Gravity and seriousness will particularly become you on that occasion. Whilst you are kneeling at the altar, keep silence from all other words except those which your prayer books teach you to speak, in answer to the question proposed; but lift up your hearts, and inwardly pray that God will vouchsafe to grant the blessings implored for you! When you return to your places, which you should do with regularity and composure, remain there in the utmost stillness, till others have been confirmed. When again you are addressed, make the answer required; hear the prayers which will follow, and wait for the benediction which concludes the solemnity.

It will be some proof of your attention to the sacred service now to be performed, if, when you have left the church, you go away orderly and quietly, each to his own home, with as little delay as convenience may allow. You have begun the day well; go through it well! Conduct yourselves in such a manner as becomes soberminded Christians! If you act thus, you will bring credit on the church of which you are members; you will give satisfaction and comfort to your anxious parents and conscientious ministers; you will have spent rightly some portion of that time, which is allotted you for that greatest of all concerns, the saving of your souls, by sincere endeavours to be good, and by faith in the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of mankind, the eternal Son of God, most high in the glory of God the Father!

V.

DEARLY BELOVED IN THE LORD,

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We find it written in the Gospel of St. Matthew, that our Lord commissioned and commanded his Apostles to "go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the "name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy "Ghost." (St. Matt. xxviii. 19, 20.)

St. John tells us it was declared by our Lord, "Ex"cept one be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot "enter into the kingdom of God." (St. John, iii. 5.)

The effect of St. Peter's discourse in Jerusalem was, that "three thousand persons received baptism in one day.” (Acts, ii. 41.

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The primitive Christians correctly understood the propriety, and deeply felt the necessity, of baptism, for all who would be members of the Christian church. Therefore, as the Jews had circumcised, so the primitive Christians baptized infants. * Both Jews and Christians were anxious that their infant children should be admitted into covenant with God, by that rite which had been ordained; ordained for the Jews by the law, ordained for Christians by the Gospel.

The practice of infant baptism hath through many generations descended from the early ages of Christi

*

See Bingham's "Origines Ecclesiastica," book ii. ch. iv.

anity to the present times. Following the good example set them by millions of wise and pious persons, who had lived before them, your parents brought you to be baptized, whilst you were yet infants. In so doing, they manifested true and pious regard for you, since they would not withhold you from the covenanted benefits of an appointed ordinance. Thus in your infancy you received the sign of the covenant; but now you must undertake to fulfil the terms of it.

The religion which we profess, we derive from the Gospel. That Gospel teaches us to acknowledge one God; one Lord; one Holy Spirit; one baptism; one hope of our calling, even the hope of being blessed by God in a future state, if we believe what the Gospel requires, and observe what the Gospel commands.

You are here assembled this day, for the solemn purpose of declaring that you do believe what the Gospel requires you to believe, and that you will labour to observe what the Gospel commands. After that declaration, as divine assistance is no less necessary for your souls, than divine providence for your bodies, you will pray yourselves, and prayers will also be offered up for you, to Almighty God, that, by the powerful help of his Holy Spirit, you may increase in goodness, and be enabled to persevere in the practice of all Christian duties to the end of your lives.

Every subject and every circumstance connected with the present solemnity should make you serious. You cannot think of God, who is just to punish sinners, as well as merciful to forgive penitents, without being serious. You cannot think of the divine nature and exalted dignity of Christ our Lord; you cannot think of all he vouchsafed to do for the human race, that He might redeem us from the guilt, punishment, and practice of sin, without being serious. You cannot think

of the Holy Spirit, who penetrates your hearts, enlightens your understandings, inclines your will, and helps your weakness, without being serious. You cannot think of death and the grave; you cannot think of a resurrection and final judgment, on which will depend your sentence either to eternal happiness or eternal misery, without being serious. All these subjects are of most high concern to those who profess themselves Christians: show, therefore, by your behaviour in this sacred place, where you are now met; show it, more especially, when you approach the altar, that you have on your minds a sense of seriousness suitable to the nature of the present holy solemnity.

You are

All the ordinances of religion are designed and calculated to make us better. The office, which you are now attending, will have that effect, if you will duly consider the substance of what you are about to say, and the consequence to which it should lead. about to promise you will be the disciples of Christ. If, indeed, you will be Christ's disciples, you must renounce and resist sin; for positive is the obligation of this precept, "Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." (2 Tim. ii. 19.)

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You will find continual opportunities for making it evident, that you came to this solemnity with good intentions; and, that by the grace of God assisting you, it is your purpose to derive improvement from it. Begin this day. It will not be decent that you should depart from the church till all, who are now present, have been confirmed, and till the whole service for this congregation has been completed. But when you are dismissed from the church, you will act as becomes you, if all are careful that their deportment should be grave; and if all return to their own homes, not only

anity to the present times. Following the good example set them by millions of wise and pious persons, who had lived before them, your parents brought you to be baptized, whilst you were yet infants. In so doing, they manifested true and pious regard for you, since they would not withhold you from the covenanted benefits of an appointed ordinance. Thus in your infancy you received the sign of the covenant; but now you must undertake to fulfil the terms of it.

The religion which we profess, we derive from the Gospel. That Gospel teaches us to acknowledge one God; one Lord; one Holy Spirit; one baptism; one hope of our calling, even the hope of being blessed by God in a future state, if we believe what the Gospel requires, and observe what the Gospel commands.

You are here assembled this day, for the solemn purpose of declaring that you do believe what the Gospel requires you to believe, and that you will labour to observe what the Gospel commands. After that declaration, as divine assistance is no less necessary for your souls, than divine providence for your bodies, you will pray yourselves, and prayers will also be offered up for you, to Almighty God, that, by the powerful help of his Holy Spirit, you may increase in goodness, and be enabled to persevere in the practice of all Christian duties to the end of your lives.

Every subject and every circumstance connected with the present solemnity should make you serious. You cannot think of God, who is just to punish sinners, as well as merciful to forgive per ithout being serious. You cannot ink of

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