4. If the reader's patience be not entirely run out, I would conclude with a few hints on the importance and benefits of prayer in the case under consideration.-That grace which has planted religion in the heart of the son, can alone plant it in that of the parent. Do parents neglect to implore this inestimable blessing for themselves? Let this deficiency be supplied, as far as is possible, by their children. What return for parental kindness can be more appropriate than this? What part of the province of devotion can yield more valuable fruits? Or when shall the sacred fire of love kindle in our hearts, if not in the act of presenting our parents at the Throne of Grace, and interceding in their behalf? Prayer too, while it maintains in exercise the graces of the person who employs it, and is the best correction of the evils which might mar his purpose, is also in itself the grand instrument for drawing down the blessing of the Highest upon the efforts and example of the religious son, and making him the happy means of conducting to a world of glory those by whom he himself has been introduced into a world of sin and sorrow. How great would be his happiness, in such a case, is a question too immense to be answered, till he shall partake of the resurrection of the just. But if, after the son shall have done all for the salvation of his parents, they should shut their ears against the voice, and their hearts against the power, of piety; it will be some mitigation of his filial grief to recollect, that they do not perish through his fault.

FILIUS.

FAMILY SERMONS. No. LXVII. Josh. xxiv. 22.-And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen you the Lord to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. If it were possible to doubt of the benefits arising from a solemn

recollection of the Divine mercies, and from a public ordinance to remind us of our duty to Him from whom they flow, the close of the Book of Joshua might settle the question. The whole history of the Israelites was a history of the paternal care, and preserving power, and overruling providence of God; and so remarkably had these been displayed, that we should be ready to suppose, that there was not one among the many thousands of Israel who did not acknowledge the hand of their great Deliverer, in the whole of their progress, and their obligation to love and serve him. Yet it was deemed expedient by Joshua, to demand a public ac knowledgment of their duty; and for this purpose, before his death, he gathered their tribes together, with their heads, and their judges, and their officers, and they presented themselves before the Lord. He briefly recounts the blessings conferred upon them, and appeals to their consciences, whether they ought not to serve the Author of all their mercies. "If it seem evil to you to serve the Lord, choose ye this day whom ye will serve: whether the gods whom your fathers served on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And the people said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods; therefore will we also serve the Lord, for he is our God." This resolution having been solemnly repeated, Joshua urges them to perform their engagement, by the consideration, that if they should hereafter forget the Lord and turn from his ways, their own mouths would condemn them. " Ye are witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen you the Lord to serve him. And they said, We are wit

nesses."

These words seem to apply with peculiar force to the many thousand young persons, in different parts of

this kingdom,who have lately present ed themselves before the Lord, and in the most solemn manner renewed their baptismal engagements. And if any, who have thus ratified and confirmed the solemn promise and vow made in their names, should be found negligent of their obligations, in what better words can they be addressed, than in those of the text? "Ye are witnesses against your selves, that ye have chosen you the Lord to serve him."

It is for the benefit of such per sons principally, but likewise of all who have formerly devoted them selves, by the same profession, to the service of the Lord, that I would now endeavour to point out,

I. The nature of the engagements into which they have entered;

If. The means by which they are to be fulfilled.

I. We promise, according to the Baptismal Covenant, first," to renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh." Such is the power of Satan that he is called "the god of this world." If he had no power, and if sin were banished from among men, peace and harmony would every where prevail. But the whole world lieth in wickedness;" and the great enemy of man is ever on the watch to destroy us; and we are required to resist his power, and to renounce his works. Nor is it difficult to discover them. Light and darkness are not more opposed, than the works of the flesh and of the Spirit. Every thing which opposes itself to the law of God; all the crimes, the vanities, the sinful amusements of the world; all the corrupt affections which proceed from the heart and defile the man, may be traced to the agency of the prince of darkness. It is for us, then, not to be led away by a multitude to do evil; but to avoid every vice how ever fashionable, and to renounce every sinful pleasure however common. We are bound not only to give up that course of conduct to

which our corrupt affections would" incline us, but to repress sin in its origin; to restrain the first movements of depravity, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. Now, the vanities of the world are not renounced as long as we look on them with satisfaction. The desires of the flesh are not subdued so long as sinful affections of any kind are entertained. "Let not sin reign in your mortal body,” saith the Apostle," that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." But, "being made free from sin," ye are to be" the servants of righteousness." Sin is no more to "have dominion over you." Such is the spirit in which this first baptismal obligation is to be performed.

