scribe what we should forsake, what we should believe, and what we should practise. Have you ever considered how much is implied in all this? As to what you should forsake, do you see the importance of renouncing the devil and all his works? All sin is the devil's work.-Have you ever reflected on your having promised to forsake all sin ? Did you ever consider that this world is a wicked world? And have you reflected on the danger of loving its pomps and vanities? And as to the sinful lusts of the flesh, have you ever regarded your nature as corrupt; and do you feel the necessity of renouncing all its evil desires and propensities, pride, hatred, malice, revenge, strife, envyings, uncleanness, gluttony, drunkenness ? These are the works of the flesh; and all these you have solemnly promised to renounce; and in so doing have bound yourselves not to practise them, but to hold them in abhorrence. It is painful to observe how many young people there are who think there is no harm in these things. But remember, that you have engaged to renounce them utterly.

Secondly, As to what you should believe: you are to believe all the Articles of the Christia Faith. You did not promise only that you

would repeat them, but that you would believe them! Now this implies, consideration, and a deep persuasion of their truth. Did you ever consider, that God the Father made you and all the world by his almighty power? that God the Son redeemed you and all mankind? and that God the Holy Ghost sanctifieth you and all the elect people of God? If God the Son redeemed you, he paid a price for your redemption! that price, my dear children, was his own precious blood! Did you ever consider this; and in what a ruined state you must have been, to make it necessary that Jesus Christ should die for your salvation? To sanctify, is to make

holy if God the Holy Ghost sanctifieth us, it is because we are unholy. Did you ever reflect on this great truth, and pray, that the Holy

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Ghost might change your hearts and make you good?

Thirdly, As to what you should practise : you promised to keep God's will and commandments all the days of your life. Now, you cannot keep them if you do not know them; and you cannot know them, if you do not read them in the Scripture, and consider the meaning of what you read. You have there

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fore promised to make the will of God your study and guide all through life.

O how much

have you undertaken! undertaken too in a most solemn manner before God, in his house,

But perhaps some may reply, that they have never made these promises; that their parents indeed made them; but that they cannot consider themselves to be responsible for an act which they could not prevent.

If there were no other reason why we should forsake sin, and give ourselves up to God, than because our parents and sponsors had promised it, there would be something plausible in this objection. But are there not other weighty reasons ? Is it not reasonable that we should renounce the devil and his works?

Is it not

our duty to believe what God has revealed, and to practise what he has commanded?

Do we

not sin against God in neglecting these things, and injure our own souls? Is it not our happiness as well as duty to be truly religious; and our sin and misery to forsake God and follow after a wicked world? What they promised, therefore, it is our duty to perform for they promised as religious parents, and we ought to perform it as religious children. Besides, do

we not call ourselves Christians?

If so, then

we ought to know that we enter by Baptism upon our Christian state and calling; and this

ceremony is in itself belonging to Christ, to live to his glory.

a public profession of our and of our determination

This Christian character

we have outwardly maintained ever since we were baptized; but if we do not admit that we are under an obligation to serve God, and to forsake all sinful practices, we renounce our Christian calling and character, we deny the faith, and exclude ourselves at once from all the privileges of Christ's followers, from all the honours of God's children, and from all the glory of heaven.

The vows made at Baptism we are now then called upon to recollect; we are to consider them as obligations upon us, not only because our parents offered them in our name, but because God requires us to perform them; and we ourselves, as members of a Christian Church, profess to regard them as our bounden duty and service. We must first renounce our Christian profession, and reject the Bible, before we can reasonably maintain that we are not under the

most solemn and serious engagements to serve God, and live to his glory.

II. Having thus endeavoured to put you in mind of your Baptismal vows, let me next point out the importance of confirming them.

And here it will be readily allowed, that if our parents and sponsors acted rightly in engaging to bring us up in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord;" if we have acted rightly in uniting ourselves with professing Christians, and thus taking the Lord for our God, it must be a duty highly incumbent upon us, to act consistently with such a profession, and to exemplify in our daily practice, those promises and Vows which have been made on our behalf. Better it is that thou shouldest not vow; than that thou shouldest vow and not pay; God hath no pleasure in fools." Nothing can be more offensive to the heart-searching God, than for persons solemnly to enter upon engagements, which they have no intention to fulfil. It were better far that we had never assumed the Christian profession, or been instructed in the doctrines of the Gospel, than possessing the privi leges we do, not to make conscience of performing the duties of our high calling. A con

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