Lords Day 26

Lords Day 26 of the Heidelberg Catechism, written here in poetic form by David Croft, discusses the subject of baptism and its significance to God's people. Written in two separate poems, we discover that baptism signified the washing of the sinner with Christ's blood and Spirit.

Lords Day 26

How Doth Baptism Call To Mind

How doth baptism call to mind
That Christ's once marred and crimson form
With hope of grace and glory lined
Was bruised to save you from all harm?
This washing Christ did institute
To lay His work before my face
So I, born dead and destitute
Should hope in His redeeming grace

His blood and Spirit certainly
As water cleanses filthy men
Remove my soul's impurity
In other speaking, 'all my sin
Explain, O nat'ral son of wrath
What doth thy wondrous story mean
To of the conq'ring Lamb be washed
Of blood and of the Spirit clean?

To bathe in the Incarnate flood
Bespeaks of grace, 'what God hath done'
Because of Christ's atoning blood
My sins are pardoned, through the Son
To wash with Christ's own Spirit tis
To be renewed and set apart
More dead to sin, more fully His,
The praise of God the Spirit's art

March 29, 1997
Lords Day 26 Heidelberg Catechism Questions & Answers 69-70
(Part 1 of 2}
© Copyright 1997 David L. Croft

Where Doth Christ Promise

Where doth Christ promise that are we
Of blood and Spirit purified
With an immuted surety
As with baptismal water dyed?
Before th' uplifted ancient gate
In words, first blessed, among themselves
The resurrected Potentate
Unto the remnant of the twelve

Bade them to baptize in the name
Of God the 'Father' 'Spirit' 'Son'
To bind the broken hearted lame
For Whom He'd slain Apollyon
This word of life their battle hymn
From He who'd triumphed o'er the grave
'The unbelieving stand condemned'
'Baptized converted men are saved'

The promise multiplied again
Whose golden rays transcend our dirth
Declare the cleansing waters then
By grace, the washing of rebirth
The promise manifolded, last
T' o'er come our unrepentant din
Calls 'her' of present...future...past
The sure washing away of sin

March 29, 1997
Lords Day 26 Heidelberg Catechism Question & Answer 71
(Part 2 of 2)
© Copyright 1997 David L. Croft

Through the instruction of the 26th Lords Dayt of the Heidelberg Catechism, we understand the significance of baptism. From Christ's own words in Matthew 38:19, came the command to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Though this baptism does not save us, yet it gives a picture of the salvation wrought by Christ, alone, which washed our sin-filled bodies, by His own blood and spirit. David Croft expressed these truths beautifully in two poems, helping us to understand that through Christ we are renewed and set apart. Not through any merit of our own, but by the grace of God, we are picked up from the blackness of sin and washed whiter than snow.

All praise goes to our great God, who has wondrously washed away our sins.

Lords Day 26

Lords Day 27

Lords Day 25

Heidelberg Catechism Poetry

Home