tation, I proceeded You are in the world from morning to night; Satan puts every temptation in your way-sin, the neglect of God, the neglect of his word and prayer; your companions draw you as far as they can from every serious thought about your soul, your Saviour, or eternity. Now you are going to promise, that, when you meet them to-morrow, you will strive against them as far as you can; and, if they will not hear you, that you will turn away from them. This is a part of the meaning of Confirmation. Is this your meaning?' 'I think,' (said he) 'I had better not go. I do not wholly discourage you from going. If you can go without telling a falsehood, it will be a blessing to you. But to profess and promise to God in his own house what you do not mean to perform, would be the most wicked falsehood you could utter. Did you know that it meant all this?' 'Nothing near so much.' 'Now' (said I) I do not wish to frighten you, but it is so dreadful to go blind-folded, and ignorant of the promise you are about to make. In your business you never promise in this thoughtless way; and this is by far the most serious business you ever took in hand.' Yes indeed, I begin to see it is; and I think I had better give it up.' 'I do not recommend you to give it up to-night. You have not asked God to teach you. He is waiting for the first turn of your heart to him, if you will but seek him. Let me show you in the parable of the prodigal a picture of God's love and readiness to welcome you.' He listened with considerable attention, and at length said-'I should like to go; but I think I had better not, if I am not fit.' 'I think so. Only remember, that unfitness for Confirmation is unfitness for death. And how awful to be called into eternity in this state of unfitness! How awful to be growing more unfit every day by neglecting these things! Do not despise this precious gift. It is worth all that you have in the world-it is the pearl of great price-worth ten thousand worlds, if you had them to buy it.' Yes, but it is such a very strict thing.' 'And you must expect to find it so. You never can be religious without a hard struggle. Could you bear what the world will say? to have all your old companions joining the laugh against you?' He gave me no answer, and I continued-- Let me tell you, how much happier it is to serve God than to run after the world at least let me persuade you to make the trial. God has more to give you than the world; and if you will but ask him—“he giveth liberally, and upbraideth not." Now have you really ever asked him?' 'I think I have prayed lately; but I doubt, not with all my heart.' I continued at some length, shewing him his state of guilt, helplessness, and unbelief-his need of a Saviour to bring him to God-the only way to give up the world, and choose the service of God, by faith in Jesus Christ. His conscience was evidently under the temporary power of conviction; but he could not make up his mind to the cost. The chains of sin and Satan were too strong to be broken by faint and unproductive convictions. was baptized.' To give up my E. F. in the Sunday School. Happily for herself-not gifted with fluency of utterance: but the little that was elicited by patient questioning, seemed to bear the genuine stamp of the language of the heart. How do you feel now about being confirmed?' 'Not by a great deal, as I could wish.' 'I suppose you feel it a great thing to do: would you wish not to be confirmed?' 'No-I wish to serve God.' And what good do you expect it will do you?' None at all, except I go with a true heart.' 'What does Confirmation mean?' " The giving up of the heart to God.' 'But were you not given up to God soon after you were born?' 'Yes, when I Then why do you want to be confirmed?' self to God. It will cost you a good deal: there is so much to be given up first. Would you give your heart wholly to God?' 'I will try.' 'Is there nothing in the world that you love so well as God?' 'I do not think there is.' 'But can you ever perform these great things that you are going to promise?' 'Not without God's help.' 'But to whom does God give his help?' To them that ask him.' But what hope have you of God's help?' 'Because he has promised.' why did God promise it to you?' 'Because Jesus Christ died for sinners.' 'Now you will promise to renounce all that the devil, the world, and your own wicked heart tempt you against following the word of God; which of these three do you find to be the hardest?' 'I think I find my heart the greatest trouble.' And how do you expect to overcome?' By faith, by believing in Jesus Christ so as to love him.' 'What are the Articles of the Christian faith?' All that the Bible tells me And do you really believe all that you read of Jesus Christ.' 'Do about him?' 'I hope I do, but not enough:' 'Do you believe in him, so as to try to seek him?' 'I hope I do, but not enough: I wish I did.' What do you think of God's commandments? Do you think you can keep them?' By God's grace I will try: I find them very comfortable.'-There was little enlargement of mind, but hopeful signs of the guidance of the Spirit of truth. Monosyllables, however, that in other instances betoken only a cold and unmeaning assent, in her case evidenced at once the timidity of her character, and the sincerity of her profession. We have only to.recommend the sealing of Confirmation engagements at the Sacramental Table; not always as an immediate consequent, but as connected with a due preparation, and a competent judgment of Christian intelligence and sincerity. Nothing indeed can be more injudicious or more injurious, than hurrying young persons, immediately after Confirmation, to the Lord's Table; as if we might dispense with all scrutiny of their profession, and all intelligent preparation for that solemn ordinance. Where their consciences are not benumbed in formality or indifference, this rash decision has usually issued in a heartless profession, characterized by indolent unavailing regret. We would not indeed wilfully err on the other extreme, and expect every thing to be quite satisfactory-" We wish their perfection," but we must not wait for it; nor should we debar them in almost the lowest gradation of sincerity (for what more had the Apostles at the original institution of the supper?) from an ordinance, which, by fixing them in communion with the Church, is most helpful to their establishment in the Gospel. 