fordid Pleasures of Sin under their Feet, to enjoy them. Q. But did not the Scriptures only mean by Converfion, to be baptized in our Infancy into the vifible Church, and that Man makes but a needlefs Buftle in the World about any other Converfion. A. No. Though this Notion is fpread among Men, and by a great many adopted, it is a dangerous Miftake, a Shadow instead of a Bridge, and, venturing upon it, we drown ourselves; for Chrift faith, Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth and is baptized, fball be faved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. Baptifm without Faith, fignifies nothing to Salvation; and why has Chrift preffed and inculcated the indispenfible Neceffity of Regeneration upon Nicodemus, John iii. 3, 5, 7. who had been many Years a circumcifed few, if he could have been faved without it ? Q: Is then the external Profeffion of Christianity not enough to be a Chriftian? A. Though many are of that Opinion, fatisfying themselves that they are no Heathens, Mahometans, or idolatrous Papifts, but Protestants, brought up in the true Church, and alfo reformed Chriftians ; we must warn ourselves of fuch a Falfhood, for, the Kingdom of God is not in Word, but in Power, 1 Cor. iv. 20. We must not confefs Chrift in Words, and deny him in Works, The Grace of God, that bringeth Salvatim, teacheth us, that denying Ungodliness and worldly Lufts, we should live foberly, righteously and godly in this prefent World, &c. Tit. ii. 11, 12, 13. And if Baptifm in our Infancy, or the external Profeffion of Chriftianity, were all the Difficulties, Christ need not have put Men upon ftriving (as in an Agony) to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven at the ftrait Gate, Luke xiii. 24. Q. If we fay our Prayers daily, frequent our Church, receive the Sacrament, and perform other good Vorks, may we not hope for Heaven, though we take the Liberty P to to fwear, drink, commit Adultery, or be guilty of other Crimes and Immoralities? A. If that could confift before God, then all the Hypocrites were fafe; but to cut off at one Stroke thefe vain and blafphemous Thoughts, we have only to read Ifa. lviii. 2. Jer. vii. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. and Matt. vii. 21, 22, 23. Not every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven. Many will fay to me in that Day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophefied in thy Name? And in thy Name have caft out Devils? And in thy Name done many wonderful Works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work Iniquity. Q. But if a Man is one of the greatest Sinners, and has not lived a fober and civil Life, how dares he to approach fuch a juft and holy God, and flatter himself with Hopes of his Mercy? A. That Suggestion is only a Snare of Satan; and to obviate it, we fay firft, that there is not only a Poffibility of our Recovery, but in some Respect a ftronger Probability, that one of the greatest Sinners may be converted and faved, than there is for those who have led a more fmoother and civil Life in the World, and only truft to their own Morality for their Salvation, inftead of the imputed Righteousness of Chrift. This plainly appears by that convictive Expreffion of Chrift's to the Scribes and Pharifees, Matt. xxi. 31. Verily, I fay unto you, that the Publicans and Harlots, go into the Kingdom of Heaven before you. And indeed, it is far eaffer to come at the Confcience of fuch Sinners by Conviction, than at the others; the moft Smooth and civil Part of the World trust to their own Righteousness and external Duties; and thus Self-Confidence, and Conceit of their good Condition, refift all Attempts to bring them to Chrift for Righteousness ; but the Confciences of thofe, whofe whole Lives have been polluted with Profanenes and all Impiety, will I will more easily be convicted of their prefent Danger, and Neceffity of a speedy and thorough Conversion, because they think not as others do, that they need no Repentance; and thus the greatest Sinner appears to lie nearer the Door of Hope and Mercy, than the other wrong Builders do. And 2dly, We ought to think on the rich and free Grace of God to the vileft Sinners, in Chrift Jefus, whofe Blood cleanfeth us from all Sin; and the 9th Verfe, If we confefs our Sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins, and to cleanfe as from all Unrighteousness. Farther, would we have a ftronger Senfe of the Riches and Tranfcendency of his Goodness and Mercy to the greatest Sinners, let us look upon Paul, who, more fierce and vile before Converfion than he, who was a Blafphemer, a Perfecutor, and Injurious? 