N00254:239
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.
1. That Baptism should be improved unto ••• feigned Humiliation in the Lords sight. For it puts us in mind of our natural defilement by sin. That our Souls need to be washed, in the Blood, ⟨p. 114⟩and by the Spirit of Christ. And when we see Baptism administered unto any; we should humbly, and with an holy shame reflect upon our selves, in that we have lived no more according to that baptismal Engagement to be the Lords, and his only, which we should most frequently remember and consider, that so we might thereby be restrained from sin, and quickened unto duty.
1. That Baptisme should be improved unto ••• feigned Humillation in the Lords sight. For it puts us in mind of our natural defilement by sin. That our Souls need to be washed, in the Blood, ⟨p. 114⟩and by the Spirit of Christ. And when we see Baptisme administred unto any; we should humbly, and with an holy shame reflect upon our selves, in that we have lived no more according to that baptismal Engagement to be the Lords, and his only, which we should most frequently remember and consider, that so we might thereby be restrained from sin, and quickened unto duty.
2. Baptism should be improved unto thankfulness and admiration at the grace of God in Christ Jesus. How wonderful, is that Grace, that such as we are, should be of the Lords Family? That the mark appertaining to his sheep should be set upon us; and that out Children with us, have been solemnly owned as visibly belonging to God and to Jesus Christ, having the mark of his lambs on them! That Christ should put in for our Children in the first place, and by commanding his mark to be set upon them, bring them under engagement to be the Lords, before ever the Devil hath had any opportunity to tempt them unto sin. O we should admire this Grace of God.