp of a wife used to whip him. One morning his crying brought in the neighbors. They said: Porter, why do you stand it? you could throw her over the house. Between sobs, he turned up a quizzical face, while she was beating him in the back, and said, let her alone it is not hurting me

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