second and more excellent covenant; and all are made partakers of its promises, if they have been baptized aright. Now we, at the time of our baptism, entered into this covenant with God. He then promised, on His part, to give unto us the blessing of eternal life, and make us partakers of His heavenly kingdom which promise, He for His part, will most surely keep and perform. But, as we could not then, by reason of our tender age, pledge ourselves to fulfil the conditions required of us in the covenant, our Sponsors came forward, and in our name gave the necessary pledge; without which guarantee, we could not have been admitted into the covenant. They made the promise for us that we would renounce the Devil and all his works, constantly believe God's holy word, and obediently keep His commandments; and this is called the Baptismal Vow; the vow that was made for us by our Sureties when we were baptized; and the vow that we have since in our own persons renewed, when we were confirmed by the Bishop. And, concerning the several parts of this vow, I will now speak very shortly, as I shall have occasion to refer to them at greater length hereafter. They are three in number, and consist, first, of a determination to forsake all sin; secondly, of a belief in the Articles of the Christian religion; and, thirdly, of obedience to God's holy will and commandments. But in the latter portion of the Catechism, where the doctrine of the Sa

craments is explained, they are united into two, namely, repentance and faith: and this is the more correct division, as faith necessarily includes obedience. I mean that if a man heartily believes all the words of God, the great truths and doctrines set before him in the Bible, he will necessarily be led to obey them-otherwise his belief is imperfect; it falls short in exercising the influence, which it ought to have upon the heart. If it be not a faith, which works by love unto obedience; if it do not lead him to obey God's holy will and to walk before Him in all his commandments and ordinances blameless; it is little else than unbelief; certainly it is not a saving faith. To turn, however, to the first point, the renouncing or forsaking of all sin— especially of all fleshly lusts and appetites. This is essential in all who become the adopted sons of God. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world:" and "the world," we are taught, "is at enmity with God ;" and, therefore, it must be renounced, forsaken, and given up; we cannot be friends of the world and children of God at one and the same time. We must neither allow ourselves to be borne down by the stream of worldly opinion and fashion; nor must we altogether set it at defiance: we may follow its practices, and yield to its judgment, to a certain extent, and yet preserve ourselves undefiled. But self-indulgence, a studied pam

pering of the natural appetite and all excess in eating and drinking, may not, and must not, be encouraged : we are pledged to renounce it all,-for so our sponsors answered for us; and not only have we professed ourselves bound to do as they have promised for us, bat again and again have we stated our determination, by God's help, to fulfil the same. And now that we are come to age, let us make good our oft repeated promises; let us "not love the world, nor the things that are in the world;" but as we are Christ's, by profession at least, let us crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts." Let us pray that we may be taught to practise self-denial, to take up our daily cross, to be patient, and forbearing, and temperate, in all things.

LECTURE V.

Q. Bost thou not think that thou art bound to beliebe and to do as they have promised for thee?

A. Yes, berily; and by God's help so I will. And X heartily thank our heavenly Father, that he hath called me to this state of salvation, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. And I pray unto God to give me his grace, that I may continue in the same unto my life's end.

Of the nature and extent of the blessings conferred in baptism, it is not my intention to speak at large upon the present occasion. Another more fitting opportunity will occur, when we come to that portion of the Catechism, which treats expressly of the two sacraments. My object now is to shew that the state of grace and salvation, in which we are placed by baptism, may be forfeited and afterwards regained, or irrecoverably lost. This seems certain from the answer before us, wherein the child expresses his most hearty thanks to Almighty God for that He hath

called him to a state of salvation, and further prays of Him to give him His grace, that he may continue in the same unto his life's end. Now, it has been truly observed, there would be neither need nor room for

this petition, if continuance in the state of salvation were a matter of absolute certainty; as, on the other hand, to pray for divine grace, that we may continue in this state, intimates both how this state is to be preserved and that it is worth preserving." Knox's Remains, vol. i. p. 496. Worth preserving, indeed, for it is a state of absolute salvation! So that if infants, which have been once placed in it, die before they commit actual sin, they are undoubtedly saved. Having been made inheritors of the kingdom of God, and heirs of the promise of eternal life through Christ Jesus, and having done nothing to forfeit their title and claim to the goodly heritage, they are put in actual possession at the moment of their removal from this world; in full possession, I do not say, for they will not receive their perfect consummation and bliss until after the general resurrection from the dead. And this fact of our being made inheritors of the kingdom of God in baptism proves also, as I have said before, that the heavenly inheritance may after all be forfeited; that through sin and disobedience, and neglect of our duties and responsibilities, we may so far incur the wrath of our heavenly Father, as to induce Him to disinherit us and cast us off for ever.