ADDRESS BEFORE CONFIRMATION.

ALTHOUGH it is very true that where great stress is laid upon any one particular crisis in our spiritual life, and where a strict preparation has been made for it, the effect, as soon as it is over, is often exceedingly shortlived, and people, feeling themselves in a manner released from something that was hanging over them, run wild with even the greater eagerness, in consequence of their late restraint although there be this danger attending any unwonted effort, if made too violently, and especially in matters that concern our souls, yet as no good is to be done without such an effort, and as it need not be overstrained or excessive, so I think that the preparation for confirmation may be of the greatest use to you, and I would not lose this opportunity of turning it, so far as I can, to your lasting benefit.

I take it for granted, that of the uses and duties of confirmation in general, you must have some tolerable notion, from what has been said to you

about it, and from what you have read yourselves. That you are now, in a manner, beginning again your Christian course, with the promises of the Gospel again personally addressed to you, and a renewed call to you, to be disposed in heart and mind to live as believing them, you will have learnt already and I need not now repeat it to you. What I wish to do, is to speak of confirmation as it concerns you who are now here assembled, in the particular situation in which you are placed, some of you being very shortly to enter upon the business of active life, or on a state of more immediate preparation for it; and the greater part being likely still to continue for a time exposed to the peculiar temptations of a school, and having to discharge its peculiar duties.

And for the first of these two classes, there is no promise in the Scripture which is more certainly confirmed by experience, than where Christ has told us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and that, then, all other things shall be added unto us: that is, that the surest way to earthly happiness, as well as to that which comes after death, is to begin life and to go through it with steady Christian principles. I do not mean by Christian principles, a firm profession of belief in the Christian religion; still less, a respect, however sincere, for the church and its institutions. Officers of the Army and Navy have,

VOL. II.

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I fear, on this point, often fatally deceived themselves: they think sometimes, that in their profession, if they are regular in attending and enforcing the attendance of their men at divine service on a Sunday, if they avoid swearing and profane language, and try to keep up respect to religion and its ministers amongst those under their command or influence, they may safely consider themselves as true Christians. But he is a Christian, who, for the love of Christ, and with prayer for the help of Christ's Spirit, struggles against the besetting temptations of his particular calling. And in the world in general, but most especially in the Army and Navy, the great and besetting temptation is to prefer the praise of men to the praise of God, and to dread the reproach of men more than the reproach of God. Where this feeling is not earnestly struggled with, it obtains in a short time such a dominion, that we shall certainly act in every point as it leads us. The most degrading personal cowardice is not so complete a bondage as the cowardice which fears to be called coward. The most timid man alive would be ashamed to say, and to accustom himself to think, that if he were placed in a situation of danger he must fly from it. However fearful his nature, he would struggle against his weakness, and pray earnestly, and earnestly labour, that if he were to be tried with severe pain and danger, they might not over

power his firmness; and there are many instances of persons, constitutionally timid, thus bracing themselves, and being supported by God; so that their resolution has endured amidst the most appalling dangers and the most fearful torments. But moral cowardice, or the fear of what man can do, not to kill the body, but to inflict shame and insult on the mind,-men do not scruple to confess that they would yield to. They will expose their own lives, and risk taking away the lives of others, in personal quarrels, because they have been accustomed to set such a value on the good opinion of the world, that the temptation of dishonour is one which they are not strong enough to resist.

For those, then, who are soon going to enter upon active life, the most earnest prayer that I would urge them to make to God, on this solemn occasion, is, that he would enable them to overcome this most fearful temptation, the dread of the censure or dishonour of the world. In our state of life, Christ's solemn warning may be most profitably altered in word that we may most effectually preserve its spirit. We do not now so much need to be told, "Fear not them who kill the body:" bodily sufferings in the path of our duty are no longer our worst dangers; Christ now says to us, Fear not them who can vex the mind and feelings with dishonour and insult for a few short years,

and after that have no more that they can do; but I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: fear Him who is able to cast you into the lowest pit of shame and dishonour for ever, yea, I say unto you, fear him.

In truth, however, if, on your first entrance into life, you follow Christ in sincerity and without affectation, your path will be spared this severe trial. Even the world respects a man who is a consistent Christian, and allows that he should act in his own. way, and from his own motives. At any rate, whatever trial you have to encounter, will be chiefly at the very beginning. Before a young man is thoroughly known, his Christian principles and practice may be suspected of hypocrisy; but it depends upon himself how long the suspicion may last. You will confirm it most seriously if your principles are seen to be strict on points which you have no inclination for, but lax in the case of your own favourite tastes. If a timid man, who is passionate in his language, and licentious in his life, first provokes a quarrel by the violence of his tongue, and then endeavours to get out of it, by speaking of the sin of fighting, it is manifest, that he would very naturally be thought a coward, who only made his principles a cloak to save him from what he did not like, not a restraint to curb himself from indulging in those vices which he did like. And another great protec