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Practical truths tending to promote the power of godliness
Practical truths tending to promote the power of godliness: wherein several important duties, are urged, and the evil of divers common sins, is evinced; delivered in sundry sermons. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in New-England. ; [Ten lines of Scripture texts]
printed by Samuel Green upon assignment of Samuel Sewall, 1682
Baptised Persons are under Sacred and Awful Obligation to the Lord.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. All Baptised Persons are obliged by their Baptism, to make an open Profession of the Name of God in Christ, though exposed to never such hazards and outward miseries on account thereof. It obligeth us, not to be ashamed of our Religion, and holy profession; but to be willing that the whole world should see and know, that we are the servants ⟨p. 103⟩of the only true God, and of his Son Jesus Christ. It is noted concerning the Lords Sealed ones, that they had the Fathers Name written in their Foreheads, Rev. 14. 1. Those are thereby intended, who make a bold and open profession of the Name, and pure Worship of God, during the reign of Antichrist; notwithstanding their being exposed to dangers and sufferings on that account. It is not enough for men to believe that there is one God distinguished into three persons; or that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; but they must openly confess the Name of this God in Christ, owning themselves to be his Servants, whatever the event of such a profession, as to sufferings in the world, may be. Now by Baptism men do thus. Hence it is said, Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved, h. e. he that doth both inwardly and sincerely believe on Christ, and that shall by his submitting to Baptism, declare before all the World, that he is a Believer on Christ, is one unto whom the Gospel doth promise Salvation. And indeed, in those times of persecution, if a man did subject himself to that Institution of Christ, it was a great sign of his being a true Believer, inasmuch as he did thereby expose himself to all sorts of dangers and miseries from the world, for Christs sake. For then, if a man did consent to be Baptised into the Name of Christ; immediately his Estate, Liberty, Life, ⟨p. 104⟩and all was in danger to be taken from him.
2. All Baptised Persons are obliged by their Baptisme, to make an open Profession of the Name of God in Christ, though exposed to never such hazards and outward miseries on account thereof. It obligeth us, not to be ashamed of our Religion, and holy profession; but to be willing that the whole world should see and know, that we are the servants