Random reminiscences

In having completed my reading of the above book, my initial feeling was that of disappointment. Perhaps this was due in part because I was familiar with a good number of Ironsides' anecdotes within its pages. I suspect I had read them previously in the biography of  H.A.I. written by E. Schuyler English, and entitled "Ordained of the Lord." Furthermore, it may be as a consequence of being personally perturbed by the title English adopted for his biography which is surely a misnomer! The last eighteen years of Ironsides' service was as Pastor of the Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, an ordination by man! A violation of many of the convictions of his own soul, and in disobedience to the Word of God. 

But within the pages of the "The Reminiscences", I discovered an incident that caused me much joy and I confess, such poignancy that I wept. It was the occasion when a Japenese gentleman surrendered to the claims of Christ and acknowledged the Lord Jesus as very Son of God, and his own personal Saviour. His testimony was purest childlike simplicity. His conversion took place at the Breaking of Bread one Lords' Day when he was there as an observer. Moved by the Holy Spirit, and no doubt causing some initial dread among the believers, he "I like to pray," and he poured out his heart to the Lord in true repentance and faith. The whole company was reduced to tears!

Just as poignant was his request for baptism there and then! On being told the brethren would be happy to baptise him on the next Lords' Day, he shamed them with his simple reference to the imminent return of the Lord, and they humbly agreed to baptise him that afternoon!

A similar arrangement was made when Abraham Lincoln requested believers baptism, the promise to baptise him some while after his interview with his fellow believers. He was subsequently assassinated e'er he could obey the Lord in this respect.

Quite some years ago I was preaching the Gospel on a Lords' Day evening. The Scripture taken up was that of the wonderful conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8. I stressed the need for believers to be baptised and that immediately on the confession of their faith in the finished work and glorious resurrection of the Son of God, "out from among the dead." I perhaps laboured it a little too much, as the saints there refused to allow me to preach or minister there again. They practiced a probation period in which (they) presumably judged whether the "candidate" was suitable for baptism. I am saddened to this day by such a prohibition when no scripture is referred to in refuting that the conversion and baptism of a repentant sinner do not go hand in hand. And sadly it took a long period before I was able to approach one of the elders of that Assembly as to why I was no longer welcome. He was hesitant, embarrassed, and ashamed, I believe. 

Brethren, e have no scriptural warrant for delay in baptising new-born believers!