AN ADDRESS BEFORE AND AFTER CONFIRMATION. DEARLY BELOVED IN THE LORD, 1834. You are assembled, under the blessing of the Most High, to make your public profession of the religion of Christ; it is most important that this profession should be thus publicly and solemnly made by you. Born as you have been of Christian parents, and in a land professing itself Christian, your very faith has been in some degree influenced by the circumstance of your birth. You were baptized into the church of Christ at a time when you were unable to judge for yourselves: others, influenced by custom, or higher and holier motives, judged and acted for you; and you hereby became Christians, admitted into the covenanted favor of God, and raised through the Spirit into a capacity of working out your salvation through that Name, besides which there is none other "under Heaven given among men whereby we may be saved." Rom. ii. 6-10. 2 Pet. i. 5-11. St. Matth. vii. 21-23. Faith-not your own-was instrumental, under Christ, in placing you in a state of salvation; but faith, which is your own, of God, and by the Rom. x. 17. "hearing of His Word," can alone St. Luke xvii. 5. preserve you in it. You will be St. Matth. xxv.31-46. judged at the last day not by the promises and acts of your parents or sponsors, but by that measure of obedience, which, out of a lively faith in Christ, and in conformity with their promises, you have endeavoured, by God's grace, to render yourselves. The faith which we must maintain is not merely an outward name, whereby we are distinguished from the Jew who rejects Christ, or the Socinian who degrades Him, or the Heathen who is ignorant of Him; but a rule more strict and sacred, whereby we are found to feel, and desire, and judge, and speak, and act differently from other men. Hear how an apostle of Christ speaks unto them that are Christ's! "This I say, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their minds, having the understanding darkened, that they cannot attain unto the truth, being alienated from the life of God" (a life according to godliness, and in imitation of Him that is perfect)," through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness and blindness of their hearts; who, being past feeling," with no no desire to prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God, and, with no sense of shame, whilst committing the grossest enormities, "have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness." "But ye," he continues, "have not so learned Christ, if so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus; and have put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and have been renewed in the spirit of your minds, and have put on the new man, which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness." Much more, therefore, is expected of the Christian, than merely to bear the name of Christ; much more is expected of the Christian, than to conform to the laws of the country in which he lives, or to the decencies of civilized society; much more is expected of the Christian, than to be temperate in the use of meats and drinks, honest in his dealings, industrious in his calling, civil in his deportment, and even charitable in cases of urgent distress. If ye love them which love you," thus our Lord puts the case," what thank have ye?" what is there in this which distinguishes the Christian from other men; 66 for sinners also," they that profess not the religion of Christ, "love those that love them? And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye?” How shall we discern herein the nobler motives by which the Christian is expected to be actuated; "for sinners also do even the same; And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye?" Where is there any principle of action so peculiarly self-denying and beneficent in the Christian's creed ? "For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies," thus the Redeemer addresses every true disciple of His"and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest." Settle it, then, in your minds, that, whilst the grace of God is ever ready to enable the Christian acceptably to keep his baptismal vows, there is on all and each of you engagements peculiar to the Christian. The Christian is not as other men in point of privileges; he cannot expect, therefore, to be as other men, in point of duty: "Unto whomsoever much is given, of him will more be required." In what, then, consists the difference between the Christian, and those who know not Christ, or know Him not as He ought to be known? 1. The first and great difference between the Christian and other men, consists in the view which the former takes of sin. The Christian regards sin in its true light, as a transgression of God's express commandment. Some sins may make a deeper breach than others; but he is sensible, that there is none which is not deep enough to wound the soul even unto death, and to render the healing balm of the Redeemer's blood necessary for its cure. In sin he beholds the weapon of Satan for the destruction of the souls of men. Whether the sin which he may be tempted at the moment to commit, be lasciviousness, or drunkenness, or dishonesty, or falsehood, or variance, or revenge, he considers not so much whether the indulgence of what is evil will lower his character, or retard his worldly views, but resolves the temptation, as Joseph did of old, into a sin against God. He has God before his eyes, entreating him by the abundance of His mercies to forbear; and threatening him with the terror of everlasting punishment, if he commit the offence. He has before him the image of his Redeemer, hanging for him on the cross he has the Holy Spirit within him, striving with him unto what is right. "How then shall he do this great wickedness, and sin against a God," so powerful, merciful, and holy? 2. The second difference between the Christian and other men is observable in the daily acts of self-denial and love. It needs but little acquaintance with the world to know, that there is but little of self-restraint in its motives and conduct: little of that love, which, regardless of all personal considerations, lays itself out to "do good." Men of the world, or, in our Lord's language, "the children of this world," are quick to resent an injury, but how slow are they to forgive it! how ready to indulge themselves in all things which they have a fancy for! how bent on ad |