A. Yes. For in this Competition betwixt them and our Duty, if any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him. 1 John ii. 15. 3. As it refpects the Flesh with its Affections A. Yes. Rom. viii. 13. If ye live after the Q. Having feen the firft Branch of your Bap. The Second tifmal Vow or Promife, even the Renunciation Baptifmal of all your Ghoftly Enemies, we proceed to its fecond Branch; And what was that? A. It was Faith; even to believe all the Articles of the Chriftian Faith or Doctrine. Q. What is its third and laft Branch?': A. It is Obedience; even to keep God's The third holy Will and Commandments, and to walk and last. in the fame all the Days of my Life. tion. Catechift. Now all this fhews, that as in Applica our Baptifm we gave up our Names to Christ, and folemnly engaged ourselves to be his faithful Soldiers, fo our Life here on Earth is a State of Warfare. For we wrestle not only against Flesh and Blood, but against Principalities and Powers, against the Rulers of the Darknefs of this World, against fpiritual Wickedness in high Places. And all this fhould teach us to be vigilant and fober, to have continual Recourfe by Prayer to the Throne of Grace for Help, and to work out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling. Sect. Sect. 4. Of our feveral Obligations to our Baptifmal Duties. Q. Doft thou not think that thou art bound to believe and do as they have promifed for thee? A. Yes verily. Catechift. In which Words you are taught to confefs and own your Baptismal Vow and Duty; that you are bound to believe and do all those things that in your you Baptifm promised to believe and do, by your Sureties or Proxies. And they are all neceffary, 1. Upon the Account of God's Authority and Command, which is the highest Obligation. For we are his, and not our own, upon a manifold Account. He is our Creator, and we are the Work of his Hands. 'He is our Redeemer, and we are the Purchase of his Son's Blood; He is our Preferver, and continual Benefactor, in whom we live, and move, and have our Being. And for him it was,and is, and not for ourselves, that we were made and redeemed, and are ftill preserved by him. Upon all these Accounts he is our fupreme and abfolute Lord and Owner, and can juftly command us whatsoever he pleaseth. Now all those things which you promised in your Baptifm, are really no other, than what he requires of you, and are the Duties of all Christians antecedently to their Promife. God requires you to renounce what you promised to renounce,viz. the Devil and all his Works, even all Sin and Wickedness; the World with its specious Blandishments and and the Flesh with its enticing Lufts. And he requires you to believe his Word, and to keep his Commandments. And so if none of thefe things had been ever promis'd by you, yet by vertue of God's Command, they had been neceffary to be obferved. 2. All these Duties are neceffary in their own Natures. The things which we renounce, even the Devil with all his Works, together with the Allurements of thofe worldly or carnal Objects, whereby we are enticed and drawn away to Sin, are the natural Means and Caufes of Man's Destruction and Mifery. The Devil as a roaring Lion is ever seeking Man's Destruction: And Sin, which is his Work, is the Mifery of our Nature. And as thefe would make us miferable, and are neceffary to be avoided; fo Faith and Obedience are as neceflary to make us happy. It is impoffible to pleafe God, or be accepted with him, without thefe Qualifications; or to fail thereof, with them. For Faith is the Root and Principle of all acceptable and true Obedience, and Obedience to God's Commandments is the only Way to Life and Happiness; as our Bleffed Lord hath told us, Mat. xix. 17. If thou wilt enter into Life, keep the Command ments. 6 And that all thefe Duties thus neceffary upon thefe Accounts, might be the more certainly and effectually performed by us,we have voluntarily confented to them in our Baptifmal Covenant. And fo 3. They are farther necessary, by your own Vow and Promife. For this being then E made 2 . made by your Proxies or Legal Perfons, i. e. thofe that acted for you in your Baptismal Covenant, is in Effect all one, as if it had been made by yourselves in Perfon, For they did this for you, i. e. in your Name and Stead, by the Confent of your Parents, as their Deputies and Affiftants. And Parents have fuch Power to act and covenant for their Children,and others belonging to them. Gen. xvii. 9,10,11,12, 13. Deut. xxix. 11,12. And fo, under the Old Teft. Children being entred into Covenant with God by others, they received Circumcifion, as the visible Sign thereof. And being circumcised, they were Debtors to the whole Law. Gal. v. 3. In like Manner,you in your Infancy were engaged in the Chriftian Covenant,by your Parents, or Proparents. And in Token thereof, you received the Sacrament of Baptifm, the Sign and Seal of this Covenant: And being baptized, you are a Debtor to the whole Gofpel,the written Inftrument thereof. And as the Bleflings of the Gospel are here promifed on God's Part, fo the Duties thereof are here promised on yours. You promised to renounce the Devil and all his, Works, &c., and to believe God's Word, and to keep his Commandments. For tho thefe Perfons that acted for you, did declare or fpeak thefe Words, yet it was in your Name, not their own, that they did this. And fo you indeed promifed all these things by them, and hereby alfo you are bound to perform them. As when a Child or Minor, for the Tenure of an Eltate, does Homage, or fwears Fealty to theHead Landlord by his Guardian,theLaw accepts is, as his own Act and and Deed, and he is bound to make good the Condition of fuch a Tenure. The Questions and Answers: Q. What are the Obligations that you lie una der, to believe and do as was promised for you in your Baptifm? A. They are these three, viz. 1. The Command of God. 3. Our Vow or Promife. Q. To begin with the first of these, viz. the Will and Command of God, Is it certain that he requires all these things at your Hands? A. Yes. As will appear by the Parti culars. Q. Therefore to proceed particularly; The tft Obligafirft Part or Branch of the Baptifmal Vow or tion. Promife, was Repentance or the Renunciation of what is evil; And is this required of jou? A. Yes. Ifai i. 16. Wash ye, make you clean, put away the Evil of your Doings from before mine Eyes, ceafe to do Evil. Q. But more particularly and diftinctly, Does God require you to renounce 1. The Devil and all his Works? A.Yes. Fam. iv.7. Refift the Devil. Ephef. v. 11. And have no Fel lowship with the un-. fruitful Works Darknefs. of |