as if it did operate no longer than in that moment when the water is sprinkled; for "Baptism doth now," at the present time, "save us." By grievous and presumptuous sins we debar ourselves from the comfort of the covenant for the present; yet when we repent, we come not to make a new covenant with God, but to beseech Him to be gracious to us for the old covenant's sake; as a woman who hath forsaken her husband, if she be received again and pardoned, is not new married, but accepted for a wife upon the first contract of marriage. Far be it from me to say that it sufficeth us to cast our eyes back to the covenant then made, as if the bare memory of it did suffice to blot out sins; that is but an empty flash, and a vapour of presumption. But this I say,-Build upon the eternity and infallibility of God's truth; and then, by a true and sure grasping faith, joined with repentance, renew yourself in God's mercies by the promise of the old Baptismal Covenant.

Repentance is a condition never to be omitted to lift us up again when we have been overtaken with sins. But faith doth not comfort itself in the sincerity of repentance, which in us is ever imperfect, but in Christ's merits once for all, given over to us in Baptism.

Take some examples of those in the New Testament that sinned against God, and in their return again did not suppose the first covenant of Baptism to be abolished, but they comforted themselves that the mercies promised them would hold firm and not fail them. St. Paul says of the Corinthians that they had been grievous sinners, yet he speaks thus to them: "Ye are washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus." In the same

manner he deals with the Galatians, who had embraced much false doctrine, mingled Judaism with the Gospel: yet he says, As many of you as are baptized into

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Christ have put on Christ."

But in proportion to this doctrine it is, that the Holy Scripture calls upon us to live a holy life in pursuance of this grace of Baptism.

Baptism makes us children, and such as are to be saved by faith, that is, a covenant "not of works," but of pardon in Jesus Christ. Besides this we have no hopes. But the several states of sin are so many fallings away from the state of baptismal grace; and therefore the same apostle, St. Paul, requires us "to make our calling and election sure;" that is, to do all that which may continue us in our state of Baptism: for between the two states of absolute apostasy from, and entirely adhering to, this state of calling and election, are all the intermediate sins, and being overtaken in single faults, or declining towards vicious habits, which in their several proportions are degrees of danger and insecurity.

For let us remember, the Holy Spirit descends upon us in Baptism to become the principle of a new life, to become a holy seed springing up to holiness. We are marked for God, as the sheep of His pasture, as the soldiers of His army, as the servants of His household. We are so separated from the world, that we are appropriated to God. So that God expects of us duty and obedience; and all sins are acts of rebellion and undutifulness.

Yet, although by Baptism we are adopted to the in

heritance of sons, admitted to the covenant of repentance, and engaged to lead a good life; until we receive the Spirit of Confirmation, we are but babes in Christ. And, therefore, as God at first appointed us a ministry of a new birth, so also hath He given to His Church the ministry of a new strength. The Spirit moved a little upon the waters of Baptism, and gave us the principles of life; but in Confirmation He makes us able to move of ourselves. In the first He is the Spirit of Life; but in this He is the Spirit of Strength and motion; and as we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ, so in Confirmation we are renewed in the inner man, and strengthened in all our holy vows and purposes by the Holy Ghost, ministered according to God's ordi

nance.

For the holy rite of Confirmation is a Divine ordinance, and it produces Divine effects, and is ministered by Divine persons-that is, by those whom God hath sanctified and separated to this ministration. At first, all that were baptized were also confirmed; and ever since, all good people that have understood it, have been very zealous for it; and time was in England, ever since the beginning of the Reformation, when Confirmation had been less carefully administered for about six years, when the people had their first opportunities of it restored, they ran to it in so great numbers, that churches and churchyards would not hold them. But men have too much neglected all the ministries of grace, and this most especially, and have not given themselves to a right understanding of it, and so neglected it the more.

Yet Confirmation is a plant of our Heavenly Father's

planting. It springs from the root Christ Jesus, it was actually practised by the apostles, and is established and passed into a Christian doctrine; imposition of hands being reckoned by St. Paul a fundamental point.

Confirmation, indeed, is not necessary as Baptism and repentance; for without these salvation cannot be had. Yet, if a man would not become weak, it is necessary that he eat his meat well. And so Confirmation is necessary, that the spiritual life and the health gotten in Baptism may be preserved in strength against our spiritual enemies. For Confirmation is the perfection and strength of Baptism and baptismal grace. In Baptism we undertake to do our duty, but in Confirmation we receive strength to do it; in Baptism others promise for us, in Confirmation we undertake for ourselves; we ease our godfathers and godmothers of their burden, and take it upon our own shoulders, together with the advantage of the prayers of the Bishop and all the Church made then on our behalf. In Baptism we give up our name to Christ; but in Confirmation we put our seal to the profession, and God puts His seal to the promise.

Confirmation is called a seal or signature, as being a guard and custody to us, and a sign of the Lord's dominion over us. The confirmed person is " a sheep that is marked," which thieves do not so easily steal and carry away. He is sealed for the service of God unto the day of redemption; that whereas God hath laid up an inheritance for us in the kingdom of heaven, and in the faith of that we must live and labour, to confirm this faith, God hath given us this pledge. The Spirit

of God is a witness to us, and tells us by His holy comforts, by the peace of God, and the quietness and refreshments of a good conscience, that God is our Father, that we are His sons and daughters, and shall be coheirs with Jesus in His eternal kingdom.

And now, if any man shall say, we see no such things as you talk of, and find the confirmed people the same after as before, no better and no wiser, not more comforted with hope, or established by faith, or built up with charity, they neither speak better nor live better,— what then?

Does it therefore follow that the Holy Ghost is not given in Confirmation? Nothing less. For is not Christ given in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper? Do we not receive His body and blood? Are we not made all one with Christ, and He with us? And yet it is too true, that when we arise from that holy feast, thousands there are that find no change.

If we do not find the effects of the Spirit in Confirmation, it is our faults. For He is intended only as a help to our endeavours, to our labours and prayers. Unless we in these instances do our part of the work, it will be no wonder if we lose His part of the blessing.

He that comes under the Bishop's hands to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, will come with holy desires and a longing soul. He will purify the house of the Spirit for the entertainment of so Divine a guest; he will receive Him with humility, and follow Him with obedience, and delight Him with purities; and he that does thus, let him make the objection if he can, and tell me, does he live by the Spirit? Does he obey His com