MATTHEW 3:5-9, C. H. Cayce “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, 0 generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: and think not to say within yourselves. We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.— Matthew iii. 5-9.
This chapter begins by saying, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying. Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. “—Verses 1 and 2. This shows that the writer was telling about the work John was doing; and, although the writer says, “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan,” yet there were some that he did not baptize. The Pharisees and Sadducees came and demanded baptism at his hands; but he did not baptize them. It must be true, then, that the expression, “Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan,” must be taken in a restricted sense and not in a universal sense—just as many like expressions to be found in the Book. There were some from Jerusalem, and some from all Judea, and some from all the region round about Jordan who were baptized of him in Jordan.
The Pharisees and Sadducees gave no evidence of repentance, or a change in life, or reformation of life. They gave no evidence of regeneration. If people are regenerated through the instrumentality of preaching; if people are persuaded by and through preaching to accept the Lord and to become children of God, we have often wondered why John did not go to work on those Pharisees and Sadducees and try to persuade them to become children of God, and thereby escape from the wrath to come.
Evidently the Pharisees and Sadducees were in need of salvation—were in need of regeneration. If salvation (regeneration) is procured in baptism, we have often wondered why John did not baptize them. If one is regenerated or born again in baptism, and John refused to baptize those people, then John refused to allow them to obtain regeneration— he refused to do that for them which would make them to be children of God. The doctrine that eternal life, or regeneration, comes through baptism, would put the regeneration of sinners and the peopling of the heavenly world in the hands of puny men, which is a thing God has not done.
Some might say that John had warned those people in his preaching to flee from the wrath to come; but he had not done so. He asks them the question, “Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” This is as much as to say that he had not done so. If he had done so—if he had been preaching that way—then they could have consistently and truthfully replied, “You have done so.” They could not thus reply; and [pg 193] therefore John had not been warning people, in his preaching, to flee from the wrath to come.
Before John would administer baptism to a person he required “fruits meet for repentance.” This means that he required fruits answerable to amendment of life. He required evidence of regeneration. True repentance is an evidence of regeneration. “Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”—2 Cor. vii. 10. Sorrow proceeds from the heart. A godly sorrow cannot proceed from an ungodly heart. It necessarily follows, then, that godly sorrow proceeds from a heart that has already been made good, and repentance is an evidence of regeneration, and does not procure it, or is not a condition to be complied with in order to it.
Let us take these two Scriptural propositions: First. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God (“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”—Rom. viii. 14). Second. Those who repent are led to do so by the Spirit of God (“Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”—Rom. ii. 4). Third. Therefore, those who repent are children of God. This conclusion necessarily follows as a result from the two Scriptural quotations. As those who re- pent are children of God, it follows that repentance is an evidence of regeneration, and cannot be a condition to be performed in order thereto. The Old Baptists are evidently right on this point. On this question their teaching is Scriptural—and every theory contrary thereto is wrong. Many of God’s dear children have been taught a wrong doctrine on this question.
Those who were baptized by John confessed their sins. They confessed that they were poor sinners. If one realizes truthfully that he is a poor sinner, and that if he is saved it is wholly by the grace and mercy of God, it is an evidence of the work of grace in the heart. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. “—1 Tim. i. 15. Paul never acknowledged this, nor felt it, while he was in an unregenerate state. When and after the Lord arrested him while he was on his way to Damascus to persecute the saints, then he realized this truth and confessed it; but he never realized or confessed it before. Regeneration brings a godly sorrow for sin; and a hatred of sin and a deep desire to be free from it is an evidence of the work of grace in the heart. This being true, then John baptized those who gave evidence that they were children of God. Primitive Baptists are that way yet.
It was right for those who felt and confessed that they were poor sinners to be baptized of John in Jordan. Their hope of heaven was not in their own good deeds or in their own righteousness. Their hope was alone in the mercy and grace of God. If it was right for such people to do as they did then, it is right for such people to do that way now. Hence, if you have been made to feel and to know that you are a poor sinner, and your only hope of heaven is in the blood of a crucified and risen Redeemer and the mercy and grace of God, you should do as those people did—you should be baptized by a Primitive Baptist preacher. You should deny yourself, take up your cross and follow your blessed Saviour. He was baptized by John, this Primitive Baptist preacher. You cannot follow Him as you should unless you do as He did.
May the Lord bless these thoughts to the good of our readers, and may He help us to live in a way that will glorify His name, is our humble prayer. The Primitive Baptist, January 30, 1930.