Catechetical Lectures; Or, the Church Catechism Explained. by the REV.William Armstrong (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos or missing text. Not indexed. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1795. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CATECHETICAL LECTURES, &c. LECTURE I. DEUTERONOMY iv. 23. lake heed to your/elves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, OUR Catechism begins with asking 'what is your name, i. e. your Christian name. This naturally leads to the mention of Baptilm, when that name was given us. Not that you are to suppose from hence, that giving the name is any part of Baptism. It is only annexed from custom to the solemn dedication of ourselves to God in this ordinance; and perhaps with the good design, that the very mention of our name should recall to us the occasion on which it was received, and so remind us of our duty as Christians. The next thing which the Catechism teaches is, that by Baptism you were made a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven: the meaning of which is, that by this ceremony you became a member of Christ's A 2 visible church, (one of that community, which is sliled the body of Christ) and by that means were admitted to many important privileges, such as the use of the Scriptures, the benefit of public worship, of private admonition, and other ordinances of the Gospel, which, if duly improved, will make you a child of God, and secure to you a title to glory, honour, and immortality in the heavens. Baptism, therefore, is to Christians, what circumcision formerly was to the Jews, the form of admission into the church of God. It puts us into a condition of being eternally happy; for a covenant is hereby entered into, and an agreement made, between the great God and us, by which the Almighty promises us the pardon of our past sins, with grace to help for the time to come; promises to protect us by his power, and to guide us by his counsel through this life; and, after death, to receive us to glory. And w...