Tracts for the Christian Seasons.

TUESDAY IN WHITSUN-WEEK.

Gift of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation.

In the portion of Scripture appointed for the Epistle, it is said of certain Samaritans that the Holy Ghost had "fallen on none of them; only they were baptized in the Name of the Lord. Then laid they (i. e. the Apostles St. Peter and St. John) their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost." Now at first sight we might say that this act of laying on of hands was the means of gaining them the first gift of the Holy Ghost, that till that was done they were dark and dead, without spiritual life or light, children of wrath and not children of God. In short, at first sight this text seems to contradict all the passages of Scripture in the previous tract, which prove that "by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." But we must not hurry through Scripture, nor travel hastily through the holy paths of God's written Word, nor think that we can

see all things clearly at a glance. If we stop and read what has gone before, we shall see that the inspired writer did not mean to say the Samaritans had received no gift whatever of the Holy Ghost; for he says above, that they "had received the Word of God;" and we know they could not have received the Word nor confessed Christ, except some power of the Holy Ghost had fallen on them. The truth is, there are diversities of gifts, and when it is said the Holy Ghost had fallen on none of them, it is merely meant that the particular kind of gift which was conveyed by laying on of hands had not fallen on them, because no hands had been laid on them; their teacher St. Philip, who was but a deacon in the Church, was not able to perform an act which the Apostles or Chief Pastors of the Church alone were empowered to fulfil.

But in reading this Scripture thus explained, we learn this great truth, that through the act of laying on of the hands of our chief Pastors, a particular gift of the Holy Ghost is conveyed to those who have been baptized into the body of Christ; we see that there is a sort of after-repast of grace following close on Baptism, of which the members of the Church should be anxious to par

take. The name we give to this act well describes what manner of spiritual gift is then received. The word "Confirmation" tells its own tale; it is a confirming or strengthening gift, just the gift the new-born children of God require, just the gift out of the treasury of grace suited to the particular need of the new-born soul. No wonder the Samaritans who had been baptized into Christ had a holy thirst for such an after supply of grace as might fix and strengthen them in the ways of Christ. From children of wrath they had been changed into children of grace; but now they wanted God to confirm and settle them in that spiritual state. What they wanted, God gave; what we want, He also gives to us: He does not cause us to be born again of water and of the Spirit, and then to live as we can; His reservoir of grace is not exhausted by that one great and glorious gift. He does not tire of those whom He has once chosen, nor does His love grow cold. He does not take us across the Red sea of Baptism, and leave us to perish in the wilderness. Nay, He opens out fresh stores of grace; He has fresh channels of grace. He is ready to confirm and set His seal to His first act, to abide by His word pledged in Baptism, to put His hand to His former deed, to repeat afresh

His gracious promises, so that in two senses His Spirit conveys a gift in Confirmation. First, He confirms or strengthens us with new grace; next, He confirms or seals as it were his own part of the covenant made with us at our Baptism, to shew that He withdraws not from us on His side, that His first word is fast. He approaches us again with His Spirit; He comes to us afresh; this time He lays His hands upon us ; He blesses us, as a father does his children. He lays His hands upon us by His deputies, by those who are in Christ's stead, by those who are well called in our Church our "Fathers in God." He chooses His chief Ministers, those who are deputed to perform the higher ministrations, who seem to be most in our heavenly Father's place.

And is not the outward part of Confirmation full of meaning? To lay the hands upon the head is the way in which fathers bless their children. We do not lay our hands upon strangers; and hence that such an outward act should have been chosen is at once proof that the baptized have been already numbered among the children of God, and that God desires to keep all those who have been baptized among His children.

How great then is the love of God toward us, and how great His care! First, in Holy Baptism

we are born again; then, in Confirmation our spiritual life receives fresh strength; God again pours into our soul fresh assistances and grace, and again assures us that He has not changed in His purpose of giving us His blessed gift of everlasting life for Christ's sake. Our Father's blessing rests upon us; His fatherly hand is over us; His Spirit comes to us with new gifts to stablish and to settle His former gifts. What need we more? what more is to be desired? We have all and abound;" the pools are filled with water; our cup is full; the horn of spiritual plenty is in our hand; grace follows grace; gift succeeds gift; and as new wants I spring up, new temptations crowd upon our opening years, behold, new powers aid the growth and strength of the spiritual man that we may be equal to our increasing trials.

But if, by means of laying on of hands, we, like the Samaritans of old, are able to receive the Holy Ghost, we see at once how very holy, how very solemn a thing, is this rite of Confirmation. When we seek to be confirmed, we seek the Holy Ghost; we seek to bring Him down from heaven; we place ourselves in God's presence, and offer ourselves to the Spirit; we open as it were the door of our souls and invite Him to