But this was only part of His work. He died not only to atone for original sin but for actual sin, and to become the mediator between God and man. "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin;" this is the law. His blood was shed for the sins of the whole world. For original sin unconditionally, for actual sin conditionally. Mankind had no part in the commission of the original sin, they perform nothing in the redemption therefrom. Its effects came through no acts of theirs; those effects will be removed without anything they may do. No conditions are required as preliminaries to redemption from original sin; it was committed by Adam, it was atoned for by Jesus Christ. But as each person is guilty of his own sins, so he must comply with the conditions which will entitle him to the full benefits of Christ's atonement for his own sins. Among these conditions are faith, repentance and baptism. Saving faith must necessarily include the Son as well as the Father in its objects, because salvation comes from the Father through the Son, and as Christ died for all, there is no other name but His given under heaven whereby man can be saved. Repentance, as we have shown, includes humility, which leads to obedience, and baptism follows, in which is given to the repentant believer that remission of sins, obtained through the shedding of Christ's blood in the place of the blood of the sinner. Baptism as a part of the gospel is the complete immersion in water of a repentant believer, by a man having authority to act "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." All this is essential to its validity. The candidate must believe and repent. The administrator must have divine authority. The ordinance must be performed correctly. There is but "one baptism," as there is but "one Lord and one faith." Any other kind of baptism is spurious and of no effect. The believing, repentant sinner, after making covenant with God to forsake evil and keep His commandments, is taken down into the water by the duly authorized and ordained representative of the Lord Jesus, and, being dead to his old sins by repentance, is buried from his old life by immersion in the watery grave; and then, raised up again to newness of life, is "born of the water," and stands on earth a new creature in Christ Jesus. He is clean before God. He is as pure from guilt as a new-born babe. Though his sins were as scarlet, he is now washed whiter than wool, and is prepared for the next step on the straight and narrow path which leads to life eternal. Happy indeed is he. Joy unspeakable fills his heart. Peace indescribable dwells in his bosom. Purity shines in all his nature. He has entered by the door, into the sheep fold, and is one of the flock of Christ. The load of his past misdeeds is rolled from his shoulders and he is free. The liberty of the gospel is his. Henceforth he should be the servant only of the King of Kings, and a soldier of the cross.