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Life and Travels of William Conrad
Chapter IX - The Writer's Thoughts on God's Zion
We shall, in the next place, take a view of God's beloved Zion, as set forth in the New Testament; and first, at her given character in type, as set forth in the Old Testament-declared to be the beauty and joy of the whole earth; beautiful to behold, and withal, terrible as an army with banners; the fear and dread of the nations around, because God, the mighty God, was in her midst, being her front and rear guard, while she (Zion) kept His laws and observed His statutes to do them. But when she turned from the Lord, and walked not in His commandments to keep them, and no more regarded the counsel of the Most High, then the Lord turned to be their enemy. So Israel, or Jacob-the Zion of our God, as seen in the antitype set forth in the New Testament-from the visible setting up of the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, as under and in accordance with the New Covenant, and under the commission given the disciples, to preach the gospel in all the world, to every creature, from and after endowed with power from on high in that wondrous descent of the Holy Ghost. "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting; and there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire; and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Hence the baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire was accomplished according to the testimony of John the Baptist and the direction of the blessed Jesus, before His ascension, to His Father, and saying to His disciples that they should tarry at Jerusalem until endowed with power from on high. Thus, Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said unto them, "Ye men of Judahhh and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words." Peter thus claiming the audience of the men of Judea and all that dwelled at Jerusalem; after which, he first meets the charge of those who, mocking, said, "These men are full of new wine," and proclaimed, "For these are not drunken, as ye supposed, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel, and it shall come to pass in the last days. Saith God, 'I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh.'" Thus Peter engages and did preach the first sermon alter the descent of the Holy Ghost, by which he and the rest of the disciples were endowed with power from on high. And so, thus authorized, and under the commission to preach-and tell of that heavenly occurrence, they, on that blessed day of Pentecost, had witnessed the outpouring of the spirit of the Lord, as spoken by the Prophet Joel, and the gracious results of the same. "And while relating the character of this man, Christ Jesus of Nazareth, approved of God among you, by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know, He being delivered by the determinate council and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands, have crucified and slain Him whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should beholden of it." Peter declares that "this Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear." And, as though Peter had said, as I told you before, "These men are not drunken, as ye supposed, but this which you see and hear is (truly) that which was spoken by Joel, the prophet, now verified and fulfilled, this the first day and the day of days." The beginning of days, as though Peter had said, "Now, also, are the Prophet Daniel's words of prophesy opening up, and must also be fulfilled before your eyes. As saith the Prophet, "And in the days of these kings, shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to another people; but shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." In the days or reign of these kings shall the mighty God of Jacob set up, establish and make manifest the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ; the church of God; the pillar and groundwork of the truth. All things ready now, His disciples filled with the Holy Ghost, they began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance.
Peter continued his sermon or discourse, and speaks of David that he is not ascended into heaven; "But" saith himself, "the Lord said unto my Lord, 'Sit thou on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool.' Therefore, Let all the house of Israel know assuredly (beyond doubt) that God hath made the same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ," being the second time he had told them, in his discourse, that they had crucified Jesus, and yet, after all their indignity and maltreatment, "the God of Israel hath made the same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ. Now, when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
Doubtless, Peter's soul was filled with the blessed subject he was announcing that this Jesus whom they had crucified God had made both Lord and Christ, and the wondrous endowment of being endowed with power from on high. (O, that the ministers of Christ now might covet after that gracious power from on high). But, notwithstanding that Peter's soul was full of the blessed theme of a crucified and risen Jesus, now both Lord and Christ, and he now, with his tongue, lisping the heavenly tidings; yet Peter's guide, the Holy Spirit, leads his tongue thus to speak. Then Peter said unto them that had said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of' Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, for the promise is unto you and unto your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." And with many other words, did he (Peter) testify and exhort, saying, "Save yourselves from this untoward generation." Then they that gladly received his (Peter's) words were baptized. And the same day, there were added unto them about three thousand souls." The writer has thus copied for two reasons. First, it appears clear to him that the man or woman born of the spirit of God should know when his own work of salvation begins (the good works before ordained of God that we should walk in them); as, in the case above, Peter not only testifies, but exhorts them, saying, "Save yourselves from this untoward generation (strangers and without God). The salvation, doubtless, is the same as that spoken of by Jude, and by him called "the common salvation it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhorted you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints." And, again, "for ye are not appointed unto wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," and many other portions of God's word to the same point.
But, more especially as in the above saying: "Save yourselves from this untoward generation;" being now instructed and exhorted to save themselves, and, secondly, let it be borne in mind that this sermon of Peter's was the first preached after the disciples were endowed with power from on high to go forth as the commission bid them-saying, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." As, or alike salvation as above, they that gladly received his (Peter's) word were baptized.
