PART III. of gracious 4je5lions. 299 or by Scripture Examples of publick Profeffions of Religion, God's People have made fromTime to Time. Thus they ought to profefs their Repentance of Sin : As of Old, when Perfons were initiated as Profeffors, they came confefling their Sins, manifeffing their Humilia- tion for Sin, Matth. 3. 6. And theBaptifm they were baptized with, was called the Baptifm ofRepentance, Mark i. 3. And John, when he had baptized them, exhorted them to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance, Matth. 3. 8. i. e. agreeable to that Repentance which they had profeífed ; encouraging them,that if they did fo, they fhould efcape the Wrath to come, and be gather'd as Wheat into God's Garner, Matth. 3. 7, 8, 9, i o, 12. So the Apofile Peter fays to the yews, Atas 2. 38. Repent, and be baptized : Which (hews that Repentance is a Qpalification that muff be vifible in order to Baptifm and therefore ought to be publickly profeífed. So when the Pews that returned from Captivity, entred publickly into Covenant, it was with Confeffion, or publick Profeffion of Repentance of their Sins, Nehem. g. 2. This Profeffion of Repentance mould include or imply a Profeffion of Conviaion that God would be juft in our Damnation: See Nehem. 9. 33. together with Verfe 35. and the Beginning of the next Chapter. They fhould profefs their Faith in Jefus Chrift, and that they embrace Chrift, and rely upon him as their Saviour, with their wholeHearts, and that they do joyfully en- tertain the Gofpel of Chrift. Thus Philip, in order to baptizing the Eunuch, required that he fhould profefs that he believed with all his Heart : And they that were received as vifible Chriftians, at that great Outpouring of the Spirit, which began at the Day of Pentecofi, ap- pear'dgladly to receive the Gofpel ; A6ts 2. 4. Then they that gladly re- ceived the Word, were baptized, and thefame Day there were addedunto them about three T'houfand Souls. They fhould profefs that they rely only on Chrift's Righteoufnefs and Strength, and that they are'devo- ted to him, as their only Lord and Saviour, and that they rejoice in him as their only Righteoufnefs and Portion. It is foretold that all Nations íhould be brought publickly to make this Profeffion, Ifai. 45. 22, to the End ; Look to me, and be yePaved, all the Ends of the Earth ; for I am God, and there is none elfe. I havefworn by my felt, the T%ord is gone out of my Mouth in Righteoufnefs, and/hall not return, that unto me every Knee(hall bow, every Tongue(hallfwear. SurelyJhall one fay, In the Lord have I Righteoufnefs and Strength. Ewen to him (hall Men come : And all that are incenfed againff him (hall be afhamed In the Lord (hall all the Seed of Ifrael be juflified, and /hall glory. They fhould profefs to give up themfelves entirely to Chrift, and t. God thro' him ; as the Children of Ifrael, when they publickly re- cognized their Covenant with God ; Deut. 26. 17. Thou haft a- vouched the Lord this Day to be thy God, and to walk in his Ways, and to keep his Statutes, and his Commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken r'
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