The next promise is, that we “wilk believe all the articles of the Christian faith." This does not imply that all Christians are to think alike on all speculative points: on some, the best and wisest men have been content to differ. Still less does it imply, that a faith, bowever just, is of any use, except as connected with practice. That faith is dead which does not produce holiness of heart and life. The articles of the Christian faith may be found in the Apostles' Creed, which teaches us to believe in God the Father, as the Creator and moral Governor of the world; in God the Son, as the Redeemer of us and of all men; in God the Holy Ghost, as the Sanctifier of the elect people of God. If these principles are followed out into their consequences, they will comprise all that a Christian must know and believe to his soul's health. And in order to this, it is not necessary that we should comprehend either the nature of Jehovah, or the mysteries of redemption, or the path of the Spirit. The use of these great doctrines does not depend on our being able to solve their difficulties. They point out to man his orgin, his condition, and his hope:-they unfold to him the treasures of Divine compassion, the blessings of redemption, the conversion of the heart, the consumma

tion of the work of God. They lead him from his low and earthly parentage, to his Father who is in heaven; from the dust of the gr und, to the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting.

We have promised, thirdly, to keep God's holy will and commandments, and to walk in the same all the days of our life. And what are we to understand by the will and commandments of God? They comprize every precept which has been delivered for the observance of man. These are admirably illustrated in the Catechism, under the heads of duties to God and duties to our neighbour; and I earnestly recommend a frequent perusal of that excellent summary. We are to love God supremely, with all our heart, and soul, and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves, and in the whole of our conduct to keep our selves blameless and harmless, and unspotted from the world. In this course, there must be no pause: we are to walk in the same all the days of our life. It is to little purpose that we begin to run well, if we fail to persevere: he that endureth unto the end, and be alone, shall be saved.

II. Such, then, being the nature of the obligation to which we are pledged in baptism, and which we take upon ourselves by the rite of Confirmation, the next inquiry is, By what means is the obligation to be fulfilled?-We promise much, but we shall greatly mistake the nature of our duty, if we imagine that by our own efforts we can accomplish the arduous work. The book of God represents us as utterly unable to speak a good word, or think a good thought; and whatever be our attainments, they are of little value unless derived from a purer source than our own corrupt and sinful hearts. The Church has taken great pains to prevent our imbibing, in our early years, any erroneous views on this subject. She tells the child who has been explaining the import and extent of the Ten Commandments, that he is "not able to do these things" of himself, nor "to walk in

the commandments of God, and to serve him, without his special grace;" a doctrine which likewise appears in every part of the service of Confir mation. What words, indeed, can be stronger than these? "Defend, O Lord, these thy servants with thy heavenly grace; that they may con tinue thine for ever, and daily increase in thy Holy Spirit more and more until they come unto thy everlasting kingdom." "Almighty and everlasting God, who makest us both to will and to do those things that be good and acceptable unto thy Divine Majesty," &c. «let thy Holy Spirit ever be with them, and so lead them in the knowledge and obedience of thy word, that in the end they may obtain everlasting life, through our Lord Jesus Christ." "Vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to direct, sanctify, and govern, both our hearts and bodies in the ways of thy laws, and in the works of thy commandments, that through thy most mighty protection both here and ever, we may be renewed in body and soul, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

Yet all this is perfectly consistent with the baptismal vow, to keep the commandments of God. No rea sonable man can suppose that he is to be idle, while the Spirit of God works on his mind. We must act the same rational part in this as in other instances, where it wholly depends on the Divine blessing to give efficacy to our labours. If we would obtain power from on high, we must seek for it in the way which God hath appointed. More especially,

1. We must search the Scrip tures."-What should we think of a person travelling through intricate roads, who took no measures to as certain the line he ought to pursue? The Word of God is given us as our only safe guide through the dark and perplexed wilderness of this world, and we are therefore bound to make ourselves familiar with its directions. The maxims of the world are at variance with the Word of God. The invitations of

sloth and sensual pleasure would draw us aside from the road that Headeth unto life. The deceitfulness of our own hearts would persuade us that many offences against the law of God are trifling and venial. The great enemy of our peace would teach us to comfort ourselves while living in sin, by considering its general prevalence, and the numbers who are walking in the same ways with ourselves. But the Scriptures sweep away all these refuges of lies. Let us then search the Scriptures, that we may be saved from these ruinous delusions. From them we shall learn the purity of the Divine law, and the depth of our own depravity. We shall there behold, in all its lustre, the nature of Christianity, the work of the Holy Spirit, and its effect on the heart and life; and we shall there see ascending from the dwellings of the Patriarchs, and from the plains of Judea, the glorious train of those who, in days long past, enjoyed the privilege of walking with God, and who have left us an example how we ought to walk and to please Him, till by faith and patience we also inherit the promises.