1 Tim. i. 13. And who among all the Servants of Chrift loved and laboured for him. more (after Converfion) than he? That finful Woman recorded Luke vii. 37. She was an infamous and notorious Sinner; yet her Sins, which were many, were forgiven her, Verfe 47. Manaffeh was a Monfter of Wickedness, 2 Chron. 33. yet found Mercy. Which Things plainly fhew the Poffibility that we may be pardoned; and therefore how finful foeyer we have been, we must not despair of God's Mercy, but with the whole Heart turn us unto God, chofing him for our fupreme and ultimate Happiness and Portion, Pf. lxxiii. Flying to the Lord Jefus Chrift, our dear Saviour, with the deepest Supplication, Faith and Prayers, for his Grace and Mercy, to bring forth the new Man, which is nothing lefs, than the total Change of our Heart and Life, Isa. lv. 8. Q. Whilft we can never fay enough about this Point of Doctrine, can you point to any other Motives to a speedy Coverfion? A. Yes. Let a Man once go out of the Noife and Hurry of the World, into fome private retiring Place, to confult with his Confcience, to debate the Pa State State of his Soul, and think clofe (but for one Hour) on fuch awful Subjects, as God, the Soul, Chrift, Eternity, Heaven, Hell, Death, Judgment, and of his Concern in all thefe, what Life he has hitherto lived; and finding that it has been nothing else, but to eat and drink, sport and play, ride and walk, sleep, and prog for Riches, &c. then he ought to confider the Neceffity of Converfion that tho' the fweet Part of his Life is paffed away in Vanity, and that there is no recalling one Day or Hour, he hath yet an Opportunity to be eternally happy; that the Door of Mercy is not finally fhut up; that the Lord Jefus yet waits to be gracious to him, if now (after all that he has done) he will but come unto him, he may have Life; that his Swearing, Profaneness, abufing_of God's Name, Drunkennefs, Uncleannefs, and Enmity at Godlinefs, fhall never be mentioned, if he will yet return, Ezek. xviii. 21, 22. But if he will be careless and negligent, let him think on his DeathBed (if he fhall have one) when his Heart and Breath will fail, his Eye and Heart Strings break, all earthly Comforts vanish, which must fhortly befall him, Eccle. vii. Let him fuppofe in these his last extremities his Confcience fhould awake (as probably it will) there being now no more Charms of Pleasures and finful Companions to divert, or rather ftupify it; what a Cafe will he find himself in! what a cold Sweat will then lie upon his gafping Bosom! what a pale Horror will appear in his Countenance! How then will he tremble at that, in which he once triumphed how will he wifh, that the Time he has fpent in Vanity, had been spent in a conftant practice of Piety that he had been as careful of his Soul as he was of his Body; that the Pains of Mortification, which he was fo afraid of, are nothing to the Pains of Damnation which be begins to feel already; yea, when he will be convinced of the Terror of God's Wrath to all Eternity. Therefore, if ever Man expect expect to be delivered from fuch a State, or from Hell itfelf, let him heartily ftrive to the utmoft, ftrive whilst he has Opportunity to flee from and escape by a true Change the woful State of eternal Damnation. The 92d Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM. Q. WHAT did God reveal to Man for the Rule of his Obedience? "A. The moral Law." Q. Where is the moral Law fummarily comprehended? A. Yes. When God gave it to Man, he fpake all these Words, faying, "I am the Lord thy God, "who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out "of the Houfe of Bondage.. "I. Thou fhalt have none other Gods but me. "II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image, or any Likeness of any Thing that is in "Heaven above, or that is in the Earth beneath, or "that is in the Water under the Earth. Thou shalt "not bow down thyfelf to them, nor ferve them: For "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, vifiting the "Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the "third and fourth Generation of them that hate me, " and fhewing Mercy unto Thousands of them that "love me, and keep my Commandments. “III. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord "thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him. "guiltless that taketh his Name in vain. IV. Remember the Sabbath-Day to keep it holy; "Six Days fhalt thou labour, and do all thy Work; "but the Seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy "God: In it thou shalt not do any Work, thou, nor "thy Son, nor thy Daughter, thy Man-Servant, nor thy Maid-Servant, nor thy Cattle, nor thy Stranger "that is within thy Gates; for in fix Days the Lord "made P3 |