Now, it seems, the reader will see clearly that the salvation enjoyed was by those only who gladly received Peter's word of testimony and exhortation to save themselves; and that salvation was as elsewhere recorded, "the like figure, whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God ;) by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is gone into heaven and is on the Right Hand of God-angels, and authorities, and powers, being made subject unto Him." So then we see that whether there were fifty or five hundred of those pricked in the heart, they were the first circumcised in heart, as well as baptized under the New Covenant, and in obedience to the commission given by our Lord Jesus to his disciples before he ascended on high, as well as the first usage of the commission after endowed with power from on high. It follows that those then and thus baptized are to be regarded as the beginning of the visible church of God, set up as spoken of by the Prophet Daniel-"In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed." Hence, then, it follows that after those baptized as above recorded, (51st verse of the 2nd chapter of Acts), and the full stop or colon (:) marked, "and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls ;" added to none other but unto those who gladly received Peter's words. ':And the same day there were added unto them (just before baptized) about three thousand souls," that the writer understands were baptized by John the Baptist and Jesus' disciples, as it is written of John that "many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God; and he shall go before him, in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Here we would remark, as recorded in the 15th verse of the 1st chapter of Luke, "The angel to Zacharias said, for he (John) shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb." Now we turn to the 41st and 44th verses of the same chapter. "And it came to pass that, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe (John) leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the-Holy Ghost." Here Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, like as on the day of Pentecost, "the Holy Ghost, as of a rushing, mighty wind, filled all the house where they were sitting," which descending or descent of the Holy Ghost, we call the baptism of the Holy Ghost, spoken of by John the Baptist, that should follow after. And if so we read the testimony of Elizabeth, in the 44th verse, thus: "For lo! as soon as the voice of thy (Mary's) salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy." Now, is it not plain from the testimony that John the Baptist was baptized with the Holy Ghost before born of Elizabeth, his mother, as well as "filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb?"
Thus prepared, John's mission was fulfilled, as declared before by the prophets and recorded in the 1st chapter and 16th and 17th verses of Luke-the words of the angel to Zacharias and in the concluding words of the angel's men, sage to his servant, as above, to "make ready a people prepared for the Lord." That John's work was accomplished none can feel willing to deny. Then, of course, it follows that the three thousand who were added to the kingdom or church just set up in a visible form, and composed of newly baptized material, possessed of the gift of the Holy Ghost. So that we feel that the three thousand added were prepared in every respect, their baptism alike valid with those baptized on the day of Pentecost; for John the Baptist baptized Jesus; so they twain are one baptism. Alike in faith also, as John taught his disciples that they should believe on Him that should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. And, in conclusion, we remark that the baptism of John the Baptist and the apostles under the commission endowed with power from on high was gloriously consolidated (made one), in that Jesus was baptized by John. Under the announcement of Jesus to John, suffer it to be so now, for thus it be-cometh us to fulfill all righteousness. And that He (Jesus) hath shed forth this which ye see and hear, and which, doubtless, was shed forth on the one hundred and nine, as well as on the eleven disciples; and the one hundred and nine beheld, when there appeared unto them "cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and been to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance." So the whole one hundred and twenty were baptized with the Holy Ghost, and with fire, and at the very time that the disciples were endowed with power from on high. Hence, as we said, the baptism of John and the baptism of the disciples under the commission is made one baptism. And then it is remembered that John told the Jews whom he baptized "Him who cometh after me, whose shoes latches he (John) was not worthy to unloose. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire;" and that Jesus did baptize all with the Holy Ghost whom John had baptized cannot be denied, and so, it follows that the three thousand souls added being all baptized by John the Baptist and Jesus' disciples, in the days of John's ministry, and on the day of Pentecost, John's promise was fulfilled, and they, all baptized as above with the Holy Ghost and with fire, were in a proper and lawful condition to be added to those just baptized (the church) as it was proper and lawful for those that gladly received Peter's word to be baptized. And then we can read with the understanding also as follows: "And they (the three thousand added to them just baptized and with them. then as now the visible Church of God, the pillar and ground of the truth)continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread and in prayers. And such gracious change. A kind feeling in conduct manifested toward each other, that they continued steadfastly in the doctrine, and such manifest fellowship in break of bread and prayers, so that fear came upon every soul.
And many wonders and signs were done by the apostles; they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people; "And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved."
In this 47th and last verse of second chapter of Acts, the word church occurs for the first time as already builded or set up under the new covenant or dispensation of graces reign. The writer has not any recollection of such, and feels that he shall not be counted extravagant in coming to the conclusion that the Church of God, visible, was set up on the day of Pentecost, as above, and that too by the God of Heaven, as declared by Daniel the prophet,, under the character of a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed nor left to another people, but shall stand forever. Yes, in God's loving kindness he hath betrothed this kingdom, this Church unto himself; sometimes tie hath called her his beloved; and that she is the only one of her mother, the choice one of her that bear her. Ye are God's husbandry; ye are God's building, the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. Again his holy hill Zion, flock members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, and declared to be the fullness of Him that filleth all in all; purchased possession, and in short, God's terrestrial dwelling place, etc., etc.
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