2. We must be constant in our attendance on the means of Grace.-If these be neglected, there is no security that religion will long survive. Let, then, no frivolous excuses detain us from the house of God; and let no spirit of carelessness distract our minds while bending before his Throne of Grace, or hearing his word; but, in simplicity and singleness of heart, let us wait upon the Lord, that we may renew our spiritual strength.

I would especially urge it on those who have recently avouched the Lord to be their God, to meet him at his table, as a duty immediately connected with their dedication of themselves to his service. If the mind be humbled under a sense of sin, and earnestly desirous to obtain grace from on high, what ordinance can be more suitable than this, which is expressly appointed CHRIST. OBSERV, No. 151.

for the strengthening and refreshing of our souls, for giving vigour to our faith, and elevation to our love; for imparting spiritual nourishment and spiritual life by the body and blood of Jesus? But as I admit that it is indeed a serious and solemn thing to press with unhallowed feet into the more immediate courts of God, and to partake of those holy mysteries with other dispositions than he hath required, it may be proper to consider briefly what are the qualifications for a due reception of the holy communion.

a

It is demanded in the Catechism, "What is required of those who come to the Lord's Supper?" The answer is: "To examine themselves whether they repent them truly of their former sins; stedfastly purposing to lead a new life; having a lively faith in God's mercy, through Christ, with thankful remembrance of his death; and be in charity with all men.' Again, in the address to communicants, it is said: "Ye that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbour, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God and walking from henceforth in his holy ways; draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to your comfort." Now surely no one would think of advancing to the table of the Lord, unless he were thus qualified. Indeed, the man who is influenced by a different spirit than is exhibited in these passages, is not entitled to the name of Christian at all; and, while he remains thus, can have no hope of rising to eternal life. If those who have confirmed their baptismal vow belong to another class than those here described, what a mockery has been their dedication! The bishop asked them, "Do ye here, in the presence of God and of this congregation, renew the solemn promise and vow which was made in your name at your baptism; ratifying and confirming the same in your own persons, and acknowledging

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yourselves bound to believe and to do all these things which your godfathers and godmothers then undertook for you?" And every one answered, I do." And can such a profession be made without repentance, without love and charity to our neighbours, without a full intention to lead a new life, and to obey the commandments of God? How insincere must that profession have been, if you be not thus prepared for partaking in the sacramental pledges of redeeming love and mercy, appointed for a continual remembrance of the death of Christ, to our great and endless comfort?

Some tender minds are indeed unduly alarmed, by an expression in the service, which states the danger to be great if we receive the elements unworthily; "for then we are guilty of the body and blood of Christ our Saviour; we eat and drink our own damnation, not considering the Lord's body." The allusion is to 1 Cor. xi. 29.: "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself.” We find, from the preceding verses, that the Corinthians had been guilty of very scandalous conduct in celebrating the Lord's Supper. They partook of it in a most profane and irreverent manner, and even polluted it by intemperance. These were the men that ate and drank " unworthily." And who can doubt that a profane and irreverent approach to this sacred ordinance makes us guilty of the body and blood of Christ; that it involves us in the guilt of those who treated him with scorn and nailed him to the cross? But no true penitent can come unworthily.

Again: the word damnation does not mean eternal condemnation, but judgment; as if the Apostle had said, If ye thus act, you will provoke the wrath of God and bring down his judgments." He alludes here to temporal punishments; though 1 grant that this offence, like every

other, will doubtless issue in eternal death, unless it be truly repented of. And thus our Church understands the phrase; for she states, as the effect of eating and drinking unworthily: "We kindle God's wrath against us; we provoke him to plague us with divers diseases and sundry kinds of death." But what follows? That we are not to commemorate our Saviour's death, through the fear of doing it unwor thily? By no means. "Judge, therefore, yourselves, brethren, that ye he not judged of the Lord:" repent you truly for your sins past; have a lively and stedfast faith in Christ our Saviour; amend your lives, and be in perfect charity with all men, so shall ye be meet partakers of these holy mysteries.

3. We must be fervent in prayer.— Without light from above, the Scriptures will be read in vain. In vain shall we enter into the sanctuary, and pay our vows unto the Lord, unless his Spirit vouchsafe to bless

us.

Let it then be the practice of our lives to pray without ceasing. Let us live in the spirit of supplication, that the entrance of the Divine Word may give light to our minds; and that He who alone can chase away the darkness of the soul, would himself

Shine inward, and the mind, through all her powers irradiate.

Let us pray earnestly that he would impart to us the knowledge of his will, and strength to keep his commandments," most humbly beseeching him to grant that by the merits and death of his Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion." The prayers of his people ascend like winged messengers to the footstool of his Throne, and come back charged with blessings from the skies. It is by this sacred intercourse, that the powers of darkness are subdued, and the chains of sin broken; that the pomps and vanities of the world pass harmless