1 CHAPTER V.2 1 SACRAMENTAL INSTRUCTION. THE Dispensation of the Sacraments must be considered as one of the most important parts of our Ministry. For its efficient ad 1 See an interesting view of Confirmation, connected with attendance at the Lord's table in the memoir of Rev. G. T. Bedell, D. D. Philadelphia. On the admission of serious young persons to the sacrament. Comp. Philip Henry's Life, pp. 11, 84, 195, and also Scott's Life, pp. 619, 620—and an excellent Catechism by Rev. J. Bickersteth. 2 This Chapter is published separately in an enlarged form. 2 ministration however we need sound and Scriptural apprehensions of their nature and uses, of the privileges and obligations connected with them, and of the medium by which their grace is received and applied. Our Homily well states their distinct character-In prayer we beg at God's hands all such things as otherwise we cannot obtain. In the Sacraments he embraceth, and offereth himself to be embraced of us.' In opening a more full discussion, we advert to their primary object; which is, to exhibit Christ in all the rich treasures of grace and salvation. For, 'Christ being taken away,'-as Bishop Davenant admirably observes-' there remains nothing in the Sacraments but an empty show.' In this view we cannot but acknowledge the full love of our God in these gracious ordinances so fraught with encouragement to our faith, and so eminently conducive to our holiness. For while they bring our Great Redeemer vividly before our eyes, they at the same time, 'serve as bonds of obedience to God, strict obligations to the mutual exercise of Christian charity, provocations to godliness, preservations from sin, memorials of the principal benefits of Christ." It is indeed a melancholy instance of the perverseness of the human mind, that these enriching blessings should from their misuse or neglect be so unfruitful to the church-that these ordinances-intended to cement the body of Christ in one fellowship*—should be the matter of ceaseless controversy and division. For Hooker's statement is beyond question, that Sacraments, are more diversely interpreted and disputed of, than any other part of religion besides.' 5 In order to arrive at some accurate view of the subject, we will expound the comprehensive definition of a Sacrament, which our Church has given for the instruction of her younger members. She explains it to be an 'outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given unto us; ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and as a pledge to assure us thereof.6 The Ordination of Christ himself—the Divine Head of the Church-is justly laid as the ground of this ordinance. Who besides has the prerogative to ordain ?—"Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them-This do in remembrance of me-"7 here is his "image and superscription" stamped broad and clear upon 1 Homily on Prayer and Sacraments. 3 Hooker, Book. v. lvii. 2. 6 Catechism. 41 Cor. x. 17. xii. 13. 2 On Col. ii. 11. 5 Ib. ut supra. Luke xxii. 19. the Sacraments of the Church. And so sacred in their authority and entireness, that to add to their number, and to violate their integrity, is the high treason of altering the royal seal-the defilement of setting "up our threshold by God's threshold, and our post by God's posts." 1 " The Church indeed rightly claims the liberty of prescribing the mode and circumstantials of their celebration. But she never places her own requisitions upon a Divine basis. She maintains the strictest regard to the spirit of the Apostolic rules, and carefully preserves both the substance and form of the elements, and the representation of the inestimable blessings which they shadow forth. Our definition next proceeds to the more distinct description of a Sacrament, considering it as a sign-a means-and a seal-of grace. It is obviously a sign a sign of profession, and a mark of difference, whereby men are discerned from others.' a mark of distinction, to separate God's own from strangers.' 5 Thus the sign of circumcision distinguished the Jews from the Heathen around them; and the Christian Sacraments are the open badges of Christian men's profession' before the world. Thus also their outward parts are the signs of their inward and spiritual grace — 'visible signs of invisible grace.' 9 Indeed they may be called 'the visible words,' as representing to our eyes what the word speaks to our ears. In the word we have the promises of God. In the Sacraments we see them.' 11 Yet they are far from being empty signs, or naked representations. It greatly offendeth'-says our great writer-'that some, when they labour to show the use of the holy Sacraments, assign to them no end but merely to teach the mind by other sources that, which the word doth teach by hearing. For where the word of God may be heard, which teacheth with much more expedition and more full explication any thing we have to learn; if all the benefit we reap by Sacraments be instruction, they which at all times have opportunity of using the better means for that purpose, will surely 1 Ez. xliii. 7. 9 Art. xx. 5 Hooker, Book v. lvii. 2. 31 Cor. xiv. 26, 40. Art. xxvii. Rom. iv. 11. 7 Art. xxv. Comp. Acts ii. 37-46. 8 Art. xx. xxv. xxvii. and Catechism. 9 9 Homily on Prayer and Sacraments. Hooker v. 1. 3. This is also the Definition of the Council of Trent. Sess. xiii. c. iii. 10 Augustine calls them verba visibilia.' Hooker's MSS. note v. lvii. 3. (Keble's Edit.) 11 Bishop Jewell on the Sacraments, Edit. 1611. p. 261. |