they appear with the preparation of a clean heart and right spirit, remembering that they are about professing those engagements, under which, even though they should dissemble or forget them, they are equally and for ever bound. As to their dependance on others, let them be aware that man, though through neglect or temptation he may bring his fellow creatures to wrath and destruction, and though on the other hand, he may be the means under God of training them for good, yet cannot deliver their souls: that every one must bear his own iniquity. Lastly let the candidate for confirmation look to the church and its ordinances. Let him here see himself the object of tender and careful provisions, ministers training him, the bishop blessing him, the congregation praying for him, the Holy Ghost implored to visit him-so let him feel himself a member of Christ's body, a partaker in the communion of saints. Such is the outset of your fellowship in the gospel, and may it last from the first day even until the end. If thus you set forth in the beginning, great and well founded will be the confidence, that He who hath begun a good work in you, will perform it fully, will comfort, stablish, and strengthen you. Your baptismal vow which was your original engagement, is now put forward for your present profession,

and both is, and is to be, the rule of your entire life. You have not in this discourse been presented with the discussion and reconsideration of the terms of this vow, because that it, with the other great heads of Christian covenant and duty, has already and freshly formed to you part of continued catechetical instruction and exhortation. The particular office in which you are yet about to take part has been the main point in the explanations just given. Remember again that what you are designed on your side to do, is not any resemblance to a sacramental repetition of baptism, which sacrament is only once for all, but to confirm your former promises, and this not by increasing their obligation, for that is already as binding as can be, but by refreshing and strengthening your own sense of them: to God through Christ you must look to be confirmed for their performance. Let not the delusion cross your minds that by avoiding the confirmatory profession of your Christian covenant, you would be less answerable for offences against it. Sureties or sponsors cannot in the sight of either God or man be bound further than to the faithful use of means to put you in the right way. To persons however having pledged themselves as sureties in behalf of any who are looking on towards confirmation, let it be

said, that the church admonishes them to regard with special attention their plighted duties at this very important stage, and bids them, in all practicable cases, be actual witnesses, by giving their own presence at the good profession about to be made by those whom they, as it is trusted, have contributed to bring up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Thus may be realized to you and to them, and to the church at large, a hope like that of the Apostle Paul for the Romans, namely that be comforted together by your you all may mutual faith, and so may God who is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son, also confirm you all unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

BY WAY OF SUPPORT AND ENFORCEMENT THE READER IS

SUPPLIED

WITH THE FOLLOWING

EXTRACTS FROM

BISHOP JEREMY TAYLOR.

"As God at first appointed us a ministry of a new birth; so also hath he given to his church the consequent ministry of a new strength.

"As we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ; so in confirmation we may be renewed in the inner man, and strengthened in all our holy vows and purposes, by the Holy Ghost ministered according to God's ordinance."

* Bp. Heber's edition, vol. xi, p. 231.

"It is true, the gift of tongues doth not remain, but all the greater gifts of the Holy Spirit remain with the church for ever; sanctification and power, fortitude and hope, faith and love. Let every man search his heart, and see if he belongs to God; whether the 'love of God be not spread in his heart by the Spirit of God:' let him see if he be not patient in troubles, comforted in his afflictions, bold to confess the faith of Christ crucified, zealous of good works. These are the miracles of grace, and the mighty powers of the Spirit, according to that saying of Christ, These signs shall follow them that believe: in my name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall tread on serpents, they shall drink poison, and it shall not hurt them; and they shall lay their hands on the sick, and they shall recover.' That which we call the miraculous part, is the less power; but to cast out the devil of lust, to throw down the pride of Lucifer, to tread on the great dragon, and to triumph over our spiritual enemies, to cure a diseased soul, to be unharmed by the poison of temptation, of evil examples and evil company these are the true signs that shall follow them, that truly and rightly believe on the name of the Lord Jesus; this is to live in the Spirit,' and 'to walk in the Spirit;' this is more than to receive the Spirit to a power of miracles and supernatural products in a natural matter: for this is from a supernatural principle to receive supernatural aids to a supernatural end in the diviner spirit of a man; and this being more miraculous than the other, it ought not to be pretended that the discontinuance of extraordinary miracles should cause the discontinuance of an ordinary ministration."*

*Vol. xi, p. 256.

APPENDIX.

BRIEF HISTORICAL NOTICES.

THE forms and rules of CATECHISING which we possess from the primitive church, do not relate to the Christian instruction of mere children, but to that of persons of riper years, catechumens in preparation for adult baptism, those for the most part who had renounced the errors of heathenism, and were in training for full admission into the fellowship of Christ's religion. Their course of discipline was extensive, earnest, and long. It was frequently carried on for two years without interruption. Through the season of Lent it was pursued with increased attention, because the following festival of Easter was the special season for administering baptism to duly qualified candidates. To this ancient usage may be referred the practice, yet existing in our own days, of making Lent in particular a time for pointed catechetical in

L