aches, the means to them of new life by union with
Himself. It is their cleansing bath because therein they are 'baptized
into Christ.' (Here, we notice, the analogy of the marriage custom
breaks down: what is in the marriage ceremonies only a washing
preparatory to union, is in the spiritual counterpart also the act of
union. Baptism is both the abandonment of the old and union with the
new.) Lastly, there is the final presentation by Christ of the church
to Himself in sinless, stainless perfection.

We observe that Christ's sacrifice is regarded by St. Paul as
preparatory and relative. He bought the church by the sacrifice of
Himself to obtain unimpeded rights over her, because He loved her and
in order to make her morally {217} perfect. The atonement has its
value because it is the removal of the obstacles to Christ working His
positive moral work in her.

We observe again that the sacrifice of Christ is spoken of as offered
for the church, not for the world. Christ does indeed 'will that all
men shall be saved': He did indeed 'take away,' or take up and expiate,
'the sin of the world' in its totality[7]. But the divine method is
that men shall attain their salvation as 'members of Christ's body.'
Thus, if Christ's ultimate object in the divine sacrifice is the world:
His immediate object is the church through which He acts upon the world
and into which He calls every man. 'I pray,' He said, 'not for the
world, but for them whom thou hast given me.' 'He gave himself for us
that he might redeem us ... and purify unto himself a people for his
own possession[8].'

Once more we notice in this passage a significant hint as to St. Paul's
conception of baptism. There is no doubt of the spiritual efficacy
which he assigns to it. And we observe in germ a doctrine of 'matter'
and 'form' in connexion with the sacraments. Baptism is a 'washing of
water' accompanied by a 'word.' The word {218} or utterance which St.
Paul refers to may be the formula of baptism 'into the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost,' or the 'word of faith' of
which confession is made by the person to be baptized--the confession
that 'Jesus is the Lord[9]'; but in either case the word gives the
rational interpretation to the act. It sets apart what would be
otherwise like any other act of washing, and stamps it for a spiritual
and holy purpose. 'Take away the word, and what is the water but mere
water? The word is sup