Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

DircfT, lo .N :r.o jlm inf1n1amir.· cutil:; nemo :~t ud exilliOf Profefsing our ~ligion. ? .,.~; ,, CHAP. IV. Dire8ions about the Profefion of our tRjligion to others. DircC\. I· u Ndajland firft how grw a Juty the Profeffion of trite Religi011 ;, tbJt tlot think.. aJ [ome jiJol!fh people, tbat every nh1H jhould conceal hU k._ 0 7· n:ay or lzyep it tohimjilf Obfe~vc therefore thefe Reafons following whe 'g""• quire it. 1 ' reIUC[: Q!1i11 r:.ec ,f:lS_eH ulli de (u£ religione !l'enti~i•. !x eo enim qu.~ :tliud .l. ~~ coli dicit. qu1m colic~ & cuhuram & honorem in :alterum tr.lnsfe– ICf!c~, piT'. n. n eo irCJU<'d lleg:tvlt: Dlctmus, & p1h.m diCtmus & vob1s torquenttbus lactu·, be cru.:nti vociferamur, Deum colimus · Cflnft:.~m: T.rr.,z• .t!poil} c.J I, per 1· 2· I· Our Touguer andbodjtr are made ra exercife and !hew forth that acknowledgement a d adoration of God which is in our hearts. And as he denyeth God with the He~rt who dmh n:t Believe: in him <.nd worfl1ip him in his heart; ~ohe.denyeth God.imputatively with his Tongue and life, who doth not profefs and honour h1m wtth h1s tong~e and life: and fo he is a pra&jcal Arheift. Ifa. 45· 2 3, 24, 2 5· I bavf [worn by my fclf: tl1e word 1-1 gone oHt of my m.?rttb i1t righteouf,uf 1 and jh:~U 110t return, that tonu evcry k._;tce jhtJU how, every tongueflnlll {wear ; furely JhaU ont [ay, In tht Lord hJve I ri~lmoufneJi. and ftrmgtb - In the Lord ]hall all the feed of lfracl be juftified and jhoU glorJ'• So Phi!. 2 · 9 1 10, 1 J, fJTI,crtfore God alfo bath highly ext:Jltetl him, tJnd given him a niJme above tr!ery 1t.tmt, tb:Jt at the name of Jrfm every k_nee .foauld bow- and that every tonguejhould canfiji that Jefit< Chrijl i< tbe Lord, to theGlo·y of God the father. Ifa. ~4 5· One ]hall Jay, I am the LerdJ: and another ft••ll eaUhim by 1he name of Jacob: and another{haU fubfcribe with bi1 bandunto the Lord and furname himfelf by the name rf Ifac/. ' ~· 3· 2. The publick Aff, mblits,and Wodhipof God, are purpofcly appointed by him, that in them .we mignt make open ptOfcffi\10 of our Religion. He that dcnytth Profiffion denycrh rhe pub– lick faith and wor!hip ol the Church, and denyeth Bap• if m and the Lor4~ Supp<r, which are Sacra– ments appointed for the fillcmnprofdlion of our faith. 9. 4· 3· Our Profdlion is needful w our Glorifying Ood : Men lee not our Hearts: nor know whether we bdu..vc in GC'd or rot, nor wh.~t we believe of him, till they hear or fee it in our profdlion and aCliom. Paulr life and de ~h was a Profeilion of Chrifi, that in his b,ld!tefs Cbrijl might be m•gnifitd i11 hi1 body, Phi\. I· 20. Matth. 5· 14, '5· 16. Tt are theLi~ht of the world! A City that iJ Jet en tJn hiU cannflt be bid: Nei1hcr do men light a candlt to put it u?.der a bujhel, bJtt on acanrl/efticJt) and it givtrb light to aU tiJat are in th~ ho~Je. : Let your light [o jhlne bfarc mm, tbat they mayfee your good warkf, and glarifieyour Fatherwhzch 11 m Ht8Vt1l. §. 5· 4· Our PrPftffio1t is the means of faving orhers : that which is fecrct, is no means ro pro– fit them. They mull fee our ~ood work.! that they may G/,ifit God, Phi!. I· 12, 13, r4· 9· 6. 5· God hath required our open and bold Profdlion of him, with the Hrictdi commands, and· upon the gt._catdi pmalties. I Pet. 5· 3· Sanlii.fie the Lard God in your hearts, and be ready al~Vayta give an anfwcr toevery man that iHk,!th y u a reajim of the hope tlut U in you J"l)itb meek._:u(j ,md fiar. Rom. to. 9, 10. If thrm Jhalt confcfs with thy mJuth -the Lard Jcflu and ]halt believe in thy heArt thllt i:;,d h~ttb raifrd bim frQm the dead, theu ]halt be faVcd: For with tfJehe:Jrt m,;n be/icvcti1 tt.'ttO ri-z.hu– oH{ne{s, and With the mourh co;JfiffiM U m1de unto [11lvatian. Mark8. 38. IYiufoevt.r jh.zll be o{lulmcd a Tim.2.. u. of me 11 ntl.of my WJJrdJ, in tiJU aduluraiU and (1n{nlgeneration, ofhim t~lfo flJaU. tbt Son of m.~;rbe ajh:mzed, Mat.Jo.~1·B· when he cometh in the glo,y of hitf,;thtr widJ the boly Angt/J, ~i:e~.l!: ~· 7· Diretl:. 2· Next, v,!derftand ~)~.Jt it if in Rrligio~l tbat. )'OUmuft princip.JUy proftfi. Ir is ~at 1 Cor a. 1 • every leffertruth, much lcfs. c:verf opm!on of yvur own, 10 wh1ch you ar~.conhdent .thac you are wlfer 1 Cor. 10 . s. than your brethren. This Is the mc-mmg of Rom. 14. 22· Ii_.Jfi_ tiJou (artb? h11ve Jl to thy {elf bcf!re R.(l~. ~~. :r.. God. By [faith J here is not meant t-he fubfl.J.nce. ot the Chnlhan beilef, ~r any one mcdfJrr Arucle r !tm. 1• -4 of it. But a Beliefof tbe ilidi!ferenr:y of fuch thmgs as Paul fpake of, tn meats and drmks : If TJt. ~· 9 · thou know thcfe things to be L1wful when tr yweak brother dorh not, and fo thou be wifa than he, thank God for thy knowledge, and ufc: it tO thy own falvaoon, h~H do not prOt_ldly or uncharita– bly contend for it, and ufe it uncharitably to the d~nger of anothers {ou_l : much le!s ~o the ~rang of the Church-and Gofpcl, and the hindennce of greater truth.s. 2 T1m 2 . 14. Oftbcfe thmf[,J put them in remembranr:t ( that is, of the S1inr~ hope in Gpds faithfulnefs ) charginf!.tbcm bifort the Lord that they jlriven·t about words to no profit, but the fubverting of' the_ luarerJ. Yet for the_f-,ith ~e mull: earnejlJy contend. Jude 2, 3· So 2 Tim. z, 2 . 23 \ 24• But fiJQlijh and unlearned qucjft•ms avJLd, k._Howing that tht} do gender jtrife. A1rd tbc ftn·ant af the L~rd mu(t n:Jt Jfrjve, but be gentle to aU. 9· 8. me 1:---

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