tions as well as many sorrows, and on which his eternal happiness or misery depends, surely we shall rejoice with trembling. Every pious heart will share the feelings of a Christian parent, and join in earnest prayer to God for him who cannot as yet pray for himself; committing the little infant to the protection of that Saviour whose soldier he now is, with whose cross he has been signed, and whose example he is bound to follow.

To give the Christian an opportunity of professing his determination to believe and to do what his godfathers and godmothers promised in his name, and to obtain for him, by the prayer of the Bishop, the assistance of the Holy Spirit, another ceremony is appointed in the church, which is called Confirmation. This sacred ordinance is often shamefully neglected amongst us, but the first Christians considered it as a necessary part of baptism; and it ought certainly to be observed by every person who has an opportunity of being presented for that purpose to the Bishop. Every young person should be taught the principles of the Christian religion, as explained in our excellent Catechism; and when he is duly sensible of the necessity of a Redeemer, and the gratitude which he ought to feel to our blessed

Saviour; when he has learnt his duty, and is fully resolved, by the assistance of God's grace, to perform it; he should publicly profess this resolution by being confirmed. The Bishop, as head of the Church under CHRIST, and acting by his authority, then lays his hand on him, and offers up a solemn prayer, that the Holy Spirit may assist the young Christian to perform the promise he has just made. Without the assistance of the Holy Spirit we can do nothing; but we must not expect that assistance, unless we use the means which God has appointed to obtain it; and those means are, devout and earnest prayer, confirma tion, and receiving the holy communion; of which last I hope to speak more fully in my next discourse. But before I conclude the subject of cur meditation at present, let me remind all parents, that it is their duty to see that their children are properly instructed and prepared for confirmation; and if they neglect this, or if God be pleased to call them to himself before they can perform it, the sureties of the child should endeavour to fulfil the promise they made at his baptism.

Those who are not themselves sufficiently instructed to teach their children, should make use of every proper assistance which they can procure.

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Every pious minister would wish to assist them and in many parishes there are Sunday-Schools, where children may learn their duty. By constant attendance at church, and a habit of attentively listening to the lessons and to the sermon, they may learn a great deal; and indeed it is hardly possible, that in this country any person should be ignorant of his duty, except it be his own fault. GOD will never require more than we are able to do; and at the day of judgment it will not be asked whether we were learned, but whether we are humble, pious, and virtuous. But God does require us to do all that we can. We must use every means of instruction for ourselves and for our children, with which He has blessed us. We must diligently attend to our teachers; we must try to remember what we hear, and we must practise what we learn. Most of us, I am afraid, know more of our duty than we choose to perform; but none of us must hope that ignorance will be an excuse, till we have taken all possible pains to be informed of our duty, and have constantly endeavoured to perform it. Our LORD gives to some ten talents, to some five, and to others only one. To whom much is given, of him shall be much required; but if he who has only one talent make

no use of it, he must expect the dreadful sentence, "Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Consider this, I beseech you every one. Whether we be rich or poor, old or young, learned or ignorant, we have all much to do. All must work the work of GOD. All must endeavour to know his will, and to perform it to the utmost of their power. All must humbly entreat his pardon, when they fail in their duty ; and all must beg the assistance of his Holy Spirit to enable them to perform it. In order to obtain that assistance, all must attend the public worship of the church. They who have children, must bring them to be baptized and confirmed. All must observe the duties of the LORD's day, and gladly embrace every opportunity of receiving the holy sacrament. And may all to whom God has given the inestimable blessing of being born in a Christian country, and educated by pious parents, remember how much they owe to those who teach them their duty, and point out to them the way of eternal life. May all young persons frequently reflect on the promises made for them in baptism, and on the blessings they may receive from the

*Matt. xxv. 30.

Christian covenant. May they remember their Créator in the days of their youth; and then He will not forget them when the evil days come, and the years in which there is no pleasure; He will not forsake them when they are grey-headed. May they never forget that they were signed with the cross in baptism, that they might fight manfully, under the banner of CHRIST, against the world, the flesh, and the devil. May they never forget the vows which were made for them by their sureties in baptism, and renewed by themselves in Confirmation; but through every part of their lives, in youth and in age, as children, as men, as husbands, as fathers, may they always act as Christians. May this title be their highest glory; may it raise them above this world, and make them constantly endeavour to follow the example of Him, by whose name they are called; to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be glory now and for ever. Amen.

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