Inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith that is in Christ. Sect. 3. Of the Baptismal Duties. Q. What did your God-Fathers and GodMothers then for you? A. They did promise and vow three things in my Name. First, that I should renounce the Devil and all his Works, the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World, and all the Sinful Lufts of the Flesh. Secondly, that I should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith. Thirdly, that I should keep God's holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the fame all the Days of my Life. Catechist. As there are three great Benefits to be obtained by Christian Baptifm, viz. 1. A Membership or Union with Chrift. 2. Adoption. 3. Heirship to Heaven: So on the other hand, there are three great Duties to be performed by all Christians, for the obtaining of these Benefits. And they are 1. Abrenunciation. 2. Faith. 3. Obedience. 1. The first great Duty that our Baptifm requireth of us, is the Abrenunciation of all those evil things that are contrary to our Profession; particularly the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. By the Devil is meant in Scripture all the fallen and loft Angels, especially the Chief D 3 of of them, called Beelzebub, and the Prince of the Devils, under whom as their Head, they are all combined together, to seduce and ruin as many of us as they can. And because he was the first that ever committed Sin, hath ever since persisted in the Trade & Practice of it,and makes it his constant Business to promote it amongst Men, therefore all Sins in general are called the Devil's Works; but especially Spiritual Sins, such as Pride, Rebellion, Apostacy, Hatred, Malice, Murder, Lying, Slandering, Backbiting, Hypocrisy, and all Uncharitableness. And if we name the Name of Christ, or would be his Disciples, we must renounce this Enemy, and these Works of his, so as inwardly to abhorr them, and detest them in our Hearts, and actually to cast them off in our Lives and Conversations. For there is no Agreement betwixt Light and Darkness, betwixt Christ and Belial. The second Ghostly Enemy to be renounced by us, is the present evil World, with all its Pomps and Vanities; i. e. both Worldly Men, and also Worldly Things, called the Lufts of the Flesh, the Lufts of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life, i. e. the Pleasures, Riches and Honours of this World; which by drawing away our Hearts from the things that are above, are effectively the great Enemies and Hindrances of our Salvation: And therefore so far to be renounced by us. The third Ghostly Enemy that we must renounce and fight against, is the Flesh, with its Sinful Lufts. And what these are, the Apo / Apostle tells us, saying, Gal. v. 19, 20. Now the Lufts of the Flesh are manifeft, which are these; Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lasciviousness, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, Emulation, Wrath, Strife, Sedition, Heresses, Envyings, Murders, Drunkenness, Revelling, and such like; called the Lufts of the Flesh, because they proceed originally from our bodily or carnal Senses, whereby the Soul is captivated with the Love of Worldly Things. These are the Ghostly Enemies, that we muft renounce and fight against in our Christian Warfare. And the Renouncing of all these, is the first of those Duties which you promised in your Baptifm. 2. The Second is Faith, i. e, an hearty Assent to the whole Christian Doctrine, especially to the great Articles, or necessary Points thereof, contained in the Apostles Creed. 3. The Third is Obedience, which is the Fruit and Effect of Faith. For we naturally will and act according to our Belief. And accordingly, in the Scripture-Language, a Believer and a Righteous Person are the fame. He that believes aright concerning Good and Evil, will effectually choose the one, and refuse the other. And did we believe and know that the Things which God enjoineth us, are so good and beneficial as indeed they are, we should naturally and necessarily, but yet most freely love and praCrise them. Obedience to God's Commandments do's as naturally proceed from Faith, as the Fruit from its Tree, or the Stream from its Fountain. The Questions and Answers. Q. What are the Duties requiretd of you in your Baptismal Covenant ? The BaptifA.In general they are these three, namely, mal Duties. 1. Repentance, or the Renouncing of what is evil. 2. Faith. 3. Obedience. Abrenunciation. The Objects shereof. The Devil. What he is: A Spirit. Q. In the first of those Duties, the Renouncing of what is evil, we are to take notice of both the Objects and Act thereof. And first what are the Objects of it, or the things that you must renounce ? A. In general they are these three; namely, 1. The Devil with all his Works. 2. The World with all its Pomps and Vanities. 3. The Flesh with all its Sinful Lusts. These are our Ghostly Enemies, that we must renounce and fight against. Q. What do you mean by the first of them, the Devil? A. I mean thereby all those fallen and loft Angels, especially the Chieftain of them, who being created in a glorious Estate in Heaven, were cast out thence for their Rebellion against God, and are now most miferable and accursed Spirits, and malicious Enemies against God and Man. 1 Q. But more particularly and distinctly, Is the Devil a Spirit, i. e. a Substance that is incorporeal? A. Yes. Mark ix. 26. The Spirit (that is the Devil) cried and rent him fore. Q. Is he an unclean Spirit? A. Yes. For so he is styled in Scripture, Unclean. the unclean Spirit. Mat. xii. 43. His Sin hath defiled his Nature with a spiritual Filthiness. Q. Is he a malicious and wicked Spirit? A. Yes. And so he is called the wicked one. 1 John v. 18. Q. Is he a fallen and loft Angel? A. Yes. Jude vi. TheAngels which kept not their first Estate. Q. Are there then many Devils ? A. Yes. So many had Possession of one poor Man, that they called themselves Legion. Luke viii. 30. Q. Is there one that is the Prince and Chieftain of all the rest? A. Yes. Beelzebub, the Prince of the Devils. Mat. xii. 24. Q. Is he with all his Company an Enemy against God? A. Yes. Rev. xii. 7. Michael and his Angels fought, and the Dragon fought and his Angels. Q. Is he an Enemy against Man? Malicious and wicked. A fallen and Loft Loft Angel. An Enemy to God. A. Yes. 1 Pet. v. 8. Your Adversary the And Man. Devil. And Mat. xiii. 28. An Enemy hath done this. Q. Is he our dangerous Enemy? A. Yes. If he conquer'd Man in his Innocency, what may he do now? Our dangerous Enemy, as being. |